The Rapture has Ruptured

The expected rapture of believers for Saturday May 21, 2011 on or about 6:41 PM did not come off as expected. No one disappeared, leaving behind a pile of clothes. Many disappointed believers slunk off to home after the non event. However, there were plenty of jokers that launched helium filled blow up dolls in a mock rapture. Many of these floated up to the sky naked as Christians expected to do, to meet Jesus in the clouds. The Christians were left behind. No one was sent back either, except for those blow up dolls that were tethered to light fish line in order to reel them back in and protect the environment.

Meanwhile, the judgement is on in multiple ways; the most telling of which is the massive eruption of an Icelandic volcano on the very same day of the expected rapture, grounding all local flights and threatening the rest around the world by Tuesday May 24^th, 2011. The ash cloud has shot some 12 mile up into the stratosphere to be carried off by the jet stream. Very few people will thus actually be in the air by any means by that time. This is a repeat scenario of 2010 when another Icelandic volcano shut down virtually all air traffic for weeks on end, costing airlines hundreds of billions in lost revenue and stranding millions. Aside from the volcano, judgement is now being executed in N. Africa and the Middle East as a watershed of economic events grounded in the fall of 2008. World crops are failing, rising oil prices and collapsing economies are lining up like pigeons on an overhead wire to enact a collective judgement for the way things have been run for profit instead of human need.

Rapture is not as Biblical as we are led to believe by fundamentalists and evangelicals, which are now called fundavengelists as a combo name being virtually indistinguishable from each other. The concept was invented and popularized in the mid 19^th century based on a few Biblical references initially. The verses referred to often out of context actually mean something else than a physical teleportation “a la” Star Trek to the heavens by a supernatural agency. For the record, the verses cited are the following, which you want to examine for yourself. We recommend the Greek interlinear translation that gives a more accurate view than modern translations such as the “Good News Gospel” version of the New Testament. The verses are; Matthew 24:30-36, 40-41 , John 14:1-3, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Philippians 3:20-21 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.

The word "Rapture" first emerged in the US about the end of the 19th century via the teachings on pre-millennialism and dipensationalism by John Nelson Darby. He was an Irish evangelist who developed the concept of rapture based on his interpretation of some of the foregoing verses. The rapture theory continued to grow in favor among evangelical movement. A preacher named William Eugene Blackstone who lived between 1841 to 1935 fanned the idea into what it was to develop during the 60's and 70's in the Evangelical youth Jesus movement of that era. The book, Jesus is Coming , sold more than one million copies and is responsible for the popularity of the concept that was not even mentioned prior to the late 19^th century. Since then, there has been no lack of end of the world opportunities. Along with the end of the world announcements, there were very real events that were missed altogether, the prime example being the Cuban Missile Crisis that culminated in the climax on Oct. 28^Th, 1962. In fact, it may have been this event that got the Evangelical youth Jesus movement kicked into high gear.

Well, the very latest rapture date of May 21^st, 2011 at 6:41 PM came and went without the “rapture of the saints”, time zone after time zone, but there was a judgement at that time with the “worst volcanic eruption in a century” according to the CTV news of May 22^nd commenting on the most recent Icelandic volcanic explosion that commenced on the 21^st. The judgement based on a similar event that took place in Aug. 27^Th, 1883 when Krakatoa blew up killing a quarter million with a massive tsunami and created cold summers for several years is this: The already troubled crops in the world have been put to an additional challenge. That challenge is volcanic dust that will spread around the world creating spectacular sun sets blocking sunlight and cooler weather as a result. In regions already plagued with abnormally cool weather, this means no summer! No summer means no crops and a dangerous prognosis in the fall when there will be no harvest. The civil unrest going on today will pale into insignificance with the onset of fall and very little food to go around. The food riots of a couple years ago will seem like a walk in the park by comparison. This then is the judgement due to our failure to come to terms with nature and one another. Believers will suffer the tribulation along with non believers, atheists and Satanists. When nature acts, one's beliefs become irrelevant. The Bible verse where we learn that God causes the rain to fall on the just and unjust alike and that God is no respecter of persons fully apply.

But, this is not the end of the rapture by any means. There are plans according to some, of a staged rapture that will scare the be-Jesus out of most people who believe in the rapture and suddenly find themselves left behind despite being a born again believer. That project has been dubbed “Project Bluebeam” and is allegedly a plan to project a live streaming video full colour HD transmission hologram with a wide field of view complete with a laser like sound system that will look like Jesus returning in the clouds and people rising from the ground to meet up with him. We cannot say with any certainty whatsoever if there is a shred of truth in this, but the mere mention of this has got a lot of spin going on this supposed staging of a supernatural event to inspire fear and cause compliance and a massive return to the church. Coupled with “tribulation” from all angles and an effective PR campaign via the internet and TV, this should result in a huge shake up joking release of helium filled blow up dolls notwithstanding during rapture parties.

Were it not for reliable sources, this whole thing would appear to be straight out of a 50's B black and white sci-fi movie.