The History Channel: The Nostradamus Effect: The Rapture

[Sean Osborne]

The History Channel program The Nostradamus Effect [on History] is airing an episode this evening at 9 PM Eastern entitled "The Rapture." Joel Rosenberg is among the evangelical Christians who were interviewed for this episode. Even though the divinator Nostradamus has nothing to do with Christian eschatology, this episode might prove to be a good witnessing tool to make use of this evening.



The promotional webposting for this episode reads:

When millions of people all over the world vanish, a biblical prophecy that has come to be known as the Rapture will be fulfilled, and a floodgate of horrors will be opened on those who are left behind. The Apostle Paul foresaw a moment when all Christians would suddenly be caught up into the air with their Messiah. This would occur prior to the final outpouring of God's wrath upon the wicked. Even Native America Hopi predicted the faithful would be taken off the Earth in advance of a final war between good and evil. Many claim that all of the events that presage the Rapture have already happened. Does this mean that the Rapture is almost upon us? If so, we are now on the threshold of an Apocalypse.

[micah719]

Praying that Joel makes a good witness, and helps folks make a clear distinction between nostradamus, hopi, and real prophecy; that the Gospel gets preached so that folks get saved, and God's will be done.

[MikeD]

Amen Micah, amen!

[mikalikat]

DVRing this. My husband is being quite the voice of evangelism at work (albeit quietly since he can lose his job) but there are many people he's talking to that are inquiring about what's going on. I would love to have them over for dinner and watch this as a group if it's scripturally on target. Stay tuned......

[bghtnpd4]

I'll be watching tonight!

[anath]

DH and I will be watching too. Thanks for the reminder!

[mikalikat]

Weeeeeellll, that was about lame? As usual, THC made us sound like a bunch of scheming idiots and never once mentioned escaping the Trib by SALVATION. The word SALVATION was not mentioned at all. It was presented like God was a woman shopping when it came to who would be part of the Rapture--like it is random choosing. "Oh, I'll take that one, and that one, and one of that family, oh, ok, that one over there....." And just WHAT does Nostradamus have to do with this anyway? Must be their insurance policy that people will tune in since no one would voluntarily tune in if it just said "Bible and Rapture." All in all, disappointing. And don't get me started on that "scholar" from UCLA. What an arrogant professor. He represents everything that's wrong with higher academia. Now, if you REALLY want to know my opinion....

[LivnForChrist]

I watched it too. It's never a surprise to see how the world twists things.
I find it interesting though that they are so interested in end times. They
seem almost worried.

[LindaLee]

DVR'd it and will be staying up later to watch it...

[mattfivefour]

Having worked in this business for more than 40 years, a lot of that time on the documentary production side, I had a pretty good idea of how this would go down and therefore chose not to waste the time watching it. Livn is right, though— the world IS fascinated (and worried) by the possibility of some cataclysmic event in the near future. WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS THIS GIVE US!!!

[mikalikat]

It would be a FABULOUS witnessing tool if they wouldn't portray us as a bunch of loons. Given what I saw tonight, I doubt anyone will speak to us about this because it looks so exclusionary and judgmental.

[WKUHilltopper]

DVRing this. My husband is being quite the voice of evangelism at work (albeit quietly since he can lose his job) ....

If you read old management type books written in the 50's and before, it was not uncommon for the book to have discussions how important it was for the manager to uphold Christian values in dealing with employees and maintaining a Christian home and stature--essentially how that impacted the respect the employees would have for the manager and the importance of fair dealing and public perception.

I'm just tired of it all...

[Suzanne]

I watched it too. It's never a surprise to see how the world twists things.
I find it interesting though that they are so interested in end times. They
seem almost worried.

I find it interesting too. The secular world is obsessed with the end times. People know that something huge is going to happen soon, but they're not sure what. They look to the "prophecies" of Nostradomus, the Mayans, etc., to try and figure it out. I think that a lot of them refuse to seriously consider Bible prophecy, because it requires them to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

[mattfivefour]

And that is exactly it, Suzanne— the acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ. So it has been designed by God, so man makes his choice, and so the world divides. To me this fundamental fact proves even more the reality of the Bible and the truth of the gospel.

[SearchingforTruth]

just got home from work watching now

[parsifal22]

I actually watched it it was interesting to see what the affects on the infrastructure might be when the Rapture takes place the dramatizations where interesting also.

[anath]

Last night I received a phone call from a neighbor who had watched the show. She asked me point blank if I thought these were the end times the Bible refers too.
She told me she was a Christian when I asked her if she knew the Lord as her Savior, so this could be that she believes in God. She has never told me she was a Christian before. When I referred her to some Scriptures she had a Bible nearby and read back some verses to me!
Anyway, as lame as this show was, my neighbor's attention was aroused and has caught on that something is up. I ask for prayer for Mary Ann, please and thank you.

PS oh and pray for me too please. I see Mary Ann most everyday.

[bghtnpd4]

Weeeeeellll, that was about lame? As usual, THC made us sound like a bunch of scheming idiots and never once mentioned escaping the Trib by SALVATION. The word SALVATION was not mentioned at all. It was presented like God was a woman shopping when it came to who would be part of the Rapture--like it is random choosing. "Oh, I'll take that one, and that one, and one of that family, oh, ok, that one over there....." And just WHAT does Nostradamus have to do with this anyway? Must be their insurance policy that people will tune in since no one would voluntarily tune in if it just said "Bible and Rapture." All in all, disappointing. And don't get me started on that "scholar" from UCLA. What an arrogant professor. He represents everything that's wrong with higher academia. Now, if you REALLY want to know my opinion....

My thoughts exactly! I was LIVID and yelling at the television everytime they purposefully LIED or ommitted the gospel message of salvation. They are absolutely clueless....

[Miss Bobbie]

I'm surprised that so many posts express surprise! I gave up on the History Channel, A&E, and the like, LONG ago. They might touch on topics that interest us, but they NEVER provide God's Truth. Save yourselves the disappointment by ignoring those channels.

Mind you, just my opinion. :)

[Carl]

Gotta realize that the History channel is run by liberals. What we think of as anti they think of as fair practice. Telling all the various sides of an argument. Think back to before you became a Christian and how you looked at Christianity. Not think about what the attitudes, justifications, and views of a Spiritual Christian of today. Remember what happened to Vice President Dan Quaile? It is now worse for Christians.

I actually thought that, considering the current view of Christianity, that the program was done rather nicely. If you don't have the guide of the Scriptures then all foretelling of the future is worth looking at. And I'm not certain that 2012, Hopi Indians, and the rest rest of the prophesy that was folded into the program wouldn't seed the audience's curiosity, and fear factor.

I greatly admire Newton and the science and math that he gave to the world. But when they aired the paper that he never published, out of common sense and fear of the church, I did not accept his 2060 date. Newton was very intelligent and curious about everything. The 2060 date, as he figured it out is wrong, he just wouldn't get that from God. And face it a Christian can find verses to justify his actions; good, bad, or indifferent.

The world sees all the stuff aired about end times and it wonders. The world may not believe in the Bible as the word of God; face it it was written by a bunch of different men. But the world will think about the direction that all this end times stuff points toward. The world can also see that the political, scientific, financial, and natural happenings are different than they ever have been before. The world can see that we are living in funny times. So as bad as the Nostradamus Effect is from a Christian perspective, it has undoubtedly planted seeds for witnessing tools by us Christians.

Lord our country and the world needs revival. Lord please bring it to pass. As Paul seized the opportunity to tell about the unknown God, cause us to see the value in the world's view for witnessing about Jesus.