I know that the title that I chose may seem a bit irreverent to you who are avid(as differentiated from rabid) "rapturites" or "end times aficionados"(I use these terms in love since my wife of 18 years is one of you and in a small way so am I since my interests include all things to do with the Bible).   I have been reading postings on 5 doves for at least five years now.  During this time I have read your views on about everything to do with the "Last days", the most reoccuring one being the rapture.  Over the years your postings have covered the rapture from nearly every possible angle(If you missed one I would'nt know what it was).  I have read multiple views on pre-trib, mid-trib and post-trib. I have poured over profecy dates with their legion of reasons for existence; some with dazzling logic, others with mathematical permutations that would baffle Einstein himself.  I have seen dozens of touted rapture dates come and go like leaves in the wind.  I have read your dabates, most writen in love, occasionaly ending with people getting upset at each other.  Now, after all this time I am going to break my silence and write what I think.  Up till now I haven't spoken up because I view "end times stuff" if not a little on the theological perifery, at least a harmless hobby, as with any study of Biblical themes being potentially uplifting.  I chose to write in because I just read a posting in which one person strongly expressed their dissatisfaction over another persons view of the rapture.

     I have been a christian for 33 years.  I don't say this to try to establish some kind of exalted status, but only to point out that I've been involved in the christian "world" for a while and have heard just about everything to do with the rapture.  After hearing what has been said, and studying the scriptures myself, I have come to the conclusion (I am not alone in this) that the holy scriptures are vague concerning the last days.  For this very reason there are many interpretations of the events.  I have heard scripture imbeded, convincing arguments on opposing sides of the rapture argument.  I have heard people speak with such faith and conviction in their rapture belief, it makes one wonder if this faith is equal to their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.  The truth is that only one of the opposing theories can be right.  On the other hand, the way the scriptures approach this subject any one of them could be right.  Fortunately, we don't have to have our theology 100% correct to go to heaven.  I have often wondered why the Bible isn't more clear and specific about the rapture.  The Holy Spirit has been very specific and clear about a great many things in the Word He inspired.  Why not the rapture? Many people believe that God did this to lay out a great puzzle, riddle, quest for christians to search out and find.  This could be true.  However, I see it a little differently.  You see we know many facts about things that will happen in the last days.  We are a little fuzzy on the order of events, the wheres, the whens and sometimes the hows.  If you claim to have all of these nailed down you must be reading a different Bible than I am.  We do know one thing for sure, that we are supposed to be watchful, vigilant, prepared, ready, you get the picture.  I believe that God made "end times" knowledge vague on purpose because he wanted us to be vigilant so that we will recognize events when they begin to happen, not before.  Things will fall into place in our minds as they happen and we witness the chain of events.  The profesy in the Bible is as complete as we are going to get.  There will be no further revelation on par(reliable) with scripture.  In other words, we will not know when things will happen until they do.  Yet unlike non-believers, we will know what is going on and be able to make sense of the events as they are occuring.  As I stated earlier, I have seen many rapture predictions come and go leaving behind them a trail of disappointment, soon to be replaced by the next theory.  For the most part this is harmless depending on how this is viewed.  Remember profesy is taken seriously in scripture.  In old testament Israel, profesy had to be 100% accurate, 99% or less got you stoned.

    God bless all of you, I love you all.  Try to get along.  Have a ball delving into Gods holy scriptures and remember your brother or sister can still get to heaven with out perfect theology.