Judgment Day

So there is a really old guy, Harold Camping, who has predicted that the "Judgment Day" will take place on May 21, 2011. If you're reading this and you haven't seen me for awhile, please read Matthew 24 for the clue to what may have happened. And go to my house and let my dog out.

Some interesting thoughts about our "Family Radio" guy, Mr. Camping? First, he already predicted the end once, in September of 1994. He was wrong, I think. And while the Old Testament commands to stone a false prophet, we are all thankful for grace and forgiveness. He blamed his previous error on a miscalculation. No biblical prophet who was wrong had the opportunity to explain himself . . . or to make a second prediction. Suffice it to say that while I certainly wish him no harm, neither shall I place any stock in his subsequent predictions.

Second, his whole house of cards is built upon a very shaky card table (remember that Brady Bunch episode when the dog came in and knocked over the house of cards??)--the idea that the flood took place in 4990 BCE (Before the Common Era). Huh? When we go with extremely literal and conservative dates and times, we get a Flood which occurred about 1,500 years after Creation. Conservative young-earth creationists place Creation at about 4000 BCE. So the most conservative scholars put the Flood around 2,500 BCE. Camping gets his date from a series of questionable piecemeal-ling of texts which has little merit (the piecemeal-ling has little merit; the texts are inspired!!). His date (4990) is not held by serious Bible scholars.

The REASON that 4990 is so important is his insistence that Peter [(2 Peter 3:8) "But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."] is trying to tell us that the Judgment Day would come EXACTLY 7,000 years after the Flood (-4990+7,000=2010, but keep in mind there was no "year zero"= 2011). But Peter makes no such guarantee in his simile. He says that a thousand years is "as" a day, not that it is a day. And he is explaining why the people should STOP trying to make Christ's return fit into our human sense of timing--he's not trying to give a hint about the exact time!

Mr. Camping was wrong once before. Furthermore, we have doubt about his dates, and even more doubts about his interpretation of the Scriptures. I therefore reject out of hand his prediction. The Scriptures say in Matthew 24:36 that we should not even try to place a date on Christ's return. Mr. Camping is violating that directive.

However, bad predictions can often produce false security in the heart of naysayers.

While Mr. Camping's predictions should be dismissed, the fact remains that a Judgment Day is coming. Christ will return for His bride, the church. Everyone of us will give account for himself to God (Romans 14:12). And his return will come in the twinkling of an eye--when we least expect it--like a thief in the night.

So what will you do this weekend? Some gardening, maybe attend a wedding, or plan your summer vacation. Whatever you do, use every minute purposefully and continually reminding this world (and yourself) that God is King over his world. We are all living life in His universe and on His terms. Don't allow faulty dates and poor interpretation to rob you of the privilege of considering your ways, and living with a loving urgency that your time is indeed short. Number your days and hours and minutes as you consider this question:

When the Lord does return, what will he find me doing?