False Prophet?

Harold Camping is the president of Family Radio, who has a network of Christian radio stations around the country. About 17 years ago, Camping wrote a book entitled “1994?” in which Mr. Camping predicted that the second coming of Jesus would occur in 1994. Camping was unapologetic in this wrong prediction then, and afterward. Recently, Camping has been posting billboards around the country like the one shown above. Camping has also come out with several publications announcing the exact date of Jesus return is May 21, 2011.

In Matthew 24: 36-37, Jesus specifically tells us who is the only one that knows the day of his return:

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

Camping is ignoring our Lord’s instruction in this matter. Camping joins a host of many previous prognosticators who have falsely predicted Jesus’ return (like the Jehovah’s Witnesses numerous times, and the Millerites in 1844, just to name a few). The Bible also warns us in various places that false teaching would come from within the church. Therefore, we are to especially be on our guard against any teaching that originates from within the church that does not agree with scripture. While most of the people and programs contained on Family Radio may be alright, it is clear that Mr. Camping’s teaching is not alright.

If Mr. Camping will not heed the Lord’s statement that we would not know the day nor hour of his return, I suspect that Camping will have to answer for the results of his false predictions to the Lord himself someday.

Dr. W. Robert Godfrey of Westminster Seminary in California has a more detailed series on Harold Camping’s personal history at the link below:

http://wscal.edu/blog/entry/the-end-of-the-world-according-to-harold-camping-part-1
http://wscal.edu/blog/entry/the-end-of-the-world-according-to-harold-camping-part-2
http://wscal.edu/blog/entry/harold-camping-and-the-end-of-the-word-part-3
http://wscal.edu/blog/entry/harold-camping-and-the-end-of-the-word-part-4
http://wscal.edu/blog/entry/harold-camping-and-the-end-of-the-word-part-5