The Mayans Got It All Wrong! The World Won't End in 2012 . . . Because Jesus is Coming Back in May of 2011!

He's back . . .

According to Harold Camping (a man whose end-times prognostications have been wrong at least twice already), the Mayan prediction of the end of the world in 2012 is a "fairy tale."

Without missing a beat, Camping then proceeds to spin a fairy tale of his own.  Christ is coming back on May 21, 2011.  Well, we can be sure of one thing.  Christ won't come back on that date (cf. Matthew 24:36).

Here's Camping's goofy eschatological calculus.  And you thought dispensationalism was complicated!

The number 5, Camping concluded, equals "atonement." Ten is "completeness." Seventeen means "heaven." Camping patiently explained how he reached his conclusion for May 21, 2011.

"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.

"I tell ya, I just about fell off my chair when I realized that," Camping said.

One thing is all too clear.  At some point back in 1992-93, Camping actually did fall off his chair and cracked his noggin'.

Frankly, someone needs to just say it.  The guy is a kook.  Or else he's senile.  Or a false prophet.  Not good options.

How can any rational person listen to this nonsense?  This is one reason why "scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.  They will say, `Where is the promise of his coming?  For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.'” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

To read the article in which Camping's eschatological calculus is quoted, Click here

Comments

[Lloyd I. Cadle]

The new Lutheran Study Bible actually list's some of the false prophets by name and their false prophecies. Here are a few of them that they list:

Predictor: John Nelson Darby (1800-82); clergyman; founder of Plymouth Brethren: Creator of the rapture doctrine and dispensationalism. Darby's view developed from his struggle with Bible prophecy and the prophetic utterances of Margaret McDonald, a 15-year old follower of the Scottish preacher Edward Irving. Darby's views have encouraged numerous failed predictions.

Predictor: Lester Sumrall ((1913-96); pentecostal missionary; television preacher: Authored a book called I Predict 2000 A.D. Taught that Christ would return by the year 2000.

Predictor: Hal Lindsey (b.1929); evangelical speaker and popular author: Wrote The Late Great Planet Earth. Predicted the rapture would take place in 1981 and the world would end in 1988. Lindsey continues to propose dates.

Predictor: Pat Robertson (b. 1930); charismatic; founder of Christian Broadcasting Network; 1988 U.S. presidential candidate: Taught that Christ would return in 1982.

Predictor: Benny Hinn (b. 1953); television preacher: Predicted Christ would return in 1993.

The above referenced false teachers take their place right along side of the false teachers that are out of the Mormon and J.W.'s camps.

[Robin]

I hope the WHI does a show and frankly says what it IS.

Nutty, shameful, rediculous and completely abusive to the teachings of Jesus.

End times hype motives? Probably money, attention, self-aggrandizement; (the kook label, last.)

We need equal air/webtime to voice the true position.

The endtimes hoopla could be an opportunity to teach Paul & Jesus' eschatology. ?? Kim, how about some upcoming promo-junkets?!

Meanwhile, Harold Camping: if you are not a crook you're a frootloop. God help you.

[Matt H]

What saddens me is that people actually follow this man. I have memories as a young child of sitting in the living room of some old family friends, who, as we would later find out, fully believed that that night would be the last prior to Christ's return -- as per Camping's Sept. 6th 1994 prediction. These friends have since then all but isolated themselves from all influences outside that of Camping -- leaving their church, sending their "tithes" to family radio -- and no longer attempt to maintain friendships with those who disagree.

Thanks for running this blog, by the way. I have been wrestling with eschatology for some time. As of now, I still remain undecided between amillennialism and historic premillennialism -- but I'm leaning toward the amillennial view. It's one of those issues that I'm fairly certain I'll never feel 100% confident that "I'm right," and "they're wrong," if you now what I mean. To further complicate things I'm a presbyterian, living with a postmillennial reformed baptist family, attending a quasi-reformed/quasi-dispensational (pastor is a graduate of Master's Seminary) church, with mostly charismatic arminian (some calvinistic) friends. It's quite an interesting predicament; one which makes theological disagreements quite real and undeniable, and also one which will hopefully settle a little after I graduate college!

[RubeRad]

His arithmetic doesn't even make sense; the way it's worded, May 21 2011 is both an input and an output to the problem ("May 21 2011", and "51" appear completely arbitrarily in his train of "logic"). I bet this is just a bad retelling of a (very slightly) more sensible approach of, "Hey, look: (Atonement x Completeness x Heaven), squared is approximately the number of days since the crucifixion -- if you assume that happened on April 1, 33AD, then 722,500 days later is right around the corner at May 21, 2011!"

But even apart from whether we know the exact date of the crucifixion (do we? maybe we do!), maybe he should have added the number to the date of the resurrection, or the date of the ascension, or AD 70. This game can be played endlessly; just pick a landmark of redemptive history, pretend you know an exact date for it, figure out the approximate length of time between then and now, and play around with various arithmetic combinations of numbers with biblical significance until you land somewhere in the near future.

[Philip Walker]

My Matt. 24:36 theory is that we could put off the Second Coming indefinitely simply by finding enough nutters, and getting them to predict every day in succession. What do you mean, you can't game the system?

[Lloyd I. Cadle]

Matt H:

I can go on and on for weeks, and give you Scripture after Scripture of where the dispensationalists are wrong, but, it all comes down to which camp teaches in conformity with what the whole Bible teaches.

The dispensationalists teach that Christ comes three times: 1. At the incarnation of Christ. 2. Before the 7 year tribulation period (in a silent rapture--which the Bible teaches no such thing; but it teaches a loud trumpet sound which is a metaphor for a loud, visible coming). 3. He comes a third time, after the 7 year tribulation period, before His 1,000 reign. During this so-called 1,000 year reign of Christ, they make Christ a political Messiah, whereas Christ Himself has stated that His Kingdom is not of this world.

The Bible clearly teaches us that Christ only comes twice; the first time to seek and to save that which is lost (us), and the second time in judgment at the end of this present age. With that in mind (and in the Scriptures), we would have to conclude that the entire dispensational system is wrong and not in accordance with what the Bible clearly teaches.

Then, you throw into the mix, that the dispensationalists have the Jews going back to a sacrificial system of animal sacrifices during the 1,000 year reign of Christ. They are going back to types and shadows, rather than the fulfillment of such, which is Christ Himself. This totally conflicts with the Priestly office of Christ--as the final and perfect sacrifice, where He also is our mediator.

The dispensationalists have two separate plans, one for the Jews and the other for the Gentiles. St. Paul teaches us in Ephesians, that the wall that separated the two (Jew and Gentile), was taken down by Christ at the Cross, where He gave both the Jew and the Gentile bold access to the Father, by faith in Christ.

The dispensationalists teach that God actually had seven plans of redemption, because He had failed in the previous six!

In summary: Christ (and the Bible teach) that Christ only comes twice, and His Kingdom is not of this World (as He clearly told the Jews when they tried to make Him a ruler of this present age).

When a system is created that doesn't square with the big picture of what the Bible teaches, the system is false doctrine.

I hope this helps a little bit.

[Matt H]

Lloyd I. Cadle,

I completely agree with you about dispensationalism. I'm a covenantal presbyterian. Thank you, though. :)

[Mark]

Great! That's only two days into my sons Summer vacation.

[Andrew C]

Unreal! Absolutely unreal!!!

[M Burke]

Dr. James White of Alpha & Omega Ministries recently engaged in a "debate" of sorts with Mr. Camping over his false prophecies.
Part 1: http://mp3.sharpens.org/ISI/20090728ISI.mp3
Part 2: http://mp3.sharpens.org/ISI/20090729ISI.mp3

Dr. White's review: http://mp3.sharpens.org/ISI/20090730ISI.mp3
Harold Camping's reply: http://mp3.sharpens.org/ISI/20090731ISI.mp3

[Chris Sherman]

I wonder if Mr Camping also helped write the US tax code. Seems to me I have to use those same calculations on my 1040. Maybe he could help Obama with the health care legislation.

[Charles S]

Mr Camping, like nuts that fall from a tree, is a little cracked, that's all.

[Tad]

Is it just me, or is Camping casting Hitchcock's shadow in the picture above? Hmm...

[George]

When I read about false prophesies like this it makes me feel grateful to be among those who have been illumined to the truth of the Scriptures through the hearing of proper preaching and teaching of the Gospel by those truly called to serve the Lord in such capacities. Now, I'm not making this statement in a self-righteous, pharisaical kind of way, but out of realization that God, for no reason whatsoever that I have to offer, has somehow given me the gift of understanding through the work of the Holy Spirit in order to properly receive the Truth. In other words, gratitude.

Having said that, the Scriptures are also very clear about those who continue to mislead people with a false-gospel, whether it's an orientation toward prosperity or errant prophesies like Camping's, and what they can expect down the road (Mt. 18:5-6). We should pity and pray for them.

[Jim]

Tad,
That's not Hitchcock's shadow...it's Mr. Burns.

[Charles S]

Excellent.........

[Colby]

Easy for him, he's so old he won't live long enough to see that he's wrong again.

[DB]

Could someone just take Mr. Camping's calculator away from him?

[Marv]

He's totally wrong. He says April 1 evidently because he's a Wednesday crucifixionist. Should be April 3. That makes the second coming May 23 not 21. Who'd have thought the second coming would be on a Monday?

[Matthew R]

It's all so clear now.