What Part of “No Man Knows the Day or the Hour” Don’t You Get?

I stumbled across this site and it’s predicting that Idaho Liberals have a chance of getting their wish: me, Bryan Fischer, Brandi Swindell, Bill Sali, and many other national figures gone in an instant. Why? Well according to them, “the Rapture” is going to occur in 2007.

They lay out their reasoning concisely in a webpage that by the time you finish reading it, the rapture should have occurred by their reckoning. As always, when picking the time of Christ’s return, they have to perform biblical gymnastics:

Jesus was very specific about when things would happen. He tells us when the ‘Age of the LAW’ (the 10 commandments) ended when He said that “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” (John th[sic] Baptist)(Mt 11:13). Likewise, He tells us when the age we are in will end [...]when

He says that Jerusalem being under the control of Israel ends the times of the gentiles (Luke 21:24). 40 years after the death of John the Baptist Jerusalem was

destroyed by the Romans. What will happen in 2007 – 40 years after Jerusalem was
again owned by Israel?

Luke 21:24:

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Now, nowhere does Jesus link Israeli legal control of the city of Jerusalem to the end of the world. One could argue that Jerusalem is still trodden under foot of the gentiles. But the absurdity is that they take two events nowhere linked in scripture and create a chronological link to suggest since: 1) Something happened 40 years after 1 event therefore 2) Something different will happen 40 years after an entirely different event.

There’s no logic, no strong scripture reference, a tenuous link and we’re off with a brand new Jesus is coming back meme, certain to end up on the ash heap of Eschatological predictions such as “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could be in 1988.” Instead of logic and sound reasoning, we just get wild eyed predictions. Those who’ve been in Evangelical circles for any length of time have been treated to the nearly annual predictions of Christ’s returns based on nothing more than some good old supposition.

Of course, I’m caught by an incongruity in their message. If I knew Jesus was going to come back in 2007, I’d do a lot of things. However, I seriously doubt selling tapes or setting up an LLC would be on my list. They explain the reason for selling tapes:

I recommend tape as the medium – they can be rewound to immediately listen again to get complete understanding of what was just said – and copies are easily made.

Great! When’s the eight-track version coming out? Seriously, few people actually own tape players, so few will be able to listen to them. Thus making the message less easily distributed, so you can certainly make copies if you have a tape deck, but no one can hear them.

In addition, while they have the return of Christ set for 2007, they’re using the webpage to sell the book to publishers who may happen to stumble on their page. Given the time it takes a book to go from idea to an actual book, by their reckoning, Christ would have already returned.

Now, I’ll try and be generous and simply suggest that these are sincere (albeit unskilled) people who have launched an ill-thought-out project with the best of motives. But, in the long run, it turns our hearts away from the idea of, “How then shall we live?” to that nebulous focus on when he shall return. I’m always reminded of Jesus’ words to Peter when he asked about John:

Jesus said unto him, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me.”-John 21:22 (KJ21)

My big challenges on this Earth are to live those commands of Christ: To be the type of man and husband that will be pleasing to the Lord.

I look for His Coming as the Prince of Peace who will restore all things. But, I give up on specifics.

But, when will he come? Will it be pre-millenial or amillenial? If it’s premillenial, will be pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib? I don’t know. If I’m still around when it happens, I guess I’ll figure that out then. My focus in life is being ready whether Christ should come back tomorrow or 350 years from now.

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