Ok, this is hilarious

[charby]

Essentially, Judgement Day and The Rapture are very closely related concepts, as is discussed in the link that I provided. It's all tied in with the Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven. It's the fine details that differ.

That is how I understand it also, its the details of how it happens that are varied (or the number of people going to heaven)

-C

[Perd Hapley]

"Not mentioned in the Bible"

That's right, it's not mentioned in the Bible specifically, as in "Verily I say unto thee, upon commencement of the Rapture, thine automobile shalt be driverless."

There are lots of Bible passages that allow the reader to infer, via interpretation, that the Rapture could happen.

That's what I meant, yes.  To say that it is "not mentioned" puts it on a level with teachings like, say, the Immaculate Conception.  Whether one believes in the latter or not, it isn't "mentioned" in Scripture. 

The Rapture is a relatively new interpretation of scripture, and its main proponents are amongst the fundamentalists, born agains, and pentecostals. It fits in with their entire fire and brimstone take on religion.

Actually its appeal is much, much broader than that.  Fire and brimstone is pretty rare these days, but the rapture is awfully popular.  I've mostly heard about it in touchy-feely churches, of the charismatic, seeker-sensitive, and/or mega-church variety. 

But I don't understand what's so fire-and-brimstoney about the rapture, anyway. 

[Balog]

That's what I meant, yes.  To say that it is "not mentioned" puts it on a level with teachings like, say, the Immaculate Conception.  Whether one believes in the latter or not, it isn't "mentioned" in Scripture.

Uhhhh......... what? The virgin birth is specifically mentioned repeatedly, both in Old Testament prophecy and in the Gospels.

Are you feeling ok there fisty?

[41magsnub]

One thing I do not understand is Jehovah's Witnesses.  They do believe in their version of the rapture but are limited to 144,000 folks, the rest stay though in a "earthly paradise".  Given that, why are they going door to door recruiting?  Wouldn't that cut their own odds of being one of the 144K? 

[Manedwolf]

Actually its appeal is much, much broader than that.  Fire and brimstone is pretty rare these days, but the rapture is awfully popular.  I've mostly heard about it in touchy-feely churches, of the charismatic, seeker-sensitive, and/or mega-church variety. 

But I don't understand what's so fire-and-brimstoney about the rapture, anyway. 

I thought it was that the holier-than-thou got vacuumed up out of the televangelist cathedrals, and the rest of us got to fight an all-out global war against the forces of evil?

That's the modern culture version, anyway.

[cosine]

That's what I meant, yes.  To say that it is "not mentioned" puts it on a level with teachings like, say, the Immaculate Conception.  Whether one believes in the latter or not, it isn't "mentioned" in Scripture.

Uhhhh......... what? The virgin birth is specifically mentioned repeatedly, both in Old Testament prophecy and in the Gospels.

Are you feeling ok there fisty?

Slight thread drift, but I feel the need to clear up a common misconception. The teaching of the Immaculate Conception is not the same as the virgin birth. The former refers to the belief that Mary, Christ's mother, was herself conceived without any stain of original sin on her soul. The latter refers to the teaching that Christ was born of a virgin. These are two separate, distinct beliefs.

[Perd Hapley]

Yeah, thanks.     I probably didn't use the best comparison there, but I was just looking for a belief that would be clearly "not mentioned," versus one that was "possibly mentioned, if one holds to that interpretation."

Another example might be infant baptism.  Like the rapture, it is not set forth in blazing uncials.  But those who follow that view point to passages that say something like "and his whole household was baptized."  So the practice isn't "specifically mentioned," but it does seem to be spoken of.  Or at least some people think so.   

[xavier fremboe]

That's what I meant, yes.  To say that it is "not mentioned" puts it on a level with teachings like, say, the Immaculate Conception.  Whether one believes in the latter or not, it isn't "mentioned" in Scripture.

Uhhhh......... what? The virgin birth is specifically mentioned repeatedly, both in Old Testament prophecy and in the Gospels.

Are you feeling ok there fisty?

Slight thread drift, but I feel the need to clear up a common misconception. The teaching of the Immaculate Conception is not the same as the virgin birth. The former refers to the belief that Mary, Christ's mother, was herself conceived without any stain of original sin on her soul. The latter refers to the teaching that Christ was born of a virgin. These are two separate, distinct beliefs.

I heard that the virgin birth was the result of a mistranslation of the word for 'maiden'.  Any truth to that?

[Balog]

That's what I meant, yes.  To say that it is "not mentioned" puts it on a level with teachings like, say, the Immaculate Conception.  Whether one believes in the latter or not, it isn't "mentioned" in Scripture.

Uhhhh......... what? The virgin birth is specifically mentioned repeatedly, both in Old Testament prophecy and in the Gospels.

Are you feeling ok there fisty?

Slight thread drift, but I feel the need to clear up a common misconception. The teaching of the Immaculate Conception is not the same as the virgin birth. The former refers to the belief that Mary, Christ's mother, was herself conceived without any stain of original sin on her soul. The latter refers to the teaching that Christ was born of a virgin. These are two separate, distinct beliefs.

I heard that the virgin birth was the result of a mistranslation of the word for 'maiden'.  Any truth to that?

No, it's specifically mentioned. One thing I've never understood about the Catholic veneration of Mary tho; Jesus had brothers. As in natural, Joseph and Mary having sex kinda brothers. She was only a virgin whilst carrying Jesus.

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

One thing I've never understood about the Catholic veneration of Mary tho; Jesus had brothers.

They explain that away - the 'brothers' mentioned were just some other type of relatives, or from a previous marriage of Joseph's, IIRC. Not sure when it all got started.

[MechAg94]

I have never heard of that Immaculate Conception belief.  I was always taught that Adam's original sin was passed via the male so Christ being born of a virgin was not affected.  All in the details I guess. 

I grew up in one of the most serious, technical, and un-emotional Churches I have ever heard of and we were taught about the Rapture.  It was non-denominational, but my grandfather is Baptist and he had similar beliefs.  I can't even attempt to explain the origins.  All I'll say is that Revelations and a lot of the other prophetical passages are all very symbolic and cryptic and require some expertise and knowledge of the Bible to interpret correctly.  Considering the language and education background of that pastor, I'll take his word over y'alls.   

Of course, I was also taught that since we don't know when it is, all we can do is try to live a Christian way of life and not worry about it. 

[Perd Hapley]

I heard that the virgin birth was the result of a mistranslation of the word for 'maiden'.  Any truth to that?

Belief in the virgin birth is based on multiple Biblical passages, especially the one where Mary asks the angel, "How can I be pregnant, when I have never known a man?" 

You're probably thinking of Isaiah 7.14. 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

The word usually translated as "virgin" is the Hebrew word "almah."  Almah can mean "virgin" or "young woman," somewhat like the English word "maiden."  In 250 BC, Jewish scholars in Alexandria translated the Hebrew scriptures into Greek (the Septuagint).  For Isaiah 7.14, they used the Greek "parthenos," meaning simply, "virgin."  Since these Greek scriptures were commonly used by Jews of Jesus day, Matthew used the word "parthenos" when he quoted Isaiah 7.14 in his Gospel, and claimed it was a prophecy of the way Christ would be born.*       

If, however, Isaiah was talking about a young woman conceiving in the normal way, it would not be so clear that the prophecy applied to the Christ.  The prophecy also seems to apply to Isaiah's wife, and some Christians believe the prophecy was fulfilled both immediately in Isaiah's wife, circa 700 BC, and later in Jesus Christ.  So there's some controversy there. 


*I'm no scholar of languages.  I'm basing this on various sources I've heard or read over the past few years.  Specifically, from Essential Guide to Bible Versions by Philip W. Comfort, Ph.D., which I just finished reading. 

[lee n. field]

Oddly enough, most Christian religions don't believe in it, either.   --Mike Irwin

The secret rapture is a distinctive dispensationalist belief, and comes from the ecstatic prophecies of one Margret Macdonald (who was a follower of the proto-pentcostalist Edward Irving), back around 1830.  Previously unknown in the church.

Poke me hard enough, I'll get into a rant.  The Left Behind stuff starts with a faulty assumption (Israel and the Church as rigidly distinct and separate (earthly vs. heavenly) peoples of God) and runs with it, often right over a cliff (John Hagee).

The (non-secret) rapture is in the Bible, but it's likely to be the loudest thing since creation.  "The trumpet call, the voice of an archangel....." 

[Antibubba]

What a scam! Wish I'd thought of it. There'll be enough suckers buy into that that the operators will be set for life.

Can I arrange to have my Christian friends email their credit card numbers and the combination to the gun safes?   

[Perd Hapley]

And you'll need those guns and money during the Great Tribulation, sinner.  Good luck!   

[Antibubba]

Hey, someone's got to fight the good fight, tight? 

[Perd Hapley]

RE:  The Second Coming.

I'm listening to Hank Hanegraaf's radio show.  "People who have set dates for the return of Christ have one thing in common.  So far, they have been 100% wrong."    

[41magsnub]

How timely... Think I should loot my savings and spend it on hookers and blow?

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8443405&nav=menu117_2

06/06/ - Van Zandt County
Is The End Of The World Coming On June 12th?

An elusive group just outside of Abilene, Texas is claiming the end of the world is coming in less than a week.

The House of Yahweh recently gave ABC reporter Brian Ross access to their west Texas compound. Yahweh leader Yisrayl Hawkins says a nuclear holocaust will come June 12th and only members of his group will be saved.

All group members change their last names to Hawkins and live in the compound.

Local authorities claim the group is dangerous and practices polygamy. Shane Dee, the local district attorney, says there's no way to describe the group except as a religious cult. Yisrael Hawkins disagrees. "I don't control their mind in a witch-like fashion that the world is speaking of, to where I have some sort of power over them. I merely teach the laws to them."

Hawkins has predicted a doomsday twice before. He's also accused of having two dozen wives, and is facing bigamy charges.

You can see more of the Brian Ross interview tonight (Friday) on 20/20, airing tonight on KLTV 7 at 9:00 pm.

Cathryn Khalil / ckhalil@kltv.com

[AmbulanceDriver]

Seriously, what is it with Texas and nutty polygamist cults???


 

[The Annoyed Man]

Got to give him credit for persisting. Most other folks would probably give up after two attempts, and the internet ridicule that would follow from it .

[Manedwolf]

Seriously, what is it with Texas and nutty polygamist cults???


 

There's a lot of space with no people in it and no reason to go there.

[Dope]

You know, after reading this thread I had a thought (uh oh).

Trying to interpret and understand the bible is like trying to figure out Massachusetts gun laws. No matter how much you research, and how hard you try - you're probably doing it wrong.

Only MA residents or former residents will understand this.

Dope

[Perd Hapley]

Got to give him credit for persisting. Most other folks would probably give up after two attempts, and the internet ridicule that would follow from it .

I'm guessing you have no idea how many people have predicted the Second Coming REPEATEDLY.  You can always say, "Oh, schucks, I interpreted the prophecy incorrectly, but this time, I'm really right."  See Dope's post. 

[BlueStarLizzard]

i got a question...

what happens if there is a bit of a mix up and those emails get sent without the rapture? now, while many would be boring, i bet some of them are pretty juicey. there's nothing like the elimanation of consiquences to get people to tell the truth.
 

[wmenorr67]

Too bad someone couldn't hack into the system to prevent the "chosen ones" from logging in for 5 days straight.  That would be an interesting story.