When I was a kid, the concept of the rapture truly frightened me. Raised in church, I often heard talk of the return of Christ to rescue His people from the earth's destruction. But instead of looking to the heavens for Jesus to appear, I mainly just feared being left behind and what that meant for my future. I vividly remember walking into my house after school and bursting into tears if I didn't immediately see my dad. His absence, I was convinced, implied my doom.
That's how a kid typically views what is known as the rapture and, unfortunately, it's often regarded by many grown-ups with even less understanding. Jesus told His disciples He would return for His followers, not giving them a fixed date to expect Him, but a season. No one but the Father would know the day nor the hour He would return, yet ever since humans have repeatedly tried to predict both.
Harold Camping's prediction that Judgement Day will commence at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 21 is merely the most recent. Some members of the early church were so convinced Jesus would return within their lifetime that they saw no point in working, choosing to kick back and relax. Such idle believers were corrected and urged to keep busy until the Lord's coming. By the way, this is Camping's second stab at the date, and he has a backup (Oct. 21) just in case he's still here at 6:01 p.m.
First, let me make a prediction of my own: Camping's Judgement Day is at least 1,007 years off. He predicts that God will destroy the earth within a few months post-rapture, but Scripture speaks of a seven-year tribulation and a millennial reign before the earth is destroyed and made new, although many believers disagree on what order these events will take place with the rapture of the Church.
Either way, if you're truly concerned Camping's prediction may be true, don't be -- it virtually guarantees Jesus won't come back today. But that doesn't mean you should be unconcerned about your future.
What's sad about Camping's claim isn't so much that it's yet another false prophecy, rather it's just one more way for society to reduce Christianity to a punchline. For the last several days, so much of the chatter on Facebook has mentioned what friends will be doing this weekend "if the world doesn't end." Those who don't know any better might associate one misguided person's assertion with Christians as a whole, making them less likely to take the Gospel seriously. The enemy loves to hear us speak of His adversary in such sarcastic disbelief. But it's not funny. Satan is real and so is Hell.
Still, our sentiments on the rapture shouldn't be generated by fear. It isn't about escaping the fires of Hell; it's about anticipating finally being with Christ -- the One who spilled His blood for us, the One called Faithful and True, the One who makes being in God's presence possible. While thoughts of the rapture used to terrify me as a child, as a more mature believer I can't imagine a more glorious day. Truly, in the last few years I can't tell you how many times I've prayed in tears, "Come quickly, Lord Jesus!" So many of us feel more and more like aliens here as the days go by and, yes, we yearn to be where we belong.
Jesus may not come back today, but He is coming back. Will He find you watching?
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