- Image via Wikipedia
It’s May 22, 2011 in New Zealand and the World Still Stands.
I’m thinking Why does this man have to be from Oakland? We got enough issues over here as it is! 
According to Wikipedia, Camping gained notoriety due to his incorrect prediction that the Rapture would take place on May 21, 2011 at 6 p.m. local time everywhere[30][31][32] and his prediction that the end of the world would take place five months later on October 21, 2011.[33] Followers of Camping claimed that around 200 million people (approximately 3% of the world’s population) would be raptured.[34] Camping believes that people not saved will simply cease to exist (annihilationism), rather than spend eternity in Hell as some others who predict the Rapture say. Those who were “unsaved” and died prior to May 21 would not be affected by the Rapture or the end of the world[citation needed].
But in Matthew 24:36 the Bible tells us:
36But of that [exact] day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Amplified)
It’s not for us to try and predict when the end of the world is coming. It is for us to live our lives for Christ, and busy ourselves in his service, helping other–the widows, the incarcerated, the homeless, and the orphans. Which is to say that we should be helping those who are in need all around us. It is fruitless to spend one’s time trying to know the things that only God knows, and has not revealed. Even when Peter asked Jesus about the fate of John, Jesus spoke thusly, letting Peter know that it’s not even for us to know what will be our fellow man’s fate.
21When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? 22Jesus said to him, If I want him to stay (survive, live) until I come, what is that to you? [What concern is it of yours?] You follow Me 23So word went out among the brethren that this disciple was not going to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but, If I want him to stay (survive, live) till I come, what is that to you? John 21:23
Our elder gentleman Harold Camping has tried to figure out God before, and failed. Back in Sept of 1994. Personally, after having failed using mathematics, I would think that he’d give it a rest. Shamefully, he tries again. Some folks don’t understand that God ways are above our ways. God isn’t a grand version of a Rubic’s Cube or a master’s game of chess! God isn’t to be figured out as though God is some major puzzle or computer bug that merely needs more brain power to unlock! What we know of God is only what God has revealed to us, in Jesus Christ, in the Word and in the revelations of the prophets. What God tells us is not for us to know, we should just accept as unknowable unless and until God reveals them.
Yet “pastor” Camping probably figured that he got his calculations wrong the first time and may have been tweeking them all this time until he came to his new conclusions. Either that or he’s an elderly media whore. Harsh, I know, but think of all the harm he’s done to those who are babes in Christ. Think of the harm he’s done to those tottering agnostics. Think of the harm he’s done to those atheists who want to believe but just can’t! Unfortunately just because one is an elder, does not make him mature in Christ. Instead of being a great man of faith, he’s a elderly child in the things of God. To reach the age of 90 and still be on the level of trying to make himself equal with God shows a tragic lack of maturity.
So now the haters of God are having a field day–”rapture” parties, celebrations and such. They are reveling in what they perceive as a hit on God and on His followers. They are furiously mocking the Lord online. This pastor’s failure to predict the end is proof that there is no God for them, and that we Christians are utter fools. But I worry about those who are young in the things of God. I’m praying for them, hoping that they aren’t wavering because of this fiasco. I get the feeling, though, that some are falling by the wayside in humiliation. So has our elder Harold Camping served anyone but himself in all of this?
Unfortunately there are many wolves in sheeps clothing and sometimes they are harmless looking 90 year olds who claim to be proclaiming the Word of God. It appears that Mr Camping is a bible interpreter. That may not seem as bad as someone who burns bibles, or qurans, but think about the damage that can come from misinterpreting the Bible. All kinds of evil was justified in this world based on misinterpreting the Bible. I’m sure that Mr. Camping believed his interpretations, as he spent his life developing his doctrine. The truth is that sometimes, these folks don’t even know that they DON’T know–they are completely deceived, and they unwittingly take any who foolishly follow them down the wide road of deception.
Deception is a very dangerous thing. We should all pray to God that we don’t fall into it. That’s why we have to be willing to do our own wrestling with God. We have to individually seek after Him with all that is in us, and not rely on what any man tells us about Him.
1BELOVED, DO not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world. 1 John 4:1
Related articles
- Only the Father knows! (ilifejourney.wordpress.com)
- Dave Silverman Calls Out Harold Camping (friendlyatheist.com)
- Harold Camping Round-up (scotteriology.wordpress.com)
- Rapture 2011: Harold Camping’s Flock Prepares To Fly (huffingtonpost.com)
- Rapture: the end was not nigh, after all (telegraph.co.uk)
- Waiting for The Rapture (tikktok.wordpress.com)
- The Rapture according to Harold Camping (fellowshiproom.org)
Hey Anna! I believe the actions of Mr. Camping have help toward the harden of unbelievers hearts toward God…..the fool says in his heart there is no God and this is like icing on the cake for them.
Yes his actions have Ann! And it’s a shame too.
As I think of it, I believe what I read on the Friendly Atheist’s blog–that some of these people are really atheists pretending to be Christians so they can manipulate and milk money out of those Christians who don’t know the Bible.
What is truly sad is that this man has many followers and many in the secular world see Camping as the point man for evangelical Christians. There are unfortunately many charlatans in the Christian evangelical arena, it is ripe with them. Jesus spoke of the wheat and the chaff. Like your reference, Anna, of Mathew 24:36 is a prime example of what we need to be doing; in the word so we know what the truth is and what is false. Clearly Mr. Camping falls in to the latter category either by foolishness or with sinister intentions, who knows.
Welcome John! Yes, in our Bible study class this morning, we concluded that some folks are simply fools, like Nabal, and need to be treated that way. We shouldn’t disrespect them, but just ignore them.
Yes it seems that the evangelical arena IS the place where these charlatans can slither in and fit undetected for a season. I’m not so sure as to why, but I have my ideas about it.
I’m just thankful that I have the Word! I have my Bible and I study it regularly, until I understand what I’m reading! Until God reveals something to me! Until discernment comes. It’s a lifetime journey towards the heart of God.
I have read page after page of the fiasco that Mr. Camping caused. It pains my heart that not only has this man caused great confusion of which God is not the author of, but he has not learned his lesson. I enjoyed immensely your response to all the activity surrounding the NON event, as it were. I am very thankful that Jesus is the LORD of my life and it is to him I put my faith and trust. When I first heard of the so-called rapture occuring at 6pm throughout the world I had an immediate problem with that. Besides the obvious statements Jesus said about his return my problem with with the chronological time. The followers of Mr. Camping were so blinded by WANTING to believe God would snatch them from this world that they overlooked an obvious rational. When Jesus does return it is an event that will happen SIMULTANEOUSLY throughtout the ENTIRE world in an INSTANT. Mr. Campings followers did not see the huge flaw in his prediction. Do you mean to tell me that our omnipotent, omnisience, and omnipresent God has to rapture his church IN INCREMENTS just to satisfy the whims of someone who thinks their biblical arithmetic is sound? Mr. Camping tried so hard to get the numbers and calculations right and after they aligned themselves his pride, and lack of Spiritual guidance led him to make the same mistake again! I find it ironic that in all his calculations and assumptions that had he studied “JUST” a bit more in the Gospels he would have had a HUGE problem with Jesus’s miracle of feeding 5,000 people with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. The numbers in this case simply DO NOT ADD UP NEATLY! So here we are with the skeptics having a field day. I want to warn others that although Mr. Camping was TOTALLY, ABSOLUTELY, EMPHATICALLY WRONG! Please do not overlook the biblical cautions that TRUTHFULL predicted that Mr. Camping and others of his ilk WOULD DO exactly what was done this weekend. He was so adamant about predicting the end of the world that he failed to read that in all of his life-long efforts the bible predicted how wrong he would always be! I was sort of “wordy” but your fantastic article inspired me. May our Lord continue to Bless you and your endeavors fully.
“Do you mean to tell me that our omnipotent, omnisience, and omnipresent God has to rapture his church IN INCREMENTS just to satisfy the whims of someone who thinks their biblical arithmetic is sound? ” BINGO!!!!!
“I find it ironic that in all his calculations and assumptions that had he studied “JUST” a bit more in the Gospels he would have had a HUGE problem with Jesus’s miracle of feeding 5,000 people with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. The numbers in this case simply DO NOT ADD UP NEATLY! ” BINGO AGAIN!!!!!!
Wow! Those two observations very neatly put the lid on the coffin that is Harold Camping’s doctrine! God doesn’t need to add up mathematically to do His Works! He can work, and it doesn’t add up at all! His ways are faaaaarrrr above our ways, and his thoughts above our thought! If only we’d accept this, then half the world’s problems would disappear.
Hold the phone everybody!!!
Harold Camping wasn’t raptured. Here’s what he has to say….
“….We’re not going to be passing any more tracts or put up any more billboards or advertising in any way about judgment day – that’s all done. The world has been warned – WE DID OUR LITTLE SHARE AND BOY, DID THE MEDIA PICK IT UP. Now the world has been told that it’s under judgment….” (emphasis mine)
Well, there it is, right there folks!
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/family-radio-camping-world-end-october-21-2011-5#ixzz1NGumNnwn
Thank you for your encouraging remarks. Well, I knew he would try again! In a recent article he has had a press conference already and he stated that his calculations were OFF by FIVE MONTHS! The earth will end in the month of October. The spin that he put on the 21st non-event was Jesus had started his judgement of the world. All that are ever going to be saved have already been saved. He therefore has decided to play nothing but Christian music until October. I feel very sorry for Mr. Camping because it is my opinion that he is seriously mentally delusional in the clinical and spiritual sense. This man needs some type of attention and perhaps those of us who KNOW HOW to pray should ask God to intervene through the power of the Holy Spirit. This man is bound by the tactics, tricks, and troubles that only come from Satan. The job of Satan is basically to make God’s Word into a lie at the expense of our souls! God’s word says one thing, but Satan whispers into our hearts and minds,……”Well, that’s really not what God REALLY meant you know!” I am afraid this is what is going on in Mr. Camping and his followers minds. I DO beleive in the removal of the Church from this world. Many pundants ridicule this belief by pointing out the word, RAPTURE does not appear in the bible and because it does not then IT CANNOT OCCUR! Well, my, my, of course the word does not appear, but that does not delegitimize the event. There are bibilical verses that PLAINLY mention an event where a day will occur GLOBALLY, SIMULTANEOUSLY where some will be taken and some will not! Matthew 24:40-42…”Two men will be working together in the field; one will be TAKEN, the other LEFT. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be TAKEN, the other LEFT.o be prepared, because you DO NOT know what DAY your Lord is coming!” No where is the actual word RAPTURE mentioned in those verses. Christians that do understand the word STUDY, that appears in the scripture already know that. Because RATPURE does not actually appear as a word in the bible the haters of God and those that gleefully mock his Words the reality of the event is a RIDICULOUS NOTION and are having the time of their lives throwing it in our faces! Well golly gee! The word PORNOGRAPHY does not appear in scripture so does that delegitimize it’s realality and it’s extremly harmful effects in our lives? The word INCEST does not appear in scripture, but does that make it a non-issue? The term INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM does not appear in the bible, but does THAT means because it is not there God does not care? Of course the Word of God mentions the Harold Campings, and the scoffers and haters of God would arise in the later times. God exposed Harold Camping not for us to ridicule, but to earnestly pray that we do not fall into error and to KNOW that what he is doing has been already foretold. Harold Camping IS DECEIVED and DECEIVING his followers. He is giving ammunition to the haters of God and they are gleefully using it to mock us and God. As I conclude (wordy again, I apologize) consider this fact. Satan thinks he scored a major victory over te Kingdom of God by using Harold Camping as a TOOL FOR RIDICULE! Satan thinks he has convinced most people because of Camping that God, Jesus, and the bible are nothing more than fairy tales for the disillusioned in society. Yes, Satan has made people THINK that nothing will ever happen in regards to Christ returning, but for those of us that have TRUELY submitted ourselves to Jesus Christ as our LORD and saviour everything that happened this weekend is PROOF POSITIVE about the ACCURACY of God’s Word!