Probably because the 'imminent' bit is questionable. Matthew 24:36 - "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only

Probably because the 'imminent' bit is questionable. Matthew 24:36 - "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Certain preachers have seen 'signs' of the rapture's imminence - Hal Lindsay's made many ridiculous predictions over the years - but these have all been based on Biblical interpretation, while the 'no one knows about the day or the hour' passages are quite clear. Of course, the rapture itself is based on some rather interesting interpretations of something in the Book of Daniel. Widespread belief in it is less than a century old.