Rapture and End Time Beliefs

[Nancy]

Well, a lot of female military experience there in your family... (No tattoos though? if not, it must have been quite a while ago, because if it were in recent times a proportion of military women in the family would likely have gotten inked because it's very much the military custom.)

Hahah...no, NO ink for them, nor my brothers, a few uncles did. My mother was in during the Korean war and my dad was in WWI.

 

[Nancy]

@Heart2Soul :You and @Nancy must have a lot in common, being ex-military ladies...

Oh no Farouk...hers was a much more intense field, and required much more in the brain dept. lol.

 

[Nancy]

Hey we wouldn't survive any war without our supplies! So kudos to the supply guys and gals!

And Kudos back to you! Were you commissioned?

 

[Heart2Soul]

And Kudos back to you! Were you commissioned?

I was not….were you?

 

[farouk]

ohhhh….well dang

 

[farouk]

@Heart2Soul @Nancy : Gratitude for the service of both of you is called for!

 

[Nancy]

I was not….were you?

Nope. Did get my E-6 by the time I finished up in the Reserves tho Went in Feb. 1981-Jan. 1985. Came back to Ny and joined the Reserves for 3 years. I should just have stayed and finished up my 20. It's all good though.

 

[Nancy]

@Heart2Soul @Nancy : Gratitude for the service of both of you is called for!

Very kind of you @farouk , Thank you

 

[farouk]

Very kind of you @farouk , Thank you

YW. Actually I'm a Canadian citizen...

 

[Heart2Soul]

@Heart2Soul @Nancy : Gratitude for the service of both of you is called for!

Thank you farouk, don't forget Willie T......and I believe CoreIssue….and I am sure a couple of others here as well.

 

[Nancy]

YW. Actually I'm a Canadian citizen...

Awesome, I love my Canadian neighbors!

 

[CoreIssue]

Two all my fellow Vets

 

[bbyrd009]

live by the sword, die by the sword

 

[amadeus]

My church made the whole congregation watch "Left Behind" and I was very young back then and developed a severe fear of God...….to the point that I could not even enjoy my fellowship with Him.....so our pastor wanted us to believe a fictional writing as the "gospel".....Hal Lindsey has prophesied many things that have NOT come to pass as he prophesied it would.

I also have never watched the "Left Behind" movies. I cannot say I never believed in the rapture, but what I heard about that first movie presented a conflict with my own desire to understand only the Word of God. I thought at the time I would get that from the Bible. [I certainly misunderstand that part.]

I saw "The Ten Commandments" many years before I started to read a Bible and enjoyed it believing it to be an accurate depiction of what really happened. It was years after beginning to read the scriptures before I realized the problems of that enterprise of Mr. Heston and company. I would guess that the presumption of "Left Behind" might be worse, but how would I know? Why do I need to...?

Each of us must have our time to go through trials and tests perhaps because that is the way to move toward perfection. It seems to coincide with my opposition to the OSAS belief. The only time we will have pulled out, if there is one, might be when we have by the work of the Holy Spirit overcome the world of our carnal ways. Where are we going once we have overcome? Why would God want us to go once we have overcome?

Do we have work to do? Where but here and now?

Do we have a place and time of rest? Where but here and now?

Where is God? Where but here? When is He NOT here?

 

[Naomi25]

To grab the interest of non Christians and maybe get them reading the bible??

I've used said approach in the past and it worked.

I never said by fear, you did.

Raptured is not fear. It is hope and promise.

I don't actually disagree with you here.
The number of people I've heard say they came to Christ after reading a book about the Rapture suggests the Lord uses it and does spark a great interest in the subject.

I also agree that regardless of you views on these things, books like Left Behind shouldn't cause us to fear! Goodness...the overwhelming theme of them is that God is in control. That his guiding hand is moving history to its conclusion and that it's climax will be exactly as he ordains it. I don't know about anyone else, but when I consider the world as it is today, reading things like that, it gives me great hope and anticipation! God is at the helm!

 

[brakelite]

I well remember Lindsay's Late Great Planet Earth from the 70s. I must have read it at least 4 times, like a second Bible. But I was a young Christian in a Pentecostal church and we simply weren't taught how to study the scriptures properly. There was a movie series that came out then too...Thief in the Night and the second sequel...A Distant Thunder. And they were fear based. No fear for one who was raptured...but absolutely no talk on how to walk the walk in order to be raptured either...you give your heart to Jesus...you're saved...rapture inevitable heaven here I come! Yay! Tough for those left in my bus that plummets over a cliff after I disappear...but hey, God must dig that kinda drama right?
Twenty years later I became aware through some serious learning curves that the entire scenario is a hoax. Great for making lots of mullah, but not so good for preparing people for the second coming. The rapture theory is based on a premise similar to a football or baseball coach withdrawing his team from the match just before half time because they were in the lead. No glory at all in that. Just when you know the opposition is about to bring on their heavy hitters, you declare sorry guys, I'm taking my team out because they can't handle you.

I am of the belief that things are going to get tough. But I have no fear because God is preparing His people, and promises protection, not withdrawal, from the last minutes of the game. God wants total victory. Not a half pie semi-orderly retreat because times are hard.

 

[Naomi25]

I well remember Lindsay's Late Great Planet Earth from the 70s. I must have read it at least 4 times, like a second Bible. But I was a young Christian in a Pentecostal church and we simply weren't taught how to study the scriptures properly. There was a movie series that came out then too...Thief in the Night and the second sequel...A Distant Thunder. And they were fear based. No fear for one who was raptured...but absolutely no talk on how to walk the walk in order to be raptured either...you give your heart to Jesus...you're saved...rapture inevitable heaven here I come! Yay! Tough for those left in my bus that plummets over a cliff after I disappear...but hey, God must dig that kinda drama right?
Twenty years later I became aware through some serious learning curves that the entire scenario is a hoax. Great for making lots of mullah, but not so good for preparing people for the second coming. The rapture theory is based on a premise similar to a football or baseball coach withdrawing his team from the match just before half time because they were in the lead. No glory at all in that. Just when you know the opposition is about to bring on their heavy hitters, you declare sorry guys, I'm taking my team out because they can't handle you.

I am of the belief that things are going to get tough. But I have no fear because God is preparing His people, and promises protection, not withdrawal, from the last minutes of the game. God wants total victory. Not a half pie semi-orderly retreat because times are hard.

I suppose it could come down to where a person sits on belief. I imagine it could terrify someone who wasn't fully secure in God. Sometimes it's hard for me to actually put myself in the headspace of a person like that. I honestly struggle to imagine what it would be like NOT to believe in God...believe absolutely in his sovereign hand over all things.
But...I imgaine it could be a little like freefall? That nasty feeling of dropping and not really knowing which way was up? Just knowing that at some point you might hit the ground and when you did it was...splat. Would it be like that, to unbelievers? So many different opinions out there about which 'faith' was correct. Which path would lead you through to 'land' right way up, that you just couldn't know? And that being told millions would disappear in an instant and the world would dissolve in chaotic judgement before going to hell, was just another 'bump' in the freefall tossing and turning chaos? More confusion?
I honestly don't know, because I've never been there. And I don't really think the world is headed for "The Great Tribulation" event.
However...I do think the world will come to an end. I think even among Christian cirlces that topic and reality isn't talked about much. They assume things will just go on as they always have. But the bible places upon us, I think, a weight to let others know that while God is loving and merciful and wishes all come to him through the amazing grace he has shown through his Son, he will bring history to an end, essentially righting all wrongs and bringing shalom back into the world.
So...these conversations need to be had, I think. And while some say that the Left Behind novels inspire fear, I do know plenty who say otherwise. Either way, it does ignite conversation about God, his plans, and his coming Kingdom upon this earth. Which surely must lead to some good things, don't you think?

Also: just by the by brakelite. Have read your blogs on the antichrist, which were interesting. It says the next one is about the little horn, and then links to a whole heap on a page. Am I to assume that I start with "the characteristic one" of the little horn? Thanks.

 

[brakelite]

So...these conversations need to be had, I think. And while some say that the Left Behind novels inspire fear, I do know plenty who say otherwise. Either way, it does ignite conversation about God, his plans, and his coming Kingdom upon this earth. Which surely must lead to some good things, don't you think?

Absolutely. I think it essential we be talking about these things. As you know, I am an Adventist. We Adventists see our "mission statement" summarised in Revelation 14:6-12. Conversing about eschatology...discussing prophecy (and its historical fulfilments) prepares us for what is about to take place. It is as fully a part of the gospel as the cross and resurrection. Though we may not know many of the details because situations and circumstances change, what we do know is that the characters in the great drama remain constant. The actors in the play according to Revelation are still there at the very end. just as they were there 2000 years ago...5000 years ago. Babel began as a unifying effort to thwart God's judgements and authority. Babylon the Great is merely today's edition. History repeats.

Also: just by the by brakelite. Have read your blogs on the antichrist, which were interesting. It says the next one is about the little horn, and then links to a whole heap on a page. Am I to assume that I start with "the characteristic one" of the little horn? Thanks.

Yes, although somewhere in there is an article giving an overview of Daniel. I am not very good at sorting the tech on that blog...but the search engine works well....those links aren't exactly where I would like them to be, and the format is a bit messy to my liking. But there's so many articles I've posted n there now it has become a huge task to sort it. I'm amazed, and grateful to God, that you are finding you're way around. I will try and find that one article, and you can begin perhaps with the particular characteristics after...The Beasts of Daniel…an overview.
Thanks heaps for giving it your time.

 

[Stranger]

I well remember Lindsay's Late Great Planet Earth from the 70s. I must have read it at least 4 times, like a second Bible. But I was a young Christian in a Pentecostal church and we simply weren't taught how to study the scriptures properly. There was a movie series that came out then too...Thief in the Night and the second sequel...A Distant Thunder. And they were fear based. No fear for one who was raptured...but absolutely no talk on how to walk the walk in order to be raptured either...you give your heart to Jesus...you're saved...rapture inevitable heaven here I come! Yay! Tough for those left in my bus that plummets over a cliff after I disappear...but hey, God must dig that kinda drama right?
Twenty years later I became aware through some serious learning curves that the entire scenario is a hoax. Great for making lots of mullah, but not so good for preparing people for the second coming. The rapture theory is based on a premise similar to a football or baseball coach withdrawing his team from the match just before half time because they were in the lead. No glory at all in that. Just when you know the opposition is about to bring on their heavy hitters, you declare sorry guys, I'm taking my team out because they can't handle you.

I am of the belief that things are going to get tough. But I have no fear because God is preparing His people, and promises protection, not withdrawal, from the last minutes of the game. God wants total victory. Not a half pie semi-orderly retreat because times are hard.

Why did God rapture Enoch? Why did God rapture Elijah?

How odd. You associate the Rapture with defeat and no victory. Yet the verses that speak of it, say just the opposite. (1 Cor. 15:51-55).

And Hal Lindsey wrote another book at about the same time as the "The Late Great Planet Earth", called "The Liberation of Planet Earth" which was more a study of the book of Romans. Great book.

Stranger

 

[bbyrd009]

I am of the belief that things are going to get tough.

i doubt pressed down, shaken together, and running over feel the same way wadr

beware self-fulfilling prophecies!