In which case you would be doing more than those of us who believe that we have already 'accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour' and, Rapture or no Rapture, aren't doing a great deal to persuade others to do the same.
Well, @HarryCH's scenario seems predicated on the standard pre-mil eschatology being provably true, meaning anyone unsaved at the time of the Rapture will undergo the horrors of the Tribulation, with the best case scenario being that they know enough to reject the mark of the beast and attain salvation only after being executed by a portable guillotine squad, and the worst being they suffer seven years of horrific torment on Earth followed by an eternity in Hell. And they have less than 48 hrs. to change course.
Is that how you view the fate of the people you know who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and saviour by your understanding of the concept?
I was responding to your response to @HarryCH, @stetson which I took to be tongue in cheek and to which I made an equally tongue in cheek response.
The serious point I was making, though, was that whether or not we believe in the pre-millenialist schema - and I certainly don't - it behoves all of us who claim to have 'accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour' - in whatever parlance we frame that - to bear witness to Him.
I don't do that particularly effectively.
I don't see how my reply indicates any sympathy though for a lurid pre-millenial eschatological schema.
I was not trying to make any theological point. Rather, if you are an honest person and you happen to learn that tomorrow you will die or the Rapture will occur or the world will come to an end, what would you do differently from your ordinary life?
Too right. Virtually everywhere on earth has gone keg now and you're hoping against hope that the Celestial Pub Industry hasn't followed suit. They'd get loads of complaints from complete philistines about the beer not being cold and fizzy enough.
I was not trying to make any theological point. Rather, if you are an honest person and you happen to learn that tomorrow you will die or the Rapture will occur or the world will come to an end, what would you do differently from your ordinary life?
Well, okay, but my personal demise, and the Rapture, and a non-specified "end of the world", are three pretty different concepts. Moreso than the other two, the Rapture implies belief in a very specific eschatology, which is gonna correlate with certain actions on the part of the believer, that eg. an atheist hearing from his doctor that his heart will give out tomorrow, will not.
If you're asking how I would behave if I found out my existence as I've previously known it was going to end tomorrow, and assuming my religious beliefs remain the same as they are now(deistic belief in a God who wills certain moral precepts), I suppose I'd follow the lead of the tree-planting rabbi. Though I might add "Urgently inform my friends and family about my impending departure from their lives" to my itinerary.
I think I'll still turn up for my flu jab on October 4th, just in case...
If I remember rightly there's an episode in John Wesley's Journal where he comes across an excitable group who were gathering in expectation of the imminent return of Christ.
If my memory isn't playing tricks he laconically observed that he consulted his diary and carried on with his schedule as planned.
I may, of course, have got the story mixed up.
This reminds me of a similar story about the founder of the Jesuits, Ignatius Loyola. He was playing billiards and when asked what he would do i9f he heard that Christ would return the next day, replied "Continue to play billiards."
There's a nice Secret Diary of Adrian Plass bit where a preacher says "imagine how guilty and unworthy you would feel if Jesus came back and was sitting in that chair right there". He writes "I did try really really hard to feel guilty but kept getting distracted by thinking about how exciting it would be to meet Jesus..."
Would the rapture still “work” if you were a Christian but not familiar with the concept? That would come as a bit of a shock…
I think I would hastily make arrangements for my closest non-Christian friends and family to have all my worldly goods. Though that would mean working out exactly how strict Jesus was going to be on who was taken and who wasn’t.
It’s over 40 years since I’ve given any consideration to any of this. I can’t say I miss it!
Comments
I was responding to your response to @HarryCH, @stetson which I took to be tongue in cheek and to which I made an equally tongue in cheek response.
The serious point I was making, though, was that whether or not we believe in the pre-millenialist schema - and I certainly don't - it behoves all of us who claim to have 'accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour' - in whatever parlance we frame that - to bear witness to Him.
I don't do that particularly effectively.
I don't see how my reply indicates any sympathy though for a lurid pre-millenial eschatological schema.
I like Gramps49's answer.
The JWs knocked on my door this morning. I was very polite.
If I knew the would end tomorrow I'd ask forgiveness of all those I have offended and repent in sackcloth and ashes.
I might also seek out a decent pint of hand-pulled cask ale before shut-tap.
I'd plant the tree -- while looking forward to a feast of the finest of wines and best of meats.
Too right. Virtually everywhere on earth has gone keg now and you're hoping against hope that the Celestial Pub Industry hasn't followed suit. They'd get loads of complaints from complete philistines about the beer not being cold and fizzy enough.
Well, okay, but my personal demise, and the Rapture, and a non-specified "end of the world", are three pretty different concepts. Moreso than the other two, the Rapture implies belief in a very specific eschatology, which is gonna correlate with certain actions on the part of the believer, that eg. an atheist hearing from his doctor that his heart will give out tomorrow, will not.
If you're asking how I would behave if I found out my existence as I've previously known it was going to end tomorrow, and assuming my religious beliefs remain the same as they are now(deistic belief in a God who wills certain moral precepts), I suppose I'd follow the lead of the tree-planting rabbi. Though I might add "Urgently inform my friends and family about my impending departure from their lives" to my itinerary.
This reminds me of a similar story about the founder of the Jesuits, Ignatius Loyola. He was playing billiards and when asked what he would do i9f he heard that Christ would return the next day, replied "Continue to play billiards."
I think I would hastily make arrangements for my closest non-Christian friends and family to have all my worldly goods. Though that would mean working out exactly how strict Jesus was going to be on who was taken and who wasn’t.
It’s over 40 years since I’ve given any consideration to any of this. I can’t say I miss it!