Only God Knows the Appointed Time

by Rolaant McKenzie

Harold Camping (1921-2013) was an American Christian radio broadcaster and evangelist who founded Family Radio in San Francisco, California, in 1958. His expressed purpose was to share the gospel throughout the world. One of the most prominent programs on the network was Open Forum, where Camping would respond to callers' questions and comments related to the Bible. At its height, Family Radio broadcast through more than 200 radio stations across the United States.

Over time, Camping began to focus more on using the network to promote his unique interpretations of Scripture related to end-times events. Based on his understanding of Scripture and mathematical calculations, he adopted the belief and promoted the idea that Judgment Day would occur on September 6, 1994. When this date passed, Camping revised it to September 29, then October 2.

Though the end of the world did not come in 1994 as he predicted, Camping still maintained that the date was prophetically significant. Several years later he began teaching that 1994 spelled the end of the church age, that Satan had taken over all the churches, and that true followers of Christ should leave their local church and gather in their homes to hear his teachings on his radio programs. In 2005, Camping began promoting May 21, 2011, as the date when Jesus would return and catch up (rapture) the saved to heaven. This would mark the beginning of five months of cataclysmic judgments on earth, culminating in its destruction on October 21, 2011.

Camping's latest sensational predictions gained him an increased following not only in the United States but in other parts of the world, and it resulted in millions of dollars in donations to his organization. Many quit their jobs, sold their possessions, donated their savings, or bequeathed money and property meant for family to pay for billboards, posters, fliers, and large-screen digital displays to spread the message that Jesus was returning before 6 pm local time on May 21, 2011.

One of those who believed Camping's message was Robert Fitzpatrick of New York, a 60-year-old retiree who spent almost all his life savings to promote it. He and other followers of Camping expectantly waited in Times Square in drizzling rain for Jesus to come and catch them up to glory. They were surrounded by professing atheists and scoffers, some of whom carried white balloons. When 6 pm arrived and nothing happened, they released their balloons into the sky and jeered and mocked them. Fitzpatrick and others with him were bewildered, disappointed, and devastated. They returned to their homes, their faith in God in crisis, to pick up the pieces of their lives and repair damaged relationships.

As he did in 1994, Camping revised his failed predictions. He said that a "spiritual" judgment had occurred on May 21 and that the physical rapture of believers in Jesus and the destruction of the world would occur together on October 21. When this date passed without the predicted events taking place, Camping admitted that his attempts to predict a date for Jesus' coming were sinful and acknowledged that no man knows the day, only God. But the damage was done, and Family Radio suffered a significant loss of listeners, revenue, staff, and assets.

Another aftermath of the failed October 21 date was that a remnant of Camping's followers led by Chris McCann founded the eBible Fellowship. They continued to cling to the date as prophetically significant. McCann believed that Camping's calculations and esoteric interpretations of Scripture were essentially correct, but instead of Judgment Day being unleashed on the world at that time, a period of judgment had started that would culminate in the destruction of the world on October 7, 2015. After the failure of this prediction, many of his followers were exhausted, disappointed, and discouraged from the date-setting build-up and letdown.

Harold Camping's date-setting fiasco and aftermath bore close resemblance to the Millerite Movement led by a lay Baptist preacher named William Miller (1782-1849) that took place about 170 years earlier. Miller became convinced that Jesus would return on October 22, 1844, and he was able to convince many to sell their possessions, quit their jobs, and expectantly wait for the end. When Jesus did not return in 1844, a small remnant of his followers tried to salvage Miller's reputation by claiming that Jesus had returned spiritually to the heavenly temple. This disillusioned group was vulnerable to a new leader and soon found themselves uniting under the leadership of "prophetess" Ellen G. White (1827-1915), the guiding light of a new cultic religion called Seventh-day Adventism, which continues to cling to the 1844 date as prophetically significant, holds to an incomplete atonement, and proclaims a different gospel as a result (Galatians 1:6-9).

Regarding the time of His return, Jesus taught His disciples that the day and hour were known only to God, making human efforts to predict it futile.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come." (Mark 13:32-33)

He also said:

"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." (Matthew 24:42-44)

The apostle Peter warned that false prophets and teachers would mislead people, and because of this the truth of God's word would be maligned (2 Peter 2). From Hymenaeus and Philetus during the time of the apostle Paul to Joshua Mhlakela in more recent times, there have been many individuals and religious groups that have disregarded Jesus' admonition against setting a date for His return. They have come up with all kinds of elaborate charts, calculations, and treatises to confidently suggest or assert why Jesus would return and the end come on a particular date or specific period of time.

With the advent of social media platforms such as YouTube and X (formerly Twitter), the number and outreach of those engaged in date-setting have increased dramatically. Year after year they publish sensational videos with eye-catching thumbnail images to express why this year they believe Jesus may return on a particular day or range of dates.

Whether because of over-exuberance, the desire to attract attention, appear wise, or raise money, such people disregard what Jesus clearly taught about the timing of His return. Their failed dates and supposed high times for His return have led many astray, shipwrecked the faith of many (2 Timothy 2:18), and caused many unbelievers to mock the Lord's return and harden their hearts in unbelief against the gospel.

To those involved in explicit or implicit date-setting, Jesus asks, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46) The Lord goes on to say that those who hear His teachings, including the teaching that no one knows the day of His return for His church except God, and follow them are like a man building a house on a foundation of rock that can withstand any storm. But those who hear and disregard his teachings are like a man building a house without any foundation, which collapses when a storm hits it (Luke 6:47-49).

The best way we can be ready for Jesus's return is not by speculating on or searching for dates when He will come but by believing the gospel message. That is, instead of clinging to shifting dates and times, we should cling to Jesus alone for forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and eternal life. We also should be occupied with living for the Lord, seeking to live out His will for our lives, and sharing the gospel with the lost (Luke 19:11-13).

"Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." (1 John 2:28)

When you hear anyone promoting dates or high times for the rapture, do not be misled by their twisting of Scripture or clever arguments. No matter how sincere or confident they sound, they do not know. Believe in the Lord Jesus and what He says in His word. Only God knows the appointed time.

"It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority" (Acts 1:7)

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." (Titus 2:11-14)