@Liza I’ve been hearing about and studying end-time Biblical events, including the rapture since I was 13. I’m now 67. This post is not meant to debate anyone and I respect other points of view that are non-salvation issues, as is the timing of the rapture. You expressed some confusion and wanting to know more. The following are what I’ve experienced and observed around this subject:
*The first time I recall hearing about the rapture was in the early-70’s when I was a young teen. The youth I knew who were on fire for the Lord were excited that the rapture was any minute. Hal Lindsey’s best-selling book, “The Late, Great Planet Earth” was published in 1970, shortly after the Six-day War in Israel.
"In The Late Great Planet Earth , Lindsey wrote that the biblical prophets identified certain nations that would ally with other countries to form “four major spheres of political power” during the same era that Israel would be reestablished as a nation. Lindsey wrote that these nations and their allies can be identified as: (1) Russia with its allies, (2) China with other nations of the Orient, (3) Egypt with other Middle East countries, and (4) an alliance of Western European nations.
According to Lindsey, the alliance of Western European nations is a revived form of the ancient Roman Empire, predicted in the books of Daniel and Revelation symbolically as ten horns and ten kings. In The Late Great Planet Earth , Lindsey quotes from a 1969 Time Magazine article that the goal of the European Economic Community, which preceded the European Union, was to establish a ten-nation economic community. Lindsey concludes, based on this and other sources, that this alliance will help cause the fulfillment of this prophecy and will ultimately be ruled by the Antichrist." (Ref: Hal Lindsey - Wikipedia)
During this time two main topics dominated the MSM - the Vietnam War and the unrest/wars in the Middle East with American administrations working to advance peace talks between Israel and the Arab nations. Many were “positive” that Henry Kissinger was the AC. Why? Because he was the U.S. Secretary of Sate during which time the following happened:
" Kissinger delayed telling President Richard Nixon about the start of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 to keep him from interfering. On October 6, 1973, the Israelis informed Kissinger about the attack at 6 am; Kissinger waited nearly 3 and a half hours before he informed Nixon.[102] According to Kissinger, he was notified at 6:30 a.m. (12:30 pm. Israel time) that war was imminent, and his urgent calls to the Soviets and Egyptians were ineffective. On October 12, under Nixon’s direction, and against Kissinger’s initial advice,[103] while Kissinger was on his way to Moscow to discuss conditions for a cease-fire, Nixon sent a message to Brezhnev giving Kissinger full negotiating authority.[104] Kissinger wanted to stall a ceasefire to gain more time for Israel to push across the Suez Canal to the African side, and wanted to be perceived as a mere presidential emissary who needed to consult the White House all the time as a stalling tactic.[104]"
(Ref. Henry Kissinger - Wikipedia)
There’s a lot more that happened in the above event which one can read at the reference link. Just wanted to provide some background on why Kissinger was the 70’s candidate for the AC. And he’s Jewish, having been been born in the former Wiemar Republic (now Germany). Interestingly, Kissinger is still alive at age 98 and, from what I’ve read, meets with each incoming president. I think I saw a photo of him talking with President Trump shortly after the latter was elected.
The Vietnam War ended in disaster (sound familiar?), President Reagan was the U.S. president from January 20, 1981 - January 20, 1989, the Berlin wall was taken down and Germany re-united, the former Soviet Union was trying to rebuild as Russia, and China, after President Nixon’s intervention, was now a more “open” country. In the world of Bible prophecy, Christians were again talking about the rapture being very soon, specifically Rosh Hashana 1988. Why? A booklet written and published by a former NASA engineer, Edgar C. Whisenant, called “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988.” Personal computers were still new (and expensive!!!) the internet as we know it with browsers did not exist, but this prophecy from an unknown person spread like wildfire through the evangelical Christian community due to his appearance on TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network) and many Christian radio programs. (For those interested in this booklet and Whisenant’s reasoning, this is a good reference: 88 Reasons: What Went Wrong? | Christian Research Institute)
Events in the Middle East were still in the news in the 80’s:
Despite the Camp David settlement, peace remained elusive in the Middle East. An Egyptian–Israeli settlement could neither resolve the conflict between Israel and the Arab states nor bring stability and peace to the region. Anwar Sadat and Menachim Begin had achieved a limited peace between Egypt. Egypt, for its part, had abandoned the myth of Arab unity between the competing states of the region and pursued national interests. However, other conflicts were taking place in the region, including those arising from the Lebanese Civil War, which added to the fundamental failure to deal with the Palestinian question. The chapter first considers Israel’s invasion of Lebanon before discussing the Arab–Israeli conflict and the Palestinian Question, the Iran–Iraq war of 1980–1988, and the United States’s accusation that Libya was a supporter of ‘international terrorism’."
(Ref:https://www.oxfordpoliticstrove.com/view/10.1093/hepl/9780199693061.001.0001/hepl-9780199693061-chapter-17)
Whisenant’s book referenced current events and what he said would happen in the near-future - with specific dates for each event. Something that caught my attention while I was watching coverage of this guy’s prophecies on a Christian TV channel was that reports were coming in that people were so certain this prophecy was true that they were having their pets put to sleep so they wouldn’t be left behind to suffer. As a pet lover that greatly saddened me and it is one reason I will not pay attention to date setting. When a fairly recent date-setting occurred, I remembered this and searched online to see if people still did that ie. put pets to sleep if they were convinced a rapture date was true. What I found was more chilling. Many times after specific rapture dates have been widely broadcast, such as that of Harold Camping,etc., there are accounts and, tragically, more than one and over more than one prediction, of mothers killing their children. The reasons given range from “purifying them” to protecting them from what is to come. Obviously the mothers were severely mentally ill to begin with but one never knows what will push someone this ill over the edge. I realize these are exceptional circumstances but even one is too many, especially over a topic that can be disagreed upon by good people of equal faith.
Back to Edgar Whisenant. After Rosh Hashana 1988 came and went, Whisenant published another book, “The Final Shout: Rapture Report 1989,” saying that his calculations were off one year. He had lost credibility but that didn’t stop him. Before his death in 2001, he wrote two more books: “23 Reasons Why a Pre-tribulation Rapture looks like it will occur on Rosh-Hashanah 1993” and “And Now the Earth’s Destruction by Fire, Nuclear Bomb Fire” which was a prediction for 1994. (Ref.: Edgar C. Whisenant - Wikipedia)
Based on my personal experience from living through these rapture date settings, I personally do not believe date setting is scriptural. I speak only for myself. As for scripture references that tell us we will not know the day nor hour of the Lord’s return and, again, this is JUST my opinion - some reasons we are not to know could be we’d be like college students and wait until the last minute to “cram for exams” (ie. get our lives in order), do something stupid (like quit our jobs, sell everything and go wait on a hill like some religious group/s did in the 1800’s), do something sad and/or tragic (I wonder how the people who put their pets to sleep by putting faith in Whisenant’s prophecy felt later), causing more anxiety for people who are already anxious (I know the rapture is our blessed hope but our enemy is subtle and sneaky and knows our personal vulnerabilities - do a search sometime on “I’m afraid of the rapture.” I’ve been amazed at how many testimonies are written by life-long believers or at least church attenders, some are pastor’s wives), and sheer disappointment when the date comes and goes.
There were a lot of world events happening in the 70’s and 80’s that sure looked like the rapture would come in those decades, including advancing technology as well as events in Israel, the Middle East, Europe, etc. Now even more signs are becoming evident.
I recently heard a wonderful teaching at our church titled “Our Blessed Hope” taught from 1 Thessalonians with emphasis on the church at Thessalonica being one of the most vibrant churches of that time despite the fact they were under severe persecution. A scripture was used in the teaching that I don’t recall having heard used for the purpose of “no one knows the day or the hour” or at least I don’t hear it often - Acts 1:7. Jesus had not yet ascended to Heaven and was speaking with His disciples who asked in verse 6, “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus answered in verse 7: “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.” Our co-pastor said, "In other words, Jesus was saying, “It’s none of your business” then followed up with what would happen - the Holy Spirit would come upon them, giving them power to spread the Gospel. In 54 years of studying Bible prophecy, hearing countless sermons, going to prophecy conferences, my own study, etc. it was the first time my heart was truly settled on the issue; like “Oh…right. It’s none of my business…here’s what I should be doing.”
As far as the Jewish Feasts - I agree they can be a convincing study with the Feast of Trumpets being an obvious choice for the Rapture. From age 13 - 18 I lived in a predominately Jewish neighborhood which grew a deep love for the Jewish people in my heart. In a church of which I was a member for many years we had a number of Jewish believers and people like myself who had a special interest in and love of Israel so the church sponsored a Messianic service held on Friday nights. I have several books in my library on the Feasts of Israel, dating back to the 70’s or earlier so I’ve spent time reading/studying this angle. I’ve given this serious thought and study over the years. My main thought on the topic is that the Jewish feasts were given to…the Jews. I do believe they are a “type” of events yet to be fulfilled but could it be it will be the fulfillment of God dealing with Israel?
