Re: Three Major Prophecies About Billy Graham's Death

For the record, I have never ridiculed the rapture. In fact, I distinctly recall affirming its Scriptural basis on at least 2 occasions, maybe more. Only lack of time prevents me from finding the relevant links. Again, I believe you are confusing the rapture with a novel doctrine that was unheard of until around 1830, commonly known as 'the secret rapture'. Unlike the Scriptural rapture, the secret rapture allegedly takes place 7 years before the second advent of the Jew's messiah. Now I'll be the first to admit that I may well have come across as 'making fun' of the secret rapture, though that was not my intent. As a rule, I aim to avoid making fun of ppl's beliefs, no matter how absurd, bizarre, outlandish or just plain ridonculous they may be. Speaking of which, how else would you depict a doctrine that flatly contradicts a literal reading of its locus classicus (1 Thess. 4:13-18)? What's secret about a cry of command, the voice of an archangel, or the sound of God's own trumpet?  

Worse still, the worst kept secret then gives you a countdown of precisely 7 years to an event that is supposed to arrive more stealthily than a nocturnal kleptomaniac. How exactly does that work then? So much for no man knowing the day or the hour, the times or the seasons - except of course for our modern-day prophets, whose undying enthusiasm for date-setting guarantees an endless supply of failed predictions that come and go with almost tedious regularity. I can only assume that no one has yet taught these prophets to count backwards from seven. But apart from them, it seems to me everybody but the numerically challenged butler will be in on that little open secret. Sorry, but the whole idea is patently ludicrous and bereft of a single shred of Scriptural evidence. But here's what I find puzzling. You deny being an advocate of this doctrine, yet (apparently) accuse me of poking fun at it. I just can't reconcile your statements on this subject, and I suspect that has a lot more to do with your own confusion about endtime events than any lack of respect for false teachings on my part. 

The mark of the beast will hafta wait another time, but again, I think you're confusing my comments about all the inane antichrist identifications with a perceived predilection for 'spiritualising' all prophecy. I do no such thing, and neither do you consistently apply your so-called literal reading either. I have always made it clear that the prophecies in question relate specifically to the covenant promises made to national Israel, otherwise known as OT kingdom prophecies. I do no more than follow the NT hermeneutic regarding their correct interpretation, otherwise known as the 'jacked-up' school of hermeneutics.

Poke fun? Moi?

Perish the thought.