As the millinnium draws near, religious anticipation over the second coming of Christ has risen to a fever pitch.  There is a growing claim among some on the internet that say the Rapture (the dead are resurrected and the believers are taken to be with Christ in the air) will occur on Sept. 11th, 1999, or the Jewish New year of Tishrei 1, 5760.  These Christians believe in what is known as the "Pre-Tribulation" rapture, which is said to occur before most of the calamities that are described in the Book of Revelations.

The main evidence seems to be the correlations or parallels of the Rapture, in which the Church is "wed" to Christ, to the Jewish Wedding Ceremony, and the Feast of Trumpets, and the number, 5760.  One man claims to have gathered together over 150 scriptures that are supposed to link the Rapture to this upcoming festival that falls on this date.  Among his scriptural proofs is an odd claim that he received a supernatural revelation about the number 576 in response to prayer.  He says he was studying this rapture date on the internet when the inspiration hit upon him to look at the dimensions of a cube.  Six sides, eight corners, and twelve lines, or 6 x 8 x12 = 576.

Since then, he says, he has gathered together from across the internet all the scriptural support he could find for this upcoming rapture date.  His main proofs:

1.  The math of the dimensions of New Jerusalem as found in Rev. 21
2.  Biblical numerics showing Christ's followers rise on the "third day" which is 5760, and also after "six days" which is, somehow, also 5760.
3.  Rapture symbols found in verses containing the words "third day", "six days",  "new year", or "five seven six"
4.  Rapture symbols found in verses numbered Chapter 5, verse 7, or Chaper 11, verse 5,6,7.
5.  Rapture symbols found in the traditional celebration of the New Year's Eve.
6.  Correlations of rapture imagry between the Jewish wedding and the feast of trumpets, such as the
"last trump" "thief in the night" "bride of Christ" "open door" "tribulation ten days" "two witnesses" bible verses.
7.  Signs in the heavens, such as Revelation 12 appearing in the sky with the sun and moon overlaying the constellations as seen from Jerusalem on this day, and also the Eclipse of August 11th.
8.  And Bible Codes, known as "equidistant letter sequencing" that Michael Drosnin said predicted the assination of Yizhak Rabin in 1997.

When it was pointed out that the Bible clearly says that "no man will know the day or the hour" of Christ's return, he said that that verse actually refers to the Feast of Trumpets, which begins with the observation of a New Moon, which can fall on either of two days, and that the phrase "no man knows the day or the hour" is actually a Jewish expression that refers to the Feast of Trumpets.

He goes on to quote up to ten Bible verses that indicate that Jesus' followers will know, such as [Mark 13:23] "But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things." and [Amos 3:7] "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

The man concludes by saying that all the rapture imagry found in the New Testament would be fulfilled by this upcoming date.  Further, he says that the odds of over 150 scriptures lineing up to predict the same date by chance (that he is wrong) are greater than 10 to the 150th power, or "impossible" as he puts it.

When asked what Christians should do to prepare for the rapture, he quoted three verses out of Romans and Matthew:

[Rom 10:9] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [Rom 10:10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.  [Mat 10:32] Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

When asked what he would do if the rapture does not come on September 11th, he said he would prepare for Y2K by heading to the mountiains with a supply of food, and his Bible.

He documents and quotes all of his scriptures at
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Cottage/1651/
 

I can be contacted for interviews and/or questions at 650 365 4566 --Jason Hommel