Rapture Index of 85 and Below: Slow prophetic activity
Rapture Index of 85 to 110: Moderate prophetic activity
Rapture Index of 110 to 145: Heavy prophetic activity
Rapture Index above 145: Alert zone
Since the terrorist destruction of September 11, 2001, Christian fundamentalists have becomes increasingly enthusiastic in announcing the approaching "end times," the final stage of human history in which the divine intersects with the everday world. One sign of increasing interest in the topic: the emergence of mass market popular literature on the subject. Check out the official site for The Left Behind Series.
Protestant theorists of the "prolife" movement are represented by related schools of belief variously called Christian Reconstruction, Theonomy, Dominion Theology and Post-Millenialism. In the debate about the end of human history and the Return of Christ, the Reconstructionists are Post-Millenialists, thus standing in opposition to the Pre-Millenialists.
Pre-Millenialists place special emphasis on the Rapture, in which the faithful who are ready, as well as the deceased who died ready, will bodily be drawn up into heaven. This event is much celebrated in certain hymns that once were the staple of XERB Radio, Tiajuana, Mexico. Hymns like "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder:"
When the trumpet of the Lord shall soundPre-Millenialists have largely fallen out of favor in the anti-abortion movement in Milwaukee. Jack Van Impe Ministries once had a regular spot on Milwaukee's WVCY-TV, Channel 30, but Jack and Rexella were dropped for being premillenialists.
Pre-Millenialists like Van Impe believe that Christ's return is immanent, and catalog the various signs and portents from earthquakes, windstorms, political developments in the Common Market, etc. All these phenomena they interpret as fulfillment of scriptural prophecy of the return of Christ. While pre-millenialists deplore abortion and a familiar laundry list of sins, for them the central task of believers is to get saved while the Lord yet tarries awhile. They see no point in endorsing social activism, since the end of time is drawing near. During a recent global crisis, Rexella van Impe exclaimed: "You know, we all could be in Heaven tonight ! "
Rapture Ready is another intruiging website. They are willing to cut scoffers and unbelievers some slack:
"If you are reading this after the rapture, you need to realize that that you have been left behind."
If you're reading this after the rapture, it also means that the people who staff your Internet Service Provider are scoffers and proaborts like yourself, and got left on earth. Besides that, it proves that Netscape Navigator is rapture-resistant.
Check out the Rapture Index to see how hot the prophetic activity is. "You could say the Rapture index is a Dow Jones Industrial Average of end time activity, but I think it would be better if you viewed it as prophetic speedometer."
In contrast, the Reconstructionists believe that Christ will not return until His true believers have carried out their duty to enforce God's law on earth. They have a great deal of work to do before historical time can end and the rule of Christ on earth can begin. The most influential reprsentatives of Reconstructionism are Rousas John Rushdoony and the institute founded at his behest, the Chalcedon Foundation. Quoting the Foundation's homepage: "With the help of Chalcedon, the Rutherford Institute was founded to defend Christians, churches and parents being prosecuted by local, state or federal authorities. "
Many Reconstructionists believe that they will have to replace all the structures of the state with their own institutions: courts, prisons, means of punishment, bodies of armed men, etc. New laws will prescribe a death penalty for blasphemy, and stoning to death for recalcitrant disobedient children.
For more on this topic, see the Theory Page.
-- Fred Wallace
