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Lady Julian · 10-20-2011, 03:32 PM

(10-20-2011 03:29 PM)exOBCstudent Wrote: I DO believe the Bible gives us some indication of how the Lord will re-instate His reign over Jerusalem just not sure how to interpret all of that. Some things are still too vague for me to draw a specific conclusion.

That makes you a panmillenialist, then? As in, everything will all pan out in the end?

**boymom** · 10-20-2011, 05:57 PM

I never saw the rapture as something to be feared; I do like the idea of suddenly being present with the Lord. But I'm not gonna worry about natural disasters, unless, of course, you know, I'm in one. I don't particularly think they are harbingers of doom. Well, not spiritual doom, anyway.

Tony Mel · 10-20-2011, 07:06 PM

I don't believe in a rapture. This is a modern doctrine.

bean · 10-20-2011, 07:12 PM

I watched Left Behind. Read Left Behind. Believed it all. Pretty soon I started studying it and realized that indeed it is a modern concept. No theological roots.
I had kids going to youth group last year that would come home terrified. Teacher told them they probably wouldn't even graduate high school cause the Lord was coming back within a year or two. Nice. That took some straightening out. I told them about the "no one knows the hour or the time" verse. Also, a day to God is like a 1000 years to us.
I don't buy it.

Jenni · 10-20-2011, 07:20 PM

The rapture falls into the category of "things that were super-important to me when I was a Fundy but aren't so much anymore." Anyone else heard the fundy phrase, "He's so heavenly minded he's no earthly good?" I think a focus on the rapture does that to people. I'd rather work on today and doing the right thing now - doing justice, loving mercy, walking humbly with God - instead of focusing on whether the rapture will be tomorrow or the day after that or in 2012 or whenever. Smile

bean · 10-20-2011, 07:48 PM

If the entire body of believers would focus on doing that Jenni, we could turn the whole world upside down in about a week. I wish more fellow believers were focused on justice, mercy, and humility.

Monipenny · 10-20-2011, 09:34 PM

Being raised fundy, my dad was forever reminding us that the rapture will happen in our life time. As a young child I was exposed to the early version of the left behind movie, nothing compared to Hal Lindseys' left behind fictional movies. Our church preached pre-trib rapture, end time anti-christ, none of it made sense to me, nor did they support their doctrine with scriptures. I knew studying the subject would be complicated which I avoided for years. This topic is my husbands pastors favorite, seemed like every time I visited his church, that was the sermon topic. Last year he announced that he was doing another sermon series again on this and that was when I decided to do my own study and never visited that church again. Conclussion, I do not believe it.

**Tiarali** · 10-20-2011, 10:07 PM

I believe it, but then I haven't been out of fundyland long. I also agree that it's one of those doctrines that doesn't really matter. We will all face God, does it really matter how or when? Do good.

**pastor's wife** · 10-20-2011, 10:49 PM

It's embarrassing to say that I'm not sure if I still believe in it or not. I always HAVE believed in it, I grew up believing in it, but I know that I disagree with the type of hyper-dispensationalism that dismisses the entire Sermon on the Mount as "kingdom values" and thus we don't have to live by it because we're in the church age not the kingdom age. I couldn't BELIEVE that when I heard that and knew right away that I didn't want to be that kind of Christian. I want to follow Christ's words NOW, TODAY. So I'm not sure how that is going to affect my eschatology. I need to study it, because I don't want to keep believing it just by default, because it's all I've ever known. But then again, I've got several kids and a busy life. I think I'm busy enough just loving those around me.

Tooktheredpill · 10-20-2011, 11:43 PM

Quote:I need to study it, because I don't want to keep believing it just by default, because it's all I've ever known. But then again, I've got several kids and a busy life. I think I'm busy enough just loving those around me.

I agree. If it's not troubling you, I don't see the need for you to worry about it... I do hope those who are living in fear due to the doctrine will take a closer look, though.