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2011 end times prediction

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2011 end times prediction is a belief held by followers of Harold Camping that the Rapture (in Christian belief, the taking up into heaven of God's elect people) will take place on May 212011[1][2] and that the end of the world as we know it will take place five months later on October 212011.[3] These predictions were made by Camping, president of the Family Radio Christian network, who claims theBible as his source. Believers claim that around 200 million people (approximately 3% of the world's population) will be raptured.[4]

Vehicle in San Francisco proclaiming the Harold Camping prediction.

In 2010, Marie Exley of Colorado Springs made news by purchasing advertising space in her locality, promoting the alleged Rapture date on a number of park benches. [5] Since then, 'Judgment Day' billboards have been erected at locations across the world.[6] Some people have adorned their vehicles with the information.[7]

On October 27, 2010, Family Radio launched "Project Caravan". Five RVs arrayed with reflector lettering that declare that Judgment Day begins on May 21, 2011 were sent out from their headquarters inOakland, California, to Seattle, Washington. Upon arrival, teams are sent out to distribute tracts.[8] So far, the caravan has made stops in cities in Oregon,[9] California, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Maryland,[10] and other states.

These predictions have been largely rejected by mainstream Christianity[11], prompting "a flurry of attacks."[12

 

Controversy

Camping's rapture prediction, along with some of his other teachings and beliefs, have sparked some controversy in the Christian world. His critics often quote Bible verses (such as Matthew 24:36) which they claim imply the date of the end will never be known by anyone. However, Camping and his followers respond that this principle only applied to the "church age" or "pre-tribulation period" and does not apply to the present day, using other verses (such as 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5:5) in their rebuttal.[13]

Camping asserts that before the End comes, believers should "flee the church," resigning from any church they belong to; however, this assertion has been controversial.[14]

In Camping's 1992 self-published book 1994? he proclaimed that the End Time would come on September 4, 1994.[15] When the Rapture failed to occur on the appointed day, Camping said he had made a mathematical error.[16]

[edit]Reasoning

"I know it's absolutely true, because the Bible is always absolutely true."[15]

— Harold Camping, president, Family Radio

The majority of arguments, or biblical "proofs", in favor of the May 21st end time have come from Camping. A civil engineer by training, Camping states he has attempted to work out mathematically-based prophecies in the Bible for decades. In an interview with SFGate he explained "...I was an engineer, I was very interested in the numbers. I'd wonder, 'Why did God put this number in, or that number in?' It was not a question of unbelief, it was a question of, 'There must be a reason for it.' " [17]

A commonly cited proof in favor of the May 21st date is:

  1. According to Camping, the number five equals "atonement", the number ten equals "completeness", and the number seventeen equals "heaven".
  2. Christ is said to have hung on the cross on April 1, 33 AD. The time between April 1, 33 AD and April 1, 2011 is 1,978 years.
  3. If 1,978 is multiplied by 365.2422 days (the number of days in a solar year, not to be confused with the lunar year), the result is 722,449.
  4. The time between April 1 and May 21st is 51 days.
  5. 51 added to 722,449 is 722,500.
  6. (5 x 10 x 17)2 or (atonement x completeness x heaven)2 also equals 722,500.

Thus, Camping concludes that 5 x 10 x 17 is telling us a "story from the time Christ made payment for our sins until we're completely saved."[17]

[edit]Criticism

"Of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my father only..."

— Matthew 24:36

James Kreuger, author of the book Secrets of the Apocalypse - Revealed, has stated that while he believes the rapture is coming, Camping is incorrectly attempting to nail down a date. "For all his learning, Camping makes a classic beginner's mistake when he sets a date for Christ's return," writes Kreuger. " Jesus himself said in Matthew 24:36, 'Of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my father only.' "[17]

Theology professor Matthew L. Skinner, writing at the Huffington Post, notes the "long history of failed speculation" about the end of the world and cautions that end-of-the-world talk can lead Christians to social passivity instead of "working for the world's redemption".[18]

[edit]Publications

Camping's writings that detail the timing of the end include:

  • Book
    • Time Has An End (2005 - discusses Camping's belief that 2011 is in all likelihood the end of the world)
  • Booklet
    • We Are Almost There! (2008 - contains all the information on how May 21, 2011 was arrived at)
  • Tracts
    • The End of the World is Almost Here! Holy God Will Bring Judgment on May 21, 2011 (2009)
    • God Gives Another Infallible Proof That Assures the Rapture Will Occur May 21, 2011 (2009)
    • No Man Knows the Day or the Hour? (2009)

[edit]See also

[edit]References

  1. ^ "Jesus Returning to Earth On May 21, 2011". Flashnews.com. 2010-07-30. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
  2. ^ "May 21, 2011: Judgment Day believers descend on Joburg". The Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
  3. ^ "May 21, 2011 - Judgment Day!; October 21, 2011 - The End of the World". Ebiblefellowship.com. 1988-05-21. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
  4. ^ "Judgment Day". Familyradio.com. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
  5. ^ "Bus bench ads on Christ's return funded by unemployed Springs woman". 38.833882;-104.821363: Colorado Springs Gazette. 2010-07-26. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
  6. ^ "May 21, 2011 Judgment Day and Rapture Billboards". Ebiblefellowship.com. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
  7. ^ "Examples of "Moving Billboards"". Ebiblefellowship.com. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
  8. ^ "Project Caravan". Familyradio.com. Retrieved 2010-12-02. 
  9. ^ "Entourage brings message of doom". Oroville Mercury-Register. 2010-11-30. Retrieved 2010-12-02. 
  10. ^ Gross, Daniel (28 March 2011). "Judgment Day caravan spreads message on campus"The Towerlight. Retrieved 28 March 2011. 
  11. ^ J. Ligon Duncan, Mark Talbot. "A Response to Harold Camping's Erroneous Teaching". Alliance of Confession Evangelicals. Retrieved April 6, 2011. 
  12. ^ Mark Kellner (May 21, 2002). "New Dispensation? Camping: 'Leave Church'". Christianity Today. Retrieved April 6, 2011. 
  13. ^ "No Man Knows The Day Or The Hour?". Familyradio.com. 1988-05-21. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
  14. ^ Jackson, Wayne, Harold Camping’s New Revelation: “Leave the Church!”, Christian Courier
  15. a b "Doomsday campers Project Caravan say the world will end May 21"dailymail.co.uk. 8 March 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011. 
  16. ^ CBS News, January 3, 2011
  17. a b c Berton, Justin (1 January 2010). "Biblical scholar's date for rapture: May 21, 2011"sfgate.com. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  18. ^ Skinner, Matthew L., Apocalypse Now? A Christian Understanding of the End Times, Huffington Post, March 27, 2011

[edit]External links

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