I remember hearing sometime that about a fifth of the US population believe in the rapture. These are devout people who yearn to see the day when they will be raptured up to heaven when the rest of the world falls into a massive war.
Now if that's accurate, it would explain how Bush got about half of all his votes and why they voted for someone who may likely cause this war. Which still begs the question, what's the other half's excuse.
The other half's excuse is terrorism.
But on a serious note, I've never been able to figure out how they determined there would be a rapture based on that one passage in the drug-induced book of revelation. Anybody help me out on that?
I have a serious question. I have heard somewhere that only 144,000 will make it to heaven. If there is anyone here who is familiar with that belief, to me it seems like an extremely small number. I mean, there have probably already been far more righteous people who have ever lived. Does anyone see where I'm going with this? It doesn't make sense to me.
Seems to me you are thinking about a Mormon teaching, SCoates.
No, that's certainly not Mormon.
Sorry SCoates....
...I meant Jehovah's Witnesses....not Mormon.
Ah, I think you're right. Are you very familiar with it?
No, the 144,000 is a Christian belief as well.
Here are some interpretations:
1) The 144,000 is the number of Jews (12,000 from each of the 12 tribes) All Christians assume to be in the rapture uncounted.
http://www.rapturegeneration.com/manchild/TimeFrame4/martyrsraised.htm
2) The 144,000 are personally selected by God to fulfill a specific task -- to reveal Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue and people prior to His coming in glory.
http://www.man-child.com/_disc1/00000004.htm
3) Some believe all Christians will be rptured, but that 144,000 Jews will be sealed (protected) and left on earth to spread the word during the tribulation so that more people will be saved.
http://www.geocities.com/asterisktom/144000.html
Ok now tell me what the heck you people are talking about? What is rapture?
It's like ecstacy. Some "christians" condone the use of what they consider to be a spiritual drug.
Seriously, au1929?
It's from interpretation of the book of Revelations (last chapter in the Bible)
People that believe in the rapture believe they will be lifted up to heaven (removed from earth even though they are still alive) either before, during or after the End Times. The pre-millennial believers think they will be raptured before all hell breaks loose. The post-millennial believe they will have to endure part or all of that hell before being rescued.
(Why the heck can't I spell millennial and have it look right? Is that right? it looks weird!)
Anyways, that is what it is. Rapture. And all of the non-Christians will be slammed by cars, planes, boats, and trains, not to mention having to fight all the fires from stoves left on as people suddenly disappear.
squinney
Thanks for the explanation. Is this any different from the Muslims and their 72 virgin fable? Anytime I have experienced rapture it was in the arms of a women.
au1929 wrote:Ok now tell me what the heck you people are talking about? What is rapture?
depends on how long it is since you were last raptured
Gozmo
At my age any time any and everytime I can is a rapture. :wink:
My fave bumper sticker a few years ago: "Come the Rapture... can I have your car?"
What's that series of books that was popular a couple years ago? Left Behind? It's a series of novels that tells what happens after the Christians are gone and the roads have been cleared...
The Left Behind series exactly follows the Fundamentalist / Far Right Christian interpretation of Revelations. As a matter of fact, the authors of the series are tight with the Christian Right and the current administration.
I don't guess you are familiar with HBO's Six Feet Under? It is about a family that runs a funeral home. Each episode opens with how the person the funeral home deals with that week, dies.
My all time favorite was the one where a couple of guys are filling life size female dolls with helium for a party. They then load them into their pick-up, strap them down and head to their destination. The "dolls" break loose and start floating up to heaven...
Meanwhile, a Christian woman driving home see's the dolls floating up to heaven and freaks. Thinking she is being "Left Behind" she jumps out of her car and gets hit by traffic.
au1929 wrote:squinney
Thanks for the explanation. Is this any different from the Muslims and their 72 virgin fable?
Why of course it is, au1929! Don't you know that the Rapture is NOT a fable? The Muslims have silly, unrealistic ideas, while the Christians are... Right.
squinney wrote:The Left Behind series exactly follows the Fundamentalist / Far Right Christian interpretation of Revelations. As a matter of fact, the authors of the series are tight with the Christian Right and the current administration.
I don't guess you are familiar with HBO's Six Feet Under? It is about a family that runs a funeral home. Each episode opens with how the person the funeral home deals with that week, dies.
My all time favorite was the one where a couple of guys are filling life size female dolls with helium for a party. They then load them into their pick-up, strap them down and head to their destination. The "dolls" break loose and start floating up to heaven...
Meanwhile, a Christian woman driving home see's the dolls floating up to heaven and freaks. Thinking she is being "Left Behind" she jumps out of her car and gets hit by traffic.
Squinney...
...whenever I hear the word "rapture" these days...that scene comes to mind. It was hilarious.
Frank - For some reason I think of it more often than that. It was too hilarious and ranked up there with the woman killed by the falling block of urine ice from a plane.
BTW, I read the entire Left Behind Serious, studied Revelations from a couple of different perspectives, and all included that clothing, false teeth, glasses, etc. were left behind. Made the porno doll scene funnier to me since without the "visual" provided from reading, one doesn't really grasp the idea of all these naked bodies floating up to the sky.
because the bible says the raptured will go in "the twinkling of an eye" I don't think anyone will see them go ala the floating love dolls......there are also those who believe there will be two raptures...the post millenial one being after a kind of last chance for people to turn to Christ......the first one for those who are already true believers.....there are also those who believe Elvis is alive and Paul is dead....
