Harold Camping’s date for judgment day is only three days away. While it can be really exciting to think that the Lord is about to return to set things right, date setting has a dishonorable pedigree and a 100% failure rate. Given its history, it is rather astonishing that folks still engage in it. In the interest of being charitable, I can sympathize with why someone might be tempted into doing it once. But Harold Camping should know better as he has failed on multiple occasions. This not only discredits serious Christianity, it has become deadly serious. First, a brief survey, Harold Camping proclaimed the Lord’s return would be in 1994.
“We have also discovered that that the last day will take place between September 15 and September 27.”[1]
In the same book he also wrote:
When the pastor and the teachers in a congregation teach the ideas of men – even though they may use biblical language and quote verses – if what they teach is not firmly based in the Word of God, then it is lies…[2]
Does Camping learn his lesson? No he writes yet another book and proclaims the Lord’s return will be on May 21, 2011. He also gives interviews, stating it as a certainty.
God has given sooo much information in the Bible about this, and so many proofs, and so many signs, that we know it is absolutely going to happen without any question at all. There’s nothing in the Bible that God has ever prophesied — there’s many things that he prophesied would happen and they always have happened — but there’s nothing in the Bible that holds a candle to the amount of information to this tremendous truth of the end of the world. I would be absolutely in rebellion against God if I thought anything other than it is absolutely going to happen without any question.[3]
With that in mind the Bible teaches that God holds teachers to higher standard:
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (Jas 3:1)
The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. In Vietnam, there has been an explosive missionary success in th last ten years and Hmong Christians now number upwards of 175,000.[4] Starved for biblical teaching, many were able to receive the radio signal of Harold Camping’s radio network. Being uneducated and credulous, they wholeheartedly believed Camping’s May 21, 2011 date. The atheistic communist authorities had other ideas.
Hundreds of Hmong Christians are said to have been gunned down by security forces in Vietnam after the group had gathered near a
mountain to await the rapture and return of Jesus Christ. The group of believers apparently learned of the rapture’s timing from Family Radio broadcaster Harold Camping.[5]
Was Camping’s heat pierced? Did he repent? No… when this failed, he defended it:
“We had all of our dates correct,” Camping insisted, clarifying that he now understands that Christ’s May 21 arrival was “a spiritual coming” ushering in the last five months before the final judgment and destruction.”[6]
When questioned about all the misery and chaos he has caused, he demurs, “I don’t have any responsibility,” Camping insisted. “I don’t have responsibility for anybody’s life. I only teach what the Bible says.”[7] He also equivocates that the world will end in fiery destruction on October 21, 2011.
On June 13, 2011, Harold Camping has a stroke and is hospitalized. Is judgment really close? Of course it is (Jas 4:14)! Statistics demonstrate that some 154,889 people die every single day.[8] In truth, every day is judgment day for thousands. God is a righteous judge and he cannot give sin a pass. The only way to be pardoned is through Jesus Christ (2 Co 5:21; Ro 10:9). I am not making any predictions but I prayerfully suggest that Harold Camping repent before October 21.
For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Pe 4:17)
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.(2 Co 5:10)
Please take a look at these other fine essays by my brothers in the Christian Apologetics Alliance:
http://www.reasonsforgod.org/2011/10/does-harold-camping-discredit-christianity/
http://www.cltruth.com/blog/2011/is-jesus-christ-coming-back-on-october-21-2011/
http://lukenixblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/rapture-judgment-day-and-christs.html
http://weshouldallmakeaneffort.blogspot.com/2011/10/harold-camping-revisited-actual-rapture.html
http://www.thinkingchristian.net/2011/10/harold-camping-a-failure-of-accountability/
[2] Ibid, 163.
[3] “A Conversation With Harold Camping, Prophesier of Judgment Day” New York, http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/05/a_conversation_with_harold_cam.html (accessed 18/2011).
[5] Nicloa Menzie, “Harold Camping Linked to Huge ‘Massacre’ of 100’s of Hmong Christians”http://www.christianpost.com/news/harold-camping-linked-to-hmong-christians-massacre-in-vietnam-52351/ (accessed 10/18/2011). Also see http://www.unpo.org/article/12921
[6] Elizabeth Tenety, “Harold Camping reaffirms October date for the end of the world, says May 21 date was ‘invisible judgment day’,” Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/harold-camping-reaffirms-october-date-for-the-end-of-the-world-says-may-21-date-was-invisible-judgment-day/2011/05/24/AFVsMhAH_story.html (accessed 10/18/2011).
[7] Elizabeth Tenety, “‘Rapture’ evangelist Harold Camping suffers stroke” Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/under-god/post/rapture-evangelist-harold-camping-suffers-stroke/2011/06/13/AGlzYJTH_blog.html (accessed 10/18/2011).
[8]The CIA World Fact Book. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/xx.html
About Cris Putnam
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