I am glad to be back spending my time and thoughts on the things that deal with my Lord, my Savior and our mortality. I have to say I love writing about issues that really mean something and get people to think and dig for the truth. I look forward to the day when I can devote my entire work week to the Lord’s work. It’ll happen sooner than later as I have only just begun to be obedient in my calling.
This particular subject really has my juices flowing because the Lord has ignited in me a passion for eschatology (end times prophecy for the un-initiated). This subject, like no other, has driven me over the years to pull closer to our Father. When Herbie (my awesome Dad) went into a coma November 29th, 2000 is when this passion for end times events began to grow.
So, the latest craziness of the failed prophecies grabbed the headlines around the world this past weekend because an 89-year old pastor named Harold Camping predicted the rapture would happen on May 21st, 2011 at 6 p.m. local time – wherever you may have been in the world. On Friday, May 20th my prayer was that the Lord would rapture (Side note here, sorry for the length of this tangent. Many people will say, “Where does it say rapture in the Bible?” The simple answer is that it doesn’t. However, the term comes from the Greek word harpazō being translated into Latin being translated into English. This word is most famously used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 “Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” The Greek word for caught up is harpazo which means 1) to seize, carry off by force 2) to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly 3) to snatch out or away. When the original Greek was translated to Latin the word used was rapturo, coming from the base word rapio. Rapio means drag off; snatch; destroy; seize, carry off; pillage; hurry. The English word rapture means 1) ecstatic joy or delight; joyful ecstasy. 2) an utterance or expression of ecstatic delight. 3) the carrying of a person to another place or sphere of existence. So now, you can answer this simple question of rapture being in the Bible. Ok, now go back and start at the beginning of the sentence and skip the tangent this time.) His people Friday or on Sunday – because I surely knew He would not be gathering his children on Saturday, May 21st. If you have read the Bible and about Jesus and His life, you would know that Jesus proclaimed that nobody knows the time or the hour except for the Father. Jesus even went so far as to say that even He doesn’t know the exact time. Mark 13:32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” I encourage you to read all of Mark chapter 13. Actually, I encourage you to read all of Mark.
In the interest of full disclosure, there is a raging debate within Christendom whether there is actually a rapture or not. Believe me, this will be the subject of a future blog. I’ll show my hand early and just say I am enthusiastically on the side of there being a rapture. Please reserve judgment (or load both barrels) until I can make an adequate post defending my position.
What gets me on this whole subject is the fact that Harold Camping had many followers even though he incorrectly prophesied that the rapture would happen in 1994. I do understand how so many people can be so blind. It is easy to be blind when you are not looking. Bible believing, Christ loving people who simply take their brains and stick it in the glove box. They are not lacking passion, but they are lacking discernment and understanding. They are not searching. Passion does not excuse ignorance! Allow me to say this again, passion and excitement does not excuse ignorance!! 1 Peter 3:15 says “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always [be] ready to [give] a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” The Greek word for defense is apologia which means 1) verbal defense, speech in defense 2) a reasoned statement or argument. It doesn’t say always be ready to give an exciting response or always be ready to tell them how you “feel.”
Our Christian faith should not be based on feelings and goose bumps, but rather facts and figures. They are there if you look for them. You can start by reading a most excellent book called “Evidence That Demands A Verdict” by Josh McDowell. There are more facts and figures in this book to choke a horse. Don’t believe me, check it out for yourself.
In one article that I read regarding the failed prophecy it described the following – When 6 p.m. came and went at various spots around the globe, and no extraordinary cataclysm occurred, Keith Bauer — who hopped in his minivan in Maryland and drove his family 3,000 miles to California for the Rapture — took it in stride. “I had some skepticism but I was trying to push the skepticism away because I believe in God, I was hoping for it because I think heaven would be a lot better than this earth. It’s God who leads you, not Harold Camping.” Keith, I applaud your passion, I really do. If a small percentage of Christians had Keith’s passion of packing up their families and traveling 6,000 miles round trip for the Lord this world would be a different place. Passion and knowledge must be packaged together. I pray to God that this incident sparked a great conversation within Keith’s family about the Word of God. I am certain they had plenty of time for discussion on their 3,000 mile drive back home.
The Bible must be the ruler, the measuring stick. We need to take everything we hear and read and measure it against the Word. But we don’t do that, we get lazy. We say, “Hey, here is an 89-year old pastor who must know what he is talking about so we will just follow what he says because there is no way that somebody would proclaim something so boldly and be wrong.”
If Harold Camping’s followers would’ve known the part in the Bible where it says that a prophet must be correct or he is not a prophet of God they could’ve saved themselves a lot of time and gas money. Deuteronomy 18:22 “when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that [is] the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” Jeremiah 28:9 “As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known [as] one whom the LORD has truly sent.” Clearly, a prophet must be right or what he says is not of God.
The point is, what do you believe? Do you believe something that you just blindly accepted once upon a time? I know I used to borrow my parents beliefs, until I found myself unable to defend them because of my lack of knowledge. Who’s beliefs have you borrowed? Are you borrowing your pastor’s beliefs? How do you know what your pastor says is true? You have to dig, you have to seek and you have to thirst. If your life depended upon you knowing everything about an oak tree I am quite certain you would study as much as you possibly could. Well, our eternal life hangs in the balance. Now might be a good time to start searching for answers and testing your beliefs. Let the Bible be your guide. If you doubt the inerrant Word of God, then start testing the validity of the Bible. God and God’s Word can stand up to any scrutiny you have. Just make sure to dig beyond the surface. Don’t be lazy, don’t be complacent.
Mark 13:5 “And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you.” The deceiver is out there looking to lead you astray. The deceiver is packaged in sheep’s clothing. The deceiver is smart and is tirelessly working against you . We ARE under attack! 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.“ We need to train and be prepared for our adversary, our opponent, our enemy. We cannot take him lightly, or underestimate his power and willingness to destroy us.
What happened with Harold Camping’s failed prophecy is a shame on many fronts. I believe it has made people more apathetic towards the rapture and end times. I believe it was yet another invitation from the secular culture to poke fun at the silly Christians even though most Christians didn’t believe it. It didn’t matter, there were enough Christians to buy into the silliness to make Harold Camping’s ministry worth over $100 million.
Did this event find any of you in a conversation that you weren’t prepared for? Did this event find you questioning what you believe? Did this event make you feel embarrassed for being a Christian? I pray this event exposed an opportunity for you to strengthen your faith, knowledge and wisdom.
Your brother and warrior in Christ,
Ty Adams
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