i think that you folks ought to give serious consideration to elements of kevin drake's long Day of the Lord.  while i don't think anyone will agree with everything he presents or his postulations, i must say the core idea, that the Day of the Lord has possibly already begun around the 2000-01 time frame.
 
before you write me off on this, i want to point out that it would explain some things from scripture very well.  one example is how ALL the virgins were asleep in the parable.  what if the importance of 'watching' is to gather up all the continuous (though sometimes small) evidences?  meaning that those not searching the scriptures intently, and sometimes even those that do, may miss it entirely because it comes as a thief.  how does a thief come?  with stealth!  how many were actually ready and looking for the promised (through Daniel) Messiah when He came the first time...simeon and anna?  some wise men who presumably believed God's Word and 'watched' and responded when they saw the sign?  here we are, daily trying to locate where we are in relationship to the rapture most of us believe in.  we use scripture, formulas, "dreams and visions", and to what good?  missed guesses, people who stake their reputation on 'knowing' and dates that come and go.  i think it's time to wake up and revisit the whole approach without injecting our previous dispositions into the process.  i'm definitely not saying this to discourage 'watching' or searching the scriptures, but you have to admit that as a group, we have been wrong, wrong, wrong and again.  i still think we are definitely in the 'season' though.  i know we are commanded to watch.  i think God will be disappointed if we don't watch.  but think how many times the disciples had to be corrected by our Lord in their thinking.  maybe seeing 1111111111111 is important and so also other numbers--whatever, but i for one am going to continue to watch the new developments and ask the Lord for new eyes.  He promises wisdom to those who ask and i'm going to search the scriptures for types like Drake did.  i think he's found some very insightful types in the stories of jacob and joseph.
 
well, just give the Drake some credit and listen to a few of his thoughts...especially on the timing thing...much time seems to be necessary to accomplish all those prophecies and his point of looking for the resurrection of the dead in scripture rather than the rapture of the living makes a lot of sense.  we who are living now, of course we hope in the rapture, wouldn't it be great to skip the fear that awaits us all--namely death.  and yes, i too would love to be here when the Lord comes to resurrect the dead and rapture the living, but i think Kevin is right when he says the rapture of the living is secondary or incidental and the main point being the resurrection and the Day of the Lord.
 
well, now that i've stirred you up some, what are you waiting for, get back to searching the scriptures!  in the mean time, you might enjoy this message from a program called Haven Today--host Charles Morris--listen to the audio of jan 11-12 of this year.  if you are the type of person who like to cut to the chase...just listen to the 12th.  great testimony of a young lad who's been where we want to be.
 
God's blessings on you all as you continue in Christ Jesus,
 
jb