Source: Okunuga Oluseyi, Oct. 2008, Rapture of The Saints and Events After, pages 31-33. Used by permission.
There is an attitude of some people to set date for rapture and as well as the end of the world. A lot of people are busy using some forms of calculations to find out the day that Jesus would return. Many even went to the extent of declaring a particular day, month and year in which the rapture will occur, but this was not supposed to be. According to Thomas Ice and Timothy Demy (1998),
“Date setting throughout church history has tender to occur around major time periods such as 500, 1000 and 2000, yet there has always been those who have produced formulas for setting dates for rapture- in spite of the fact that this is clearly prohibited in the scripture. The major aspect that has changed throughout history of date setting has been the basis upon which the dates are set”.
“Date setting throughout church history has tender to occur around major time periods such as 500, 1000 and 2000, yet there has always been those who have produced formulas for setting dates for rapture- in spite of the fact that this is clearly prohibited in the scripture. The major aspect that has changed throughout history of date setting has been the basis upon which the dates are set”.
As the year AD 999 draws to a close and AD 1000 approaches, people anticipated that the world would come to an end by then. As December 31st AD 999 approached enemies were reconciled, gifts were given, an atmosphere of love parade the air. Almost everyone went to church in anticipation that Christ will come and the world will end. As AD 1000 rolls in and the world did not end and Christ did not return, life soon return to normal and went on as if nothing has happened.
In 1564 a German preacher said Christ will return that year but this did not happen. In 1843 an American predicted that Christ will return then, but when his prediction failed he said he miscalculated by one year and so advanced that He will return in 1844, but this did not occur. In 1914 a church leader in the United States predicted Christ’s return but it was not to be. Another person published a book saying Christ will return in 1988, his prediction also failed. In 1992 a church leader in South Korea predicted that the world will come to an end on the 28th October, 1992. This did not also happen. A Christian radio preacher once said Christ will return in September 1994 but this did not occur.
The year 2000 was also predicted by many that Christ would return or that the world would come to an end. It was then widely believed that the world computer system will be affected. Those who based their predictions on year 2000 refer to psalm 90:4 and 2peter 3:8 which states that a day with the Lord is one thousand years. They believe that since the creation of the world took place in six days and God rested the seventh day, therefore the year 2000 AD which will be the sixth thousand years of creation will be the return of Christ while year 2000 to 3000 will be the millennial reign of Christ. They even said important events usually occur when the earth reach the age two thousand. There was flood when the world was two thousand years old and Christ was born when the earth reach age four thousand years. They therefore affirm that Christ would actually return by year 2000 AD. As all other predictions had failed, the year 2000 also had come and gone, Christ has not come and the world hasn’t end.
As Christians we need to be careful concerning setting dates for Christ’s return or the end of the world as this has a lot of implications. Experience had shown that date setting usually lead to confusion particularly when such event did not occur on the day predicted. It makes people to blaspheme God. It has also made many erstwhile unstable to backslide into the world. Even some believe in Christ hoping he will come within a short time but as He tarries they went back into the world. This should not be our attitude to the faith of Christ. We should live our lives in expectation that He may come at any time.
People who set date for rapture have misapplied the scripture. For example, psalm 90:4 and 2Peter 3:8 says “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day”. While psalm 90:4 says “a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is pass and as a watch in the night”. Invariably the verses are telling us about the unsearchable ways of God. All days are equal before Him and He is not in a hurry. He is God of patience. Jesus told us emphatically that no one knows the date of His coming Mark 13:32. God’s word should be sufficient for us. Instead of date setting we should prepare to meet him. Matthew 24:36, 42, 44; 25:13 Act 1:7.
It is for our own good that God reveal not the day Jesus will come. If we had known it many could not have bothered to work again, some will live a life of hypocrisy, going into sin and thinking that they will repent before He comes. However death can kill them and where will they spend their eternity? Not knowing the date will make us to work well for Christ and live a life worthy of his holy name. It is good to have desire for Christ’s return but we should not set date for Him. Posted by Femi Olawole
