The Rapture, as set out in the New Testament’s Book of Revelation, will see Christians who are deemed ‘worthy’ called to heaven where they will spend eternity.
But those left on Earth will have to face the end of the world .
September 23 – exactly a week today – has now been earmarked as the start of the apocalypse.
A new theory known as Revelation 12 Sign predicts the Rapture will soon be fulfilled with the appearance of ‘a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head’.
Some theorists have said the movements of constellations and planets clearly show the world will end soon
Conspiracy theorists think an astronomical alignment of constellations Leo and Virgo, along with a number of planets, will fulfill this prophecy verbatim.
Proponents of the outlandish theory say the women mentioned in the prophecy represents the constellation Virgo, while the crown of stars represents Leo.
The moon mentioned is considered to be under the 'feet' of Virgo, and on September 23 the sun will be passing through the constellation – fulfilling the 'clothed with the sun' strand.
According to websites promoting the theory, it will take place in two parts, with a seven-year period of tribulation in between.
During this time, according to doom-sayers, the Antichrist will bring destruction upon Mankind.
But the theory is only loosely based on actual Bible scripture, and largely ignored by the wider Christian community .
Those who do believe in the Rapture attribute their beliefs to two specific Bible scriptures.
According to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, the heavens will open during the end of days, with God lifting those who are alive 'into the clouds'.
And 2 Peter 3:10, says: 'But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.'
But believing in the Rapture does not mean agreeing of the Revelation 12 Sign theory; many Christians dismiss astrological interpretations, with many considering them as valid as UFO 'science' .
The theory was originally purported by William Tapley, an American YouTube Channel owner who published the first video about the alignment entitled 'Stellarium' in 2011.
0 comments: