We are getting closer to the end of the church year as we approach the Christian Church year begins with the season of Advent November 27, 2011. So it is at this time that we as Lutherans need to call out those fellow Christians who have gone overboard in predicting The End Of The World As We Know It (TEOWAWKI). The current poster child for this genre of Christian thought is Harold Camping of Family Radio, who after 3 tries (Sept-1994, May-2011, Oct-2011), struck out on predicting the “end”. Thankfully Harold has done the church a great service and admitted his error. Not all false teachers have the guts to do this and for his admission we have to give him due credit. Most people perpetuate their error and never admit their wrongdoing. We frequently see this in politics. Harold has taken the high road and admitted his error.
Some may think it would be nice to sweep some of these
failings of church leaders under the rug. Due to the clearly public nature of Harold’s
proclamations, we are forced in light of Martin Luther’s explanation to the 8th
commandment as recorded in the Large Catechism, to respond publicly so that
other Christians may likewise be publicly warned of his error. We should learn
from other people’s mistakes as the saying goes. We should also note these sins
so that others can learn from them (Galatians 6:1).
As we have stated before in public teaching at Agnus DeiLutheran Church every week, the “supposed” and anticipated event of May 21, 2011 that Harold Camping had
predicted was flat out wrong. When one starts with bad and incorrect
assumptions, it is clear that incorrect results will not be far behind.We have been proved right by that statement as the
millions of people that were slated to begin dying around the world beginning May 22, 2011 did not occur as Harold
had said they would.
So as expected with the historically wrong date setters, Harold
moved the goalposts setting a new date: October 21, 2011. We said he would be wrong in
September, 1994. We said he would be wrong on May 21, 2011. We publicly predicted that He would be wrong
again on October 21, 2011.
The calendar has let the public decide who is more believable. Date setters are
always wrong. A few of these erring predictors may be right some day—j ust like
a stopped clock is always right two times a day.
So that the reader may be well informed, let us take a few
sentences to explode some of the myths and misunderstandings about Biblical exegesis—an
effort at which Harold (and many similar prognosticators) so blatantly fail. In
an article posted at WND, Harold was quoted saying the following:
"The
Bible is a very spiritual book. There are a lot of things that are very
factual, very factual, of course, but there are a lot of things that are very
spiritual. How to know whether to look at it with a spiritual understanding or
a factual understanding is hard to know," Camping said. "The fact is
when we look at it more spiritually then we find that He did come."
Harold has many things mixed up in his understanding of
the Bible. Yes, Jesus the Son of God has come into the world in the flesh back
around 2000 years ago, was crucified on Good Friday, appeared on Easter morning,
and following 40 days, ascended into heaven. He will come again on a day of His
choosing—a day Christians frequently refer to as “judgment Day” or “The Last
Day”. Since we are all here talking and writing about these things, Jesus has
not yet returned as Harold predicted on neither May 21 nor October 21. Harold
as with many predictors before him and after him is wrong. This idea of
intermediating periods of time whether they be days, months (May 21 through
October 21), or years is a fiction—an invention of Harold and others that is
not found in clear Scripture. Sure you can find some people who advocate such a
thing based upon their interpretation of symbolic and visionary biblical
literature. We as Lutherans have over many centuries however, found no clear
evidence of this kind of prophecy in the scriptures. Quite simply what we
clearly find is that there will be trouble in the world until Jesus comes on a
day which will be a surprise to everyone. Following that day, time (if you want
to call it that) continues for the saints with their Lord Jesus Christ forever
in heaven. It’s a very simple and uncomplicated approach to the end times that
has served the church quite well for centuries. We still believe it and invite
others to join us.
One other clear error in exegesis is Harold’s view that 1,000
years is like a day and a day is like a 1,000 years to God (as taken from 2Peter 3:8). Harold has taken this to mean a literal 1,000 years. We do not.
What this really means to us as Christians and as Lutherans is that God invented
time as part of creation. God is outside of time. He is after all eternal. He
has no beginning and has no end. So he is not restricted by time as we are
since God is uncreated (as one confesses in the Athanasian Creed). Thus the
limitations that time and space put on man are not a problem for God. So the
ability to know the future and to be in many places at the same time are
non-issues with our all powerful God.
One cannot help but feel sorry for those people fooled
into believing an end on a specific date will come to pass. Our best help is to
teach them correctly and guide them back to a biblical truth.
While these church leaders may be charismatic and able to
lead, they however have shown themselves to not be infallible prophets of God
as we have already seen and will continue to see. One does not follow those who
lead others into error. In the Old Testament God’s faithful people would stone
false prophets like this. We in this day and age deal with false prophets
similarly in that we simply leave them (Romans 16:17-18).
We separate from them. It is as effective as a stoning (they cannot falsely
influence believers any more), yet it still by the grace and mercy of God, gives
the false prophet the opportunity to repent, amend their ways, and come back to
the truth.
This is what separates Christianity from other modern day
religions such as an Islam that in dealing with a similar situation, would
quite literally kill the false prophet or errant follower of their religion. Since
we believe in a merciful God, we likewise show mercy to the wayward believer so
that they can turn from their error and return to the truth as presented freely
to all in The Bible—the Holy Scriptures.
As a Lutheran pastor, I have over the years dealt with a
number of Christians who have been wronged and hurt by false prophets like
Harold. Often times the key problem is that the people who get caught up in the
movement focus on the person (like Harold) instead of the teaching or doctrine.
In the history of the Christian Church over the centuries, erring leaders may
come and go, but the inspired Living Word of God—the teaching and doctrine as
presented by God through His prophets and through Jesus Christ always remains
unchanged.
The good pastor or prophet will always demure himself to
the one true shepherd Jesus Christ. That is what we do in the Lutheran church
where I serve in Fredericksburg, VA.
That is what all believers in Jesus Christ should require of their churches and
church leaders. That way if the leader is somehow mislead to teach something
false and against what Jesus taught in the Bible, the people can ignore that
false teaching and remain faithful to the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles
that we find recorded in the Bible. That is what the Berean Christians did
(Acts 17:10-12). We should continue
to follow their fine example.
If you or someone you know has been caught up in this or
similar end of times movements that try and scare you into the Kingdom of God through
fear, intimidation, or other scare tactics, tell them about us. We are ready
and willing to take people who have been hurt, abused, or mislead by previous
churches and using the Word alone, help guide them back to a path where they
can experience the freedom and liberty enjoyed under the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
The
chances of Jesus returning tomorrow is 50/50. He either
will or He will not. One should always plan for both contingencies for as Jesus
said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming”
(Matthew 24:42).
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