Just a few minutes ago I learned by way of a New York Times news article   
   entitled "Make My Bed? But You Say the World's Ending" that some   
   self-proclaimed "prophet" by the name of Harold Camping has claimed that   
   Jesus Christ will return on Saturday, May 21, 2011, the Rapture will occur,   
   and then during the next five months, after true Bible-believing Christians   
   have been spirited from the Earth, the world is going to be bombarded with   
   plagues, earthquakes, wars, famine and other calamities, before it meets its   
   final destruction in October of this year.   
      
   My gosh . . . here we go again! Being quite familiar with the prophecies of   
   the Books of Daniel and Revelation, as well as with the prophecies of Jesus   
   Christ that are found in the Gospels, and with additional prophecies that   
   are found in a few of the Epistles, I fully understand the current   
   end-of-the-world hype. However, based on my personal understanding of said   
   prophecies, I firmly believe that Harold Camping is dead wrong in his   
   assertions, and that he is seriously misleading his followers by way of his   
   erroneous broadcasts on his Family Radio Network.   
      
   According to the article in question, Mr. Camping has won thousands of   
   converts across the United States since he first began making his   
   end-of-the-world predictions. The power of his doomsday message is such,   
   that it has resulted in serious divisions occurring between members of the   
   same family; that is, between those family members who embrace Mr. Camping's   
   claims, and those who don't.   
      
   What I find so sad about this situation, is that similar to what I wrote in   
   my 2007 series "Sorry . . . Jesus Is Not Coming At Any Moment!", this is not   
   the first time that Harold Camping has made such a prediction. The article   
   states that Camping made a similar prediction in 1992, when he claimed that   
   Christ would return in 1994. Well, obviously, we all know how that went. I'm   
   still here; are you?   
      
   Now, as a Bible-believing Christian who has been reading and studying God's   
   Word for over forty years, I too believe that everything that is stated in   
   the Scriptures will indeed come to pass in God's chosen time, but I honestly   
   do not believe that the time is now, as Harold Camping claims. If you want   
   to better understand why I say this, then I encourage you to read some of my   
   articles which deal with the topic of eschatology -- that is, Endtime   
   prophecies and the end of the world -- that are found on our Endtime   
   Prophecy Net website.   
      
   One would think that rational people would stop and think to themselves,   
   "Hey, this man has been wrong before, so why should I trust him now?"; yet   
   in spite of this fact, Mr. Camping's Family Radio Network broadcasts have   
   still attracted thousands of followers, including what one would think to be   
   hard-working, clear-headed American parents.   
      
   As I fully explain in my articles, the Bible is filled with verses which   
   warn us of false prophets. In fact, it even tells us how we are to respond   
   to such false prophets. Consider the following verses:   
      
   "But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I   
   have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other   
   gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall   
   we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in   
   the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the   
   thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it   
   presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him."   
   Deuteronomy 18:20-22, KJV   
      
   "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by heir means; and   
   my people love to have it so: and what will e do in the end thereof?"   
   Jeremiah 5:31, KJV   
      
   "For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not ent them, saith   
   the LORD."   
   Jeremiah 29:9, KJV   
      
   "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but   
   inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do   
   men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree   
   bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A   
   good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring   
   forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn   
   down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."   
   Matthew 7:15-20, KJV   
      
   "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many . . . For there   
   shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs   
   and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very   
   elect."   
   Matthew 24:11, 24, KJV   
      
   "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and   
   wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect."   
   Mark 13:22, KJV   
      
   "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves   
   into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed   
   into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also   
   be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be   
   according to their works."   
   2 Corinthians 11:13-15, KJV   
      
   "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being   
   deceived."   
   2 Timothy 3:13, KJV   
      
   "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after   
   their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching   
   ears;"   
   2 Timothy 4:3, KJV   
      
   "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be   
   false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even   
   denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift   
   destruction."   
   2 Peter 2:1, KJV   
      
   "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of   
   God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."   
   1 John 4:1, KJV   
      
   In conclusion, while I do not doubt Harold Camping's sincerity as a   
   Bible-believing Christian, as I said, I do believe that he is in serious   
   error by claiming that Jesus Christ will return on May 21, 2011 -- at which   
   time the Rapture will occur -- and that the unbelieving world will then   
   experience five months of calamities -- or God's Judgements -- before it   
   comes to an end in October of this year.   
      
   Harold Camping is simply a misguided man; and I can't help but think that   
   rather than advance the cause of Christ, his erroneous teachings are going   
   to do the exact opposite. In other words, when his predictions fail to   
   materialize beginning on May 21, 2011, it will result in even more people   
   hardening their hearts, mocking our faith, and being harder to reach with   
   the Gospel of Salvation. With good reason the Apostle Peter wrote the   
   following:   
      
   "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,   
   walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his   
   coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were   
   from the beginning of the creation."   
   2 Peter 3:3-4, KJV   
      
   Mr. Camping, I hope that you are prepared to be publicly humiliated, and   
   that you are willing to take your place along side of the many other   
   end-of-the-world false prophets who have come before you. Didn't American   
   Christians learn anything from the year 2,000 fiasco?   
      
   Oh wait . . . doesn't the Mayan Calendar predict that the world will end on   
   December 21, 2012? For my thoughts on that issue, please refer to my   
   three-part series entitled "2012 - New Age Deception And Psychobabble".   
      
   I'll see you on the othe side of May 21, 2011.   
      
      
      
   Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23   
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