According to some fringe members of the Christian faith, the Rapture will be happening on May 21, 2011.

No, really. They have math to prove it.

This is something of a bummer as I had scheduled a rare date night with my wife and frankly we were looking forward to the fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie.

Actually, after paying lip service to respecting other views in previous posts, I don’t want to mock these people too much. However, they’re receiving a decent amount of media attention which, barring more important breaking news, will probably ramp up as the date approaches. And since this is the sort of behavior that tends to compound the misunderstanding of the Christian faith, I feel compelled to say something about it.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, the Rapture as referred to by these folks is the sudden disappearance of all Christians from the face of the earth (stop clapping atheists, there’s a catch) before the REALLY bad things start to happen.

It’s possible that there’s something I’m missing, but from my own readings of the Bible, this so-called Pre-Millenial view is problematic even in context of the Scriptures. Regardless, what I really don’t appreciate is the attitude that usually accompanies the discussion of this topic by subscribers to the idea. It amounts to something of an apocalyptic “I told ya so!”

The idea of being “raptured” is generally derived from this passage:

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. I Thess 4:17 ESV

Even granting me the assumption that the Bible is true, when read in context of the passage itself and the Scriptures as a whole, there’s no indication that this will occur before an outbreak of earthly punishment for non-believers. It seems to correspond more to the proverbial Second Coming which, according to Scripture, is the end of human history.

In any case, let’s just play along for a brief moment and say that there’s a rapture that takes place before the end of the world and signals the coming of very bad things for those left behind. Here’s the main problem with setting a known date for it, taken from just a couple of sentences down the same passage:

1Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. I Thess 5: 2 ESV (emphasis added)

Or consider this passage, quoting Jesus himself

32“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. Mark 13:32

For a parallel verse, you can go to Mark 24.

So, even assuming that the Scripture is true, the fact that a group of people are PUBLICLY proclaiming the EXACT date and time (AND mainstream media is running with it) kinda puts the kibosh on the whole “thief in the night” metaphor if it were to happen on that day.

So I will fully assure you that the rapture will not occur on May 21st.

All bets are off for the 22nd, though.**

*Yes, that is a bad Apocalypse Now joke. Sorry.

**Just in case you can’t tell: kidding.