Camping’s Rapture Ruse :: By Chris Mangan

Published on: by RR7 Category:General Articles

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

30 June 2025

Published on: by RR10 Category:Nearing Midnight

Israel Here to Stay? :: By Terry James

Author’s note: While awaiting President Donald J. Trump’s decision on ridding Iran’s Islamic regime of its nuclear weapons-making capability, I researched through past commentaries I’ve written on this troubling topic. There were a number of such articles, but the one I chose, I think, portrays just how long the threat has been allowed to build to this moment of absolute necessity of eliminating a sure and present danger—a danger not only to Israel and America but to the entire world.

Now the president has made the decision that will have resounding ramifications throughout the world. Iran’s nuclear facilities have been totally eliminated in the strikes Saturday night, June 21.

However, none of the usual pundits can answer: What happens next? Will there be regime change? There are no answers coming from the so-called experts.

There is no uncertainty from this quarter. It’s not that I am super-smart or prescient. But I read the future that is found only in the Holy Word of our God.

The “Persian” evil is not finished. Iran is destined to join the Gog-Magog coalition of Ezekiel chapters 38-39.

Because of Bible prophecy, I’m prepared to offer with a significant degree of certainty the opinion that this action–righteous though it is in ridding Israel and the world of an immediate nuclear threat from this wicked regime, has started a process that will very quickly push Iran further into the arms of the likes of Russia, Turkey, and others that will constitute the Gog-Magog coalition. 

The following was posted on Raptureready.com August 23, 2010.

My thought in reposting here is to show that no matter how things look from human perspective, God is in full control at all times. He is restraining and has the satanically inspired forces of evil often in derision, as promised in Psalm 2.

The dangers examined in that article still exist, and the Lord continues to restrain and be in full control. So, those who know the Lord and watch prophetic developments as we are instructed by Jesus (Mark 13:37 and Luke 21:28) can be assured that God’s promise to take believers home to Glory is imminent, while witnessing “all these things begin[ning] to come to pass.”

Israel Here to Stay?

Originally posted August 23, 2010

My inbox and the news from Bible prophecy circles bulge with talk of Israel’s almost-certain attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The scuttlebutt has been coming hard and fast since 2007 or even earlier. Each summer was going to bring an assault by Israel, and all-out Mideast war was sure to ensue.

As I write this, the predictions are at fever pitch. John Bolton, former American UN ambassador, declared that Israel had until Saturday, August 21, [2010.] to take out Iran’s nuclear plants, or risk—by their bombing—spreading radiation contamination across the area and into the Persian Gulf.

The flood of emails proclaims that this is it. The region is going to go up in flames, with Russia coming to the aid of Iran, because the Russians are so heavily invested in the Iranian nuclear program. There will be Russian nuclear technicians installing the radioactive rods necessary to fuel and power up the facility. They will be in harm’s way, and Moscow–from which Gog of Magog prophetic infamy will come—will not abide such an insult. The thought frequently conjectured: Could this be the beginning of Ezekiel 38-39—the Gog-Magog attack?

Israel can’t afford, the argument goes, to allow the facility to come online. This is because the spent fuel rods will provide plutonium and other byproducts to give Iran the materials from which they can produce nuclear weapons. That’s a simplification of the matter but should suffice, I hope, for making my point.

This attack by Israel will be, the emailers apparently believe, prophecy being fulfilled. This preemptive attack by the Jewish state upon the land of ancient Persia surely will, the messages exclaim, instigate a chain reaction of events. These events will bring the Gog-Magog attack, and perhaps Isaiah 17:1 will also be fulfilled. Some even believe it will provoke the long-pondered-over Psalm 83 war supposed by many to be in the offing.

I could have waited until Saturday, August 21, had passed to write this piece but chose not to do so. My reason is primarily that I don’t believe this is the time for the Gog-Magog War, or for the proposed Psalm 83 conflict, should it be an actual prophecy. Exigencies just aren’t ripe for producing the horrific results such conflicts as the Gog-Magog, or even the supposed Psalm 83, conflagrations would inflict. At least, that’s my view from my present perspective.

More than that, I believe that’s the way it is presented from the perspective of Bible prophecy. One thing I do think is an almost 100-percent certainty is that Israel isn’t going anywhere. Iranian tyrant Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s promises to erase Israel from the face of the Middle East and the world are empty threats. It will never happen—not even with the help of the Gog nation, Russia.

Why do I say “an almost 100-percent certainty”?

This goes to the argument of those who say it is possible that Israel could be removed from its land yet again. Then, all would have to once more rearrange in order to get the prophetic indicators into place like they are now. God might allow Israel’s enemies to again take the Jews from the Promised Land because of their unbelief.

Zola Levitt and I were once discussing the hatred of the Arab nations for Israel. I mentioned that the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee didn’t think the Jews being back in the land was necessarily a major signal of the nearness to Christ’s return. My friend Zola, a very passionate man when it came to Israel, got pretty exercised, as I recall. He said he and Dr. McGee “got into it” over this subject.

Zola said Dr. McGee said it could be that Israel might yet be removed from the land of promise. Zola didn’t like that at all, so they had a rather lively discussion on the matter—on camera. I said, “Well, Dr. McGee [who went to be with the Lord in 1988 at age 84] knows now, that’s for sure.” That seemed to calm Zola a bit.

Dr. McGee would no doubt agree that Israel is back in the land to stay, if he could have watched developments of the years since he left the planet. Israel being the center of most all controversy so far as issues of war and peace are concerned; pressured by the international community to give up God’s land; at the center of a forced, phony peace process, with Iran (ancient Persia) threatening from the north. How could he or anyone being privy to such facts say otherwise?

Whatever happened last Saturday—as you read this on August 23 or later—Israel isn’t going anywhere. So, I’ll change my “almost” to an absolute 100-percent certainty.

Although Israel—and the world—is in for some terrible times ahead, I firmly believe we have the very Word of God about the current and future disposition of His chosen nation. Israel is here to stay.

“And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God” (Amos 9:14-15).

—Terry

The Indispensable Value of Bible Prophecy

When I was a child, I enjoyed the paper-based activity of connecting the dots. It began with a page covered with numbered dots. When connected in the proper order, a picture emerged from the maze of dots.

It would be nice if it were that easy to connect all the dots in regard to Bible prophecy. As we get closer to the start of the Tribulation period, the picture becomes clearer than it ever has been in the past. However, sometimes we need to erase the links we have already drawn. Such was the case with this article after my initial draft.

With the US bombing of the Iranian nuclear facilities, it seemed as though Israel would achieve a decisive victory in the war. I had already drawn a line between its decisive triumph and the peaceful conditions that Israel will enjoy just prior to the Gog/Magog invasion of Ezekiel 38-39 (see 38:7-8).

When I heard the initial reports of an impending Iranian attack on US bases, I assumed that a much wider war was imminent, with still further destruction of Iran’s capabilities to wage war.

With the unexpected turn of events and the announcement of a ceasefire, it was time to bring out the eraser or perhaps draw new lines??

The ending of the war, in my mind far too premature, kept in power satanically driven radical jihadists who still retain their fiery passion to destroy Israel and its people. As they proclaimed victory after the ceasefire, they must have realized that it was just a show to deceive their adherents in Iran. Next time, rather than attempting to destroy Israel by themselves, they will join with other nations and invade the Land, hoping for a better result, which leads us again to the fulfilment of Ezekiel 38-39.

Bible Prophecy Is Essential

Although the prophetic picture of the end times is clearer than it’s ever been, some things remain a mystery. That’s why the study of Bible prophecy is so essential; it continually reminds us that the Lord remains in control despite what we see. He will surely keep all His promises to Israel and us and someday, hopefully soon, bring us safely to the place He’s preparing for us in glory.

This also applies to our daily lives, does it not? We know all experience the many twists and turns that the Lord leads us through this side of glory; our lives are truly walks of faith. As I look back on my life, I had no idea of how the many ups and more numerous downs of my past would fit together for the Lord’s purposes for my life. With hindsight, I recognize how my rocky past played a crucial role in preparing me for my current writing ministry.

A proper understanding of Bible prophecy is absolutely indispensable for the time in which we live. It keeps our eyes focused on Jesus and the glorious future He promises us. As we watch the world behave precisely as Scripture predicted for the last days, we become increasingly aware of God’s sovereignty in all things. The One who is able to control human affairs in such a way is more than capable of keeping all His promises to us during our remaining time in this life.

The Wildcards

As the links between now and the events described in Revelation chapters 6-18 become clearer by the day, we often wonder why we remain earthbound. A couple of factors that I like to refer to as wildcards keep us from unraveling the mystery of the timing of what lies ahead.

The first is the Holy Spirit’s restraining power that’s currently preventing the revealing of antichrist and limiting the “mystery of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8). Several months ago, I believed we were on the brink of a major world war. When President Biden gave Ukraine permission to fire NATO missiles into Russia, I was sure Putin would respond with nuclear weapons. It appeared as though we were remarkably close to the devastating wars described in Revelation 6:1-8.

That’s just one of many instances when it seemed as though the world was breathtakingly close to the time the Lord will open the seals, but then the momentum slowed down or stopped. And we are still here rather than in Heaven watching Him release the riders of the apocalypse.

The second wildcard is the Rapture. Once that happens, chaos and mayhem will ensue across the world. Soon afterward, Satan will reveal his “man of lawlessness,” who will quickly rise to power amid the anarchy and destruction. His solutions will seem reasonable and peaceful but will later lead to much more death and destruction. He will later convince Israel that he’s able to guarantee their safety for a time (Daniel 9:27).

I believe the path to the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel will become clear after the Rapture. It will severely weaken America’s ability to defend the nation. The nations have already formed the exact alliance that Ezekiel predicted long ago. The Rapture and removal of the restraining work of the Holy Spirit will give them the opportunity to attack.

Scripture confirms that we live in the season of Jesus’ appearing and with it the sudden fulfillment of passages such as Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-55. At any moment, Jesus might return for us and give us immortal and incorruptible bodies like His. This is the substance of our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:11-14).

Although the work of the Restrainer keeps us from pinpointing the start of the Tribulation period, the dots of Bible prophecy that we can connect clearly reveal that we live in the season of Jesus’ imminent appearing.

And we pray that He comes soon to take us home. Maranatha!

-Jonathan