Someone with the label “Christian” has yet again predicted dates for Jesus’ return and the end of the world. Harold Camping, of Family Radio and Ebible Fellowship, has made known that May 21, 2011, is judgment day, and the end of the world will follow on October 21, 2011. How can the average “Joe Christian” know if such claims are worthy of serious consideration? If you were to take a look at the Ebible Fellowship explanation, you would see a lot of number crunching. That alone might raise the question, “Why have no other Christian scholars seen or used these same numbers?” If that made you wonder, then you might investigate Camping to see if there’s some reason why his numbers should be believed – if there’s some reason why he should be considered credible – as I did. You would soon find that Camping published a book in 1992 entitled 1994?, wherein he claimed that the end was coming in 1994. Credibility? Apparently not.
There is much more than that, however, to make anyone question Camping. In 2002 he announced the end of the church age and even edited out – unauthorized – references to churches by his paid advertisers. Camping holds that all churches are now apostate and that no Christian should go to a church. But in cult-like fashion, after telling everyone to walk away from their churches, he tells them to follow him and join a “leaderless” fellowship. Besides the cult-like nature of so many of Camping’s claims (with secret knowledge, marking the end of the world) and admonitions, Camping denies many basic and historical views. The church, for instance, is the bride of Christ and He will not forsake her (Matt 16:18). The church is not only all individual believers, but the visible church, which is a witness to the world and a place of love and growth for believers, amongst other things (Matt 2:6, 28:19-20; John 13:34-35; Acts 2:41-42, 6:1-6, 20:28; Rom 9:22-26; 2 Cor 6:16; and, Eph 1:3-10, 22-23, 2:19).
In addition to this, Camping “cannot produce from the Bible one single verse that actually teaches his view that there will come a time when ‘true’ or ‘spiritually minded’ Christians ought to abandon their local churches . . .” (p. 11, Duncan and Talbot). Of course, there is the oft-quoted statement of Jesus: “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son—except the Father only” (Matt 24:36). Simply beware of those who claim to know the day of Christ’s return or who ask you to forsake other believers so as to follow the “one who knows the actual truth,” and, above all, read your bible. Be like the Bereans who “examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11b).
Sources: Tom Breen, End of Days? Christian Group Spreads Word; J. Ligon Duncan and Mark Talbot, Camping’s Folly: A Response To Harold Camping’s Erroneous Teaching On The Church; Ebible Fellowship, Judgment Day! May 21, 2001 – The End of the World, October 21, 2011; and, GotQuestions.org, Is Harold Camping and Family Radio a Cult?.
Comments
Way to go Vicki. I agree with you.
I've also just linked your article to mine at the Philadelphia Christian Perspectives Examiner. It's entitled "May 2011: End of the world or the end of Harold Camping’s credibility (finally)?"
Thanks, Stephen! I'll check out your page, too.
The sad thing is people think that all Christians are this way, and paint us all the same..... talk about blind.....
I just wrote on thisvery subject! I was listening to his radio program and I heard him say no Christians should go to church. Then he began the whole judgement day bit. All I could do was mourn for his loyal callers that praised him for his insight and wisdom. Ugh! We can only pray for the lost and ask God to arrest their spirits according to truth, not made up stories that have no biblical standing.
My friends were telling me about the billboards that were in their home-state from this Ebiblefellowship guy. So I checked it out online. And then I googled them so I could know the truth. Thank you for this very informative piece. I am a Christian, and we grew up in a loving church that didn't choose to use scare tactics to brainwash people. I have never been baptized, my mother gave me that choice and I still do not choose to be. I do feel that loonies like this guy give the rest of us a very bad name.
Thank you, Anonymous! I'm glad I could help. I'm curious about your thoughts on baptism, though. I'm not Baptist (and that church does not reflect main-stream Baptists), but baptism is a very widely held "ordinance." This is from GotQuestions.org: "Protestants and Evangelicals see ordinances as symbolic reenactments of the gospel message that Christ lived, died, was raised from the dead, ascended to heaven, and will someday return. Rather than requirements for salvation, ordinances are visual aids to help us better understand and appreciate what Jesus Christ accomplished for us in His redemptive work. Ordinances are determined by three factors: they were instituted by Christ, they were taught by the apostles, and they were practiced by the early church. Since baptism and communion are the only rites which qualify under these three factors, there can be only two ordinances, neither of which are requirements for salvation.
Ordinances are generally understood to be those things Jesus told us to observe with other Christians. Regarding baptism, Matthew 28:18-20 says, "Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit . . . " (http://www.gotquestions.org/ordinances-sacraments.html). What do you think of this? I was baptized and I viewed it as a demonstration of my commitment to Christ. Thanks!
I knew this whole May 21st stuff was garbage! I mean in the bible it states he will come like a thief in the night. Now not being a thief myself I don't know but if it was me being a thief I wouldn't tell people I was coming ha ha. But jeez that group IS a cult.....I thought it was just a misguided person saying this but a real cult. Much like the 2012 cult it seems.
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