R. S. Martin Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 I keep coming across comments of people about the fear of missing the Rapture or missing the second coming of Christ. It seems the religion I was taught had a very low-key approach to end of the world issues and I don't quite understand how anyone could miss it. Jesus said not to worry about missing him because: For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matt 24:27). I guess my question is: On what do these churches base their theology that warns not to miss the second coming? I read posts on here of people crying themselves to sleep at night when they were tiny kids of six or eight years old--all because of the extreme fear of missing it. That is huge! On WHAT do the preachers base the idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evelyn Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 I think it's a matter of what people think the second coming is. If, as an xian, you believe it is the Rapture, you want to be sure you're not fallen away as you will be left behind. Or, if you are not an xian, then the teaching is that you will be left behind. I think that is the fear that the little kids in those postings had. I felt that way, too, after seeing that awful movie, "Thief in the Night" in the early 1970s. I didn't want to be left behind. If the second coming is what is mentioned in scriptures like that verse in Matthew and in the Book of Revelations, then you are correct, there is no way you will miss it. Everyone will know. Matthew 24:27 is the verse that came to mind when I saw those videos about the guy who claims he is Jesus returned to earth. Umm, if indeed Jebus is real and true and will come back, per the Babble his return will be more dramatic and obvious like lightning then some guy saying, "hey, it's me!". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 Thanks for explaining, Evelyn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 I think it's a matter of what people think the second coming is. If, as an xian, you believe it is the Rapture, you want to be sure you're not fallen away as you will be left behind. Or, if you are not an xian, then the teaching is that you will be left behind. I think that is the fear that the little kids in those postings had. I felt that way, too, after seeing that awful movie, "Thief in the Night" in the early 1970s. I didn't want to be left behind. I didn't grow up with tv or movies so I never saw the movie until a few years ago. There was a clip on Randall Balmer's series Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory put together in the late eighties--early ninties. I don't remember if I read the story form of it or not but it would be the kind of literature that my mother would try to distract us from. Not really what we believed. I'm unclear what "Rapture" is or means. We just had a clean "end of the world" and all who are not ready will be damned. Pretty scary stuff. Just a different slant. The part of the clip Balmer shows that haunts me is Josh McDowell preaching at those kids telling them all those lies about sex. He says if you sleep with a person you're not sleeping only with that person but with every person that person has ever slept with. The circle was ever-widening. It was his tone, the way he pointed at people and used such a menacing tone. Balmer interviewed him and asked about this tactic of scaring people into heaven. You probably know the answer. It's better to scare them into heaven than have them miss out on it. The part I don't get is: How can it be genuine? I don't think fear produces genuine love for God and true gratitude for what Jesus did. It just does not mesh. Even the Bible says so. "True love casts out fear." So if you're feeling fearful I guess you don't truly love God. Thus, scaring people into heaven is an irreconcilable oxymoron. If the second coming is what is mentioned in scriptures like that verse in Matthew and in the Book of Revelations, then you are correct, there is no way you will miss it. Everyone will know. Matthew 24:27 is the verse that came to mind when I saw those videos about the guy who claims he is Jesus returned to earth. Umm, if indeed Jebus is real and true and will come back, per the Babble his return will be more dramatic and obvious like lightning then some guy saying, "hey, it's me!" Yeah, I think I had a similar reaction but barely noticed it. The whole thing is just so hilarious and unutterably sad all at the same time. One thing I had to remind myself of was that speaking Canadian-style English without an accent is not a prerequisite for heaven. I had a major prejudice with that one. This guy can't even speak English! how could he be Jesus I'm told Jesus did not speak English. Nor the Mennonites' Sacred Language of German. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellincoffee Posted October 21, 2006 Share Posted October 21, 2006 In the church I was raised in, I heard "rapture" much more than I heard "grace". You got saved so you caught the Rapture. The Rapture was the end of all means. We sang songs about it -- some of them are more upbeat, like "Heaven's Jubilee". Some of them are just disturbing, like "Jesus Is Coming Soon"... Jesus is come-ing soon, Mor-ning or night or noon Many will meet their doom, Trum-pets will sound... I really didn't like singing that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts