Tomorrow, May 21, 2011, Will NOT Be the End of the World or the Rapture

Many are abuzz with the prediction made by Harold Camping that the Rapture will happen tomorrow, May 21, 2011, at 6 p.m. Some media erroneously say that Camping has predicted the End of the World because they do not understand that there is a difference between the two events.

Just in case you or any of your friends or family are worried about tomorrow, let me reassure you. Better, trust Jesus Himself that neither the Rapture nor the End of the World will happen tomorrow.

How can I be so sure? Easy. The Bible tells me so. In Matthew 24:36 Jesus tells his followers, "No one knows, however, when that day and hour will come--neither the angels in heaven nor the Son; the Father alone knows." The day and hour this passage refers to is the return of the Son of Man, often referred to as the Rapture when the Lord comes to catch his followers--first, the dead; then, the living--up to heaven.

The day and time of this event is so privileged that only the Father knows it. You talk about top secret information. The Father has not even shared it with His beloved Son. And, Harold Camping thinks he is privy to it?! I would bust out laughing at the very idea if such predictions were not so harmful.

All Camping and his followers have done is hold Christians and Christianity up for ridicule and derision by unbelievers. Some mentally unstable people might be so frightened that they harm themselves or others. Others who are searching for a spiritual way may be disillusioned and persuaded to give it up when nothing happens out of the ordinary tomorrow. Weak or new Christians, who may not know enough about Bible prophecy yet, may lose their way.

The Rapture, a seven-year period of severe tribulation and a world leader worse than anything the world has ever seen, the last batte of Armageddon, and the end of the present world are all coming. The Rapture could happen in the next 30 seconds, 30 minutes, 30 hours, 30 days, 30 weeks, 30 years...Nobody knows when.

There is nothing left that has to happen before the Rapture, according to Bible prophecy. From my studies of Scripture and observations of world events, I agree with those who expect the Rapture to come sooner rather than later. Jesus told His followers, "Let the fig tree teach yo a lesson. When its branches become green and tender and it starts putting out leaves, you know that summe is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you will know that the time is near, ready to begin..." (Matthew 24:32-33)

What are "these things" Jesus is referring to as signs for His believers that the season of His reappearance is near? He details them in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. They include:

• Impersonators of Jesus or false Messiahs who mislead many
• Wars and rumors of war
• Ethnic strife and revolutions
• Famines and plagues
• Earthquakes everywhere
• Persecution and hatred of Christians, even from their own family members and friends
• Falling away of the faithful
• Dissension and betrayal among Christian believers
• Practicing Christianity becomes a capital offense
• Many false prophets who fool many people
• Love will grow cold due to the spread of evil
• The Gospel of Christ preached worldwide
• Especially difficult times for pregnant women and the mothers of young children
• Strange and terrifying things coming from the sky
• Strange phenomena happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars
• Roaring seas and raging tides causing despair among nations
• Heavenly bodies driven fom their normal courses

Sounds pretty scary, huh? Or, it sounds like the nightly news. I have many friends who can no longer bear to watch the news on television or read the newspaper. They tell me it is just too depressing, upsetting and frightening.

Should you be afraid when you see these things happening? Well, the Gospel is from the Greek word for "good news." So, no, Jesus told His followers, "When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvaton is near" (Luke 21:28). If you are a believer in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then rest confident in His Love and Mercy. Be glad and rejoice that you may have the privilege of seeing with your own eyes what generations of believers have hoped to experience. What a great and glorious day that will be when "the Son of Man will appear coming in a cloud with great power and glory" (Luke 21:27) "like the lightning which flashes across the whole sky from the east to the west" (Matthew 24:27).

If you are not yet a believer, then His harvest is still ongoing. It is not too late, even if the time is drawing near. You, too, can look forward to His return if you sincerely repent of your sins, seek His forgiveness, and accept the gift of His Love and Mercy. He stands at the door of your heart, knocking. God is such a respector of your free will that the handle to open that door in on your side, not His. All you have to do is use that handle and open your heart to Him. Jesus and His Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Maranatha. (Come, Lord Jesus.)