Wow, great questions, Pam. Let me take them one at a time.
Some do say that the Judgment Day is around the corner. For example, the popular movie 2012 states that the Judgment Day will come in 2012. However, the reality is people have been saying that the end times would come for centuries. Matter of fact, for years after Jesus ascended, Christians sat on their rooftops waiting for the return of Jesus and Judgment Day to come. People do not know when the last days will come as the Bible does not state when. The end times could come today or the end times might be thousands of years from now. We just know that the end times will occur, not exactly when.
As for the Rapture being discussed in mainstream Christianity, let me begin by saying that the Rapture is the idea that at the end times believers will be taken up into the clouds to be with Jesus. The idea is based on verses from 1st Thessalonians 4. My experience in the church as a minister, as someone who reads a lot, and as a church member is that it is not discussed frequently. However, I know that in certain denominations as well as in underdeveloped countries, it is discussed. It also gained a lot of discussion with the Left Behind Series. A question which you did not ask, but is an important one for all of us is, what is mainstream Christianity?
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Great questions--let's keep them coming.
