Blessings to you, the readers of this page, in Jesus Christ our Lord. May He guide you and protect you always.

Investigating Family Radio
To See If Harold Camping Is Right About
The End Of The World Coming Oct. 21, 2011

TASK OF THIS INVESTIGATION - begun October 1, 2008

"Beginning An Investigation Into Family Radio's Claim That The World Will End On October 21, 2011"
A Possible Dangerous Deception In Progress

Here is the stark assertion made repeatedly by Harold Camping, President and General Manager of Family Radio: "Thus, we must realize that October 21, 2011 will be the final day of this earth’s existence." - Source: http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/waat/almost_ch03.html

Could this possibly be true? And how did Harold Camping arrive at this conclusion? If it is true, it is very, very important for everyone to know about it. If it is not true, then it is a dangerous deception in progress, and should be stopped immediately in its tracks.

Over the next few days (or weeks) I will be investigating to see for myself what -- if anything -- the Bible truly says on this subject. Harold Camping says that he has solid Scriptural evidence to support his conclusion, and he invites us to read his evidence and come to our own conclusions.

This I will attempt to do, and I invite you all to join me. I will begin by reading his book, "We Are Almost There," located at http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/waat/contents.html

               Rev. Bill McGinnis
               October 1, 2008

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:32

FIRST REPORT - October 5, 2008

First, I downloaded Harold Camping's booklet, "We Are Almost There," from Family Radio at http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/waat/contents.html, and I began to read it.

It immediatley became clear to me that I first needed to understand how Harold Camping went about studying the Bible, so I also download his booklet, "First Principles Of Bible Study," at http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/study/study_contents.html.

I then decided to begin writing my own article entitled "An Overview Of Harold Camping's FIRST PRINCIPLES OF BIBLE STUDY," and this is what I have written so far (first draft).

Introduction

"This booklet was written to answer . . . questions and present a few basic principles that should be kept in mind as we study the Bible."

Chapter 1. Biblical Interpretation

Hermeneutics is the science of biblical interpretation . . . how we derive spiritual truth from the Scriptures.

The Bible Alone and in it’s Entirety is the Word of God - Each book, each paragraph, each sentence, each word, and each letter of each word, is exactly as God intended it to be. No other book is like this. Only God can open the student’s eyes to see the truths set forth on its pages.

All of the Bible is the Word of God - The Bible, in its entirety, is the revelation of God’s will for man. Every doctrine taught in it is an essential part of the revelation of the Gospel. The Old Testament is equal in importance to the New Testament.

Progressive Revelation - There is a timetable known only to God by which He reveals the truths of the Bible. Many passages of the Bible which in earlier times have been somewhat mysterious, can now be understood.

The Bible is the Supreme Law Book - by which God governs all mankind; and God, Himself, is subject to all of the laws He has written in the Bible. At the end of the world, there will be a trial to discover the guilt or innocence of everyone in the whole human race. At this trial, God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ is the Judge. Because God is subject to the laws set forth in the Bible, He cannot have a people (the elect) for Himself eternally unless their sins (their violations of the law of God) have been adjudicated (these individuals have stood for trial) and the penalty demanded by the law (eternal damnation) has been paid. This is what the cross is all about. There Christ was found guilty because all of the sins of the elect were laid on Him. It was at that time God poured out His wrath on Him on behalf of those He came to save. Because God is under the same law that mankind is under He had to suffer sufficiently so that His suffering would be perfectly equal to each of these elect persons spending an eternity in Hell.

(More to follow, Lord willing.)

My first major observations:

1. The Bible Cannot Possibly Be Literally True, Word-For-Word.

Harold Camping stipulates in his fourth paragraph: "Each book, each paragraph, each sentence, each word, and each letter of each word, is exactly as God intended it to be."

This, however, absolutely proves that the Bible cannot be literally true -- word for word -- because any reader can easily see that the words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew are somewhat different than the words of Jesus (on the same occasion) as recorded in Mark. And there are hundreds of other instances of literal contradictions within the Bible itself, where both statements cannot logically be true at the same time, and therefore at least one of them must be literally false. And there are many other instances where the literal words of the Bible are demonstrably untrue in the light of current human knowledge.

If you search Google for: Bible contradictions you will see.

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2. But The Bible Could Be "Spiritually True," Word-For-Word.

It all depends on how you understand the words.

As Harold Camping says, "Only God can open the student’s eyes to see the truths set forth on its pages." This idea leads us immediately into highly subjective understandings of Scripture, in which one person's understanding might be completely different from another person's understanding.

It seems to me that almost everything Harold Camping teaches is based on his own special understanding of the Spiritual meanings of the Scriptures.

Maybe he's right, maybe he's wrong. Who knows . . . ? Perhaps we will find out, as this investigation continues in the future.

3. I Accept And Believe Harold Camping's Idea Of "Progressive Revelation."

"There is a timetable known only to God by which He reveals the truths of the Bible."

Why else would God have said in Daniel 12:9, "Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." ? This says to me that God will unseal the words when the end of time draws near, which perhaps is now.

4. It May Be Possible To Accept Harold Camping's Timetables, Yet Reject The Harsher Parts Of His Neo-Calvinist Theology

I have not yet gotten far enough to form an opinion on his various Timetables, particularly the one concerning The End Of The Word On October 21, 2011.

But I do recognize that Harold Camping (as a trained engineer) has a far-better-than-average understanding of numbers and mathematics, coupled with an extensive knowledge of the Bible, and that if anyone is qualified to develop accurate Biblical timetables, then he might be the one.

5. Family Radio Is A Wonderful And Admirable Organization, And I Love It, Notwithstanding My Disagreements With Some Parts Of Their Theology.

If you go to their website at http://www.familyradio.com, and spend a few minutes poking around in it, you will find some real treasures there, including a high-quality, 24-hour streaming simulcast of their main world-wide Radio broadcast, which you can listen to on the Internet, in the background, while you are working on your computer, as I am now. (It is located at http://209.10.215.74/live.asx) You can minimize the screen, and simply listen to the beautiful music and helpful Christ-centered messages in the background.

BUT: sometimes the voice of Harold Camping will burst into your calm, harshly disrupting your spiritual connection with the Lord, like fingernails scraping on a blackboard, preaching his doctrine of great human suffering and end of the world. And then you may choose to turn down the volume for a while until he finishes whatever it is that he thinks he needs to do.

It has occurred to me that Harold Camping may have some kind of demon which has latched onto him. If so, then I am probably obligated to try to bind it or cast it out in Jesus' name. (See my "Deliverance" website at http://www.internetchurchofchrist.org/deliverance.html)

In fact, I did write and record an order of binding for just such an unclean spirit in him. But the Lord made me stop, and ordered me to begin this investigation, which is now underway.

That's all for now. More later, Lord willing.

Blessings to you in Jesus Christ our Lord.

   
          Rev. Bill McGinnis

               Pastor - http://InternetChurchOfChrist.org      
               Director - http://LoveAllPeople.org

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