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Camping's Rapture Ruse

By Chris Mangan


The following two scriptures alone debunk Harold Camping:
Matthew 24:35-36 (King James Version)

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

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and this Scripture below is even stronger:

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Mark 13:32 (King James Version)

But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

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ARGUMENTS: No Man knows, not even the Angels, so WHO IS HAROLD CAMPING? He is definitely not an Angel, so that leaves him as a mere Man - a Man who has set a date that the Lord did not command!



In Mark 13:32, Jesus is saying that He doesn't know the day or the hour either! Now that baffles even me because Christians know that God is a Trinity, so how can only the Father know and Jesus does not? That's a mystery. But of course, Harold Camping comes to the "rescue" because HE KNOWS! Talk about an ego problem; Camping thinks he's greater than God!



The web link, "Refute Camping" has more arguments against Camping, which should be read by all Christians who take the Bible, Scripture and Jesus Christ's words seriously. Camping, however, doesn't; and as with most cults, he sets dates which the Bible forbids.



The only time that Mankind will ever know when God is dealing with them will be when the Rapture DOES HAPPEN! It hasn't happened yet and it will probably not happen on May 21 because Camping is a False Prophet! He brings dishonor to Jesus Christ and to Christians, and makes all of us Christians look like a laughing stock to be ridiculed.



I had heard a few days ago that WABC Channel 7 Eyewitness News in New York City will be doing a series on people who are taking what Harold Camping says seriously.



From what I have seen of Camping's followers, some of them hang out at New York City Subway terminals such as Times Square, and 59th Street and Lexington Avenue. They hand out Camping's tracts which push the May 21 2011 date and accept his words without any discernment done on their part. Indeed, one of them looked like the stereotype crazy prophet of doom with a sign he was carrying saying the world would end on May 21.



I had met one of these "believers", who listened to Camping's radio program and referred to him as "Brother Camping". I wouldn't ever call Camping a "brother", especially when I consider that some of his followers are selling their homes, their possessions, leaving their churches, buying advertising billboards and putting is message on them, and other such things based upon what Camping has said - and when this date does come and go - when nothing biblically relevant happens - then they will probably fall again for any new arguments he will think up explaining why nothing happened on that day.



These people are simple people; lacking discernment; and the following scriptures describes this situation:

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Romans 16:17-18 (King James Version)

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Ephesians 4:13-15 (King James Version)

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.


Hebrews 13:9 (King James Version)

Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

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Using the above Scriptures as a base for discerning truth, we can see that Camping does indeed deceive the hearts of the simple! He also causes divisions among believers - the wise and discerning versus the simple - and does this using "cunning craftiness".



On his radio program, when someone with a sound mind has found some flaw in his thinking and has pointed it out, Camping goes into his phone exit tirade: "Yes, but thank you for calling and sharing; and may we have our next caller, please."



This scripture below informs us what to do about some one such as Camping:

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1 Timothy 6:3-5 (King James Version)

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

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Camping isn't in any way "wholesome". Using terms such as "the end of the world" which, while this expression can be found in the King James Version of the Bible, is not backed up by the actual meaning of the word, "world", which is translated from the Greek word, aion. Scofield, in his Scofield Study Bible, the 2003 Edition, provides the following note where aion is used in Mark 10:30:



World. Thirty-six times in the N.T. the Greek noun aion is rendered "world," twice "worlds." It has various connotations: a period of time (e.g. the Mosaic age; the Church age) and in certain contexts eternity or forever. Where the KJV translates it "world," the margin in this edition of the Bible has "age" or "ages." "World" is normally the translation of the Greek kosmos (see Mt. 4:8 and Rev. 13:8, notes) or of the Greek oikoumene (see Lk. 2:1 note).



In the forward to the book "Shock Wave 2000!" subtitled "The Harold Camping 1994 Debacle", written in 1994 by Robert Sungenis, Scott Temple and David Allen Lewis, refuting Camping's own book "1994?", we have the words of a definite scholar on Biblical Eschatology: John F. Walvoord! I will retype Walvoord's words, printed in the Forward section of "Shock Wave 2000!" in their entirety below:



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"The history of the Church has not been kind to people who have predicted dates of the Lord's return. Countless attempts have been made, some of them fortified by extensive systems of proof, all to fail when the date predicted fails. In spite of that, this is another attempt at setting the date of the Lord's return. A number of considerations make this, however, an unusual work.

1. Like many preceding predictions, there is a total lack of scholarly agreement with Mr. Camping. In fact, not a reputable scholar in the area can be quoted in favor of his position nor a single work supporting it outside of his own writings. If Camping is right, all other Bible students are wrong.

2. Camping's dating system is very unusual because he is an amillenarian, that is, he does not believe that prophecy indicates a literal millennium of Christ's reign on earth after the Second Coming. Ordinarily, amillenarians do not set dates and do not take Scriptures cited for this purpose literally.

3. A curiosity of this development is that some amillenarians are taking the lead in refuting Mr. Camping's books supporting his position.

4. In keeping with his amillennialism, Camping does not interpret the Rapture literally or the events of the Great Tribulation, though he claims we are in the Great Tribulation right now. Obviously, no literal fulfillment of the Book of Revelation is taking place. No reigning world dictator claims to be God and has killed countless individuals who refuse to worship him (Rev. 7:9-14; 20:4-6). There has been no fulfillment of Revelation 6:8, where a fourth of the world is predicted to have been killed when the fourth seal is broken. The prediction of Revelation 9:14, that a third of the world remaining alive at that time will be killed, has not been fulfilled. The prediction of the seven bowls of the wrath of God in Revelation 16 has not been fulfilled, including a great earthquake which levels the cities of the world in Revelation 16:18-19. The city of Babylon has not been rebuilt and destroyed according to Revelation 18.

5. In a two-hour radio talk show interview with Mr. Camping, he affirmed with absolute certainty that the Lord would come on the date indicated, September 1994. When asked whether he had any substitute suggestion in case it did not happen, he declared he did not. It can be safely predicted that when the date comes and goes, he will come out with an alternate theory, as have most of his predecessors.

6. While many who do not agree with Camping would welcome the coming of the Lord on the date he indicated, the prediction will be subject to lack of fulfillment and disappoint for hundreds who have faithfully followed his teachings and read his books. Though it may turn some to consider their faith in Christ and their dedication to Him, the net result of such false interpretation is extremely detrimental to the study of prophecy which, correctly interpreted, gives the Christian a wonderful hope that the Lord is coming, and perhaps soon.
-- John F. Walvoord

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In the prologue of the above mentioned book, this portion written by Scott Temple, we learn that Camping has said that God plans to destroy the church, and he quotes Camping as saying in his book "Satan uses his final opportunity to win a decisive victory over Christ by defeating the external church."



Sungenis mentions on Page 25 that Campiing "has also appeared in three debates, the first against Scott Temple on WMCA in New York in 1992; the second against John F. Walvoord, chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary on KFAX in San Francisco in January 1994; and finally in May 1994 against Dr. Tremper Longman III, professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary and Dr. Peter Lillback, a Presbyterian pastor. Camping was originally asked to debate R.C. Sproul and James Montgomery Boice, but he declined in favor of Longman and Lillback. I had also asked Camping for a debate in April 1993, but he declined in a letter to me saying, "I have neither the time nor the interest in a public debate."



So, based on the above information, you can perceive where Camping is coming from. It is unfortunate that his followers can't see the ruin that they are creating - for themselves and others.

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Chris Mangan


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Zechariah 12:3,9:
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
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