Oops I did it again

Let’s imagine that it’s the year 1994 and someone named Harold Camping of Family Radio says he knows the day of Jesus return somewhere between September 15-17. And he gets it wrong, would you listen to him the next day for a new date?
Camping said Sept. 6 1994 would end the tribulation period - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT0Y2lxe00I

Well its now 16 years later, and at the age of 89  he has predicted May 21, 2011 and many are listening to him instead of a real prophet - 2 Peter 2:1: “But there were also false prophets among the people.”

With Billboards, signs on cars, on Internet sites, on the radio and TV  many are putting stock in Camping's proclamation.
Harold Camping’s prediction for May 21 is more than a foolish prediction. Using allegorical mathematic equations from the Bible (some call numerology) he has made his calculation of the day. Camping believes that what he has been doing for many years is biblical.

Well I’m not going to bore you with a refute of all his “Bible mathematics” and conclusions, but only go back to his original 1994 prediction. Camping interpreted John 21:1-14 with his numerology; “Jesus tells the disciples who were about 200 cubits out in the Sea of Galilee to throw their net on the right side of the boat. The result was a catch of 153 fish. According to Camping the Scriptures are teaching that the 200 cubits repre­sent about 2,000 years between the first and second comings of Christ. On the next page of his book he explains, “the number 153 equals 3 times 3 times 17: “The number three signifies the purpose of God whereas the number seventeen sig­nifies heaven. Thus we can learn that [the] purpose of God is to bring all believers that are caught’ by the Gospel into heaven” (p. 504, 1994).

Some say: just because he was wrong then does not mean he will be wrong again. Really?
Camping believed the time of the Great Tribulation started in 1988 and lasted from May 21, 1988 to September 7, 1994 or 2300 days. That no one could be saved anywhere in the world during this period. The church age ended. How many of you have been saved after 1994?
I say; with Bible teaching like this when can he EVER be right?

Camping refers to Amos 3:7; insinuating he is a prophet. Well there are two kinds of prophets, usually when one is found wrong they are not consulted as a true prophet. Only those with the spirit of error adhere to false prophets.

He has been wrong before and did not repent of his date and yet people still want him to be right. You see that by setting a new date shows no repentance…

Camping is bringing shame to the true church, he is making a mockery of Christ’s statements and allowing us to be the target of ridicule by unbelievers.  This should at least make the remnant that is aware of false prophets and teachers pause, in a moment of soberness understand the harm this all brings to the cause of the gospel.

How many others spoke of knowing the time in some way and were wrong. A quick refresher of some of the more infamous ones:

William Miller of the 7th day Adventists Elder White, their leader, engaged in preaching three different set times for the Lord to come:1843, 1844, 1845: “I found myself happy in the faith that Christ would come about the year 1843” (Life Incidents, p.72).
Then of 1844, he says: “I stated my conviction that Christ would come on the tenth day of the seventh Jewish month of that year [1844].” pp. 166, 167).
“It is well known that many were expecting the Lord to come at the seventh month, 1845. That Christ would then come we firmly believed. A few days before the time passed, I was at Fairhaven and Dartmouth, Mass., with a message on this point of time.” ('A Word to the Little Flock,' by James White, p. 22.)
Prophetess Mrs. White had 1843 and 1844. She says: “With carefulness and trembling we approached the time when our Saviour was expected to appear.” Then she tells her disappointment. (Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 48. and: “Our hopes now centered on the coming of the Lord in 1844.” (p. 53.)

Not since William Miller and the Millerite’s climbing up a hill waiting for the rapture have we had such scandalous publicity.

The Jehovah Witnesses: “In this chapter we present the Bible evidence proving that the full end of the times of the Gentiles, i.e., the full end of their lease of dominion, will be reached in A.D. 1914; and that that date will be the farthest limit of the rule of imperfect men. At that date the kingdom of God will obtain full, universal control, and that it will then be “set up”, or firmly established, in the earth, on the ruins of present institutions” (The time is at Hand, 1907, p. 76-77)

“In view of this strong Bible evidence concerning the times of the Gentiles, we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the kingdom of God, will be accomplished at the end of A.D. 1914. Then….the whole earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord-with knowledge, and righteousness, and peace…” (The time is at Hand, 1907, p. 99)

Pentecostal William Branham “That this age will, end around 1977. … (The Message To The Laodicean Age). Camping makes the same mistake Branham did who said, “I still maintain this prediction after thirty years because, Jesus DID NOT say no man could know the year, month, week or day in which His coming was to be completed. So I repeat, I sincerely believe and maintain as a private student of the Word, along with divine inspiration that 1977 ought to terminate the-World systems and usher in the millenium” (Seven Church Ages.)

A small snapshot should be sobriety on those drunk on the math of pres. Harold, this should stop them from “Camping out.”

Why is it the whole world knows this is wrong but professing Christians who should know better do not? Its called refusing the love of the truth.

We are told by Peter that prophecy “knowing this first, that NO prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, (2 Peter 1:20), not one part. Camping says it is, He alone discovered, figured (or invented, depending which side your on) this date.

Matt 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
Jesus is emphatic- the Father ONLY”. And he never said the timing would be revealed to man latter. There are general signs of the day approaching – Jesus spoke of a season, the PRECISE time would not be foretold to anyone.

Matt 24:44: “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
May 21 is definitely a time (an hour) that numerous people believe (incorrectly) that Jesus will return for His church. And so are the other 364 days of the year that false prophets pick.  I'm afraid this will be another date like his other date, and he will go down in history as so many others have being wrong. 

After this day passes we will understand that Harold Camping and his ardent followers only served Satan's purposes to bring confusion to the doctrine of the return of the Lord and deceived believers. Camping obviously does not know that he is being led by the anointed angel as a prop in setting the stage for the developing great delusion.

 What Camping has done is accelerate the apostasy for all those who listened to this nonsense. What will become of them is sure; they will be depressed and confused that he was wrong.
Because of the apostasy and the events taking place in the world it affirms that we are entering the season Jesus spoke of, Matt 24:11-12 “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

How long God will let the remnant be among the apostasy we cannot know. All we can know is that things will get worse in the world and also the overall church thanks to Camping and others who have no regard for the meaning of “The Word”.

To a true prophet God says, “So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Sam. 3:19). In other words they were fulfilled, they did not fail.
Unto the false prophets God spoke “And the prophets become wind, for the word is not in them” (Jer. 5:13)

What will you say the day after?

Will Camping’s answer be a repeat of Edgar Whisenant who predicted the rapture in September 1988, in his booklet 88 Reasons Why the Rapture is in 1988 and then claimed “Only if the Bible is in error am I wrong.”

We can be accurate to say that his date WILL NOT be the end of the world as Camping calculated but will be the end of his career as a mathematical prophet.

Micah 3:6: “Therefore you shall have night without vision, and you shall have darkness without divination; the sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be dark for them.”

What will you say the day after?