No man shall know the day or hour

But that doesn’t keep some folks from trying to guess whether the day and hour are coming closer.

The Rapture Index has two functions: one is to factor together a number of related end time components into a cohesive indicator, and the other is to standardize those components to eliminate the wide variance that currently exists with prophecy reporting.

The Rapture Index is by no means meant to predict the rapture, however, the index is designed to measure the type of activity that could act as a precursor to the rapture.

You could say the Rapture index is a Dow Jones Industrial Average of end time activity, but I think it would be better if you viewed it as prophetic speedometer. The higher the number, the faster we’re moving towards the occurrence of pre-tribulation rapture.

Or, maybe not. Given the plausible present predictions and indications of the End Times for the past, oh, two thousand years or so, as fascinating an effort as this is, it’s also a bit on the goofy side. Okay, more than a bit …

For what it’s worth, though we’re in the highest “Fasten your seat belts” level right now (though I’d think folks wanting to be in the Rapture wouldn’t want their seat belts holding them down), we’re better off at 155 than we were in 2001 (even at its low point), though not as unrapturous as in 1993 (when the index was at 53).

Of course, it’s just when you’re most complacent that you need to be most worried, right?

(via Scott)