Rapture:when will it be too late?

[Mac_Guffin]

Um, “No man can know the true date…”

Preview is my friend…

[FriendofGod]

Please cite places in the Bible when it describes the season of the end of time.

The entire chapter of Luke 21 is a fascinating summary of some of the signs of the end of time by Jesus. The question by the disciples that kicks off Jesus’ speech is:

‘Teacher’, they asked, ‘When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?’ (Lk 7:21)

There are many others, but that’s one that comes to mind.

[Wabbit]

*Originally posted by vanilla *
**I dunno, no rapture?
The book of revelations is clear on Some things, like the monetary system used to control people in the future; of which we now seem to have the technical capability to do so. **

Vanilla, old buddy, we’re going to have to agree to disagree on this one. The Bible has been translated so many times that getting anything other than a general set of rules to live your life by out of it is problematical. So–whatever you get out of Revelations (or the Bible in general) is exactly that: what YOU get out of it. My problem with the whole Apocalypse thing is that it the only way I think it could ever happen (why does the big G hate Hindu children so much that he would 1: Kill them horribly and 2: Send them to Hell afterwards?) is if enough people WANT it to happen. In other words, if enough of humanity wants an Apocalypse, one will be provided. But there won’t be a Rapture afterwards (only people burying bodies) and calling it ‘holy’ would, in my honest opinion, be a sin. Anyway, just giving you my frank views on this; if believing in the Rapture gets you through the day, more power to ya. As a personal favor to me though, don’t go outta your way to speed things up…

[Czarcasm]

Friend of God, people have been using that chapter to “prove” that the End Times are near for over a thousand years now. Or perhaps you think that you are more enlightened than the hundreds of biblical scholars that have preceded you?

[jmullaney]

*Originally posted by vanilla *
The book of revelations is clear on Some things, like the monetary system used to control people in the future;

I’d disagree on that albeit popular interpretation. The Mark of the Beast is portrayed as just as much of a spiritual mark as the Mark of the Lord, a.k.a. the Holy Spirit, described two sentences later.

He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

[jmullaney]

*Originally posted by Wabbit *
Maybe the Apocalypse is an internal rather than an external event. So, instead of sadistic angels racing around smiting small children, the entire thing might just be a metaphor for individuals’ internal struggle against sin. If you look at it that way, the Apocalypse began the day you were born and the Rapture will happen whenever you, as an individual, croak.

That is essentially the position of the Roman Catholic Church, although they do allow for multiple layers of meaning beyong their ken.

[Wabbit]

Wow. You mean all these years I’ve been a CATHOLIC?!

Seriously though, I did not know that; thanks for the info.