# For Believers: article on Rapture. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 24, 2014, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090 "2014-02-24T12:26:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/61 "2014-02-24T17:07:13Z")
> [@karol](#): > > What ? > Today’s Israel is not a Chosen Nation as they persist. Do you support their politics ? Do you know that they have the largest amount of nuclear weapons in the world ? What for ? Why can’t Iran have them too ? Do you know that critisizing Israel is actually…forbidden ? Israel has more weapons than the US and Russia? Cite? (And not from an anti-Semitic site, please.) Where do they keep them all? Under their beds? In the spare bedroom? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/62 "2014-02-24T17:09:25Z")
> [@karol](#): > > Is Rapture just a symbol ? > If no, then when will it occur ? > > [http://www.wordwatcher.net/rapture.htm](http://www.wordwatcher.net/rapture.htm) It will occur when you go out to the parking lot, and you get in your car and you drive real far, and you drive all night and then you see a light, and it comes right down and lands on the ground, and out comes a man from Mars, and you try to run but he’s got a gun, and he shoots you dead and he eats your head, and then you’re in the man from Mars, you go out at night, eatin’ cars, you eat Cadillacs, Lincolns too, Mercuries and Subarus. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/63 "2014-02-24T17:13:56Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > It will occur when you go out to the parking lot, and you get in your car and you drive real far, and you drive all night and then you see a light, and it comes right down and lands on the ground, and out comes a man from Mars, and you try to run but he’s got a gun, and he shoots you dead and he eats your head, and then you’re in the man from Mars, you go out at night, eatin’ cars, you eat Cadillacs, Lincolns too, Mercuries and Subarus. Go on, don’t stop. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/64 "2014-02-24T17:16:23Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Israel has more weapons than the US and Russia? Cite? (And not from an anti-Semitic site, please.) Where do they keep them all? Under their beds? In the spare bedroom? You must be just another atheist, blindly unaware of the Zionist conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/65 "2014-02-24T17:18:58Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Israel has more weapons than the US and Russia? Cite? (And not from an anti-Semitic site, please.) Where do they keep them all? Under their beds? In the spare bedroom? Tricky. I actually think he can kinda get away with that sort of nonsense, as Israel is not an NPT signatory, and has never acknowledged their nuke program. It’s pretty common knowledge that they’re club members, or as near to it as makes no difference…but without any official numbers at all it’s hard to disprove a bullshit assertion about their numbers. IOW, he can’t back it up with anything but crap and nonsense…but any rational evidence to the contrary, because it’s not _certain_, is easily dismissed by the lunatic fringe. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/66 "2014-02-24T18:01:14Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > It will occur when you go out to the parking lot, and you get in your car and you drive real far, and you drive all night and then you see a light, and it comes right down and lands on the ground, and out comes a man from Mars, and you try to run but he’s got a gun, and he shoots you dead and he eats your head, and then you’re in the man from Mars, you go out at night, eatin’ cars, you eat Cadillacs, Lincolns too, Mercuries and Subarus. Now this thread makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/67 "2014-02-24T18:18:44Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Um, I think you’re thinking of ‘rupture’. Maybe so, but I can produce documentation confirming the existence of the hernia.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/68 "2014-02-24T20:11:00Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > You must be just another atheist, blindly unaware of the Zionist conspiracy. I’m just pissed because I never got my share of money or power from the International Jewish Banking Conspiracy. You think they’d drop a couple of thou on my for bar mitzvah gelt but no … ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/69 "2014-02-24T20:12:10Z")
> [@andros](#): > > Tricky. I actually think he can kinda get away with that sort of nonsense, as Israel is not an NPT signatory, and has never acknowledged their nuke program. It’s pretty common knowledge that they’re club members, or as near to it as makes no difference…but without any official numbers at all it’s hard to disprove a bullshit assertion about their numbers. > > IOW, he can’t back it up with anything but crap and nonsense…but any rational evidence to the contrary, because it’s not _certain_, is easily dismissed by the lunatic fringe. I have a cite for them having them “The Lord’s our Shepherd, Said the Psalm But just in case We better get a bomb.” ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/70 "2014-02-24T21:25:22Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > See, this is the type of fundamentalist Christian I can deal with. The pro-Israel ones creep me out. I mean, _Why are these guys supporting my country? Gack._ The fundamentalists support strengthening your country because they think it will speed up the end of the world, when they get to go to happy time with their special friend. Oh, and you Jews will be cast into the fires of hell. What, you thought they were wanting to help you? ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/71 "2014-02-24T21:48:39Z")
> [@karol](#): > > Is Rapture just a symbol ? > If no, then when will it occur ? > > [http://www.wordwatcher.net/rapture.htm](http://www.wordwatcher.net/rapture.htm) You obviously didn’t read the website you linked to or you wouldn’t be asking the questions. > [@](#): > > When will Rapture occur ?When Jesus talked about the end time events, He let the Apostle know that none know the day nor the hour, including Himself. It is obviously symbolic…the website says so… > [@](#): > > Not all the Christians will be raptured, but only the 144 000 and an unknown number of followers, obedient to God, who form the symbolical Woman. Out of the Great Tribulation so called Great Multitude will emerge. God’s People heading to the Kingdom of God consist of 3 groups. > [ul] > [li]144 000 - the most faithful part of the Israelites, with patriarchs like Noah, Enoch, Job, Abraham, Isaiah or the Apostles of the Lamb.[/li][li]the Woman - the most faithful members of the real Israel, the white Christians, descendants of formally lost 10 tribes of Israel.[/li][li]The Great Multitude, that will emerge from the Great Tribulation, as an offspring born from the Woman.[/li][/ul] I’m not sure how the interpreter decides which parts of the bible are symbolical (sp?) and which are literal. It seems to show up based on the story they are putting together. If it is literal, then I look forward to seeing the Woman. > [@](#): > > The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for herin the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. The Rapture page reads like a Jehovah’s Witness theology…in which case I suspect you had tread lightly as it looks like you may be thinking about the bible instead of memorizing the sects positions. As for the rest of the website, it looks like a bunch of kooky conspiracy theories (Illuminati, Satanic and Voodoo cults, UFOs and Glenn Beck!), and, as we have seen, it is impossible to debunk any conspiracy theory to a believer. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/72 "2014-02-24T23:51:26Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Israel has more weapons than the US and Russia? Cite? (And not from an anti-Semitic site, please.) Where do they keep them all? Under their beds? In the spare bedroom? The US spends something like 20% of Israels GDP just on maintaining our current stockpile of weapons. Israel probably couldn’t build more weapons then we have even if they literally spent their entire GDP for a decade on nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/73 "2014-02-25T00:20:04Z")
My personal views lean towards amillennialism which rejects the Rapture theory ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/74 "2014-02-25T00:42:19Z")
I see the YouTube conspiracy crowd is making their way onto the Dope… ka rol, unlike the YouTube crowd that swallows anything implausible as if it was twinkies and ding-dongs, this group of people will call bullshit when they see it in their own special way and you will wish that you didn’t venture out of the cocoon of the insane on YouTube. Don’t get me wrong, you will be welcomed to support your views and then we can dialogue on this forum…there are many here with differing viewpoints, both religious and non-religious and anywhere between, but we all do believe in one thing…if you come to the Great Debates forum, you better have a viewpoint that is substantiated by facts, logic and knowledge of the topic to defend your viewpoint. Otherwise, you won’t last one day here. We don’t swallow here unless it tastes good, otherwise…we spit. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/75 "2014-02-25T01:23:03Z")
I won’t deny there’s some fun stuff there, but Christian eschatology seems like warmed over Zoroastrianism. Except it makes way less sense, being that Satan is just some schlub and emphatically not a god of evil. From the wiki article on the big Z: > [@](#): > > The final savior of the world, Saoshyant, will be born to a virgin impregnated by the seed of Zoroaster while bathing in a lake. Saoshyant will raise the dead – including those in both heaven and hell – for final judgment, returning the wicked to hell to be purged of bodily sin. Next, all will wade through a river of molten metal in which the righteous will not burn. Heavenly forces will ultimately triumph over evil, rendering it forever impotent. Saoshyant and Ahura Mazda will offer a bull as a final sacrifice for all time, and all men will become immortal. Mountains will again flatten and valleys will rise; heaven will descend to the moon, and the earth will rise to meet them both. Now that’s bad ass. Or I guess you could uh, float up through the clouds, or whatever. That’s cool too. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/76 "2014-02-25T01:54:02Z")
Jesus is quoted as saying’ “the Kingdom of God is within you.” My interpretation is that it’s up to us, Christian or not, to help bring it about by doing the love thy neighbor/do unto others thing. Problem is that there are those who have conflicting views of who makes the cut. Can you imagine the consternation of an unreconstructed racist walking through the pearly gates and exclaiming, “what’s all these coloreds doin’ here?” Anyways, folks who are waiting to bodily ascend into heaven are likely to be waiting a mighty long time. Wouldn’t they have a hard time breathing once they left the atmosphere? As far as rapture goes, I’ve experienced it plenty of times. A plate of North Carolina BBQ, a folded slice of NY pizza, looking into the eyes of my beloved, a walkoff home run. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/77 "2014-02-25T02:08:28Z")
> [@P-man](#): > > As far as rapture goes, I’ve experienced it plenty of times. A plate of North Carolina BBQ, a folded slice of NY pizza, looking into the eyes of my beloved, a walkoff home run. Not to mention Lysergic acid diethylamide, Psilocybin, cannabis indica, Salvia divinorum, Lophophora williamsii and Wild Turkey Special Reserve… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/78 "2014-02-25T03:10:39Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > Mountains will again flatten and valleys will rise . . . Isaiah 40:4: “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.” ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/79 "2014-02-25T03:12:51Z")
> [@cantara](#): > > The Rapture page reads like a Jehovah’s Witness theology. Jehovah’s Witnesses emphatically don’t believe in the rapture. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090/80 "2014-02-25T03:23:09Z")
> [@P-man](#): > > Jesus is quoted as saying’ “the Kingdom of God is within you.” _\_ “So, the Kingdom of God is hot, red and smells funny? That doesn’t sound like much fun at all!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-believers-article-on-rapture/682090.md?page=5)