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Fri 7 Jul, 2006 01:31 pm
quote: "A neighbor recently insisted I read the Left Behind series. "Especially now after 9/11," he said, "and the blessed countdown for the Rapture has begun."
"Why are you so ... well, cheerful, about the end of the Earth?" I asked him.
He gazed at me with the true alarm of deep pity. "I'm afraid you'll have a rough time of it here during the Tribulations -- plagues of locusts, frogs, viruses ... the Earth attacked by tsunamis, volcanoes, dark legions of the unsaved."
"Don't you love any of us you believe will suffer so?" I said.
This gave my neighbor a moment's pause. But then he admitted with some chagrin. "You can't blame us born-again for at last getting our heavenly rewards. We've waited thousands of years for End Times."
My neighbor's fervor sent me to search the Internet for the Rapture Index -- a "prophetic speedometer," which concludes that we've hit 153, and the warning, "Fasten Your Seat belts." Giddily, the Rapturers anticipate ecological collapse, Mideast holy wars and Christian Zionists as evidence of the Second Coming. In a twinkling, they say, the righteous will ascend, dropping golden dental work, our nightgowns and perhaps even some spouses.
All this might seem darkly comic, if not for a Time magazine poll that 56 percent of Americans "believe the prophecies in the Book of Revelation will come true." And that the Left Behind books are the biggest selling fictional series in the United States.
In complex and challenging times, apocalypse is such a simple answer. This fight-or-flight fear is hardwired into our reptilian, forest-slashing, migrating, pioneering species -- leave the Old World behind, find a New World. No need to really change, adapt or evolve, just find another planet or heaven to plunder for our own rewards. After all, the dark side of fundamentalism is consumerism.
quote from courious 7/7/06.
Lets get the debate started: Is the dark side of fundamentalism consumerism? Where do you fit in the Times Poll?
as the earths population soars, theres still only room on the bus for about 140000. Am I sort of close?
Do you mean the 144,000, farmerman?
Quote:"Don't you love any of us you believe will suffer so?" I said.
Of course we do. You have the exact same choice that everyone else has concerning this. So, if you end up suffering, that's because you decided as you did.
I don't want anyone to suffer but I'm also not going to feel guilty for choosing God over anyone else (not saying anyone said I should). I can tell you why I am not upset about the world ending. It will end every bit of pain, suffering, animosity, etc., on the face of this planet. Who wouldn't want that?
Is believing revelations acually exactly the same as the rapture?
Like to see the poll....and critique its methodology, too.
I do find it hard to believe 56% of Americans believe this crap!
Oh please don't bury meeeeee
Down in that cold, cold ground,
No, I'd rather have you cut me up
And pass me all around.
dlowan, actually the concept of the rapture can be pretty controversial among the Christian religion. Many Christians don't believe in the rapture at all while others believe in a pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, or post tribulation rapture.
The Bible does not have the word "rapture" in it. The concept of the rapture (being caught up) to my understanding is in the Bible.
ok, so the 144000 get a ticket and the remanining 6.49 BILLION are off. So lesseee, that means that its 1.4 X 10^4/6.49X10^9 ~2X10-6 or 2 one hundred thousandth of a percent. (somebody check my math here). So most of us are screwed no matter what we believe or how good we are , so my conclusion is PARTY ON!
Where did the 144000 come from anyway?
Farmerman,
If I am reading you correctly you think only 144,000 will go to heaven? That's not my understanding. My understanding is the 144,000 are Jews that convert to Christianity and spread the gospel during the tribulation period. Simply put, jthe rapture is when God's faithful (those that have made the choice for Christ) are taken off the earth. Then there will be a seven year tribulation period in which those left on earth will have the chance to either choose for Christ or not. Those that take the Mark of the Beast, of course, are the ones that choose againt Christ.
Now, I am not saying this is exactly what's going to happen because hey, no one has 100% knowledge of the Bible.
Shall I be the one to tell you farmerman is speaking in hyperbole, or something like that?
Momma Angel wrote:Farmerman,
If I am reading you correctly you think only 144,000 will go to heaven? That's not my understanding. My understanding is the 144,000 are Jews that convert to Christianity and spread the gospel during the tribulation period. Simply put, jthe rapture is when God's faithful (those that have made the choice for Christ) are taken off the earth. Then there will be a seven year tribulation period in which those left on earth will have the chance to either choose for Christ or not. Those that take the Mark of the Beast, of course, are the ones that choose againt Christ.
Now, I am not saying this is exactly what's going to happen because hey, no one has 100% knowledge of the Bible.
Hello MAngel....
I've been silent for a long while but I just want to state my opinion on the end times.
Here it is:
3rd Temple built, Sacrifices started again ( pact with Israel made.) 7 year period begins.
1/2 Way Sacrifices Stopped.
7 year period ends.
Tribulation Starts.
30 days (the Seals) and
(the 7 Trumpets)
(the rapture at the LAST TRUMP for the Trump shall sound.)
Aboniation of Desolation
Great Tribulation Starts.
45 days (the Vials)
1000 years
Satan Loosed once again
Final Judgement
Eternity
Yep, that's another view of it. Nice to see you Scott.
I cant believe Im engaging in this stuff.
Revelations ch 14 states that 2 armies of 144000 each will be raised. The first will be "raptured" up and the conditions are
1 Men only
2 men who havent been defiled by women(gonna let a lot of us out even if we gave a ****)
3 Peter's group (and this is sounding more like "The Life of Brian") makes room for an additional "backup group of 144000. The Judizers were a Biblical equivalent of the splinter groups who found Brians sandal and an immediate schism occured
Im gflad my life isnt so complicated with such required reading.
Farmerman,
I really can't help you a lot with the Book of Revelation. I haven't studied it much at all. I gave you just a brief overview of my understanding of it. There are lots of sites about this particular concept and I've glanced through a few of them but never anything really extensive.
I can imagine that to someone who doesn't believe it does sound kind of out there.
by the way, i think this is the Time piece referenced for that 56% figure, in case anyone's curious, although it seems the figure should be 59%, for 17% + 42%.
Quote:Posted Sunday, Jun. 23, 2002
New York - One-in-six Americans (17%) surveyed by TIME magazine and CNN believe the end of the world as described in the Bible's Book of Revelations will occur in their lifetimes (42% say "eventually," 33% say "it will not occur"). Almost one-in-four (23%) say the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 were predicted by the Book of Revelation, according to the TIME/CNN Poll (64% disagree).
http://www.time.com/time/press_releases/article/0,8599,265363,00.html
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