It is past 6:00 in Australia
Harold Camping claimed that the Bible “guarantees” that Christ would rapture his people this day by 6:00 pm (beginning at the International Date Line). He claimed that the surface of the earth would be littered by the bones and other remains of the dead as all the graves on the planet would be emptied of their remains. Mass chaos would ensue. Well, Australia, Asia, and Europe have already sped past 6:00 pm May 21.
That it did not happen is no surprise to those who read the Bible responsibly. Camping, an engineer, treats the Bible as a mathematical equation to be solved. For two thousand years of church history the time of Christ’s return remained locked away in mystery until Camping put the pieces together. It is sad that Camping has so deluded himself. It is sadder still that many others have willingly been misled.
Now we are left to pick up the pieces. Camping will go on (although, considering his age…). He will almost surely not repent. He will more than likely reveal one small detail that he failed to calculate. But what do we say to the mockers who will now see anyone who claims the name of Jesus, reveres the Word of God, and believes in the sure return of Christ as a Camping-like crackpot?
Let us remember that the Scriptures promise that Christ will return for his church. And it is a grievous mockery to deny this. 2 Peter 3:3-4 says:
Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”
One thing that characterizes the godless is a denial of Christ’s return and the coming judgment. It is tragic that Harold Camping and his willing followers have now added fuel to the mocker’s fire. They have given the godless one more reason not to believe.
Make no mistake. Harold Camping is a false prophet and his reward will be that of the false prophet. The responsibility of God’s people is to confront men like Camping and their lies. It is not enough to be nice. It is not enough to cling to mere Christianity. We must actively confront error. We must be willing to be called harsh if that is what it takes to identify falsehood. Our neighbors deserve our best efforts to make both the truth and errors clear.
