Forget Harold...and get busy!

The BBC have reported again on Harold Camping and his failed rapture prediction.

It's a real joke! He now says that there WAS a judgement on 21st May, and that it was actually a SPIRITUAL judgment, which is rather convenient. Furthermore, the 21 October date is related to an earlier prediction about the end of the world. It's actually quite annoying that a) the media give this charlatan such air time, but b) they can't even report it properly! They are giving the impression that he is issuing a new date.

What's galling is that his revision to the nature of the judgment does not deal with the rather embarassing question: why are the Christians still around if God has judged the world, albeit spiritually? The fact Christians still walk the planet totally discredits the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture if he now says we're all under judgment??

I know countless theologians and journalists have made the point, but it is worth restating, "no-one knows about that day [the second coming] or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36). Jesus' words are unequivocal and any attempt to colour, manipulate, revise, or change these represents gross heresy. Furthermore, the idea that someone might receive a special revelation from the Father is also offensive, for it implies (as the ancient gnostics did) that faith and knowledge of God is about 'secret' knowledge.

But I suppose I should ask myself: what is my personal response to the predictions?

Jesus speaks about His return and the signs that will preceed this in Mark 13, which is largely repeated in Matthew 24. As I read Mark 13 I am struck by the following phrases: "Watch out that noone deceives you" (v.5), "Do not be alarmed" (v.7), "Be on your guard" (v.9, 23, 33), "Do not worry" (v.11 about witnessing), "Be alert!" (v.33), and "Keep watch" (v.35, 37).

Perhaps the key verse is 13: "he who stands firm to the end will be saved"

So what is my personal response?

Firstly, we are to cling to the truth of scripture. We will not be deceived by Satan or fellow man, or by circumstance if we cling to the truth of His word. It is also important that we allow others to correct our understanding, for we can all very easily be drawn to adapt our theology to fit our life. Am I regularly plugging into the Bible to shape my perspective on life. The Bible counsels us to not worry about our future, either from a personal point of view (Matt 6:25,34) or from an apocalyptic point of view. We're to trust Him and cast all our anxiety onto God (1 Peter 5:7). It is the panicked response seen in so many of Camping's followers that upsets me - why are they not dismissing him as contrary to the teaching of the Bible? We are required to expose lies (Ephesians 5:11) so we should, by the same token, be alert and on guard from deceitful ministers (2 John 10; 2 Peter 2:1).

Secondly, we're to take Jesus' return seriously. Accepting that Jesus does give us some indicators of the beginning of the end, which admitedly cannot be scheduled, there are three things I'm to do in connection with His return:

1. Preach the gospel (v.10)
Some believe that until the entire world has heard the gospel in their own language Jesus cannot return. Again, it's important not to put arbitrary conditions on Jesus return, but how am I helping this aim. Do I actively engage in the preaching of the gospel? Does my life speak of the good news? Do I share the good news? Camping does not appear to be using his confidence in a fixed point of judgment to urge greater works of evangelism - or so it seems. I wonder whether this is what Jesus is aiming at when he asks the disciples to not be caught sleeping (Mark 13:36). There is no excuse for inactivity, especially about shining as lights in the world. Indeed, one sign of Jesus return is the increased demand on Christians to witness in front of mankind, which we're not to fear - for the Spirit will lead our words (v.11)

2. Prepare for suffering (v.19)
I think the idea of the rapture is distorted (especially by pre-tribulational dispensationalists) to imply that God doesn't want Christians to suffer. Whether or not we are not to be removed from the world, God has sanctioned that our lives are not free from pain, sadness and suffering. In fact, the Bible counsels that we will suffer for being Christians (see v. 13; 1 Peter 1:6; 2 Timothy 3:12). In my day to day life, do I allow God to use the tough times to teach me, am I able to learn how to trust Him, to pattern my life on Jesus' (1 Peter 2:21)

3. Practice purity (v.34)
We are to continue to live our lives patterned on Jesus and his teaching. I was particularly helped last summer by a talk at the Keswick Convention. Our life of holiness is a response to Jesus first coming and his work on the cross, and the hope Jesus' second coming. 1 John says "everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself" (1 John 3:3). We are called to live in God's will, which also means living free from sin. So perhaps Jesus is saying to his disciples, "Be alert! Be on guard!", not to be only concerned with those around us, the rumours and lies, but we are to look to our own lives - be aware of the deceitfulness of sin. Jesus' reference to sleeping could be a reference to inactivity, but also that state of unrighteousness, a state of spiritual death (Ephesians 5:14).

I can dismiss Harold Camping as a nutter, or a fraud, but I cannot dismiss that to which he refers.

Is my life patterned on the truth of Jesus' return:
- Do I regularly read my Bible to ensure I know truth?
- Am I casting my future worries on God?
- Do I expose and explain the lies in the world to those around me?
- Am I actively sharing the good news of the gospel?
- Do I accept suffering or seek to avoid it?
- Is my life patterned on holiness and a desire to root out sin?

...phew...you know what, I should stop stressing about Harold, and look to my own walk!