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Is The Rapture Still
Imminent?
By Grant Phillips
First of all, allow
me to provide some
synonyms from the
thesaurus for
“imminent:” about to
happen, looming,
coming up,
forthcoming,
pending, impending,
in the offing, on
the cards, on the
agenda, on the
horizon, just round
the corner, in the
stars, in the
pipeline, and at
hand. The one
antonym is; distant.
How do you feel
about Harold
Camping’s failed
Rapture prediction?
The non-Christian
world is having a
field day. I have
read several of the
secular world’s
comments, and they
are obviously even
more adamant in
their opinion of us
Christians; i.e. we
are all ignorant and
a few bricks shy of
a load. Our elevator
does not reach the
top floor. We are
not the sharpest
knives in the
drawer. It has been
confirmed by Mr.
Camping and his
followers that none
of us have enough
sense to come in out
of the rain. Need I
say more? I think
not. I’m sure you
get the point.
On the other hand, I
can see where many
good Christian
people are totally
embarrassed, and why
they would shy away
from even mentioning
the Rapture to
others. Why
associate them
selves with this
obvious cult leader
and suffer the
ridicule? Is it any
wonder that we, who
know the Rapture is
true and will
happen, find it
difficult in helping
our own Christian
brothers and sisters
in Christ to see the
reality that the
Rapture will, in
fact, happen, at
God’s chosen
time?
I have mentioned two
groups thus far; (1)
the non-Christian
world, who believes
more by the day that
we Christians are
all ignorant kooks
and good for a
laugh, and (2)
Christians, who do
not believe in the
Rapture, or are
either ashamed to
say they do.
I asked in the
second paragraph of
this article, “How
do you feel about
Harold Camping’s
failed Rapture
prediction?”
Actually, this is
his third failed
prediction, and I
feel confident that
he is now working on
his fourth. Allow me
to give you my take.
First or all, any
Rapture-believing
Christian knew for a
fact that there
would be no Rapture
on Mr. Camping’s
predicted date.
Jesus said, “But
of that day and that
hour knoweth no man,
no, not the angels
which are in heaven,
neither the Son, but
the Father. Take ye
heed, watch and
pray: for ye know
not when the time
is.” (Mark
13:32-33) I do not
bet, but if I did,
that would be the
one day that I could
bet that the Rapture
would not occur, and
I would win.
Some of you may
remember a scene in
the Cecil B. DeMille
movie, “The Ten
Commandments”,
starring Charlton
Heston and Yul
Brenner. Pharaoh,
Rameses II, played
by Yul Brenner, has
come back to his
palace after
watching God destroy
his army in the
Red Sea.
He and his Queen,
Nefretiri (or
Nefertari), played
by Anne Baxter, are
seated on their
respective thrones
when Nefretiri
smiles (like the
Cheshire cat) and
says to him in the
most sarcastic tone
one could imagine, “His
God? The priests say
that Pharaoh is a
god. But you are not
a god. You are even
less than a man!
Listen to me,
Rameses. You thought
I was evil when I
went to Moses. And
you were right.
Shall I tell you
what happened,
Rameses? He spurned
me like a strumpet
in the street. I,
Nefretiri, Queen of
Egypt!
All that you wanted
from me he would not
even take! Do you
hear laughter
Pharaoh? Not the
laughter of kings,
but the laughter of
slaves on the desert
island!”
Do you hear
laughter? Oh yes!
It’s coming through
loud and clear,
thanks to Mr.
Camping.
Harold Camping is
not the first to
make failed
predictions for the
Rapture, and he
won’t be the last,
unless maybe it
happens before I
finish this article.
It is people like
him, and so many
others, that Satan
has used to deceive
mankind. I have no
doubt that Satan is
behind this whole
charade, laughing
hilariously at the
confusion he has
caused. Satan and
his minions laugh.
Sadly, for those
without Christ, the
laughter will be
turned to tears when
the Rapture does
occur, and it will
happen, at
God’s chosen time.
The first thing that
came to mind when
Mr. Camping
announced his
Rapture prediction
was the result we
are now hearing, and
also something Peter
said,
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their
own lusts, And
saying, Where is the
promise of his
coming? for since
the fathers fell
asleep, all things
continue as they
were from the
beginning of the
creation.” (2
Peter 3:3-4) These
two verses and the
results from this
charlatan, Mr.
Camping, indicate to
me that this too can
be considered a sign
of the last days
preceding the return
of Christ for His
Church.
When will the
Rapture occur? I
haven’t a clue,
except it will
happen when God is
ready for it to
happen. I will say
this. God makes it
clear that we cannot
know the day or the
hour, but I do
believe we can know
the season, and the
season seems to be
upon us. How long is
the season? I don’t
know. Are we at the
beginning of the
season, the middle,
or near the end?
Again, I don’t know.
I do know that Jesus
was very displeased
with the Pharisees
and Sadducees for
not recognizing the
signs of His first
coming to earth.
Does it not make
sense that He
expects us to
recognize the signs
He is showing us
today of His near
second coming and
the Rapture
preceding it? “The
Pharisees also with
the Sadducees came,
and tempting desired
him that he would
shew them a sign
from heaven. He
answered and said
unto them, When it
is evening, ye say,
It will be fair
weather: for the sky
is red. And in the
morning, It will be
foul weather to day:
for the sky is red
and lowering. O ye
hypocrites, ye can
discern the face of
the sky; but can ye
not discern the
signs of the times?”
(Matthew 16:1-3)
I am aware of Jesus’
statement to the
Apostles just prior
to His ascension
back to Heaven. “And
he said unto them,
It is not for you to
know the times or
the seasons, which
the Father hath put
in his own power.”
(Acts 1:7) Since
Scripture cannot
contradict itself,
in comparing Matthew
16:1-3 with Acts
1:7, I do not
believe Jesus is
saying we cannot
recognize the signs
He gives us, but He
is saying that the
Father has control
of the times and
seasons, and they
are in His hands.
Also, again, we
cannot know the day
or the hour.
Further, when the
season does arrive,
He will show us the
signs we need to
know for that
season, in order
that we may know
that we are in that
season.
Therefore, what we
have just witnessed
simply strengthens
my belief that our
departure may be
sooner than we
think, because Jesus
also said, “Be
ye therefore ready
also: for the Son of
man cometh at an
hour when ye think
not.” (Luke
12:40) The hour we
are in would
certainly qualify,
since we and our
Bridegroom are now
the world’s laughing
stock. No one would
expect it. But, I
must caution. How
long is the hour in
question? At what
part of the hour are
we? Only God Himself
has those answers.
We do not know, but
we should be
watching and be
prepared. In the
meantime, there is
much work to do. As
Paul would say, “I
press toward the
mark for the prize
of the high calling
of God in Christ
Jesus.”
(Philippians 3:14)
Let us press on, and
be looking up. The
Rapture is still
imminent.
Grant Phillips
grantphillips@windstream.net
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