Accurate Faith

Can We Predict The Date Of The Rapture?

Subtitle:

When will the Rapture occur? Is it possible for preachers or teachers to predict a specific date? Why do people keep predicting the date of the Rapture and getting it wrong?

Synopsis:

There have been hundreds of predictions for the date of the Rapture. Every single prediction has turned out to be incorrect. What is really concerning about this is that the Bible is very clear that we will not know beforehand. Jesus Himself said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”, yet many have still insisted on naming a date. The practice of naming a date has been one that has caused a great deal of misery and disappointment for Christians everywhere.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Bible is especially clear that we will NOT know when the Rapture will take place.
  • All the hundreds of predictions of when it will take place have been wrong.
  • It is troubling that some teachers insist they know the date and that some Christians believe them.

The Deep Details For Those That Want To Know:

On October 22, 1844 thousands of Christians were shocked and in despair when Jesus did not return. They had left their jobs and possessions because they had believed that William Miller had correctly calculated the return of Jesus Christ. When the day came and went, their hopes were shattered and many were left to face the emotional, financial, and sometimes physical hardship brought on by what they thought were the appropriate actions to take for Christ’s return. This crises of the Christian faith became known as The Great Disappointment and is something that all Christians should be aware of.

Since 1844, similar stories have been repeated over and over again. Sometimes the prediction of a date for the return of Christ only affects a small congregations. Other times the word spreads and thousands of Christians are fooled into being convinced that someone has correctly identified the day of Christ’s return. This happened again recently, when Christians began to believe in a false prophecy that set the date as September 23, 2025. This prediction swept the world through social media and the Internet. An unknowable number of Christians were directly affected. False predictions about when Jesus will return have been put forth hundreds of times since Christ walked the Earth. Each time it happens it leaves believers in dismay, and in some cases it shakes their faith in God. For that reason, predictions of this kind are dangerous false teachings.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

For Christians that read their Bible or listen to correct teaching, it should be shocking that their brothers and sisters seem to fall into this situation over and over again. While the Bible does not tell us when He will return, it does give us clear instruction about what to look for.

In Matthew 24, Jesus tells us exactly what to expect and what signs indicate His return. In verse 36 He adds a statement that is undeniable. The undeniable statement from Jesus is this:

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. (Matthew 24:36 ESV)

After that statement the scripture contains three famous parables that serve to teach that we will not know when His return will take place, but that we should always be prepared. These parables are The Faithful and Evil Servants (Matthew 24:45-50), The Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), and the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30).

Unfortunately, many teachers try to side-step this statement from Jesus and claim that their false prophecies do not “name the day or hour”, but instead give a deadline. They say something to the effect of Jesus will come by a certain year, or instead they will give a range of dates. In essence, this is not much different from predicting a specific date. It certainly has the same influence on Christians when those deadlines for Christ’s return pass without anything happening. In the last fifty years famous preachers and pastors have named the years 1981, 1982, 1985, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2007, 2011, and 2015, which have all come and gone. What is worse is that many of these End Time predictors repeat their errors again and again, revising their dates when those years are passed. Yet, they still attract followers that will enthusiastically embrace the new date.

The Rapture

For many Christians, the belief that the Rapture will take place during their lifetime is a serious concern. What is meant by the term “rapture” is the Christian belief that true believers will be “caught up” to meet Jesus in the air at His second coming.This event involves both living and deceased believers being resurrected and transformed to meet Christ in the clouds. While the term “rapture” does not appear in the Bible (it’s derived from the Latin rapiemur in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, meaning “caught up”) it has become a common word that Christians use to refer to what will happen to the faithful when He does return.

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 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.( 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 ESV)

Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, or Post-Tribulation Rapture

The concept of believers being gathered to Christ has been a part of eschatology from the earliest church period, but fundamental ideas about the return of Jesus and when the Rapture will take place during End-Time events have differed over the years and across denominations. Even today, not all Christians are in agreement. There has been a longstanding debate among Biblical scholars and theologians about when Jesus will return. These discussions are in regard to the period of time known as The Great Tribulation. For those that may not have studied the End-Times, the Tribulation is a seven year period covered in the Book of Revelation (and other books such as Daniel) when a figure known as the Anti-Christ will take power. This period will be marked by wars, famines, pestilence, and natural disasters that will cause many deaths.

Based on interpretation of the Scriptures, Christians generally believe that the Rapture will either occur just before the beginning of the Tribulation, in the middle of the Tribulation (about 3.5 years into the 7 year period), or the Rapture will be one of the events that actually ends the Tribulation.

Many American Christians have been taught that the Rapture will take place before the Tribulation begins. While this may be the more popular belief at this time, that is a relatively new interpretation late in Christian history. What follows is a chronological outline of what Christians have believed over the ages.

Views on the Rapture through History

The Early Church (1st- 4thCentury): Both Pre-Tribulation and Post-Tribulation Rapture

During this period it was expected that Christians would endure the Tribulation and that the triumphant second coming of Christ would occur at the end. Early Christian authors like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian taught about the Anti-Christ and persevering to the end. But it is also worth noting that many 21st century Christians find strong pre-tribulation rapture interpretations in some of the words of these authors.

Medieval Church (5th-15thCentury): Focus on the Final Judgment

The main concern during this period of Christian history was on the Final Judgment instead of any rapture. The dominant view was focused on the Day of the Lord, when the righteous would receive everlasting life and the wicked would face eternal punishment. Key thinkers during this era were Augustine and Aquinas.

Protest Reformation (16thCentury): Emphasis on Final Return

Little theology changed in regard to any rapture teachings during this period. The emphasis remained on the Final Judgment. It was thought that believers would be present through the hardships of the Tribulation and that Christ’s return would take place afterward. The key thinkers and authors during this period were Martin Luther and John Calvin.

Post-Reformation (17th-18thCentury): Post-Tribulation Rapture

The emphasis on teachings during this period was that the Resurrection and the Rapture would occur together at Christ’s return.

19th Century: Rise of Pre-Tribulation Rapture

Pre-Tribulation theology was taught and popularized by a Bible teacher named John Nelson Darby in the 1830s. This new interpretation of scripture was further spread to America through the publishing of the Scofield Reference Bible in 1909. The idea of a Pre-Tribulation rapture became a defining feature of fundamental and evangelical theology in the 20th century.

20th Century: Emergence of Mid-Tribulation and Other Variants

Interpretations of Revelation and Daniel were put forth that emphasize a midpoint in the Tribulation. Some theologians that subscribe to Mid-tribulation theology believe the second half of the seven year Tribulation period is the Great Tribulation and that believers will then be raptured to avoid the wrath of God that takes place during the later 3.5 years.

Arguing for a pre-, post-, or mid-tribulation rapture is far beyond the scope of this article. Many books have been written on the subject and Christians have still not come to a consensus. It is very easy to interpret scripture in ways that strongly support any one of the three positions. An intellectually honest student of the Word can read the Bible and see how it can seem to indicate that the Rapture will occur in one place during the order of eschatological events and then reread the same scripture from the perspective that the Rapture occurs at a different point in the End Times chronology. The fact that pre-, mid-, and post- Tribulation Rapture interpretations can be supported by scripture should give us pause. It would seem that God has a reason for not revealing a specific time to us.

If we trust God, then we should trust that if there is something we need to know before it happens, He will tell us. By the same token, if something is hidden from us, we should trust there is a reason He wants it hidden. And that His reason is more than likely to our benefit.

We see this exact situation play out in Daniel 12. In this chapter, Daniel has received a supernatural visitation and is being told about the end times. He has been given a good deal of information about some of the things that John covers hundreds of years later in the Book of Revelation. But Daniel wants to hear more.

8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.” (Daniel 12: 8-9 ESV)

Daniel is told that “the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end”. In other words, there is a reason that Daniel (or current day Christians) do not need to know more. The idea that we are being told what we need to know and that we should trust that God will reveal more information when we need it is backed up several times by Jesus.

What the Scriptures Say

In many verses, Jesus clearly tells us that we will not know when He is to return. He is careful to teach us this over and over using several parables and examples. What follows are a few that are very clear.

Matthew 25

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (Matthew 25:1-13 ESV)

Luke 12

35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. … (Luke 12:35-37 ESV)

Matthew 24

42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:42-51 ESV)

There are also many more scriptures that make similar statements. More are from Jesus Himself and others are from the Apostles. Those from the Apostles often use similar language as the statements from Jesus, confirming that His return is exactly what was being told to us. Some of these include: Luke 12:40, Acts 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 5:1–2, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 3:3, and Revelation 16:15.

In none of these quotes does Jesus say, “I will tell you when I will come!” or “I will send you a prophet to tell you the time!” He instead says, “the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” It stands to reason that if the words Jesus and the Apostles spoke or wrote are true, then anyone that tells you when to expect His return is a false teacher. We are given strict instruction to prepare for Jesus’s return when we do not expect it, not when someone tells us a specific date.

How Do People Keep Coming Up With Different Dates?

The methods that people to use to come up with different dates are many. Some claim that God or an angel reveals a date or time to them directly. Others base their timelines on the quote from 2 Peter 3:8- But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.The assumption here is that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, therefore it will be six thousand years from Creation until the return of Jesus (one day = one thousand years).

Some make complex calculations using the “weeks” and “days” given in the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation. It is logical to conclude that God gave us such information to do something with it, but He has not yet given us the knowledge on how to accurately calculate a date, and He may never. For one thing, we do not even know which calendar to use to make the correct calculations. Some teachers use our modern calendar while others use the Hebrew Lunar calendar (which can contain 353-355 days a year and as many as 385 days in a Leap year, which occurs 7 times in a 19 year cycle) In addition to these there are the Zadok Priestly calendar found in the Dead Sea Scrolls (364 days per year), an ancient Hebrew Solar calendar often referred to as the Jubilees calendar (364 days per year), and the Babylonian calendar (354 days per year and 384 days in a Leap Year). Although many have tried using this method to predict the return of Jesus, no one that has used this method of calculation to declare dates that have come and gone has been accurate.

Why Is It Harmful to Predict the Date of Jesus’s Return?

If we look at what happened to faithful Christians that were misled during the Great Disappointment and any other time that one false teacher or another has predicted a time or date, we can see the damage it can do. Not only do believers take actions that can ruin their lives (quit jobs, clear bank accounts, leave their homes, etc.), but it can shake their faith. They can begin to question all doctrine they have been taught. If the pastor, preacher, or teacher that convinced them that Christ would return at a certain time was wrong, what else have they been taught about God and their relationship with Him that was also false? Of all the dangers that false predictions about the date of Jesus’s return present, this is the most obvious. But there are certainly other concerns that can be even more harmful for Christians and unbelievers alike.

One of the more harmful scenarios is when Christians believe in a specific date prediction, but when the prediction turns out to be wrong they do not seek wisdom from God. Instead of taking the time to consider how they were misled, they do the exact opposite. Rather than face the truth they grasp at whatever they can use to rationalize their mistake and to keep the false teaching (and their ego) in play. This happens just as often among the followers of the false predictions as it does for those making the predictions. When the Rapture date is proven incorrect they quickly come up with some excuse and recalculate a new date with a clever explanation as to why they missed the first date. Some of the believers, putting their faith in a person instead of God, continue to follow the false teachings and look to the next predicted date.

Others that still cling to the predictions will make even more radical excuses to defend their false prophecies. They may claim things like the “return” actually did occur, but it was either symbolic or happened in “the spiritual realm”. Or they will teach that Jesus left Heaven on the date predicted, but it is taking Him time to arrive. In all of these cases, the Christians that follow the false teaching are so convinced that what they believed was true that they are willing begin inventing new doctrine (counter to what has been clearly written in the Bible), rather than admit they were wrong or fooled. This causes them to not only stray from the true faith, but their spiritual focus turns to these new teachings that support their Rapture beliefs, rather than their relationship with God.

Several places in scripture give us warnings about this very thing. In fact, Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians because the Christians in that area had come to believe that Christ had already returned.

1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, (2 Thessalonians 2 : 1-3 ESV)

Paul was quick to correct the error that was being taught and set them straight. In recent times we have seen the damage this kind of error can create if it goes unchecked. Those that continue to follow the false predictions will no longer listen to sound teaching. They will criticize other believers that try to point out the error, calling them “scoffers and mockers”. This is a re-translating 2 Peter 3:3 to use against other Christians, instead of the unbelievers that Peter was referring to in the verse. In essence they are turning their erroneous teaching into a false virtue, thinking that they have the superior understanding and that Christians that do not believe as they do are wrong. In a short time, their relationship with sound teachers and other Christians becomes strained. They then will only listen to others that share their same views. Some may also try to claim it isn’t a big deal and that they are just in a constant state of readiness, pointing to the parable of the Ten Virgins, but again the problem is that they concentrate on the next predicted date, instead of growing in their faith.

For the rest of the world, false predictions about Christ’s return are the most damaging. The media is quick to pick up and run with articles on end time predictions by different groups that claim to have divine knowledge. Not only is it sensational, but it is an easy way to ridicule the Christian faith. This is truly the “scoffing” referred to in 2 Peter 3:3. Not only do false predictions about the Rapture misrepresent Christ, but they give unbelievers the wrong impression about Christianity and about the salvation offered to us by God. How can they be taught or accept Jesus when what they know is that Christians are continually predicting the return of Jesus and they are always wrong? God has given us prophecies to help convince people of His existence. If all that unbelievers hear are false prophecies that do not come to pass, we are working to keep them away from salvation.

Conclusion

This kind of false teaching dismisses the very words of Jesus.

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matthew 24:36 ESV).

“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:51 ESV)

Scripture also quotes Jesus several times on what signs we should look for to know his coming is soon, but is very clear that we will not know exactly when. The information He gave us is what He wants us to know. If we believe in anything else, such as a specific date given to us by a teacher for his return, then we are taking the word of that person over Jesus’s teachings. Think for a moment, on the weight of that statement.

Worse yet, false prophecies are no less than misrepresenting God to others, while claiming to speak for God. Doing so does harm to Christians and unbelievers alike. Some may make their predictions out of ignorant hopefulness. Others may do it for attention, money, or power. But, in the end, they should all know better.




References

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Biblical References on Predicting the Date of the Rapture and Christ’s Return

Scripture References

Supporting References

Further Reading on Accurate Faith