Father George's Post Rapture Party

One of my friends is throwing a “Post Rapture” party on May 22, 2011. I think it is hilarious! If I lived a bit closer to Bristol, PA, I’d definitely attend.

What he is referring to is Harold Camping’s prediction that Judgment Day will take place on May 21, 2011—a whole year before the Mayan Calendar ends. The problem is: Camping should know better.

Camping, the Founder and CEO of Family Stations, Incorporated, runs the well known and highly franchised Family Radio Stations. A civil engineer, who never had any formal seminary or theological training, is known for his deep voiced Bible teaching over the airwaves. His most popular show, “Open Forum” is a call-in program providing the opportunity for people to ask questions about the Bible, doctrine and theology. Often the questions asked are not the ones answered; he has a knack of turning the questions into some unrelated theological point, not listening to the caller, hanging up on him or her and saying, “let’s take our next call, welcome to Open Forum.”

For years Camping has been a date setter. In the early 1990’s, he revealed a study that he had been conducting for many years, pointing to the end of the world on or about September 7, 1994. He formed a new Church body, “the Reformed Bible Church” that assisted in heralding (no pun intended) in the End. When it didn’t happen, he made no comment about it, no apology, no reference to it.

A few years ago, Camping basically stated that he misinterpreted what happened in 1994. It wasn’t the end of the world—it was the end of the church. And so, he’s called people to leave their churches because, in his opinion, the Church is “apostate.” Instead, families are encouraged to gather around the radio in their homes and let Family Radio minister to them on Sunday mornings. They even came out with their own hymnal that you can mail away for. All of the speakers, who used to be referred to as “pastors” have lost their ecclesiastical titles and are now simply referred to as “brother.”

Camping’s numerological tinkering is very complex, garnering information from throughout the Bible, using a strange hermeneutic of “reading the Bible very carefully. Much of his interpretation is allegorical, though he is a wooden literalist at other times. For instance, I once heard him compare one of Paul’s shipwrecks to the Church falling away. Christians are left in the water without a boat. Some funky Baptismal formula? Nope. But only Family Radio has the ring buoys to rescue those who were once in the Church. He disdains commentaries, yet he provides his own, not seeing a discrepancy with such practice.

Evidently he’s been recalculating his error, and now is convinced that Jesus is returning a week from Saturday. Dang. Why couldn’t it have been before April 15 when I had to fork over all my savings to the IRS?

Not to make light of this—this is a serious problem.

The Church has always believed, taught and confessed that Jesus is returning. This is the culmination of our faith and we speed the Day by sharing the Good News. So we’re not arguing the point that the world will one day end. It will, or our faith would be in vain, just as if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead. Praise God, He did!

The problem comes with setting dates. People that set dates, including Camping, haven’t read their Bible very carefully. For it is forbidden. Jesus says a couple of things about this. First, people of Jesus’ day wanted to know “when” this day would come. Remember, the Jewish folk believed in a Resurrection, too. So the idea of the end of the world was nothing new for them. Now they want to know. Jesus reply? “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it but the sign of the Prophet Jonah.” (Matthew 12:39) Whoa! Jesus forbids figuring these things.

Right before Jesus ascends the Disciples ask Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” (Acts 1:7)

And, here’s the clincher verse, Matthew 24:But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son but My Father only.

Sooo…. What Mr. Camping (that’s what he wants to be called) is saying is that he knows more than the angels and Jesus, according to His State of humiliation. Hmmm…. I think I’d call that…… arrogant! (It is interesting that in his book 1994? Camping makes the point that we can’t know day or hour, but we can figure out “month and year.” I’d say that’s stretching Jesus point like a rubber band that snaps as it breaks).

One of my friends says, “Jesus can’t come back that day…” for obvious reasons. I say, “well, He can, but it would be in spite of, not because of Camping’s predictions.

So, what are we to do?

First, it is a good time to study what it is that we believe concerning the End Times. It may be a good topic for your pastor to teach.

Second, we must remember that all prophecy and the entirety of the Scriptures are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, not in the Newspaper headlines. Already some are abuzz with trying to squeeze Osama’s death into their prophetic puzzle.

Third, remember the reason the Lord tells us about the end times: It’s to give us hope. That’s it! Not to figure it out, not to have it take over all other theology as so many permit today. It’s to assure us that we are the Lord’s and that as His elect nothing can snatch us out of His hands.

Fourth, get in your car and drive to my friend, Father George’s house in Bristol on May 22 and I’ll meet you there. We’ll raise a glass to Camping who will, undoubtedly, come up with some other explanation about the Biblical stars not lining up properly. And, once again, I’ll have to pay my taxes next April 15…