Harold Camping, the Family Radio minister who inaccurately predicted that the world would experience Judgment Day last May 21, recently suffered a stroke. The 89-year-old head of the Oakland-based evangelical media company was ushered to a local hospital after suffering the attack following an evening radio broadcast.
Camping’s second failed prediction of the world’s end via the “rapture” apparently left him greatly distressed. The day after his promise failed to materialize, Camping told a San Francisco Chronicle reporter he was "flabbergasted" when the End Times did not arrive at his appointed moment. Some estimates suggest that nearly 100 million dollars have been spent advertising and supposedly trying to ready those on earth to meet their maker through the preacher’s predictions. Many of Camping’s followers had cashed in their savings, sold their homes, quit their jobs, and even took their kids out of school because they were so convinced that their prophet and leader was dead on target with his May 21st forecast. In addition, 14-year old girl in Russia was reported to have committed suicide because she felt she was not righteous enough and as afraid for what was coming, based on hearing him on the radio.
After a day or two in seclusion Camping re-appeared and obviously needed an excuse or reason for why his second such error concerning the Rapture failed. So, as expected, he offered up yet another slant. He now believes that the world was visited and spiritually judged by Christ in May and that the real end will come exactly 6 months later on October 21, 2011. So he simply made a slight mathematical mistake. Of course, that is somewhat easy for him to say as he did not totally rearrange his whole life as did thousands of his devoted followers who expected to be ushered from planet earth and to heaven on May 21st around 6:00 EST. Harold Camping is now batting 0-2 on his rapture predictions. Fortunately for him, these are not Old Testament times or he might have found himself under a bloody pile of rocks for his second major prophetic blunder.
The radio and TV broadcaster may still be "flabbergasted", and some of his devoted followers now homeless, jobless, and penniless, but to other students of the Scriptures, this second and now third prediction are not even worthy of any serious biblical consideration. Some may now be wondering more if Camping himself will even be alive when his rescheduled October date arrives?
In Mark 13:31-33, as well as in Matthew and Luke, Jesus addressed the end of the world and His future return. As far as knowing precisely when this would happen, He could not have made the subject in question more clear. He even removed himself from the equation as far as knowing the exact moment - a theological mystery that may be a bit hard to grasp. In Mark 13:31 He declared, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”
On the other end of the spectrum, He did say that Christians could have a general idea of the time frame of His return based on certain signs and the general climate that would reign upon the earth. In Luke 21:28 He said, "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
So what Jesus left for those who make up His true church was the firm hope and absolute reality of His coming and the general time of His appearing. But for anyone attempting to be the self-proclaimed one to nail down to the hour the time of this greatest of events is not only non-biblical, but spiritually careless, dangerous and would seem to display a rather large dose of ego as well..
Mr. Camping, who proclaims far and wide that you cannot really know if you have been saved, has been telling millions and spending millions urging listeners and supporters to be ready for eternity by getting saved? Maybe it is just me, but I find his theological advice and position on the subject to be rather confusing and even contradictory. For some reason, this seasoned Bible scholar seems to misunderstand, ignores, or puts no stock in some of the more clear and forceful passages in the Bible concerning redemption. Again, this includes his belief that people cannot assess the signs of a true salvation experience or have any real reassurance that they possess it. I’m not sure about Camping’s version of the Scriptures, but those I read certainly reveal many verses on the subject like the ones below. They appear in plain sight and they don’t seem to need a theology degree to digest.
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. “ (1 John 5:13)
“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.” (1 John 3:14)
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Roman 8:16)
“For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)
But getting saved, and then knowing you are, is certainly not one of them. For God to send His Son to die on the cross to save lost sinners and then obscure, or make unclear, how they can take advantage of His great sacrifice and forgiveness would make no sense and be counter-productive. For God to leave people who sincerely come to Him by faith for redemption with doubts for a life-time about their eternal destiny would be cruel and ridiculous. A true salvation experience can be seen and should evidenced internally and externally. It should inspire holiness, confidence, and a desire for Christian fellowship and service - not fears, doubts, questions and a general lack or interest in spiritual things. (1 Peter 1:15, Ephesians 2:8-10, 2 Corinthians 5:17)
October 21st will likely come and go, unless the Lord arrives to rapture His true church first on the Father’s appointed date. The issue thus becomes, not spending life’s precious time gazing at the stars and wondering if the next prediction date is right, but instead making absolutely sure that your own heart is right with God. The real focal point is spelled out in Hebrews 9:27. “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” And this sobering truth then makes 2 Corinthians 6:2 priority one! “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Once these two concepts are understood properly, the all-important next step has been revealed quite clearly in the Bible’s most familiar salvation verse. The apostle John writes, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Life is sometimes hard and perplexing. Many questions arise and many will go unanswered. Some things will not be understood ever in this life. There are things that happen along the journey that just remain unexplainable. But the confidence of possessing salvation through Christ, being forgiven of sin, and someday proceeding to a heavenly home for eternity are not among them!
Perhaps during Mr. Camping’s stroke recovery period, he may have precious time to reconsider the above, verses. And just perhaps he will somehow be afforded the comfort and confidence of the ‘blessed hope’ that so many in the family of God with far less experience, and far smaller biblical IQ’s than his, now enjoy and being based on passages like 1 Peter 1:3-5:
I do not know the heart or spiritual status of Harold Camping. I only know I disagree with a large
segment of his theology and teachings. But I do at least wonder, after this rather timely stroke, if God may have said, enough is enough! No more scaring and spiritually misleading people. No more attacking my precious church on earth as being apostate. No more doctrinal splitting and dividing up of married Christian couples and their families. And no more wasting vast sums of money that could be used to win lost souls until I do come in My own specific timing.
And as far as why Christ has not yet come back, a quick look at 1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter: 3:4, and 2 Peter 3:15 should serve to clear up any confusion and then answer that eternally crucial question simply and quickly.
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
"Where is the promise of His coming? (2 Peter 3:4)
"And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation." (2 Peter 3:15)
Bill Breckenridge
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