Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCLXXII

Well, I thought the Lord was supposed to come back this past Saturday. Maybe He did, but if so, there are a lot of people, me included, who are still here that I've always thought will be going when that day comes. I would, however, like to take this opportunity to point out my observations and express some personal opinions on this subject.

First of all, I must say that I didn't really give this last prediction much thought, the reason being that I've always been taught, and I believe, that if a prophet makes a statement that goes against what the Bible says, then I should disregard what he or she said. Let me take it one step further: When that happens, I automatically become skeptical of any other statement or prophecy that comes from that individual. What I'm talking about is a scripture that says that no man knows the day nor the hour when the Lord will return. That's what I believe; consequently, any statement that contradicts that has to be discarded as false. Although there was quite a bit of conversation about that topic on Saturday, I didn't talk to anyone who was taking is seriously. Mainly what I was hearing was a lot of jokes. My favorite came from one of my good friends who said, "Man, I've got a busy day ahead of me. I have to attend two dance recitals, my son's ballgame, the rapture, then another dance recital." Someone told me that the man who made the prediction was a multi-millionaire. If I had known that, I would have certainly asked him for some of his fortune, since he wouldn't be needing it any more.

Here's how I really feel: People who make those kinds of predictions are doing more harm than good. When they say that the rapture will take place on a certain day, then, when it doesn't happen, it causes legitimate preachers to lose credibility in the eyes of the general population. How many of you remember the book that came out a few years ago called "Eighty-eight Reasons Why the Lord is Coming Back in 1988?" That guy said that sometime between September 11 and 13, 1988, the Lord would return. I know one pastor who decided to capitalize on the fear that was generated by that book by having a "Rapture Revival" during that 3-day period. It worked....for a while. He filled his church, but as soon as everyone figured out that the book must have been a hoax, all those people who came rushing into the church at that last minute, started leaving almost as fast as they came, and by the end of October, that church was back down to the faithful few who had always been there. Oh, and I can't neglect mentioning the Six Day War in 1967. I don't think I ever saw people panic the way they did then, especially when the preachers were saying that when the Israeli Army crossed a certain landmark, it would be all over. Well, they crossed that line and nothing happened.

Now for my prediction: The Lord is coming back on July 22, 2014 at 3:17 AM Jerusalem time, if not before. Notice, I didn't say that's when the rapture is taking place. Let me explain it this way: All my life, I've heard people say, "I want to be ready any time the Lord comes or calls." Every second of every day, someone dies somewhere in this world, and July 22, 2014 at 3:17 AM Jerusalem time will be no exception. So, at that moment, the Lord will come for someone, just like He will at any other moment you can mention. I think that's where our focus should be. Just a couple weeks ago, a young man was killed in a motorcycle accident less than a half mile from my house. As far as he was concerned, that's when the Lord came back, at least for him. The rapture will happen. That's a certainty, and we all need to be reminded about it, but what we need to focus on is how to get saved, how to stay saved, and how to live a successful, holy Christian life. If we take care of that, then it won't matter so much when the end of the world takes place.

To sum it up, I guess there will always be people making all kinds of predictions as to the end of time, and when it will occur. I heard of one man who named a particular day in 2012 when it's going to happen, and I heard another who said it's still thousands of years away. But if I take care of things in my own life the way I'm supposed to do, they can talk all they want to, and I'll be okay either way. That's all that matters.

Preston