So Harold Camping—the guy who predicted the end of the world on Sept 6, 1994, and then May 21 and then Oct 21 this year—has retired and apologised. He has confessed that he was wrong and regrets leading people astray. Apparently, he has held to his view from 1992 when he developed a numerical system to work out the end of time. Anyone who knows the Bible well, particularly Jesus’ statement that no-one knows the day or the hour, knew from the first that he was wrong and didn't take him seriously. In a statement he says:
“even the most sincere and zealous of us can be mistaken… Yes, we humbly acknowledge we were wrong about the timing… God has humbled us through the events of May 21… We humbly recognize that God may not tell His people the date when Christ will return, any more than He tells anyone the date they will die physically…we now realize that those people who were calling our attention to the Bible’s statement that ‘of that day and hour knoweth no man’, were right in their understanding of those verses and Family Radio was wrong.”
Well, good on you Harold. We have all been wrong—although not many of us have led huge numbers of people astray to the point that they sell up and preach the end of the world! We all make mistakes. It takes a big man to admit you’re wrong and apologise. God bless you! There are heaps of others who can learn from your example. As a friend of mine once said, "it is not how you start that matters the most, it is how you finish." That said, I suspect there are one or two people that would like their money back. But then again, they should have known better!
The good news (for us Christians) is that Harold remains devoted to the Bible and to his faith. That said, I think he needs to learn how to read it better! If you can't get "no-one knows the day or the hour", then you're reading ability is questionable! Still it is great that he remains full of faith because at ninety years old, it won’t be long before he learns the truth, whatever it is. His story is a warning to us all as we consider the end-times—don’t get in too deep, and don’t start throwing around predictions, and don’t ever think you alone know the truth about the return of Jesus—no matter how well you know the Bible. The Jews almost all missed Jesus the first time around after pouring over the Scriptures for centuries. Only God knows that.
“even the most sincere and zealous of us can be mistaken… Yes, we humbly acknowledge we were wrong about the timing… God has humbled us through the events of May 21… We humbly recognize that God may not tell His people the date when Christ will return, any more than He tells anyone the date they will die physically…we now realize that those people who were calling our attention to the Bible’s statement that ‘of that day and hour knoweth no man’, were right in their understanding of those verses and Family Radio was wrong.”
Well, good on you Harold. We have all been wrong—although not many of us have led huge numbers of people astray to the point that they sell up and preach the end of the world! We all make mistakes. It takes a big man to admit you’re wrong and apologise. God bless you! There are heaps of others who can learn from your example. As a friend of mine once said, "it is not how you start that matters the most, it is how you finish." That said, I suspect there are one or two people that would like their money back. But then again, they should have known better!
The good news (for us Christians) is that Harold remains devoted to the Bible and to his faith. That said, I think he needs to learn how to read it better! If you can't get "no-one knows the day or the hour", then you're reading ability is questionable! Still it is great that he remains full of faith because at ninety years old, it won’t be long before he learns the truth, whatever it is. His story is a warning to us all as we consider the end-times—don’t get in too deep, and don’t start throwing around predictions, and don’t ever think you alone know the truth about the return of Jesus—no matter how well you know the Bible. The Jews almost all missed Jesus the first time around after pouring over the Scriptures for centuries. Only God knows that.
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Cheers
Andrew