So says Harold Camping, a radio preacher who claims to have calculated this ominous date from information in the Bible. There are so many biblical holes in his theory that space prohibits even listing them.
Suffice it to say that there is a primary reason why Camping, many others before him, and many other Bible teachers today who are expounding upon “Eschatology” (the study of the last days) make such groundless statements that frighten sincere Christians.
They fail to distinguish between what is written to and about Israel (Jews) and what is to and about Christians. In particular, they fail to distinguish between what is written to and about pre-Pentecost (Acts 2) believers (whose salvation was conditional) and post-Pentecost Christians (whose salvation via New Birth is unconditional).
They also fail to distinguish between Christ’s coming in the air FOR THE CHURCH (which no signs precede) and Christ’s coming to the earth WITH THE CHURCH (which many signs precede).
In a nutshell, Scripture says that the next major spiritual happening is the gathering together (aka “Rapture”) of all Christians to meet the Lord Jesus in the air (1 Thess. 4:13–17), and there are no signs that precede that glorious event which could take place at any moment. Then comes the Tribulation (aka –“the time of Jacob’s trouble”—Jer. 30:7 – KJV), which lasts for seven years (Dan. 9:24–27), when Satan tries to destroy true Israel.
At the end of the seven years, the Lord Jesus comes back to the earth (Zech. 14:3) with all Christians and raises all Old Testament believers from the dead (Ezek. 37:1–14; Rev. 20:5). He wins the Battle of Armageddon, locks up the Devil and his evil spirits (Rev. 20:3), and rids the world of all wicked people for the next 1000 years while he rules the earth from the land God promised Abraham and his descendants, and which Jesus will then give them (Rom. 15:8).
At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is loosed from his prison, whereupon he goes forth to deceive millions of people, making one final assault on Jerusalem. God sends fire from heaven and destroys them (Rev. 20:7–9). Then He destroys Satan in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10; Ezek. 28:18).
Then the Lord Jesus will raise from the dead every other human being who has ever lived, those not raised at the Rapture of the Church or the Resurrection of the Just. He will righteously judge and destroy all wicked people (Rev. 20:11–15). Then he will create a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1ff) and the saved of the ages will forever enjoy a glorious life.
It is only in this current “administration of the secret” (Eph. 3:9) that people who confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead (Rom. 10:9) are instantly “born again of incorruptible seed” (1 Pet. 1:23 – KJV) and guaranteed of everlasting life in Paradise.
If you have never made Jesus Christ your Lord, you can do so right now and then rest assured that you are saved from sin and death. As a part of his Body, the Church, you will be gathered up and given a new body when he comes to rescue us from this present, evil age (Gal. 1:4). Amen.
