I remember when man first stepped on the moon. I was a 16 year old philosophical junkie, questioning everything from why my government was sending young boys to die in Vietnam to why people who have a different color skin are treated differently to why real poverty can exist in such a rich country.
I was deep.
So while the rest of the world was watching Neil Armstrong take that first step, I was reading Revelations aloud to a gathering of my brother's and my friends.
Now, if you take the Bible literally,( you know- creation took place in 6 days: Eve ate the apple)- Revelations reads like a blockbuster disaster movie with supernatural special effects.
After enduring plagues of locusts and famine and earthquakes (oh my), the faithful, having gloated over surviving, hear the voice of God from above.
Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. Rev 11: 12
Personally, I like Stephen King's interpretation of that final battle between good and evil in The Stand.
So, way back in 1969, because man was landing on the moon, reaching for the heavens, I was certain The Rapture was due. My friends and I started listing the 'signs', naming the Four Horsemen, knowing that a war with USSR would turn the moon 'red' and that would be it.
Of course, I'm also certain that during the Black Plague, the faithful were standing ready. And during WWI- with the flu and all, the faithful had to be wondering when that call from God would occur.
I'm not as philosophical today as I was back then. But I am reading Revelations again, looking for those "signs" and naming the Four Horsemen and wondering who could be the anti Christ that God is coming to battle. Hey, I read the book- I'd love to see the event.
On a personal note, however, I'm a little miffed about this end of the world talk due to happen tomorrow. You see, I am already in the planning stage of my "Party Like There Is No Tomorrow" party I am having on December 20, 2012.
Now I was looking forward to that!