Since I started preaching 45 years ago, I’ve heard just about every prediction imaginable. Here’s the latest, and I suspect you’ve heard about it, Harold Camping claims that the rapture will take place May 21st, 2011. That’s tomorrow! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that was the case? But Mr. Camping will join the long list of others who have said the same thing. Actually he is already on that list. This isn’t Camping’s first such prediction. He predicted the same in 1994. He even sent me a copy of his book entitled,”1994″ in which he predicted that the rapture would happen that year. It didn’t happen then and I doubt that it will happen tomorrow. The fact is that neither he nor we know when it will happen.
If you think such predictions are harmless you need to think again. False teachers have led many astray and they’ve left a bad impression before others. This is why a lot of unsaved people think that we Christians are a bunch of nuts. That’s sad. I also feel sorry for Camping’s supporters–especially one 60 year old retired transit worker who invested his entire life savings of $140,000 into the campaign. He is just one of many who wasted their money spreading heresy. I can’t help but think how much better it would have been had this money been spend proclaiming the gospel. Only God knows how many people will be hurt and how much damage will be done by false teachers such as this. It’s significant!
However, make no mistake about it–Jesus is coming! That’s what the Bible teaches and that’s what Jesus promised (“I will come again”-John 14:3). Although we don’t know when we believe with all our heart that He will return. If the Bible is wrong about that it can’t be trusted in regards to anything else.
Now, you are free to believe what you please, but you had better consider the consequences of being wrong and find out what is right. It’s silly to say,”I don’t believe the Bible” when you’ve never investigated its claims. I believe if you honestly examine the Bible you will come to believe that “The Bible is a book man could not have written if he would and would not have written if he could”. It has proved itself over and over again, and there is no reason to question, doubt, or reject what it says, and that includes what it teaches about the coming of the Lord. Jesus promised He would come and I believe He will. No man, nor even the angels, know when He is coming, but that doesn’t change the fact that He will. Would you be ready? Not unless you have received Christ as your Lord and Savior.
