88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988
88 Reasons, Zero Raptures
A former NASA engineer's bestseller put the rapture at Rosh Hashanah 1988. Then 1989. Then 1993.
What was said
“88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988”
— Edgar C. Whisenant (former NASA engineer) · said 1988 · due Rosh Hashanah, September 11-13, 1988
88 reasons, 0 raptures. He then blamed an off-by-one error (no year zero) and moved it to 1989. Programmers everywhere nodded knowingly.
The fine print
The quote is the book's title. Whisenant predicted the rapture during Rosh Hashanah 1988, between September 11 and 13. Wikipedia reports 300,000 copies were mailed free to ministers and 4.5 million sold. After the date passed he tried October 3, then September 1, 1989 (The Final Shout), then 1993. The companion booklet On Borrowed Time asserted: 'we know the exact day that the Millennium begins and ends, as well as the dates of the events in between.'
Later spin
The evidence is all over the place that it is going to be in a few weeks anyway. (To Christianity Today after September 13 passed, moving the date to October 3.)
Sources
- Edgar C. Whisenant - Wikipediaaccessed 2026-09-29
- 88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be In 1988 - Internet Archiveaccessed 2026-09-29
- Rapture Seer Hedges on Latest Guess - Christianity Today (October 1988)accessed 2026-10-09