Update: Camping's predictions concerning May 21 failed. The following article explains why Camping's predictions failed: Link
Last week I posted a picture of a local billboard advertisement that proclaims “Judgment Day” will occur on May 21, 2011. I’ve reposted the picture again in case you have not seen it. Link
The billboard advertisement encourages people to check out Family Radio’s website. Family Radio is run by a man named Harold Camping, who is the man primarily responsible for the speculation concerning May 21, 2011.
The billboard advertisement states that May 21, 2011 is “Judgment Day”. “Judgment Day” is a broad term that could be used to describe multiple End Times events, so to clear up any confusion, here is a quote from Camping's book (which is found on Family Radio’s website) that proves the term “Judgment Day” is meant to describe the Rapture in this context:
As further proof that this date, May 21, 2011, is the date of the rapture… [1]
This is not the first time that Camping has made a public prediction about the date of the Rapture. Camping predicted that the Rapture would occur on September 6, 1994 and even waited with a gathering of followers for the Rapture to take place on that date. The Rapture failed to transpire on that day, but Camping’s failure did not dissuade him from making another public prediction concerning the date of the Rapture.
I mentioned last week that I hoped to soon have a critique of Camping’s prediction about the date of the Rapture... Today I finally provide you my critique of Camping’s latest prediction.
To preface his prediction, Camping claims that people can know the exact time when the Day of Judgment/Rapture will come. For instance, Camping wrote the following in an article discussing his latest Rapture prediction (Camping's article has Amos 3:7 in bold) [2]:
However, the Holy Bible tells us that Holy God is a God of great mercy, compassion and love. That is why He has given us in advance of the destruction the exact time of the Day of Judgment. The Bible tells us in Amos 3:7:
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but He revealeth his secret unto His servants the prophets.
Consequently we now can know from the Bible the exact time and many details of God’s destruction plan that is to come upon the whole world.
Camping’s brash statement in the passage above challenges Christ’s statement that in Mathew 24:36:
- Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Camping insists that the Rapture will take place on May 21, 2011, but let’s see whether Camping’s teaching regarding May 21, 2011 can pass the biblical test.[i]
May 21, 1988 to May 21, 2011
One way Camping arrived at the date May 21, 2011 was to construct a timeline that utilized the year 1994 as a key date. Camping claims that 1994 was a Jubilee Year that separated two distinct time periods of the great tribulation that precedes the Rapture (more about this shortly).
- The idea that 1994 was a Jubilee Year is very significant for Camping because he believes it was the first one since the reestablishment of Israel.[3] Given the importance of the year 1994 to Camping, it is not too surprising that Camping chose to use the year 1994 as a dividing point in his timeline.
The problem with using the year 1994 is that it was not a Jubilee Year. The timeline that I devised to account for several Jubilee Years and Sabbath Years mentioned in Bible and in historical sources indicates that the year 1994 was neither a Sabbath Year nor a Jubilee Year.
- According to my calculations, the first Jubilee Year since the reestablishment of Israel began in fall 1978. Given this finding, I do not believe it matters a lot if a potential End Times Jubilee Year is the first one or second one since the reestablishment of Israel.
Camping’s “Great Tribulation”
For sake of argument, let’s assume for a moment that 1994 was a Jubilee Year. Does Camping’s teachings concerning the great tribulation make it (biblically) possible to utilize the year 1994 to calculate a May 21, 2011 Rapture date? Let’s find out…
Camping developed the concept of a 23 year or 8,400 day great tribulation period with two distinctive parts by basically taking numbers he felt had spiritual/symbolic significance and multiplying them together in a highly subjective way. Before I critique the concept of a 23 year great tribulation period here is an overview of what Camping teaches concerning the great tribulation period.
Camping teaches that the “first part” of the great tribulation lasted from May 21, 1988 to September 7, 1994 or 2300 days.[4] Camping teaches that virtually no one could be saved anywhere in the world during this period.
The information we have examined thus far assures us that the jubilee year 1994 was the end of a period of 2,300 days, during which virtually no one was being saved anywhere in the world.[5]
I was taken aback by this teaching when I read it for the first time because this is one of the most offensive false teachings I have ever read.
- I vividly remember the moment I was saved when I was a young child during this time period that Camping identifies as the first part of the great tribulation (the moment came in either 1991 or 1992). The female Sunday school assistants asked a large group of children, including myself, to raise our hands if we wanted to be saved. Many children including myself raised our hands, which then prompted a long, group prayer where each of us asked Christ to come into our hearts and save us.
Camping’s teaching that virtually no one was being saved between 1988 and 1994 implies that me and the other children at Sunday school were not saved that day no matter how much we asked Christ to save us. Camping’s teaching implies that John 3:16 and Romans 10:13 did not really apply to me and others on that day in the early 1990s or anyone else who asked to be saved during that time period.
- Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Camping teaches that the “second part” of the great tribulation spans from September 7, 1994 to May 21, 2011 or 6100 days.[6] Camping suggests that the local churches are no longer used by God to spread the gospel during this time period and are subjected to the wrath of God:
“starting in 1994, the year of jubilee, God used some other method to send the Gospel into the world. He no longer used the local congregations. That is, while somehow, the year 1994 was a wonderful year of renewed Gospel outreach into all the world, for the local churches, it was a most terrible year. This was so because the churches are to continue to the end of the 8,400-day great tribulation period under the wrath of God”.[7]
Camping’s false teaching about the second part of the great tribulation is highly objectionable for two reasons:
- Camping’s false teaching violates 1 Thessalonians 5:9, which states that we are not appointed to God’s wrath: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”. Camping’s teaching practically states that the churches are currently enduring the wrath of God.
- Camping false teaching implies that the churches have no useful purpose anymore.
Critiquing Camping’s 23 Year Great Tribulation
The concept of a 23 year or 8400 day great tribulation period completely violates the Bible. Christ taught that the great tribulation (not to be confused with the tribulation) will begin when the “abomination of desolation” mentioned by Daniel is established:
- Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
- Mat 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
…
- Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Daniel wrote that the abomination that causes desolation will be established in the second half of the final week or seventieth week:
- Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The seventieth week of Daniel (or the tribulation period) is seven years in length.[ii] Therefore, the great tribulation cannot be longer than 3.5 years in length given that it begins at the midpoint of the seventieth week of Daniel. The great tribulation is likely less than 3.5 years since Christ said it would be cut short for the sake of the elect:
- Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
In addition, the Bible says nothing about the great tribulation being divided into two separate time periods
- The seventieth week of Daniel is divided to a first half and a second half in Daniel 9:27, but not the great tribulation.
Furthermore, Daniel 9:27 indicates that the seventieth week of Daniel will begin when the Antichrist confirms a covenant with many. There is no covenant with many yet, so the seventieth week of Daniel has not even started yet, let alone the great tribulation!
Therefore, Camping’s teachings concerning the great tribulation are unbiblical and severely undermine the timeline he proposes.
Camping’s Use of Numbers
The San Francisco Chronicle published an article about Camping’s prediction in January 2010. The article provided details of another way Camping calculated that Judgment Day/the Rapture would come in 2011. The calculation begins with Camping assigning meaning to three specific numbers: 5, 10, and 17:
- 5 = Atonement
- 10 = Completeness
- 17 = Heaven
The following is the Chronicle’s explanation of how Camping reached the conclusion that something is going to happen on May 21, 2011 [8]:
"Christ hung on the cross April 1, 33 A.D.," he began. "Now go to April 1 of 2011 A.D., and that's 1,978 years."
Camping then multiplied 1,978 by 365.2422 days - the number of days in each solar year, not to be confused with a calendar year.
Next, Camping noted that April 1 to May 21 encompasses 51 days. Add 51 to the sum of previous multiplication total, and it equals 722,500.
Camping realized that (5 x 10 x 17) x (5 x 10 x 17) = 722,500.
Or put into words: (Atonement x Completeness x Heaven), squared.
"Five times 10 times 17 is telling you a story," Camping said. "It's the story from the time Christ made payment for your sins until you're completely saved.
The huge flaw with this calculation method is that there is no Bible basis to support the steps taken to achieve this result. In other words, the method Camping used is completely subjective.
- Where does it say in the Bible that the Number 5 = Atonement, the Number 10 = Completeness, and the Number 17 = Heaven? The method that Camping uses to assign meaning to numbers is completely subjective.
- What is the justification to utilize a solar year? Why not use a Hebrew year, lunar year, or prophetic year in the calculation (see the appendix for an explanation of a “prophetic year”)?
- 51 days is added to April 1to get May 21, but where is the justification to add 51 days?
- If we assume the numbers had the meaning that Camping assigned to them, why does (Atonement x Completeness x Heaven) squared have any special meaning versus just Atonement x Completeness x Heaven?
Camping’s Use of Genesis 7:4
Camping also arrives at the conclusion that something is going to happen on May 21, 2011 by finding “spiritual meaning” in Genesis 7:4.
- Gen 7:4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
Camping claims that God’s warning to Noah that He would begin to flood Earth with water in seven days was also a spiritual/hidden warning to us that there will be 7,000 years before He will destroy the world again.[10] Camping cites 2 Peter 3:8’s statement that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” to claim that these seven days mentioned in Genesis 7:4 were also meant to represent 7,000 years.
- 2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Camping relates this to 2011 by claiming that the flood took place in Iyyar 17, 4990 B.C.[9] 7,000 years from Iyvar 17, 4990 B.C. is May 21, 2011.
There are a couple of major problems with this method of calculation.
- The first problem is that it is a huge stretch to say that Genesis 7:4 contains a spiritual/hidden warning that there will be 7,000 years between the flood and the time when God will bring destruction again. The warning in Genesis 7:4 specifically concerned the seven days before the flood began,-especially when you consider that God related the seven days to the 40 days and 40 nights. Therefore, to argue that Genesis 7:4 has a hidden warning that there is seven thousand years between the flood and the time when God will bring destruction again is to argue for something that is not stated in the text.
- The second problem is that Camping’s placement of the flood (4990 B.C.) is extremely out of line with other Bible chronologies. For instance, Ussher’s chronology places the flood in 2348 B.C. while Answering Genesis places the flood in 2304 B.C.
Therefore, Camping’s use of Genesis 7:4 is insufficient to defend his Rapture date of May 21, 2011.
Conclusion
There is no biblical basis to support Camping’s prediction that the Rapture will take place on May 21, 2011. Camping relies heavily on highly subjective calculation methods to come up with the dates on his timeline. To defend his results, Camping resorts to teaching ideas that are completely unbiblical.
- There were several other highly questionable statements and unbiblical statements that Camping made while describing his timeline which I did not mention in this critique. I believe what I've included in this critique is sufficient enough to demonstrate that Camping's prediction is not supported by the Bible.
I can’t stop the followers of Harold Camping from believing in his predictions. It’s up to each person to decide whether to believe him or not. However, I hope that Camping’s followers will reconsider their faith in the man and his teachings when his prediction fails to transpire.
Update: Camping now predicts that a great earthquake will occur on May 21, 2011-beginning with New Zealand. My critique of that prediction can be found at this link
Appendix
[i] A Comment on Camping’s Use of Amos 3:7
As an aside, Camping’s peculiar use of Amos 3:7 gives me the impression that he considers himself a prophet.
- Camping uses the Amos 3:7 to justify the idea that people can now know the exact timing of prophetic events. However, Amos 3:7 specifically says that God reveals His secrets to the prophets. Why would Camping use a verse that talks specifically about how the prophets receive secret information from God to say people can now know the exact timing of events? The premise of Camping’s prediction is built on the claim that he is a person who knows the exact timing of “Day of Judgment”, so it seems reasonable to conclude that Camping views himself as a prophet whose role is to inform people of the “secret” information he’s been “given” (perhaps that’s why there are billboard advertisements in several major U.S. cities including the one where I am).
The Bible tells us that we should not be afraid of the warnings of someone who’s made a failed prediction after they claimed to speak in the Lord’s name:
- Deu 18:22 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.
On this basis alone we should be very skeptical of Camping’s prediction since he already made a failed Rapture prediction in 1994.
[ii]The Length of the 70th Week of Daniel
Gabriel told Daniel that 70 weeks have been given to the people of Israel and the city of Jerusalem to end their disobedience, atone for their sins, and to be saved.
- Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
- Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
- Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Most Christians who study Bible prophecy agree that the first 69 weeks of this prophecy was fulfilled over a several-hundred year period with a call to rebuild Jerusalem in the 20th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus’s reign (Nehemiah Ch. 2:1-5) and the death and ascension of Christ. Therefore, Gabriel did not mean 70 literal weeks where each week is 7 days in length. The Hebrew translation of the word “week” in Daniel is shâbûa‛, which actually means “seven”. Therefore we can also refer to Daniel’s prophecy as “the 70 sevens”.
The length of a “prophetic week” can be determined by analyzing the structure of the 70th week of Daniel. Daniel’s 70th week is divided into two halves. In the first half Antichrist will confirm a covenant with many, but will break it halfway through the seven.
- Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The second half of the week is a period of severe persecution. This period of time will last for “time, times, and a half”. The Hebrew word for “time” is “mô‛êd”, which also can mean “a year”. Nearly every commentator who analyzes Daniel’s 70 week prophecy agrees that “time, times, and a half” means 3 ½ years. Therefore, a “prophetic week” is a seven (prophetic) year period.
- Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
In Revelation 12:14 we learn that 3 ½ “prophetic years” is the equivalent of 1260 days. If we divide 1260 days by 3 ½ years we will find that a prophetic year is 360 days long.
- Rev 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
- Rev 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Similarly, 3 ½ years is also defined as 42 months since seven years is the equivalent to 84 months. Therefore a “prophetic month” is 30 days long since 1260 days divided by 42 months equals 30 days/month.
- Rev 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
- Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Given this information, we can confirm that the 70th Week of Daniel will be 2520 days long three different ways.
- 30 Days (in a Prophetic Month) x 42 Prophetic Months (in Half a Prophetic Week) x 2 Halves = 2520 Days
- 7 Prophetic Years (in a Prophetic Week) x 360 Days (in a Prophetic Year) = 2520 Days
- 1260 Days in “Time, Times, and Half” x 2 Halves = 2520 Days.
For more about the 70 Weeks of Daniel you can access my research study where I provide a completely new explanation of the prophecy by clicking this link.
References
[1] Camping, Harold. We Are Almost There 16 Dec. 2008. Last Accessed Feb 20. 2011. Family Stations Inc. http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/waat/almost_ch05.html Pg. 55
[2] Camping, Harold. “Judgment Day”. 6 Aug. 2010. Last Accessed Feb 20. 2011. http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/judgment/judgment.html
[3] Camping, Harold. We Are Almost There 16 Dec. 2008. Last Accessed Feb 20. 2011. Family Stations Inc. http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/waat/almost_ch05.html Pg. 39
[4] Ibid Pg 44
[5] Ibid Pg 44
[6] Ibid Pg 48
[7] Ibid Pg 43-44
[8] Berton, Justin. Biblical Scholar’s Date for Rapture: May 21, 2011. 1 Jan 2010. Last Accessed Feb 20, 2011. http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-01-01/bay-area/17466332_1_east-bay-bay-area-first-time-camping
[9] Camping, Harold. We Are Almost There 16 Dec. 2008. Last Accessed Feb 20. 2011. Family Stations Inc. http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/waat/almost_ch05.html Pg 57-58
[10] Camping, Harold. “Judgment Day”. 6 Aug. 2010. Last Accessed Feb 20. 2011. http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/judgment/judgment.html
