According to a radio preacher in the US (http://www.familyradio.com/), the rapture is going to happen on Saturday. Yes, this Saturday. Let me go out on the limb here and unequivocally predict that it won't happen on that day. I'll be here next week writing another ComBap Update, Lord willing. Yes, I think Jesus will come back again... but, as you've heard in my sermons, we really don't know what that will look like, if there is a "rapture" at the beginning of a "tribulation" or in the middle..or at the end... or even at all. Theologians have been arguing about this for centuries, and they can't come to consensus so how's a lowly preacher like me supposed to come to an infallible conclusion about it?
And then there's this little verse in the Bible that says "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36). It's not every day that you can drag out one little verse to win a slam dunk on a big theological debate... but this is one of them! Jesus is speaking here, and he unequivocally states that nobody will know the moment of his return... not even himself! Now, does any preacher think he knows more than Jesus? Well, apparently this one does. He has bad theology and he's a bad testimony!
Biblical prophecy is amazingly accurate. The most startling example of recent prophetic predictions coming true was the reformation of Israel as a nation-state. The Bible clearly identified Israel being a nation again in the "end times", which was the source of much mocking and derision prior to 1947. As far as I know... not a single preacher/theologian predicted the way Israel would return (after a 1900 year absence). An amazing resurrection of the nation-state of Israel through the power of the United Nations... and on the heels of the holocaust. Nobody predicted it would happen that way and, yet, it happened....just as the Bible said it would. It's just way easier on the other side of the event. That's the way God designed it.
Today, yes, we can anticipate Christ's return...in whatever form or timeline it takes. I'm still looking for a few more prophesies to become reality (like the temple rebuilt) but I won't be making any predictions...except for that it won't be on Saturday...mostly because I know that God has a sense of humour and keen sense of irony.
I wonder it that guy wouldn't mind donating some of his "soon to be unneeded" cash to our building fund. Hmmm.
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Amen Pastor Joell, Harold Camping definatley believes he is above God I am sure. Jesus also said in Matthew that he would return when we are least expecting it, therefore another strike against Harold Camping as he is expecting it. The sad part is the people that truly believe him, spending all their money cause they won't need it after saturday. One man I read about who is a follower of Camping also said that if Christ doesn't return on saturday it's not Harold Camping who is wrong, it's the bible. Harolds misinterpretation of the bible is horrific taking verses out of context and twisting them so they fit his "prophecy". We must pray for this man that God will hold him accountable to what he is doing as well as all his followers, who are not looking to God and the bible for his truth but trusting in a man.
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