http://www.raptureready.com/rap2.html

Why do I feel like I am at a stock market for souls all of the sudden?

Looks like more of the same old "the end times are upon us" dribble. This has been going on since before the Bible was even compiled into a book.

I'm not holding my breath.

It looks like the revelationists got bored with debating whether or not they get to keep their dentures when they’re "raptured" :eek:

Why do I feel like I am at a stock market for souls all of the sudden?

" .... and the end-times index is up 8.2 points today in moderate trading ... back to you fred ..."

This whole "rapture" doctrine is a relatively new idea. It started gaining popularity in the late 1800's. Before that time, it wasn't considered that big of a deal, or widely believed.

Also, it changes the doctrine of the second coming, to the doctrine of the THIRD coming.

Revelation has already happened. Part of the book was a warning to the early Christians about persecution by the Roman empire, not some future beast, and other parts spoke of the destruction of the Temple in Israel (which had already happened).

The Romans, under Antiochus Epiphanes IV, sacked Jeruselam in 70 AD, and desecrated the temple by raising their flag, and sacrificing a pig on the altar, and then burned it down, fullfilling Christs' prophecy in Matthew 24:1-2.

This whole anti christ, end time nonsense is fiction, but lots of folks are making lots of money off of it.

The valley of Meggido (where the term "Armegeddon comes from) is a site where many battles were fought throughout history, and the writers knew full well that this was very likely to be the scene of any future battles, based on what they knew of past history. The geography of the land makes it a perfect place to fight. Revelation speaks of "blood so deep it comes up to the horses necks" (or something along those lines). How many modern day future armies fight on horseback????

Apocolyptic writing was a popular literary style in those days. Things were very exaggerated, and (literate, educated) people of that time knew that it was not to be taken literally. Passages like "The stars will fall from the heavens" aren't real. The stars can't fall from the heavens, although in those days, many believed that the stars weren't far away. They didn't even know that the Earth spun on it's axis, and had no concept of a light year.

Betrade is right on with this one. I actually know who coined that term and made it into what it has become today but currently it escapes me due to the fogginess of me mind.

It was around 1856 or 1857 that it was first used as such and was around Kansas which was where it first happened.

You can make an argument for it but it is not a strong one, especially when you view Revelations as a historical document of that which has occured already but not in league with the Sermon on the Mount of Olives.

I know that this is one of those things that Christians don't all agree on, and personally I never gave the whole 'rapture' doctrine much thought... there are other things to be more concerned about, that have much more scriptural backing. But I do want to say one thing. What's kinda interesting (because I never had any particular interest in this topic) is that I had a dream a few weeks ago, and this dream was one of those dreams that are so freakin real, that it's amazing. At first I didn't realize what it was about, but as it was happening, I realized the dream was about the rapture. :p And as I said, this dream was so realistic, that now I can say (even though it was just a dream) that I know how it feels to be 'transported out of this world', so to speak. It was really strange but amazing... definitely the most amazing dream I have ever had. :) I had to write it down in my journal, so I wouldn't forget it.

I am amazed some people believe in that rubbish.

Its necesary to keep the population terrified, awaiting potential doom. Scared people are easier to manipulate & contol.
What's the current Homeland Security rating?

I believe in the Rapture but I also believe politicians and ministers abuse the tenets of faith for their own purposes.
Love the stock market joke ,LC!

heh , I had seen this page before, but forgotten about it ... Thanks for the link and the associated augh .
The only scary thing about it is to think there might be influential people believing this stuff ...

I am amazed some people believe in that rubbish.

I am amazed at how many people do ...according to the publisher of the "Left Behind" series ... they have sold 65 million copies ... so the popularity of these fairy tales is pretty astounding

For the rest of us ... there is this :p

http://raforum.apinc.org/IMG/jpg/leftbehindrrc.jpg

Won't they feel silly when the world ends on July 4 due to NASA and not Jesus?

http://www.lulu.com/content/133531