Greetings! If you are reading this post on May 22, 2011 or later - you have either missed the Rapture, or the Rapture did not occur on May 21 as Bible teacher Harold Kamping and his adoring followers have been predicting. I realize this news must be extremely disappointing for you by any measure.
On the one hand, if the Rapture has occurred and you missed out, it means that crap's about to hit the fan BIG TIME and you were not really saved in the first place. Bummer! On the other hand, if the Rapture did NOT in fact occur on May 21 as your guru predicted - then you have to admit to the fact that you've been following a false prophet for all this time. Another bummer!
Of course, false prophecy is nothing new to the history of Harold Kamping, who predicted Jesus was going to return in 1994. When He did not, Kamping simply apologized for getting a few calculations wrong, but assured his trusting flock that he WOULD eventually come up with the correct figure. Conveniently, that re-calculation is scheduled for this coming May!
If it sounds as though I am being sarcastic or condescending, you got me! The fact is that Kamping is just one of an endless list of cultic personalities who have miscalculated the time frame for the end of the world. In just about every case, these self-proclaimed teachers of the Bible have blamed their miscalculations on any number of things in order to save face. As for me, I'm just crazy enough to believe that their calculations were wrong for another reason. On what grounds, you ask? Oh, merely that pesky little teaching Jesus gave in Matthew 24:36 when He was speaking about His return: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
Call me a party-pooper, but I'm betting that if Jesus Himself said that nobody knows the day or hour of His return, then Jesus is most likely telling the truth. I spent about 45 minutes dialoguing with a group of four men this evening who were holding signs in the city where I live which read: "Jesus is Coming on May 21, 2011."
I asked them a few questions that I've been wanting to ask these Kamping-followers if I ever had the fortune of meeting one in person. First I asked "What if you are wrong about this? If you wake up on May 22 and you are still here, aren't you going to feel a little silly for following this guy's teachings?" Their answer verbatim: "We are not wrong about this. The Rapture WILL happen on May 21, 2011. If I am still here on May 22, it means I am not saved and I have missed the Rapture, because it WILL happen no matter what." Uh......okay...
So I moved on to the next logical question: "How do you answer critics like me who would say that Kamping is a proven false-teacher because of the fact that he's already made this same prediction once and got it wrong?" Their answer (I kid you not): "Doctors and scientists don't always get their vaccinations correct on the first attempt. Sometimes it takes numerous tries before they get it right. We wouldn't call someone a bad scientist just because their calculations were wrong on the first attempt." Yes, you read that answer correctly and I am not making this up.
After a number of other caveats in the discussion, including them telling me that God hates many individuals on this planet, that He did NOT die for the sins of the whole world and that He hates the nation of Israel - I decided to ask one final question. I said, "If you're so sure of this, why don't you write me a check for the entire balance of your bank account, post-date it for May 22, and if you're not here you won't have anything to worry about. If it turns out you ARE here, I'll cash the check and give the money to charity."
Without answering my question, one of the fellows said, "Well now you're mocking me." Ya' think? Perhaps as Jesus mocked the Pharisees for placing heavy religious burdens on peoples' backs and misrepresenting the truth of God's unconditional love? Perhaps as Paul mocked the legalists at Galatia for turning the Gospel of grace into a religious code of circumcision, referring to them as the "mutilation" sect?
The great thing about paying careful attention to what the Bible actually DOES say rather than inventing calculations about the return of Jesus is that I get to live the ACTUAL Christian life rather than a neurotic, fear-based roller-coaster ride of manipulation. Because I actually believe Jesus words, I am free to live each and every day with the expectation that He could return for His beautiful, interdenominational Bride at any time. I am also free to proclaim and demonstrate a Gospel of love, grace and truth rather than arm-twisting, shouting and religious fear-tactics.
So if you're a follower of the teachings of Harold Kamping and you are reading this on May 22, 2011 or later - don't fear! You've believed a lie, but you don't have to despair. Christians who actually love people really DO exist - and God has not let you down simply because the false-teachings of a mere man have deceived you. Jesus loves you so much that He would rather die than live without you for eternity. That's the God revealed in the Bible. That's the God we worship at Valley Church along with so many brothers and sisters interdenominationally throughout our city and around the globe. You are welcome here. Don't let your disappointment in a man turn you away from God... :)
No comments:
Post a Comment