Rapture 2025

[Valerie]

My grandfather was deeply interested and fascinated by end-times theology. This was in the era before internet speculation and he had all kinds of chart and books. I actually found it kind of traumatizing because I found it terrifying. I've made my peace with Revelation since then.

He may have had the ever popular Scofield Bible which spread like wildfire in the west and caused people in the 1900s, especially in the 70s on to look for Jesus “soon”. Actually there was an Amish man (Stutzman) :

Jonas Stutzman, an eccentric Amish leader in Ohio, famously anticipated the Second Coming of Christ in the 19th century. He is best remembered for his unusual preparations for the Lord's return, which included:
Wearing white clothes: He donned white attire in anticipation of the event.
Building a special chair for Christ: Stutzman constructed an extra-large, elaborate wooden chair for Christ to sit in upon his arrival. This oversized chair symbolized the belief that Christ should be held above all else.
Aversion to wheels: In his later years, Stutzman reportedly developed a dislike for wheeled vehicles, believing they were associated with "chariots of war." When he died, his body was carried to its final resting place for miles instead of being carted.
Stutzman's actions were considered peculiar, but he was also known for helping to bridge differences within the Amish community. A replica of his large chair is on display at the German Culture Museum in Walnut Creek, Ohio.

[mike]

I really don’t get it when the scriptures clearly state no man knows the day or the hour… not even the Son of Man himself.

Yet it happens over and over. People who attempt to make this prediction (like Jonathan Cahn, whose books seem to be showing up on many Anabaptists’ nightstands) need called out.

I imagine that word of these predictions go viral just based on the ridiculousness of the claims, and also because people get a kick out of seeing yet another person's career and reputation go up in flames when the predictions don't occur. It's basically a meme.

[barnhart]

I feel like 10 or 15 years ago there would have been more support for dispensationalism here.

[Wesleyb]

I really don’t get it when the scriptures clearly state no man knows the day or the hour… not even the Son of Man himself.

Like any other inconvenient scripture, people find a way to prove it doesn't mean what it says. I think I've heard at least 3 such explanations.
1) It's not possible to know the day or hour, but it is possible to know the week.
2) It wasn't possible to know it at the time Jesus was here, but it is possible to know it now.
3) With this last prediction I heard something about this statement being a Hebrew idiom that doesn't translate properly into English, or something like that. I didn't bother to find out any more.

[Ken]

I really don’t get it when the scriptures clearly state no man knows the day or the hour… not even the Son of Man himself.

Yet it happens over and over. People who attempt to make this prediction (like Jonathan Cahn, whose books seem to be showing up on many Anabaptists’ nightstands) need called out.

I imagine that word of these predictions go viral just based on the ridiculousness of the claims, and also because people get a kick out of seeing yet another person's career and reputation go up in flames when the predictions don't occur. It's basically a meme.

From a religious point of view, the inherent flaw in all of these claims is that they are falsifiable. Jesus did not make this error or do this sort of thing. His teachings and principles are based on faith. As far as I know, he made no predictions about the natural world, but was, instead, concerned mainly about the spiritual.

Religious leaders who make these sorts of falsifiable claims are (perhaps unwittingly) providing a prima facia test of the validity of their religion or religious teachings. There is no better way to discredit a particular religious belief than to make claims that are easily falsifiable. Especially religious claims that only require us to wait and see.

[Heirbyadoption]

One of our ministers talked about this in an opening message yesterday. It sort of annoys me that we even consider something like this worth mentioning.

You are annoyed to hear about the possibility of a Rapture, or more specifically when somebody ignorantly decides to pin down the date and folks go a'flocking after it...?

[mike]

One of our ministers talked about this in an opening message yesterday. It sort of annoys me that we even consider something like this worth mentioning.

You are annoyed to hear about the possibility of a Rapture, or more specifically when somebody ignorantly decides to pin down the date and folks go a'flocking after it...?

I am saying that I'm sort of annoyed to have the latest ten-cent buffoon pinning a date on the Rapture taking up any space in our sermons. I'm also sort of annoyed with myself to have wasted time commenting on it in this thread.

[Neto]

My grandfather was deeply interested and fascinated by end-times theology. This was in the era before internet speculation and he had all kinds of chart and books. I actually found it kind of traumatizing because I found it terrifying. I've made my peace with Revelation since then.

He may have had the ever popular Scofield Bible which spread like wildfire in the west and caused people in the 1900s, especially in the 70s on to look for Jesus “soon”. Actually there was an Amish man (Stutzman) :

Jonas Stutzman, an eccentric Amish leader in Ohio, famously anticipated the Second Coming of Christ in the 19th century. He is best remembered for his unusual preparations for the Lord's return, which included:
Wearing white clothes: He donned white attire in anticipation of the event.
Building a special chair for Christ: Stutzman constructed an extra-large, elaborate wooden chair for Christ to sit in upon his arrival. This oversized chair symbolized the belief that Christ should be held above all else.
Aversion to wheels: In his later years, Stutzman reportedly developed a dislike for wheeled vehicles, believing they were associated with "chariots of war." When he died, his body was carried to its final resting place for miles instead of being carted.
Stutzman's actions were considered peculiar, but he was also known for helping to bridge differences within the Amish community. A replica of his large chair is on display at the German Culture Museum in Walnut Creek, Ohio.

I'm pretty sure that it's the actual chair he built that is on display at the Mennonite & Amish Heritage Center (Behalt). (I see now that you referred to the German Culture Museum - Is that the German Library?) In my opinion, he, like some in my own background like Claus Epp, was a "nut case".

[Nomad]

One of our ministers talked about this in an opening message yesterday. It sort of annoys me that we even consider something like this worth mentioning.

You are annoyed to hear about the possibility of a Rapture, or more specifically when somebody ignorantly decides to pin down the date and folks go a'flocking after it...?

I am saying that I'm sort of annoyed to have the latest ten-cent buffoon pinning a date on the Rapture taking up any space in our sermons. I'm also sort of annoyed with myself to have wasted time commenting on it in this thread.

I don’t necessarily have a problem with the term "Rapture" since its the Latin word of the Greek word "harpazo" which we call "caught up" in English. I personally believe in a future Rapture where we will be "...caught up to meet Him in the air" (per 1 Thess 4:17). However, while I have my own theory on this event...I also know its impossible to predict it. Unfortunately, too many have tried to predict the date in the past and profited financially from it in the process. This has fostered a lot of deserved skepticism about the teaching. I'm also not a fan of the divisiveness it brings within the church for some.

Its impossible for us all to interpret the Bible the same way. We just won't. Some will say this event already happened in 70AD while others say its yet future. The verse that most comes to mind when I think of this angst on differing views of interpretation is 1 Corinthians 13:2-3 ESV

[2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. [3] If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Our love for each other (as Christians) must supersede our differing interpretations of the bible, otherwise we just won't ever connect. The Church hasn't agreed 100% on interpretation for the past 2000 years and I dont expect we will soon...unless Jesus returns.

[Ernie]

I really don’t get it when the scriptures clearly state no man knows the day or the hour… not even the Son of Man himself.

Like any other inconvenient scripture, people find a way to prove it doesn't mean what it says. I think I've heard at least 3 such explanations.
1) It's not possible to know the day or hour, but it is possible to know the week.
2) It wasn't possible to know it at the time Jesus was here, but it is possible to know it now.
3) With this last prediction I heard something about this statement being a Hebrew idiom that doesn't translate properly into English, or something like that. I didn't bother to find out any more.

2b) God wants to reveal mysteries to his people in the end times, and let them know when he is coming, while keeping these revelations hidden from the general populace.