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![]() This time around, there are no RVs or signs carrying the "awesome news" of the end of the world.
October 21st, 2011
06:00 AM ET
The End, again? If it is, we thank you for your timeBy Jessica Ravitz, CNN (CNN) - In case you are reading this, might we suggest you read really fast? The world may end any minute now, if the latest doomsday prediction is on target. We realize October 21 didn’t get the shout-out that May 21 did, so our apologies if this comes as a surprise. But if you had heard the complete message the first time, you would have known. “The warning is out,” Dennis Morrell, 44, of Jacksonville, Florida, reminded us a couple of days ago. “There’s nothing else you can do.” Earlier this year, and with the backing of the Christian broadcasting network Family Radio, billboards touting May 21 as Judgment Day dotted the landscape. RVs plastered with the fateful date crisscrossed the country as believers wearing T-shirt announcements and waving fliers sounded the alarm. That was to be the day when a select 2% to 3% of the world’s population, predetermined by God, would be raptured up to heaven. Everyone else, the story went, would endure months-long judgment amid chaos, destruction and unspeakable suffering. A massive earthquake would ravage the land, bodies would be tossed about and terror would reign for the duration. Five months or exactly 153 days later, it was said, the world would disappear – which brings us to today. This was the schedule laid out by God’s word in the Bible, the faithful said. It was the plan deciphered and shared by Harold Camping, now 90, the founder of Family Radio, based in Oakland, California. Camping, who has an engineering degree, had spent more than 50 years combing through his Bible and crunching numbers embedded in scripture. Sure, he’d made a similar end-of-the-world prediction for September 6, 1994, but who hasn’t been tripped up by biblical verses? With additional studying, calculations and new signs that would be revealed later, he said earlier this year that he had no doubts this time around. “I know it’s absolutely true, because the Bible is always absolutely true,” he told CNN before May 21. “If I were not faithful that would mean that I’m a hypocrite.” Problem is, May 21 came and went, and the world remained the same. Soon the billboards disappeared. The T-shirts and hats worn by believers got tossed. The RVs were quietly parked, tucked away in storage yards, possibly sold. Camping came forth, two days later, with an explanation - and his last news conference. October 21 would still be the end, he said, but a “loving and merciful” God had opted to spare humanity the five months of turmoil. A couple of weeks later, Camping had a stroke. He is said to be recuperating at home after a hospital and rehab stay and has only made a handful of radio addresses in the months since. Family Radio declined our requests to interview him. Fred Store, a 66-year-old retired electrician and longtime Family Radio listener, dedicated seven months of his life to sharing the “awesome news” that was the May 21 message. He led a caravan of believers, five RVs strong, on a tour of the United States for Family Radio. He was in Boston in May when he expected to be raptured up to heaven. When nothing happened, “We were caught by surprise. ... But we realize now that it’s very possible that we misunderstood some of the things we thought were true,” Store said this week from his home in Sacramento, California, where he has put up a number of caravan friends. “I believe that October 21 is the end, and I trust in God. Whatever way he chooses to end things will be perfect.” On the Family Radio website, the May 21 events, or nonevents, have been clarified. “What really happened is that God accomplished exactly what he wanted to happen. That was to warn the whole world that on May 21 God’s salvation program would be finished. ... For the next five months, except for the elect (the true believers), the whole world is under God’s final judgment,” the statement reads. As for that massive, body-flinging earthquake anticipated by believers, well, it turned out to be less literal. “We always look at the word ‘earthquake’ to mean the earth, or ground, is quaking or shaking violently. However, in the Bible the word ‘earth’ can include people as well as ground. ... Therefore we have learned from our experience of last May 21 what actually happened. All of mankind was shaken with fear. Indeed the Earth (or mankind) did quake in a way it had never before been shaken.” No one was raptured on May 21, but that’s just because “universal judgment” will come on the last day. “The elect” or “true believers” are still guaranteed their day of rapture, and everyone else will be “annihilated together with the whole physical world.” For Paul Anatiychuk, 36, of Charlotte, North Carolina, the way this played out has been a relief, a blessing. A husband and father of two children, ages 8 and 9, he wasn’t sure if his own family members would be saved. The thought of leaving them behind on May 21, to suffer what would come over the next five months, troubled him. “God tortures them while we’re hanging in the clouds?” he said this week. “It didn’t completely fit.” Now, Anatiychuk said, he can take solace knowing that when he’s saved, sinners will simply die. “Of course (the world) has to be destroyed and burned up by fire,” he said. “But it’s going to be very quiet.” Finding a way to save faith, and face, is part of the process when a prophecy fails, said Lorenzo DiTommaso, an associate professor of religion at Concordia University in Montreal, who has been studying apocalyptic worldviews for a dozen years. He said those who become disillusioned aren’t quick to talk, and the rest find a new way to spin what has transpired. When nothing happened on May 21, Camping was left with a choice, said DiTommaso, whose book, “The Architecture of Apocalypticism,” is scheduled for publication next spring. Camping could have admitted he was wrong. He could have said the calculations were off and needed further analysis. Or he could have spiritualized the apocalypse, which is exactly what he did, DiTommaso said. That tack, that way of looking at the apocalypse, has a long history, he said, and dates back to early Christian theologians. Tyconius, in the late fourth century, took this approach, as - more notably - did Augustine in the early fifth century. Augustine “preferred to understand the millennium predicted in the Revelation of John in spiritual and metaphoric rather than literal terms,” DiTommaso said. He “sought to diminish the emphasis on hard calculations.” The obvious advantage of this sort of interpretation for a man like Camping, who has prided himself on his numbers, is that he can “divorce himself a little bit from the fact that he was so darn wrong.” What Camping will say - if anything - come Saturday, assuming there is a Saturday, is anyone’s guess. But DiTommaso said a new explanation, perhaps a new doomsday date, may be on the horizon. It would be just another in a long line of end-time predictions across the ages. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see another attempt” by Camping, he said. “If he were an artist, this is his masterpiece, his life work.” |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team. |
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The Hour;
Sahih International
It is Allah who has sent down the Book in truth and [also] the balance. And what will make you perceive? Perhaps the Hour is near. (42:17).
Those who do not believe in it are impatient for it, but those who believe are fearful of it and know that it is the truth. Unquestionably, those who dispute concerning the Hour are in extreme error. (42:18).
Allah is Subtle with His servants; He gives provisions to whom He wills. And He is the Powerful, the Exalted in Might. (42:19).
Mohammed's brother slept with 5 thugs and now we see the result. Nothing.
Mother is a school that if prepared her well, she would prepare the people of good races, and generations of good ethics/morals.. 😉
http://www.amblesideonline.org/PR/PR04p081EducatedMother.shtml
Mohammed's father slept with 5 thugs and now we see the result. Nothing.
WHAT IS THIS NO ONE WANTS TO READ ABOUT THE KORAN
So let me see if I understand this religion thing. An invisible supernatural being (unaffected by laws of nature which bind everything else including us) created people and setup laws for which every single person was in violation. Then it sacrificed itself to itself to provide a loophole for breaking the laws which it created in the first place? Wow and they have a hard time considering the big bang.....really?
@John K- what religion are you even talking about?
"An invisible supernatural being (unaffected by laws of nature which bind everything else including us)....Then it sacrificed itself..."
Sounds like the law of death was affecting the being you are talking about. Not to mention the being in question must have been seen sometime to be sacrificed. Heck...you just made up an interesting thing there...pity it has nothing in common with any religion in the world.
So you claim that christians do not believe in "the holy trinity" Which in essence means that god and son are one in the same. Are you also claiming that christians do not believe that this god created laws for which every person is guilty of breaking? Is it your contention that this god did not send it's progeny (it's son therefore itself) to die as a loophole for those who wish to accept that as reality? Because it sounds like you might not understand one of the largest religions on earth my uninformed friend.
@John K- I have made no claims but it took you long enough to get you head out your @ss. I was starting to wonder if you even went to college with the lack of citation skills you were displaying before.
You didn't mention Christianity or the Trinity in your above rant. Sorry that I expect ppl to be clear on subjects they are trying to make fun of. Oh I understand Christianity fine...I just don't understand why ppl who claim to be logical and intelligent can be so va_gue and unprecise.
The big bang is ancent history we have been moving away from that for billions of years no wonder your religion sounds more like a myth. In the 21st century we have the Holy Spirit living within us. Jesus sent Him and referred to the Holy Spirit as the helper who will guide us in all truth. This happened in about 34 AD long after the big bang. The best news is yet to come as Jesus is coming back any day so we live in excited expectation. Can you imagine that getting up every day filled with hope and looking for our savior, waiting, reading His Good Book as we wait. I would love to tell you all about it so you can share it with your friends. Sometimes we can be a pain because we want everyone from that religion you speak of to enjoy freedom out of that dark thought.
Well, we wish you a great weekend and will pray for light to break through !
LOL, what a silly argument you've made there and I noticed you had to slip into vulgarity and personal attacks. Yes that screams intelligence. /sarcasm <-- see that word, you might want to look it up and grasp it's meaning before making future critques of sarcastic comments. For someone that is hinting about a college education it's remarkable to imagine that person as never having happened upon sarcasm, but I digress.
You believers are beginning to come unglued. It seems like every other month your arguments get weaker and weaker.
"Sometimes we can be a pain because we want everyone from that religion you speak of to enjoy freedom out of that dark thought."
You're the one with the dark thought thinking if people don't believe as you do they are unhappy and miserable. That is a lie you are telling yourself so you can feel better about your choice of believing in a bogus deity. We don't have dark thoughts, we are active loving members in our communities and in our homes. The arrogance of christians is just appalling!
Sorry John, but when ppl come on here acting like a sarcastic jack@ss..I treat them as such. If you don't care for that treatment...perhaps you should examine your behavior some.
I know you are capable of good arguments on here. I've read them. So to see you acting like the riffraff haters..it's just sad.
@Bearer Of Bad News- That is funny..coming from a person who cannot even quote scripture correctly when trying to make a point. I am referencing a cherry-picking fest you had in the Kagan comment board.
Appology accepted but please in future try and give people a little room for sarcasm before you toss them in the riff raff bin. ;^)
@John K- I'll try. That's quality that doesn't always come through clearly on these boards...sarcasm.
Duh
I have no idea what you are talking about. What kind of religion do you live under that you are so sensitive and defensive. That's no way to live........chill
"Sorry that I expect ppl to be clear on subjects they are trying to make fun of." Hey Uncouth, I'll be happy to make fun of you in a clear and concise way. You seem to think that the bible is truth and God is real, at least you like to try defending those who do, and yet you have zero evidence to provide. Why? Was it your years of study or just a really great Pastor who was able to slowly and carefully push his truth inside you? /wink
"I have no idea what you are talking about. What kind of religion do you live under that you are so sensitive and defensive. That's no way to live........chill"
You're the one that needs to chill, you're sensitive about your beliefs it's why you keep posting all the time. What a hypocrite.
Cherry picking? Please, by all means Jesus Christ of Nazareth, show me where I was wrong in the CORRECT quotation of scripture. After all, it was completely within context of the discussion. The ONLY way I've ever seen christians make the attempt to dispute the scripture is by altering the meaning by misinterpretation. That's how it always is. So far, I haven't seen you produce facts to prove the context of the scriptures is other than what is stated in black and white. You are one of the most opinionated people here, forever complaining of people posting "factless, opinion-based comments" yet you do exactly that.
You are nothing more than abrasive and opinionated. If you want to produce something from the bible that proves that it's not a book of lies, contradiction, fear mongering and hate, then get to posting. It's time you start producing something rather than posting pretentious opinions.
OhReally
Duh
Yeah, I am really courious now as to what religion you and Duh are so sensitive about. The one JohnK summarized is one dark negative belief. I see he mentioned he was being sarcastic. But you two really have me worried.
Correct Fred, the religion I mentioned in my sarcastic comment is dark and negative. Sadly it is also a real religion not just a sarcastic parody. Christianity uses fear of eternal torment as it's one and only motivational tactic to force folks to suspend rational thinking in order to buy into it's dark and dangerous way off thinking and living.
Yep. The minute you quote scripture that proves the bible is a farce, christians call it "cherry picking." When christians quote scripture, it's called "daily inspirational words from the bible." Like how that works? Talk about hypocritical of the highest degree. The pretentious windbags know less about the bible than atheists. Is it really any surprise?
Hey Uncouth, you might want to go and revise the vomit you posted on the Kagan thread. I posted a response to to it. Don't forget to bring a towel!
Well, at least they are not entirely without a point: "But we realize now that it’s very possible that we misunderstood some of the things we thought were true." I think I good first step moving forward would be to stop pretending to know things you do not know. And to always ask of yourself and of others: "how do you know that?"
There should be a law banning any sort of religious teaching/brainwashing to children under the age of 18. The only reason why Christianity has flourished up to this point is through retelling the same fraudulent story for generations... to billions of impressionable children.
Meanwhile, it's also encouraging them to become crazy conservatives who think it's okay to hate on African Americans/ga.ys/Latinos/whichever group of people are the next scapegoat.
I agree, but it will be like saying "Lets celebrate Christmas, but lying is illegal so we have to make sure and tell our kids that Santa doesn't exist or come down chimneys or give you any presents or watch you when you sleep..."
It does seem a little silly for the bible to say liars will not inherit God's kingdom but then supposedly supports a celebration where the main theme is lie to your kids.
"There should be a law banning any sort of religious teaching/brainwashing to children under the age of 18. The only reason why Christianity has flourished up to this point is through retelling the same fraudulent story for generations... to billions of impressionable children."
~Wow...more factless statements. Guess you don't believe in the freedom to raise one's familt as they see fit. Tell me, should the govt monitor what should or should not be taught to children?
"Meanwhile, it's also encouraging them to become crazy conservatives who think it's okay to hate on African Americans/ga.ys/Latinos/whichever group of people are the next scapegoat."
~Huge lie. I've known religious ppl who were liberal. And honestly...it sounds like you are trying to make the Christians into a scapegoat here.
More factless opinions from Uncouth Swain. Please, post up some tangible evidence to back up your claims.
The universe is neither against nor for us. It is indifferent. From a philisophical point of view , both optimism and pessimism is illogical and absurd.
How can these people function in modern society? They aren't any better that middle eastern fanatics. To think that there are people (some well educated) who fall for the doom & gloom and smoke & mirrors of a senile 90 year old is unnerving to say the least.
Some of them even fall for the stories in the bible. That's pretty incredible too.
Zn(OH)n (s) + -OH(aq) + -> Zn(+n)(aq) + -OH (aq)
1/sqrt(2) |true> + 1/sqrt(2) |false>, still calculating,,,wait...patience...the new date should be out pretty soon
Try closing your eyes and tensing up and squeeeeeeeze it out...
GodPot, I tried it and experienced rupture...oops..
Yes, but you got results!!
True GodPot, you are the new messiah, angels go welcome him...sound the bugle..
I'm pretty sure than was NOT a bugle I just heard...
Sorry about that, the bugle broke with the rupture..
"The man steps up to the podium and places the bugle to his lips, he hesitates, he's about to blow, no, wait, he pulls it away from his lips, he edges his nose towards the bugle and sniffs, ah, theres the grimace, the puckerd lips, the continued spitting as the man realizes where the bugle must have been, and recently to by the warmth of it..."
Sorry, but I'll take common sense and scientific fact over any faith based belief any day of the week. Anyone believing that the planet is only 6000 years old or that evolution isn't how we got here seriously needs to educate themselves with something other than the bible. Take a look at any fossil, or mountain and really think about how long it actually took for those processes to take place. Instead of thinking, "Oh, God did a great job on those mountains!", maybe try to understand how plate tectonics work and how long it actually takes for a mountain to be created. That's what annoys atheists. If you'd only open your eyes and use common sense, you'd understand how the world really works. The non-believers have proof, you have none. The bible has been rewritten countless times, using stories stolen from countless other religions, all for the purpose of controlling the people. Wake up.
You'll see differently in the end. You'll see the big picture. In the meantime, do yourself and your family a favor and get to church! DO what you can to save them.
@ Elizabeth – How is it you never got to drink Jones' kool-aid?
Elizabeth, you stupid twit, go read up on Pascal's Wager. Don't bother us again until you understand what it is about.
So, what are his calculations?
Well, The English word calculation derives from the Latin calculus, which originally meant a small stone in the gall-bladder (from Latin calx). It also meant the pebble used for calculating, or a small stone used as a counter in an abacus (Latin abacus, Greek abax). The abacus was an instrument used by Greeks and Romans for arithmetic calculations, preceding the slide-rule and the electronic calculator, and consisted of perforated pebbles sliding on an iron bars. So it's obvious that Camping is using the age old technique of shaking around a chickens gall-bladder and spilling it's stones upon a black piece of felt and then reading the signs and portents hidden therein... Obviously...
Don't forget he had to slather himself in chicken fat and put a feather up his but... very important or the calculations will never work.
@Ed Ifigured that was a given...
Can any of you idiot believers offer up decent evidence that your Christian god exists?
Curious in Arizona
gaylord fokker can...
I believe in idiots... hell this board is full of them... 🙂
Their brains have been hardwired to think that nonsense since they were toddlers. What sounds reasonable to them is BS to us rational, religion-free people.
"Their brains have been hardwired to think that nonsense since they were toddlers."
Well, that was just a factless generalization.
"What sounds reasonable to them is BS to us"
Well, when you take a person who has never seen Star Wars and say "So the force is not only in us, it is us...See?" And their response is "Huh?" it's very different than saying that to a fan who will respond "I know, Right!, It invades us and p enitrates us, so true, so true..."
@GodPot- Straw Man Fallacy
"Well, that was just a factless generalization."
Ray "Everything was fine until our power grid was shut off by "Fact"-less here."
Walter Peck "They caused an explosion!"
Mayor "Is this true?"
Dr. Peter Venkman "Yes, it's true–this man has no "fact".... Well, that's what I heard!"
Yeah..referencing a movie with Bill Murray...nice comeback. Well...no, but hey..you get points for creativity.
@Uncouth- How was my comment a misrepresentation of atheistics' position? My Ghostbuster joke was not a reply to you personally but a joke intended to bring out a smile or two.
As for what position you are taking on this I'm unclear. Are you saying you do not believe children are hardwired? Or that what is stuffed into them by force from before they can remember is "nonsense"? Or might you be just another born, raised, bred (and quite possibly inbred) Christian who thinks that an invisible sky daddy, that see's all but does nothing to show us who he is other than dropping mystical hints in a 2000 year old diary from a nomadic sheep herder, exists?...
@GodPot- I am sorry, when you post came I thought it was directed toward my comment.
"Are you saying you do not believe children are hardwired?"
I do not believe that children are stuck believing a certain way because of their parents. My parents were atheists...I am not.
"Or might you be just another born, raised, bred (and quite possibly inbred) Christian who thinks that an invisible sky daddy, that see's all but does nothing to show us who he is other than dropping mystical hints in a 2000 year old diary from a nomadic sheep herder, exists?..."
~Ignoring the Ad Hominum you are stumbling into...as I said, my parents were atheist (maybe non-religious might be a better term). I am no more "inbred" than the average American if that even matters with this argument.
No Christian believes in a "invisible sky daddy".
Please research the history of the Bible. You will learn that many of the writers were never "herders"..as if being one makes you any more or less intelligent anyway.
"No Christian believes in a "invisible sky daddy".
Please research the history of the Bible. You will learn that many of the writers were never "herders"..as if being one makes you any more or less intelligent anyway."
Well Uncouth, I'll let you in on a little secret, I have read the bible, cover to cover more than three times and studied it for 30 years and was a pastor for nearly 15 years, so you can wipe that clever smirk off your face as if you really got me with "Research the history of the bible" comment. Of course I know the bible was not written by one sheep herder, though if you knew anything you would know that a large part of the Hebrew scriptures were, either by Moses who lived as a herder for many years in exile before being called back for the Exodus, or David who we first meet in the bible when Samuel calls him out of the fields with a lamb in his arms. My point is that none of the 40 authors of the 66 books that were decided upon as "the bible" by the council of Nicea, ever thought their diary or letter was going to someday be deciphered and dissected by scholars trying to glean the mysteries of the universe.
And btw, you do believe in an invisible sky daddy if you believe the bible is truth. Period. Anyone who doesn't accept this is stupid or blind, deaf and dumb. My proof? Is your God supposedly not invisible to our eyes or somehow beyond our visual reception? Does not your book refer to him constantly as Father? Does your book not claim again and again that God resides in the heavens? If you want to split hairs and say "Yeah, well we don't call him daddy, and the fact we can't see him doesnt mean he's wearing an invisibility cloak, it's just that we might die if we were to look upon him, so he is just hiding himself from us, but is still watching our every move, but not invisible, and not from the sky, because heaven and sky are two totally different things..." then you can go have fun trying to tease the ignorant non-believers who are unable to refute your nonsense.
Uncouth Swain, please provide facts and evidence, rather than opinions based on your beliefs.
GodPot, I usually say invisible sky pixie but I think I like "invisible sky daddy" better. Though as I was mistaken as a "hater" earlier simply because I dared use sarcasm (much as the article itself does) I should prepare for the term to pop up again as I'm sure it will offend the more sensitive and insecure ones hanging around.
@GodPot- I have no smirk on my face. If what you say about your background is true...I am actually sad. Sad that you would give such falsehoods and generalizations like you do. I would expect better from someone of your background. Why say, "from a nomadic sheep herder" if you then are going to admit, "Of course I know the bible was not written by one sheep herder."? It serves no purpose.
And the Council had nothing to do with the Biblical Canon. But hey...I may be wrong. If I am, plz cite the ancient source from the Council that says they decided on what books to include. Put the list up to if there is one.
Oy...if you remember, Moses was able to see God. So a characteristic of God is not invisiblity. He is referred to as Father...why not use that term? One characteristic of God is that he is everywhere...so limiting God to only the heavens is foolish. As far as refuting anything....I am just correcting ignorance. Sadly, many an atheist would read your stuff and think it's a correct description of the Bible, history or the Christian concepts of God. I deal in facts..not generalizations that are designed to insult. You might try it too.
@Bear-"please provide facts and evidence, rather than opinions based on your beliefs."
Why? I have yet to give any opinions on my beliefs. I have been talking about the Christian faith. If you have been long enough, you would note I talk about many faiths...and even non-beliefs.
@John K- Lol....I'll try not to point out too much how no one but atheists use that phrase.
@Uncouth Swain – I'm not really sure what your point is, perhaps you could be a little more specific or clear?
@Uncouth Swain – I truely can't recall ever hearing any non-theist use the term "hater" in refrence to someones theistic beliefs. I would really appreciate an example.
@Uncouth – First off, I've never been happier, thank you very much. Second, why would anything I said be considered a falsehood? You yourself are merely following your or your pastor/priests interpretation of the bible, and after reading it myself I happen to have my own insight and understanding which is easier at times to convey in a generalization. How on earth can non-believers debate with believers without using some generalization when often the religious side of the debate is throwing out about every generalization in the book from "all you atheists are haters, you must be depressed, you have no hope" to "you must be wicked because atheists are immoral, they must be because the only thing keeping people from killing and stealing and having tons of unsafe s e x with a bunch of random people you won't ever see again is a belief in God..." Christians can be generalized in that if you claim to be a Christians then you believe in a male deity dominated universe with a very narrow creation myth.
".if you remember, Moses was able to see God"
Exodus 3:2 "There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up."
Exodus 33:20 "But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."
Sadly, you are not correcting ignorance, you are just spreading it.
The event usually referred to by the phrase “end of the world” is described in 2 Peter 3:10: “The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” This is the culmination of the events referred to in the beginning of that verse as “the day of the Lord,” the time when God will intervene in human history for the purpose of judgment. At that time, all that God has created, “the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), He will destroy.
The timing of this event, according to most Bible scholars, is at the end of the 1000-year period called the millennium. During these thousand years, Christ will reign on earth as King in Jerusalem, sitting on the throne of David (Luke 1:32-33) and ruling in peace but with a “rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15). At the end of the 1000 years, Satan will be released, defeated again, and then cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10). At this point, the end of the world described in 2 Peter 3:10 occurs. The Bible tells us several things about this event.
First, it will be cataclysmic in scope. The “heavens” refers to the physical universe – the stars, planets, and galaxies—which will be consumed by some kind of tremendous explosion, possibly a nuclear or atomic reaction that will consume and obliterate all matter as we know it. All the elements that make up the universe will be melted in the “fervent heat” (2 Peter 3:12). This will also be a noisy event, described in different Bible versions as a “roar” (NIV), a “great noise” (KJV), a “loud noise” (CEV), and a “thunderous crash” (AMP). There will be no doubt as to what is happening. Everyone will see and hear it because we are also told that “the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.”
Then God will create a “new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1), which will include the “New Jerusalem” (v. 2), the capital city of heaven, a place of perfect holiness, which will come down from heaven and descend to the new earth. This is the city where the saints—those whose names were written in the “Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 13:8)—will live forever. Peter refers to it as “the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).
Perhaps the most important part of Peter’s description of that day is his question in verses 11-12: “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” For Christians, this means we should live our lives in such a way that we reflect our understanding of what is going to happen. This life is passing away quickly, and our focus should be on the new heavens and earth to come. Our “holy and godly” lives should be a testimony to those who do not know the Savior, and we should be telling others about Him so they can escape the terrible fate that awaits those who reject Him. We wait in eager anticipation for God’s “Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
thanks for filling up the page imps, get the pitchforks...out
thanks for filling up the page nut job
"Yeah, what she said!!"
Elizabeth,
There is not one shred of verified evidence for your claims.
Elizabeth, since you are dumping bible quotes on us, don't forget the tasty bits in Leviticus too. You can wash your hands in the cistern on the left like you usually do, after you finish slaughtering and burning the goat.
OK.....IT'S OCT. 21, 2011............WHEN IS THIS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN? THE LAST TIME I READ MY BIBLE IT SAID THAT NOBODY, NOT EVEN THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN KNOW WHEN THIS IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN...SO THE REAL QUESTION IS IF THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THE HELL DOES THIS GUY KNOW? I MEAN WHY WOULD GOD GIVE ONLY THIS ONE CERTAIN MAN THIS KIND OF KNOWLEDGE?
@danielle – It will happen as soon as you hit that little button to the left right next to the "A" on your keyboard... its called "Caps Lock" and when used makes you look like another idiot that needs to be manually raptured...
and he rested on the 7th day and is still resting, excellent retirement plan, can we also have one professori camping..
thou shall not use my name in vain, silly infidel.
This just in!! The people who believed in Leprechauns are upset that the rest of the world that has yet to acknowledge their favorite tiny magical creatures!! What will they do? Will the pot's of gold they are claiming the Leprechauns have promised them ever materialize? Will the non-believers ever even consider the feelings and emotional states of the believers and accept that belief is just another valid world view we need to embrace and not attack?
Now however, many believers are attacking one of their own!! Harold "Lucky Charms" Camping claims that his pot of gold is coming and even gave a date for the event, though he is unclear as to whether it will entail rainbows or not. Other believers say this is just crazy because no one can know the day or the hour that the Leprechaun King will give the command to pay out on all the promised pots of gold. Stay Tuned for more updates and a possible rainbow sighting, though most believers don't think this is the big one since it seem's to end in San Francisco's Casto district...
"The people who believed in Leprechauns are upset.."
Really? Present one.
Why you answered your own question Meester Swain. Call it what you like, Leprechaun, Unicorn, God, Jesus, Santa, Satan, Devils, demons, ghouls, goblins, trolls, fairys, elves, dwarves (though they do really exist, I saw it on Bravo...) and the only ones who have a right to be upset, are the little people, er dwarves, er midg.., er, no, damn, what do they like to call themselves!!...
THE SKY IS FALLING!! THE SKY IF FALLING! WE ARE ALL GONNA DIE!! Wait... no... that's tomorrow.
**next day**
THE SKY IS FALLING!! THE SKY IF FALLING! WE ARE ALL GONNA DIE!!
I wonder what their excuse will be tomorrow.
peace be to all thou shall be forgiven
It is funny to me that people still take the Bible literally, something written over 2000 years ago, BY OTHER MEN. Besides faith, please, show some real evidence that the Bible is God's writing. You simply can't. Otherwise, just try to live by its EXAMPLES, not word for word.
Keep following the herd, all of you sheep.
Scientology is a prime example of this. Who knows, if this cult catches on, thousands of years down the road, it will be believed much like Christianity to be indisputable fact.
"some real evidence that the Bible is God's writing."
Why would anyone do that? No where in the books of thr Bible does it ever say theat it's God's writing. It does say inspiration from God..but not that God was dictating the workds to anyone.
@atheistic- straw man
I'm just wondering if it ever gets old. Probably not.
Slightly pressing matter is, God is generous, she even gave stupid people the ability to think. I have to ask her why when I get her on the cell.
The Rapture is Death , So when someone dies and they were righteous , then they're Freed , ever heard of" the good always go first"
Is this a new biblical interpretation?
Is it too late to switch over to that religion that gives you 72 virgins when you die? My only concern is if I might get tired of the same 72 virgins after a few billion years or so. I mean come on 72 seems like a lot till you start thinking about it it terms of forever.