[Cassidy]

While Rollingstone searches the Witness Lee archives to find the "date" he claims Witness Lee identified for the rapture I must point out the irony of this line of thought.

The author apparently has no objection to setting timetables for end time events:

"A countdown to the great tribulation, to Armageddon, or to the Lord’s public coming, is possible, but not to the Rapture"

.... and he apparently believes there to be only one Rapture of all believers that occurs before the last seven years of this age commence, though his justification for this teaching was glaringly omitted. Tomes' own "eisegesis" forces him to discount the possibility of more than one rapture else he would be guilty of setting a date for a rapture, a contradiction that would knock the props from his position. Therefore, with his own argument he binds himself to a selective interpretation of scripture.

His eisegesis about "imminence" colors Tomes' argument though as has been already pointed out, it is a rather new invention in its relevance to eschatology. 1st century New Testament believer's had the expectation of the Lord's soon return as is clear from the New Testament writings. But to cast a die on "imminence" as a framework for fitting and sizing all other end times doctrine is a relatively new construct in church history and in this article is merely a feeble attempt at shoring up Tome's own narrow beliefs while discounting Witness Lee's more inclusive viewpoint.

In spite of the extreme redundancy in Tomes article (he could have made his point in one page) the net-net of the disagreement is that Tomes fixes the rapture of all believers at the beginning of the last 7 years and Witness Lee believes that there are two raptures, the first one commencing somewhere within the first half of the last seven years involving overcomers, that is the firstfruits, and the final one involving the general harvest of most of the believers at the end of the last seven years. Tomes attempted no substantiation for his singular rapture viewpoint.

Nevertheeless, Tomes' is happy to set dates for end time events as long as the first event in his understanding of eschatology (the rapture of all believers) remains unknown. In contrast, Witness Lee's teaching is a holistic view of the end time events folding in all relevant scripture and not shrinking back from presenting it as such even if it does not match the viewpoints of pre-trib theologians, tele-evangelists, and christian movie-makers. Furthermore, there is enough uncertainty in the end times that no one can accurately fix a date for the rapture whether that be the first or the only one. Finally, I always point out to believer and unbeliever alike that there is no assurance they will live long enough to be a part of or witness to the rapture, so don't depend on it when it comes to your relationship with God.

Cassidy

P.S. Rollingstone, don't bother looking for that rapture date because you will not find it.