I mean, don’t get me wrong. I was definitely laughing at some of the funnier ‘rapture posts’.
A Rebecca Black rehash:
“Yesterday was Thursday, ThursdayAnd a XIANITY tweet:
Today it-is Friday, Friday
…
Tomorrow is Saturday
And that’s the apocalypse
I don’t want the whole world to eeeend”
“BREAKING NEWS: Still here.”Oh, witty deliciousness.)
Yea, but save a few funny little morsels—(you can’t help but laugh)—I was kinda annoyed. Tweets, and FB posts and the strangest conversations at Starbucks. All day, I just wanted people to stop talking about the familyradio.com cult people. Because these people have been mishandling something very sacred and delicate. (It’s like watching inept parents hold a newborn without supporting the head. *cringe* “Just give me the baby, you idiot!”).
As a Christian, I can easily dismiss them as failing to let scripture speak… but in all honesty that’s not why Harold Camping has been the subject of ridicule outside of believing circles. It is not as though the wider public is thinking, “Man, those people are grossly misinterpreting scripture! Those miscreants.”
No, it’s more like, “Man, those crazies believe that some long-dead ‘prophet’ is returning? Bunch of morons.”
The truth is that if someone believes in the Second Advent, this person is essentially indistinguishable from Harold Camping to many, many people. (S/he may have the substantial advantage of actually reading scripture. But I guarantee that those outside of Christianity will not perceive any meaningful difference between two, besides that little business that one got the date wrong.)
Last year, I got to go to the NEXT conference in Baltimore, and had the pleasure to listen to Jeff Purswell speak on the subject of the Parousia and the end times. (Absolutely excellent talk. He didn’t even touch the book of Revelation. It was truly well-done.)
One of the first things he mentioned was the fact that whenever someone mishandles the promised return of Christ (e.g., in the way we’ve seen over the last week or so), the trust of believers in the truth gospel is undermined.
He’s absolutely right. I wish he wasn't. But all this mounting nonsense makes me fearful in my hope. It sows seeds of doubt. And without trust in Christ’s resurrection and his promised return there’s really no point to our faith. I mean that whole-heartedly. And I believe it’s a biblical view. (“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile…” 1 Corinthians 15:17).
Christians are not irrational, after all. But all our professions get lost in the debris when the Harold Camping-types find themselves determined to tear up the foundations for rational conversation.
So here I am laying cement all over again… for myself, and every eye perusing this post. I am taking a moment to remind myself of this almost unbelievable hope of His coming:
"Jesus answered, […] ‘I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.’ " (John 14:18)
"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty." (2 Peter 1: 16)
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3-9)
"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. (Titus 2: 11-15)
"He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Even so. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)
Praying for the Lord's day worship wherever you are. Praying that it will be a reminder of the Sunday he rose, and of his promised return. Dear Lord, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).
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