“Quit your job! Sell your home! Repent from your sins! Jesus is coming on May 21, 2011.”
This is what radio preacher Harold Camping predicts, the nearly-90-year-old owner of a network of stations he calls "Family Radio." Camping once belonged to a traditional church. He then decided all churches are corrupt and people should leave whatever congregation they're in and listen only to him because only his interpretation of Scripture is true. Can someone say, “cult?”
It is not uncommon to hear certain people predict the end of the world. Politicians and political activists frequently declare the end of the world will occur if their candidate isn't elected, or if the debt ceiling isn't raised. Some conservative Christians think the end is on the way because of behavior and practices they judge immoral. But in some way, we continue on and when "doomsday" passes, the prognosticators live to predict Armageddon on another day.
Camping paid for a full-page color ad in USA Today, proclaiming May 21, 2011 as the day the world will end. Note: Wouldn’t you know that happens to be my late wife’s birthday! She would have been 56! I wonder if she swayed Jesus in heaven to come and rapture the church on her birthday? Just a thought!
Now according to the biblical standard, a prophet must always be right to be a spokesman for God (Deut. 18:20-22). Camping falls considerably short of that standard because he has previously declared the world would end on other days, though the last time he left the door open, saying, "I could be wrong." At least that "prophecy" came true.
Some may remember the late Jeane Dixon who fancied herself a psychic. She made many predictions that went unfulfilled. The one prediction that did come true was President John F. Kennedy's assassination and that lucky "prophecy" made her an international celebrity. I guess if one sticks with it long enough, something is bound to come true.
A prominent contemporary "prophet" is Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He claims he got word from Allah that he -- Ahmadinejad -- has been chosen to help end the world by making war on Israel at which time the 12th imam will reveal himself and create a worldwide caliphate. He also claims there are no homosexuals in Iran. How true is that?
Camping ignores what Jesus said about not setting dates (Matt. 24:36). When asked about the end of the age (see Matthew 24), Jesus said wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, nation rising against nation and a lot of other bad stuff would come first. All of these are part of the daily news. But then he said these things are just "the beginning."
Jesus then said His followers would be afflicted, even killed; they will betray and hate one another, many false prophets will arise and the "Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come." That last part hasn't yet occurred, though people who study such things say they see signs of it approaching.
I'm not expecting the end to come this Saturday, May 21, 2011. That's because of something else Jesus said. He said he would return when people "least expect it" (Luke 12:40). By that standard, Mr. Camping is wrong because he expects the end to come this Saturday. And so it won't.
I am still wondering though, should I still prepare my sermon for Sunday?
