The False Teacher Who Cried Wolf
Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD. ( Jeremiah 9:23″“24)
giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God… (2 Corinthians 6:3″“4a)
I am not a prophet, but as a Bible-based believer I make the 100% safe prediction that nothing predicted by Harold Camping and company will come true for May 21 or any date they set. But what we will experience, and have already experienced, is incredible damage to the church where its credibility and witness is concerned. If there is a more suitable poster child for giving offense and discrediting the ministry rather than being commended as a servant of God than Camping and company, I don’t know who to nominate. And even worse is the effect that this “crying wolf” is having on the unsaved who, when they need it most, are being desensitized to the Gospel in general and the true specific signs pointing to the return of Christ.
It was not just a colossal waste of time and money which the deceived squandered, it is not just their personal reputations and witness that are called into question, but every true believer and maintainer of biblical truth has to live with the consequences. If you’re a Christian, don’t laugh at what was so obviously a folly of the flesh; weep at what has been done to the name and message of Christ.
Will those subscribing to and following Camping’s nonsense repent of their error and forsake the deception they have so fervently proclaimed? Let’s look at history.
Even Camping’s own website admits that in 1992 he published a book titled “1994?” pointing to that being the final date. What happened when that prediction failed? He simply set another date! (This is what date-setters always do.) His website explains, “Important subsequent biblical information was not yet known, so this book was incomplete. Mr. Camping warned there may be something he overlooked therefore the question mark was prominently placed on the title.” (I guess that’s what you call a “safety net”.) It goes on to state, “In the nineteen years since 1994? was written the biblical evidence for 2011 has greatly solidified. Today there is no longer any question”. (So much for a “safety net” this time.)
His website also categorically answers the self-posed question, “What if May 21 ends and nothing occurs?” with, “The Biblical evidence is too overwhelming and specific to be wrong.” How much do you want to bet that we will once again be told, “Important subsequent biblical information” is to blame just as it was in 1994 when they adjust for the new “final” date?
My point is that there will be no repentance, no admission of error, no change in direction””they will simply set another date without regard for the continued and multiplied damage to the name of Christ and the witness of the faithful who never subscribed to Camping’s poison in the first place.
The saddest fact of all is that Camping and his ministry would disappear almost overnight if people stopped sending the donations which keep this madness fueled. How I weep for the waste of dollars contributed by so-called Christians which have done nothing but harm and discredit the Gospel. This is not being accomplished through outside enemies of Christianity such as Islam or atheists but within the walls of the church! I wish I could be angry enough to overcome my grief””not grief over Camping being wrong, but the tens of thousands of believers he has deceived and the hundreds of thousands of non-believers he has desensitized to, or outright driven from, the Gospel.
This Sunday, on the day after, the world will be laughing; true followers of Christ everywhere should be in mourning.
