Camping: False Prophet Once More?

A man named Harold Camping—a longtime Christian evangelist in his late 80s who has owned the “Family Radio” network originating in Northern California—is at it again. It really wasn’t that long ago when he proclaimed that the return of Jesus would take place in 1994.

I have one of his books titled 1994? where he predicted the “likely end of the world” between September 15-27,  1994. My grandfather, who passed away in the mid-1990s, was a Christian who followed Camping and watched him every night on TV. I know because, in 1993, my wife and I spent a week making our last visit to my grandparents.

“Eric,” I remember him telling me that summer, “Harold Camping is right on this one, just wait and see.”

Later, my grandfather sent me the last letters I ever received from him along with two books that  he had purchased from Camping. In his wring, Grandpa very clearly told me to pack my spiritual bags because the end was nigh. I just read through the letters again and am saddened that Camping misled this very  good man who merely wanted to do the right thing.

Today I picked up Camping’s book and reread some of my highlighted notes from 1994? While he  did couch some of his wording as “probably,” “may very well,” and “might be” the end of time, Camping was pretty straightforward in his book and left little room for being wrong.

For instance, on page 532 in the conclusion, he wrote. “The results of this study indicate that the month of September of the year 1994 is to be the time for the end of history.” (emphasis mine).On page 533, he wrote (and notice the definitive verbs), “By God’s mercy there are a few months left. However, if this study is accurate, and I believe with all my heart that it is, there will be no extensions in time. There will be no time for second guessing. When September 6, 1994, arrives, no one else can be saved. The end has come.” (emphasis mine)

Now Camping has predicted May 21, 2011 (my sister’s birthday will never be forgotten, I suppose) as the date for Christ’s rapture. Apparently there are many people who are condemned to repeat a mistake because they have forgotten history; after all, Deut. 13 and 18 both say that a prophet who’s wrong once before should not be considered authoritative.  We are instructed to reject his teaching!

Today you can go to the Camping web site www.wecanknow.com which reads in part, “This web site serves as an introduction and portal to four faithful ministries which are teaching that WE CAN KNOW from the Bible alone that the date of the rapture of believers will take place on May 21, 2011 and that God will destroy this world on October 21, 2011. Please take your time and browse through the teachings of Harold Camping, President of Family Radio.”

I do believe in the Second Coming, don’t misunderstand, But ladies and gentlemen, this man has been wrong once before. He is a deceiver. To teach this unique form of hermeneutic to make Bible prophecy something it was never intended to be is just wrong. My grandfather was severely disappointed when the end didn’t come at a specific time, as Camping had predicted. How many more people are going to be hurt next fall? How many may walk away from the faith due to a foolish and prideful prediction?

Sincerity: Will it really get you anything in the end?

I've been running into a number of people recently who have been using "sincerity" as a proof for truth. After all, if someone is sincere, is it really possible to say that this person is "wrong"? Couldn't it just be my limited perspective not allowing me to understand where others are coming from? 


A conversation I had last week with a fine Christian follower illustrates the point. His rationale is very common., going something like this: "What right do we have to say that someone from another country, say Papua, is not worshiping his gods to the best of his ability? Why would God not understand that such a person also belongs in heaven?"


I tried to explain that there are some Christians who hold to pluralism (also called universalism) that says everyone goes to heaven; others, like him, hold to inclusivism, which says those who are sincere in their beliefs are saved individuals; and those, like myself, who belief Truth is narrow are called exclusivists, meaning that only a true relationship with the God of this universe will suffice.


General revelation, as talked about in Psalm 19 and Romans 1, says that there are a number of ways God reveals Himself to people, such as through the conscience and nature, for example. Special revelation is God's Word, which God revealed to help people understand how we can know what God's mind really is all about. I don't like to get too deep into the "judgment" of the fellow in Papua. When I'm witnessing and this is brought up, I normally say, "I don't like to speculate about people in faroff lands, but let's talk about you and me since we have the Bible and therefore the knowledge of what is true." 


I just don't buy the "sincerity" card, though. I know many who are most sincere in their beliefs. For example, a Muslim man whom I've met with annually for more than a dozen years is an excellent example. Dr. Talabeshi is from Syria, a most devout and sincere follower of Muhammad. In addition, I have a Jewish friend--Rabbi Rosenthal--whom I've known for more than a decade and even had a chance a few years ago to speak at his synagogue. He could very well be more sincere than I. I have personally known Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientologists, a pagan witch doctor (met him in the Philippines), and yes, even Mormons; none of them could ever be accused of lacking sincerity. Heck (that's a common phrase here in Utah), I have even known very sincere Atheists. Does that mean that the Atheists' sincerity could mean--at least for them--that there is no God and they don't fall under judgment?


I wonder, will the sincerity of any of these good folks get them anything in the end? My friends, I can be quite sincere that gravity doesn't exist, but I dare you to go ahead and jump from a 20-story building to test my theory. You might agree with me, but your sincerity will become meaningless the second you take that giant step out the window. We can expand the examples, whether it's my sincerity that dog poop is good for human consumption to my insistence that a computer virus should be put into every computer because this improves performance.


I'm sorry, but I just can't buy that sincerity counts for anything. Yes, truth--such as gravity or Jesus as the only way to God--is narrow. That's just the way it is. I didn't make up the rules. But I'm going to live by them.