Archive for May 23, 2011


May 23

“You know neither the day nor the hour”

2011 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Recommended Link

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus made it abundantly clear that we won’t know the day or hour of his return until he returns: Concerning “the day or the hour,” Jesus says, “no one knows” (Matthew 24:36, 25:13)

So how is it that Harold Camping and his followers could so certainly and earnestly expect the return of Christ on exactly May 21? How could they say, “The Bible guarantees it”? Can the Bible really be understood, or is it just a bag of unclarity and contradiction?

Ahead of May 21, W. Robert Godfrey published a five part series explaining how Camping reads the Bible and how Camping came to read the Bible that way: “The End of the World According to Harold Camping“ Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

In Part 1, Godfrey shows the connection between Camping’s educational background and his method for reading the Bible:

Camping was a bright and studious man who had been educated as an engineer. In the 1950s he owned a very successful construction company which built churches as well as other significant buildings. This educational background is critical to understanding Camping. His education was not in the liberal arts or theology. He had not been prepared to read literature or ancient texts. He knew no Greek or Hebrew. He was not formally introduced to the study of theology. His reading of the Bible, as it evolved over the decades, reflected his training in engineering. He reads the Bible like a mathematical or scientific textbook.

In addition, Timothy Dalrymple has written a helpful response to those who propagated and believed this false teaching, “A Letter To Harold Camping and Those Who Expected Judgment Day.”

In light of all this, it’s good for us to remember that there is nonetheless a day and an hour when Jesus will return. Until then, according to Matthew 24-25 we are to be wakeful, ready, faithful, wise, and watchful for his coming.