CG7 Brings up May 21, 2011

Harold Egbert Camping

In the May-June 2011 edition of its Bible Advocate, CG7-Denver’s Calvin Burrell brought up Harold Camping’s date:

What alarming situations in our world tend to rob you of peace and shackle you with worry? Are you fearful of being “left behind” at the rapture on May 21, 2011 — the date set with “infallible proof” by Family Radio of Oakland, California? Read Deuteronomy 31:6 and John 14:1-6…

“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).

According to Family Radio’s Harold Camping, Jesus will return on Pentecost May 21, 2011 and the world will end on October 21, 2011. Both dates will soon be shown to have been false (and that can be proven now–see Harold Camping’s Teachings About the End of the World Do Not Agree with the Bible and Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011, 2012, or 2013?).

Now here are the scriptures that Calvin Burrell suggested looking at:

6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:1-6)

While I agree that people should not be troubled by Harold Camping and his May 21, 2011 date, the following scriptures should also be considered:

22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:22).

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. (2 Peter 2:1-3).

Notice also the following:

On Sept. 6, 1994, dozens of Camping’s believers gathered inside Alameda’s Veterans Memorial Building to await the return of Christ, an event Camping had promised for two years. Followers dressed children in their Sunday best and held Bibles open-faced toward heaven.

But the world did not end. Camping allowed that he may have made a mathematical error. (Berton J. Biblical scholar’s date for rapture: May 21, 2011. January 1, 2010. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/01/BA8V1AV589.DTL&feed=rss.news).

I do not consider that Harold Camping is a real Christian and he has proven to be a false prophet. The world did not end in 1994, there will be no “rapture of the Church” in May 2011, and no one should base their life on following the dates of Harold Camping. He, and other false prophets, have caused the way of truth to be blasphemed.

Perhaps I should add that I received an email from someone who claims that Harold Camping is now predicting that a world catastrophe will occur on May 14th, 2011. Yet, since this did not specify what type of catastrophe, I suspect that Harold Camping might claim that some international event will fulfill that–so he may claim to be right no matter what. We will see, but either way he will be wrong about May 21, 2011.

Similar to others that I have considered to be “false prophets”, it is not that Harold Camping cannot accurately read scriptures out loud (Satan can do that Matthew 4:6), but like Satan, he often does not understand what they are supposed to mean in the light of other scriptures (Matthew 4). The fact that he, like other false preachers, frequently gets some correct points made does not mean that he is not a false prophet.

Additionally, as I posted a few days ago (see Harold Camping’s Followers Will See Part of Their Error in Two Weeks) the specific signs that according to Jesus in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 that need to happen before He returns have not taken place. Therefore, any one who actually relies on the prophecies in the Bible should not be swayed by Harold Camping’s insistence. All should also realize that he insisted basically the same thing about his date in 1994–and he was in error then as well. Those who insist that the world will end in 2012, based upon their interpretation of Mayan and other prophecies, will be shown to be wrong as well next year.

Yet, despite false predictions, Mayan prophecies, scoffers who are opposed to biblical prophecy, and the assertions of many, Jesus will return. And we are to look forward to His return as the Apostle Peter wrote. Jesus will return no earlier than 2018 (and probably later) as certain biblically-required steps have not yet happened (Daniel 9:27; cf. Matthew 24:15,21,29-30). But world events are aligning with what the Bible teaches about the end, it is just that more still need to be fulfilled before the civilization as we know it actually ends and Jesus returns.

Those who are interested in the truth about Harold Camping, Ronald Weinland (who even claims to be one of the two witnesses), Mayan prophecies, and when the Bible shows that Jesus can return, may wish to study the following articles:

Harold Camping’s Teachings About the End of the World Do Not Agree with the Bible Harold Camping teaches that the rapture will be on May 21, 2011 and the world will end on October 21, 2011. What does the Bible show?
What is the Appropriate Form of Biblical Interpretation? Should the Bible be literally understood? What do the writings of the Bible, Origen, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Augustine show?
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory.
Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected? What does the Bible really teach? Does the Church flee or is it taken up just prior to the great tribulation? Who really is left behind?
Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008 (first April 17th, then June 2008, now December 14, 2008). Why does the Bible show that Ron Weinland is a false prophet? He also has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the Church of God.
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011, 2012, or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012? How might the next pope be involved in 2012?
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?