WHAT NOW? MAY 21 IS PAST AND WE ARE STILL HERE.

“If you get through with the lawn before I get back, start chopping the weeds in the back,” my dad would say as he started his white Dodge pickup to go to town. When I was a boy, I worked for my dad in his business as a contractor/home remodeler. He had me do the jobs that were not very glamorous but were important. I can’t begin to tell you how many closets I have painted or doors I have varnished.

At some point on most days he would leave me at the jobsite and drive away. He told me he was going. Sometimes he told me where he was going, but very rarely would he tell me when he would return, just that he would return.

In his absence I would work, or not. If I worked steadily and made progress on the job, I would look forward to his return with gladness. If I messed around and didn’t work, I didn’t look forward to his return with joy, but with fear. I didn’t want him to say, “what have you been doing?” How I saw his return depended on me. Was I ready, or not? Would he find me about his business?

One of the saddest things about this latest Rapture/end of the world prediction is that it takes our eye off truth. Jesus said he would return. He told us to be ready for his return. One day the sky will open and the Son will outshine the sun. It will happen but Jesus meant it when he said, “No one knows when that will be.” It is not on anyone’s timetable, it is not hidden in dates or numbers in the Bible, it is not revealed in ancient calendars, or to self-proclaimed prophets.

The one thing he told us, “Be Alert!”

When He comes, it could be a time of great joy and gladness, or a time of fear and trembling. Which it will be, depends on us. When He returns, will He find us ready? Will he find us living as He taught or will He find us neglecting the things of God?

Because Harold Camping was wrong, as we were all sure he would be; and because all those who have predicted it before were wrong; we could get the idea that it is never going to happen. Let’s have fun. I have laughed at many of your comments. Be sure however, we are making fun of self-important, deluded men, while still trusting the basic promise of God.

“The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NASB)

Setting Dates and Prophets of Doom

One of the clearest statements of Jesus concerning his eventual return is “you don’t know when it is going to be,” but watch the signs and remain prepared, because you don’t know when it will be.

Even with the clarity of Jesus’ own words misguided souls have misled their followers with date setting. Several of today’s religious sects began with a leader who set dates. Seventh day Adventists for example began with William Miller who predicted 1844. Jehovah’s Witnesses began with a date of 1914, then later 1975. Mormonism’s founders, Joseph Smith and his theologian, Sydney Rigdon, were apocalyptic, however they never set exact dates.

In the 1980’s , Edgar C. Whisenant predicted the Rapture would occur in 1988. Harold Camping, set a date in 1994, and is now promising next Saturday will be the day. (see www.familyradio.com)

What about it? Is there any reason to believe May 21 as the end?

All these charlatans have something in common? The day comes, the day goes, and Jesus is proven right. They didn’t know the time or the day. They lose followers after a set day goes by, but they all give a new definition of what happened, and some go on. Eventually their false prophecies are forgotten and they again mislead people from the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

Camping’s ads explain the verse in Mark 13 with two statements. He says that in the Greek text the word son is not capitalized so it doesn’t refer to Christ. That is as disingenuous as Jehovah’s witness claims that since the definite article is not in the Greek text of John 1:1 it means the Logos was a god, not God.

Both are a misunderstanding of Greek, either out of ignorance or intentionally. NT Greek doesn’t use capital and miniscule letters the way we do. In fact, most manuscripts have either one or the other. They don’t mix them.

Camping’s second explanation is that since Jesus is Divine, he would know everything. To say that he didn’t know the date he was returning is blasphemous. That ignores the teaching of Philippians, that Jesus emptied himself. While he was on the earth, there were parts of his divinity that he purposely left behind so he could live as human and thus become the substitute for our sins. (see Philippians 2:6-9)

I believe the Son knows the date today. But he didn’t know it that day in Mark 13.

Like Robert Kirby, writing in today’s Salt Lake Tribune says, you are going to need to mow your lawn next Saturday as usual. I would recommend you get your spiritual relationship right with God. I recommend you be on the alert. When you are least expecting it, Jesus could return. So it could be on Friday, May 20. It could be on Sunday May 22. But I am positive that it won’t be on Saturday, May 21. Jesus said, No One knows!