How Should We Respond to Harold Camping’s Failed Prediction?

I have previously blogged about Harold Camping’s failed predictions concerning the day of Christ’s return. The Bible is extremely clear that no one can know the day or the hour of the Lord’s return (Matthew 24:36), and it also reveals that He will return like a “thief” in the night (Revelation 3:3)—meaning that His return will be a surprise in terms of timing.

Many people have denounced Camping’s claims and his bizarre interpretive scheme. Thankfully, many Christian leaders have also spoken out against these predictions. This has not stopped the atheists from mocking Bible-believing Christians. So-called “Rapture Parties” are being hosted around the country this evening. Just as 2 Peter 3 predicts, these scoffers will always mock the notion of the Second Coming, so let them mock. They are simply fulfilling Peter’s words written nearly 2000 years ago.

My main concern is how Christians respond to Harold Camping’s predictions. Do you feel like mocking him or those who have been duped by him? Are you concerned about the spiritual state of those who will be devastated when Jesus does not return today? Is there anything in your own life that gives skeptics reason to mock Jesus Christ?

I know I have plenty of my own problems that I need to work on. I call myself a Christian because I have repented of my sins and trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. I know I am a sinner and could not save myself. I needed the Lord to save me. I am supposed to be like Him and by my actions I am supposed to show the world what He is like. Oh, how often have I fallen so short of this mark!

Although it is trendy to make fun of Camping’s predictions and those who have fallen for them, Christians have a higher calling. We are supposed to model Christ-like behavior at all times. This means that we correct those who are in error (e.g., we point out the errors in Camping’s predictions), but we also gently restore those who are in error (Galatians 6:1) rather than poking fun of them.

Today is another opportunity to show and tell an unbelieving world who Jesus is. How are you spending this day that He has given you? Are you wasting it or making fun of those who have fallen for a fanciful and misguided interpretation of the Bible?

Camping and his followers have shown that they truly believe Jesus will return today and many have made life-changing decisions based upon that belief. As Christians, we claim to believe in the risen Lord who will return someday (perhaps soon). What are you doing to make sure the good news of Jesus Christ is both seen in your life and heard by those you meet? Even though Jesus will probably not return today, we still need to live each day as though it may be our last.

Remember, 2 Peter 3 also tells us we should be holy and godly as we look forward to the day of the Lord:

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:10–13, NKJV)

It’s the End of the World as We Know it…or Not

It has become extremely popular for groups to select a date as the alleged day of Christ’s return. For example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses picked 1914 as the year the world would end. When that didn’t happen, they chose 1925. Guess what? It didn’t happen.

William Miller predicted 1843 would see the return of Christ. When it didn’t occur, he picked 1844, which eventually came to be known as the Great Disappointment to his followers (many of Miller’s followers became members of adventist groups).

More recently, Edgar Whisenant published a book entitled Why the Rapture will Be in 1988. The book was quite popular until 1988 came and went without the Rapture.

Each of these groups had some things in common. They all used the Bible and some fanciful formulas in trying to predict the timing of Christ’s return, and they all failed. According to Deuteronomy 18:20–22, they are false prophets and their predictions should not be heeded. You would think people would learn from the past mistakes of others, but it looks as if history is going to repeat itself this weekend.

Harold Camping of Family Radio published a book entitled 1994?, in which he made the following claims:

Repeatedly the year 1994 A.D. [sic] appears to be a likely candidate for the year of the end of history.

Select any year other than 1994 and then try to find Biblical support for that year.

We must conclude that the return of Christ will not be 2011 A.D. [sic] but some years before this. [2011 was a year Camping had considered in his book 1994?]

Obviously, Camping’s predictions failed. Like William Miller and the Jehovah’s Witnesses mentioned above, Camping has selected a new date. Now according to this false prophet, Christ will come back on May 21, 2011 (only 5 days from the publication of this article). Yep, you read that correctly. He now predicts the Second Coming will be in 2011, which just happens to be the very year he said Christ would not return in his book 1994?.

Why would anyone listen to this guy? He has already shown himself to be a false prophet, and according to his own words in 1994? he is without authority and without wisdom. In that book, he wrote:

Each predicted date passed by and the world continues to exist right up to the present day. Thus the prophets who made the predictions have been shown to be without authority and without wisdom.

It would be far better for those who are tempted to make these types of predictions to listen to the words of Jesus. Speaking about His return, Jesus stated, “But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). If only God knows the timing of Christ’s return, then I’m pretty sure we can rule out that Harold Camping knows the day.

It is true that in the surrounding context, Jesus did mention some signs which would precede His return, and many of those seem to be occurring in our world today. (Read Matthew 24 and 25 for more details. Notice that His disciples asked in v. 3 about when the destruction of Jerusalem would be and what would be the sign of His coming and of the end of the age. Jesus’ response throughout Matthew 24 and 25 addresses those questions.)

We may very well be in the times Jesus spoke of, but I would certainly never pick a day for His return and mislead people. If I did, it would be a rejection of the clear words of Christ.

No matter how well-intentioned these folks may have been (and I have my doubts if all are well-intentioned), they end up looking foolish and many times make Christians look foolish. They also hurt a lot of people who have fallen for their false predictions. I hope and pray that those who think Camping is right will not look at May 21, 2011 as the Great Disappointment and blame God. Instead, I hope they will look to God and His Word for guidance rather than the false prophet(s) who misled them.

I’m going to go out on a Redwood-thick limb here and predict that Jesus will not return on May 21, 2011. If He does, I’ll be happy to be wrong because I am looking forward to that day. But based on what the Bible teaches, I should be more concerned with obeying Him than setting dates for His return that are based on poor hermeneutics and an outright rejection of His words.