Dear friends:

Sometimes I think, "Here we go again."  Just about every year since at least 1997 we have had intelligent, sincere attempts by very bright people at naming a rapture date.  Some have been systematic, complex, and convincing.  But they have all fizzled.

It's not because such knowledge is forbidden by the Scriptures as some claim.  Many passages indicate that we will know when, at least approximately.  The "day nor hour" prohibition often quoted is usually misinterpreted.  I could provide many biblical reasons why.

Most incorrect prognostications of the past have been by biblical interpretation.  Few, as I recall, have been simply by claimed, direct Spirit revelation.

Last night that made me think to myself, "This year is different."  This year we have some claimed revelations by the Spirit that the rapture will be in 2007.

Further, I mused, rapture examples (types) in the Bible were foretold by Spirit revelation and not by Scripture.

Noah had no Scripture to give him a 120-year, then seven-day warning before he was "lifted up" above the destruction.  It was revealed to him by the Spirit.

Likewise, Lot had no Scripture to describe his removal from the destruction.  The angels just showed up and did it, maybe giving him a few hours notice.

The best example of all is Elijah.  The Spirit had revealed Elijah's rapture beforehand to a certain number of prophets (2 Kings 2).  The information did not come from Scripture.

Neither was the date of Jesus' rapture (ascension) foretold by Scripture, but He surely knew when it would be.

Will this year follow in that pattern?  The other day I shared Shelby Corbitt's 1986 vision/dream (Spirit revelation) that the rapture would be 21 years later, which amazingly takes us to this year -- 2007.  See http://www.2007rapture.com .  I have since discovered three other people who independently claim the same 2007 revelation.  That makes four, which seems significant.  (For one of them, see http://www.xsorbit2.com/users/rapturenow/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&num=1167832310 .)

We also have John Tng's and Daniel Matson's continued diligence and fresh new insights and confirmations that are being revealed, or will be in due time.  See http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/jan2007/jan1-2007.htm.

If we are not careful, past failures could turn us into hardened cynics.  I don't want to be that.  I had rather be gullible than cynical.  Gullible people are happy and cynical people are sad!  Gullible people have hope.  Cynical people have no hope.

But it is not just gullibility to believe sincere, humble people who independently describe a real experience with a real message, especially if that message lines up closely with fast-moving world events, especially as involves the Middle East and Israel.

Don't call me gullible.  Call me hopeful.

Jim