Judgment day/The Rapture.

Today I was surfing the Internet and I visited the website familyradio.com that is touting itself to be a Christian website. And on their website. They’re making a very bold claim that judgment day will take place this year (2011) on May 21.

When I looked into this, I found the person making this claim was Harold Camping (Who apparently is the person who runs the website familyradio.com). However, despite Harold’s claim I don’t think I’m going to hold my breath that judgment days and take place on May 21. Especially seeing that Harold has made the claim that this was going to happen in the past. Back in September 6, 1994. And nothing happened.

His excuse for being wrong… He just miscalculated and apparently his new calculations are set for later this year.

This could be a case of a false prophet. The Bible tells us that there will be false prophets. Now I don’t know if Harold is purposely doing this to mislead people or genuinely thinks he is correct. But what he’s doing is damaging. And we do know that the Bible warns us of people who try to confuse us:

“which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Galatians 1:7

 Which we can see this effect. Take place for when he makes his predictions and they don’t come true, nonbelievers look at this and will see this as an excuse not to even consider what Christians have to say when witnessing. Because now many view us as just a bunch of crazy old kooks who will believe anything.

Now this may seems unfair of the nonbelievers who will judge all believers with a blanket belief about us, because of the actions of a few false prophets. But that is something that does happen with many nonbelievers. Especially when they don’t see us believers, speaking out against the false prophets loudly. So they think were all the same. And this actually benefits Satan if anything. Because this kind of stuff drives a wedge tween the nonbelievers and Christ , and may even cause a believer to become disobedient and lose faith.

Now I’m even hearing about people who have even left their spouses and obligations as well as their family and positions behind just to go out there and preach the end of the world is coming. So Harold, with his predictions, could be causing many problems within families. Perhaps even within the local churches. So what better way to attack Christians and Christianity, then with false prophets?

Seeing that Harold has already made a claim for judgment day and it didn’t come true. I think it would be safe to say that judgment day is likely as not to happen in may, as he predicted, yet again.

 When he makes such a prediction Harold is effectively adding to the Bible a date for judgment day. But the Bible warns us not to add to the Bible.

“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;” Revelation 22:18

So Harold is adding a date to a prophecy found in the Bible. A date that does not exist in the Bible. Making it very dangerous to follow this man who,  very well may be a false prophet. And a good reason not to listen to him. The following Bible passages he speaks loudly about him:

 “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.” Jeremiah 14:14

 “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the LORD..” Jeremiah 23:16

 Now it could be true that he has somehow calculated a date that judgment day will take place on. However, this seems highly unlikely seeing that he has already made a false prediction. And when we read the Bible what we see, doesn’t seem to line up with the date that he has given us. Matthew 24:21 tells us about the great tribulation. Where there will be this war. That will last over three years. And with it there will be more deaths than there has ever been at any time before in human history.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matthew 24:21

And thats not what we see. So, seeing that this great tribulation has yet to come and with only a little over a month left before Harold’s prediction of judgment is going to come. It would seem that Harold may very well be a false prophet.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” Matthew 7:15-17

hh