Here’s the thing, 99% of Christians didn’t believe this. Any time you see a news article about a bunch of people thinking the world will end on a specific date, that is a very small minority of people because not only do all the big denominations (Catholic, Orthodox, Methodist, Presbyterian, Southern Baptist, etc.) teach against making predictions about the specific date and following people who make these predictions, the Bible itself quotes Jesus as teaching against this (and, interestingly, saying that even HE doesn’t know when the day is)- Matthew 24:36
But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
Of course this hasn’t stopped people from trying to figure it out, but traditionally religious authorities have spoken out against it. The largest instance of people believing in the Rapture happening on a specific date was a specific religious sect called the Millerites whose leader said the world would end on October 22, 1844. This group was still a small minority, but they were big enough that you have probably still heard of them today - they became the 7th Day Adventists.
Here’s the thing, 99% of Christians didn’t believe this. Any time you see a news article about a bunch of people thinking the world will end on a specific date, that is a very small minority of people because not only do all the big denominations (Catholic, Orthodox, Methodist, Presbyterian, Southern Baptist, etc.) teach against making predictions about the specific date and following people who make these predictions, the Bible itself quotes Jesus as teaching against this (and, interestingly, saying that even HE doesn’t know when the day is)- Matthew 24:36
Of course this hasn’t stopped people from trying to figure it out, but traditionally religious authorities have spoken out against it. The largest instance of people believing in the Rapture happening on a specific date was a specific religious sect called the Millerites whose leader said the world would end on October 22, 1844. This group was still a small minority, but they were big enough that you have probably still heard of them today - they became the 7th Day Adventists.