Sad old man

So, I have desire to mock the followers of Harold Camping, who predicted that the rapture would occur today, along with world-wide earthquakes. Here are some thoughts not organized by importance, but just scattered out there.

I shareCamping's and his followers' core belief in Christ's return. Camping predicted that today the rapture would occur and then in October the world would be destroyed. I have heard that from secondary sources, and have not investigated further into his teachings, but I presume that after the destruction of this world they believed the new creation would be established, in which the resurrected people will live eternally. I do not believe in a rapture; I believe Christ will return one time, in glory, and that at on that Day all the dead will be raised from the dead and all the living will be changed, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (I Corinthians 15:52); that creation will be, not destroyed, but renewed--a new creation; that death will cease; that I -- a resurrected or transformed person -- will live forever as a new creation in the new creation. Maranatha. Amen, come, Lord Jesus. So, I think Camping was wrong to predict a date (“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matthew 24:36, New International Version)), and I think he was wrong in many of his details. His beliefs may even seem absurd to me, but to one who doesn't believe in Christ or his coming again my beliefs seem equally absurd.

I feel sorry for Camping and his followers for the incredible disappointment and bewilderment they are doubtless going through. I have no desire to jeer at them in the moment of loss and humiliation.

Although I think Camping was wrong in his predictions, and I rue the ridicule his error will bring on all believers, yet I am thankful for the reminder it has been for me to drive by the "Judgment Day" signs all these months that I and all Christians need to live in the hope and expectation of Christ's return. It has led me to pray that I may be prepared and has added fervency to my prayers for the people I know who don't know or love Christ.

So I think compassion is in order toward these brothers and sisters who have been led astray. Even Camping himself has been led astray by his own convoluted thinking. To me he is a sad and pathetic figure, but he does do harm to others, so I wish he would stop with his teachings. He made a false prediction before and doesn't seem to have learned from the experience; I hope that he will learn this time.