My Take (and a Rather Unsympthetic One at That) On Harold Camping and His Followers
Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 10:08AM 
Frankly, this whole Harold Camping mess ticks me off. Since I write and teach in the field of eschatology, people expect me to say something. Yet, I'm not sure many of you will appreciate my take on this. I'm not a happy "camper."
I see this tragic episode as one gigantic mess, which God's people will be cleaning up for years. I, for one, am not very sympathetic to Mr. Camping, or to those who follow him. Here's why:
1). He's done this before. 1994? anyone??? If Camping lives much longer (he's 89), he'll likely do this again. As one of my favorite philosophers, Dirty Harry, once put it when his police superior questioned whether the serial killer (so wonderfully played by Andy Robinson) would continue to kill, Harry replied, "Of course he will. He likes it." You cannot tell me that however Camping came to this particular date for the Lord's return, and however sincere he might he be in his calculations, that the man does not love the media attention. Why else spend all that money on an "in your face" ad campaign with buses and billboards across the country? Camping likes the hubbub way too much. Since someone's past behavior is the best predictor of their future behavior, if given the chance, Camping will do it again.
2). Camping was disciplined by his church, and never once demonstrated the slightest hint of repentance. When Camping was removed from his office for his unbiblical speculations, Camping's response was to declare that the church age was over, and that people should leave their churches! (see Bob Godfrey's account of this--Godfrey on Harold Camping). Harold Camping is not some grandfatherly old man who has weird views on things (every church has a few of these). This is a man, who, when he did not get his way, sought to create widescale schism and division in the church. How can we not conclude that many among his followers are schismatics who have followed their master in his sin?
3). Camping is not a theological conservative defending the faith, he's a theological radical, and has a dangerous hermeneutic. Camping gained a following among Reformed cultural conservatives by defending the view that only men should hold the office of minister, elder and deacon, that evolutionary thought had no place in Christian colleges, and that the rampant immorality of our age cannot go unchallenged nor be accepted by Christians. Meanwhile, the "conservative" Camping was using some outlandish and distorted hermeneutical method to calculate the day of Christ's return and telling everyone who would listen that he was right and that anyone who challenged him had no authority to do so. Since when did theological conservatives attack the perspicuity of Scripture? Or champion "private interpretation" while mocking the teaching office and disciplinary authority of the church?
4). Someone has to say it -- the man is a false teacher and a kook. My sense is that Camping falls within the exhortation given by Paul in Romans 16:17 (and elsewhere) -- such people are to be avoided. Camping is a false teacher, plain and simple. Anyone who repeatedly pulls the kinds of shenanigans he has should have no credibility. Non-Christians see him for what he is. Yet, Christians feel ashamed about calling him out on the same grounds--when Scripture requires that we do so! Yes, we need to pray for his repentance, and yes, we need to be merciful to those whom he has deceived. But given the way the man handles God's word, he is self-edvidently a kook. He has no business being labeled a "teacher." And it is tragic that he has used his vast radio empire to deceive so many.
5). The only prophecy which will be fulfilled in association with Harold Camping is 2 Peter 3:3! Scoffers will come, and sadly, Camping has given the scoffers a whole bunch of ammunition. This is why is is so vital that Christians be clear to everyone who will listen, that despite this man's false prophecy, the blessed hope awaits all those who are Christ's, and the day of judgment will come upon those who are not. This is a serious matter, and Christ will not be mocked.
This, then, is why it is so important to expose this man for who and what he is--a false prophet, a schismatic and a kook, lest anyone think that Jesus will not return when we least expect it, to judge the world, raise the dead, and make all things new.
And frankly, it is sad that so many Christians expect non-Christians to do our job for us.
Reader Comments (51)
Since the Bible says the true identity of this place is a mystery, clearly the answer is not obvious, and therefore it can't be ancient Babylon (Iraq). In light of his eschatology expertise, will Dr. Riddlebarger please state the exact identity in the earth of the nation called the virgin daughter of Babylon, or Babylon the Great?
Right?
I'm guessing everyone has an opinion regarding who this Babylon is - and where it is. I have one friend who believes the real Babylon of the OT will once again be rebuilt prior to the end of time and all the things in Revelation regarding Babylon will apply to this future city.
I think an appropriate subtitle for the book of Revelation could be: "A Tale of 2 Cities". City #1 is the New Jerusalem - that city populated by those committed to Jesus Christ (Lamb). City #2 is Babylon - that city populated by those uncommitted to Jesus Christ. I would argue that Babylon is our fallen society / culture that we live in right now, that "city" that is in direct opposition to Jesus Christ. We all live "in" this city, yet are called not to be a "part" of the city.
We are called to "flee" from the city - in a sense we're called to flee from the secular worldview that encourages us to place ourselves on the throne, that encourages us to put things like success, money, pride, etc as our "god". All of these things are temporary and will not last. Our fallen culture - named Baybylon - will be destroyed at God's preordained time so that His glorified "city" called the New Jerusalem can be ushed in.
2 Peter 1:20 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation." This tells us that no one person can hold their own personal, private interpretation of a prophecy and be accurate. The interpretation must be supported by all the precepts contained in all of Scripture on the topic. Scattered "here a little, there a little." (Isaiah 28:13). Match up all the precepts, and you get the accurate interpretation.
Jeremiah 51:13-14 "O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness. The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillars; and they shall lift up a shout against thee."
Jeremiah 51:28-30 "Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion. And the LAND shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the LAND of Babylon a desolation without an INHABITANT. The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken."
Does this sound like a spiritual state, or a physical place? "Land" is a physical substance with "inhabitants." Townspeople. Dwellers. Does a spiritual mindset have "mighty men?" No--only physical nations have armies.
Revelation 18:11 "And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen . . . "
Does a spiritual mindset have merchants that sell precious metals, jewels, and cloth?
Revelation 18:15 "The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning..."
How can Medes destroy a spiritual mindset? Does a spiritual mindset relocate to a far off place? No. But corporations can certain outsource to their labor to a far off place. Does a spiritual mindset have shipmasters? Ships? Sailors? Can a spiritual mindset throw up a plume of smoke that can be observed by people at a great distance?
No, all the scriptural indicators prove that this is a physical land. A powerful nation that posesses a certain land. And this land must be utterly anhilated by the Medes (present-day Iran) before Christ's return.
So isn't it about time that we all solved this mystery and located the identity of said nation?
In Daniel Chapter 2, the prophet shows the four kingdoms that were prophecied to rule the world; and the 4th kingdom is the final one, which will be existing at the return of Christ. In fact, Christ's return will destroy this kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar's statue in Daniel 2: The head of gold is the Babylonian Empire, the chest and arms of silver are the Medo-Persian Empire, the belly and thighs of brass are the Greek Empire, and the legs of iron (both of which sit on feet and toes consisting of iron mixed with clay) are the Roman Empire. So this "Babylon" cannot be Ancient Babylon, because Ancient Babylon was the head of the statue. That came to an end and does not return. The other kingdoms were totally different.
Daniel 2:34-35 "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." (KJV)
"Mountain" in the bible is a metaphor for "kingdom."
Since the stone that was cut without hands smiting the image represents the return of Christ, therefore this final ruling kingdom before the return of Christ has to be an extension of the Roman Empire. "partly strong, yet partly broken." (Daniel 2:42).
your friend's interpretation that "Babylon the Great, the virgin daughter of Babylon" is really the old Babylon risen up again . . . that cannot be correct, because Nebuchadnezzar's statue in Daniel Chapter 2 tells us that the final ruling empire before the return of Christ will be an extension of the Roman Empire. So whatever place this Babylon the Great of Revelation 17 and 18 is, it has to be an extension of the Roman Empire. And as everyone knows, the Roman Empire never really got conquered by any other kingdom. It just sort of morphed into something else.
So no, "Babylon the Great," can't be a revival of ancient Babylon, because that would contradict the prophecies of Daniel Chapter 2.
Let's keep it in the precepts of Scripture. "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (Colossians 2:8 KJV)
Spiritual vs. Physical place?
In my opinion, John does not intend for us to be able to pull out a map and pin-point a specific location called Babylon. John uses other geographical locations for a theological purpose- not for a geographical purpose. If you and I were a Jewish believer sitting in Smyrna or Thyatira or any one of those 7 churches and we heard the word Babylon we would immediately have a strong emotional feeling toward that name - which really did live near water etc. The point however is the emotional connotation of exile and being outside the favor of God.
In a sense it is a physical place because we all live in a physical / fallen culture (society). But, is it a physical place that I can identify on a map - no.
In the language of the apocalypse I think John is trying to set these 2 cities against one another, demonstrating a contrast between God's city - New Jerusalem and culture's city (Beast's city) - Babylon.
For example, Rev. 17:1 ties nicely w/ Rev. 21:9
Rev. 17:3 ties nicely with Rev. 21:10
Babylon is likened to a city that is beautiful on the outside, yet repulsive in reality. Whereas the NJ is liked to a city in 21:11 that shows her worth and splendor is given to her by the Lamb.
Babylon is a woman who is not pure, not chaste, not clean, very seductive. And the NJ is a woman of purity, chastity, free of defilement, enjoying intimacy w/ her husband the Lamb.
Once the first woman is finally destroyed, the second woman will be revealed.
I just noticed your post regarding Daniel 2.
I would argue that those 4 kingdoms were represented up to the first coming on Christ. Rome was the world leader when Christ came.
The stone that was cut out of the mountain is the kingdom of God - which was inaugurated at the first coming of Jesus Christ. His kingdom is now - not in the future. Christ is reigning right now...you and I participate in His kingdom right now. We will understand that kingdom in it's consummated form as the New Jerusalem - when he returns.
I think it is a common dispensational viewpoint to picture this as a prophecy regarding the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ and that Rome will once again be a world power before Christ returns, but I would "agree to disagree" with that interpretation.
So Christ overthrew Babylon the Great at his first coming . . . "with violence?" Try and explain that one. When did Christ ever overthrow anyone with violence in his first coming? And we all know the Roman Empire CONTINUED unabated after the Resurrection of Christ and the growth of the Church. So that could not have been the point when the stone cut without hands destroyed the statue.
The Roman Empire was only in its first leg (to use the metaphor of the statue in Daniel 2) when Christ came. It wasn't time for him to overthrow it yet. The question is, according to Daniel 2, this final empire has 2 legs. What nation is like the Roman Empire?
No. Babylon the great has to be a nation that is a full-on dominator like the first leg of the Roman Empire. The question is: what nation is it? Pretty important mystery to solve, if you check out how much prophecy there is covering it.
For the record, I think the dispensationalists are clever liars, so I hope you don't lump me in with them.
I might suggest scrolling up to view all of Dr. R's sermons on Revelation via PDF. You can find them on this page, just up a little ways.
You may have to hunt a little, but they are all broken down nicely - hopefully you'll find what you're looking for.
I remember getting cassette tapes of the White Horse Inn while in Germany (before the Internet)... A LONG TIME FAN.
As the son of a Reformed Pastor, I was ashamed to hear the news report Camping as coming out of this Evangelical group.
On to my comment: I emailed a lot of people about 3 weeks prior to this, and said to them: "Pray for his followers!!" I believe that included in his followers, there are true believers, regenerated spiritually, but who had been led astray by Camping in his teaching.
Let God judge that man, but we should remember our brothers and sisters who are among his group. Pray that God would restore them with a spirit of Grace and Restoration, lead them out of that group and to a fellowship of Faithful Biblical Teaching.
Since that was my burden then, it still is now, and so I communicate the same here to you all. Pastor Riddlebarger: great post!