With May 21, 2011 behind us, I wanted to write an article commenting on something that I haven't seen anyone else directly engage. No shortage of believers stepped forward to remind us of the Biblical teaching that no one knows the time, thus refuting Harold Camping's prediction well before it flopped. But what I haven't seen a reply to is the logic used by his companions to explain why they thought they could calculate the date in the first place. The article I'll be using as the centerpiece of my essay can be found here:
http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/outreach/tracts/wecanknow/
Let me start by saying that as a Bible-believing Christian, I fully believe that Christ will return one day to end this world and gather humanity for judgment. I don't believe in a Darby-style "secret Rapture", but that's not the point I want to address in this article.
In Matthew 24, Christ sets out several truths about his return. These ideas are echoed in Mark 13 and Luke 21, but I'll focus on just Matthew 24 for simplicity's sake.
1. No one but the Father knows the time. Jesus said no man, no angel, nor even God the Son know the chosen hour. (Matthew 24:36)
2. Lots of bad things will happen in the world, but that doesn't mean it's all about to end. So don't get freaked out every time there's a war, natural disaster, or creepy headline. (Matthew 24:4-6)
3. Believers and non-believers alike will be surprised when it happens. (Matthew 24:42-44)
4. When it happens, no one will have to tell you. The world will all at once be aware of this startling event. (Matthew 24:23-27)
Sadly, these simple truths spelled out quite plainly in Scripture have not stopped well-meaning believers and charlatans alike from peddling a variety of specific dates -- largely based on panic surrounding particular world events -- and then getting people to jump on the band wagon, ditch their possessions, stop doing the real work of God (material and spiritual charity), only to be left utterly disillusioned when the false prophet is revealed for what they always were.
Everything up to this point is fairly well known information amongst anyone that's bothered to read a Bible. But along comes Harold Camping and his ilk who claim that we've had it all wrong. Since simply being the faithful servant and leaving God's plans to Him doesn't suit them, they backload a new idea into Scripture. Simply put: Jesus was only talking about his audience back then. As people living closer to the event, we're so privileged that we can figure it out!
Right back to Matthew 24.
Ironically, they start right off quoting Matthew 24 and then promptly trying to dismiss its most obvious teachings.
You can't claim to hold to the authority of Scripture, quote a verse, and then simply dismiss it. For anyone that's even had a basic introduction to Biblical interpretation, there's a very simple principle you apply: harmonization. Life is a complicated thing that can't be reduced to cliches, and the Bible makes no attempt to work around this. As a result, we have to study each passage in their intended context and find the larger portrait they paint. That is not the same as simply cherry-picking verses out of their historical and literary context to get the meaning you want.
In other words, harmonization does not allow you to simply dismiss a verse and then search elsewhere for one that suits you better.
Yes, I agree that Jesus is part of the godhead. However, their argument falls apart on Trinitarian theology which states that God is one in essence but three in person. For example, you have both a mind and a body. They are both you, and without either, you cease to be you. But that does not mean they are the same thing. Yes, it's a weak analogy, but for the uninitiated it should be a pretty reasonable intro to the Trinity.
While Jesus is indeed God Almighty, he also submits to the Father and prays to the Father (Matthew 26:42). He also says that the Father sent him, bears witness to his teaching, and receives glory from the Son (John 7:16-18).
The point being that the Father, Son, and Spirit are one, but that does not mean they are the same. They possess what's called a subject-object distinction. Just as your arms may not know what your mind is thinking -- yet in a healthy body will perfectly submit to its will -- so it's not terribly hard to say that no time is hidden from Almighty God, Jesus is an inseparable part of Almighty God, and yet he may not know a particular date the Father has withheld.
No help from the other Daniel, either!
The article goes on to say...
In Matthew 24, Christ sets out several truths about his return. These ideas are echoed in Mark 13 and Luke 21, but I'll focus on just Matthew 24 for simplicity's sake.
1. No one but the Father knows the time. Jesus said no man, no angel, nor even God the Son know the chosen hour. (Matthew 24:36)
2. Lots of bad things will happen in the world, but that doesn't mean it's all about to end. So don't get freaked out every time there's a war, natural disaster, or creepy headline. (Matthew 24:4-6)
3. Believers and non-believers alike will be surprised when it happens. (Matthew 24:42-44)
4. When it happens, no one will have to tell you. The world will all at once be aware of this startling event. (Matthew 24:23-27)
Sadly, these simple truths spelled out quite plainly in Scripture have not stopped well-meaning believers and charlatans alike from peddling a variety of specific dates -- largely based on panic surrounding particular world events -- and then getting people to jump on the band wagon, ditch their possessions, stop doing the real work of God (material and spiritual charity), only to be left utterly disillusioned when the false prophet is revealed for what they always were.
Everything up to this point is fairly well known information amongst anyone that's bothered to read a Bible. But along comes Harold Camping and his ilk who claim that we've had it all wrong. Since simply being the faithful servant and leaving God's plans to Him doesn't suit them, they backload a new idea into Scripture. Simply put: Jesus was only talking about his audience back then. As people living closer to the event, we're so privileged that we can figure it out!
Right back to Matthew 24.
Ironically, they start right off quoting Matthew 24 and then promptly trying to dismiss its most obvious teachings.
Of course, we do acknowledge that the Bible has this verse within it. However, the question is: does the rest of the Bible support the idea that we cannot know the timing of the end of the world? Or, is there more information in the Bible that would allow for God’s people to learn the date of the end of the world?
You can't claim to hold to the authority of Scripture, quote a verse, and then simply dismiss it. For anyone that's even had a basic introduction to Biblical interpretation, there's a very simple principle you apply: harmonization. Life is a complicated thing that can't be reduced to cliches, and the Bible makes no attempt to work around this. As a result, we have to study each passage in their intended context and find the larger portrait they paint. That is not the same as simply cherry-picking verses out of their historical and literary context to get the meaning you want.
In other words, harmonization does not allow you to simply dismiss a verse and then search elsewhere for one that suits you better.
First of all, we need to quickly mention that Jesus Christ is God Almighty. And since Jesus is Almighty God, there can be no question that He knows when the end of the world will be.
Job 24:1 …times are not hidden from the Almighty…
Yes, I agree that Jesus is part of the godhead. However, their argument falls apart on Trinitarian theology which states that God is one in essence but three in person. For example, you have both a mind and a body. They are both you, and without either, you cease to be you. But that does not mean they are the same thing. Yes, it's a weak analogy, but for the uninitiated it should be a pretty reasonable intro to the Trinity.
While Jesus is indeed God Almighty, he also submits to the Father and prays to the Father (Matthew 26:42). He also says that the Father sent him, bears witness to his teaching, and receives glory from the Son (John 7:16-18).
The point being that the Father, Son, and Spirit are one, but that does not mean they are the same. They possess what's called a subject-object distinction. Just as your arms may not know what your mind is thinking -- yet in a healthy body will perfectly submit to its will -- so it's not terribly hard to say that no time is hidden from Almighty God, Jesus is an inseparable part of Almighty God, and yet he may not know a particular date the Father has withheld.
No help from the other Daniel, either!
The article goes on to say...
The purpose of this pamphlet is to show from the Bible that since we have now reached the last days of earth’s history, it is (and always has been) God’s plan to reveal information from the Bible concerning the end of the world, including its exact timing. For instance, we see this idea in the following passage of Scripture:
Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
According to this verse, God shut up the words and sealed the Book (the Bible) until the time of the end. Because the Bible’s information was sealed up, no man could know the timing of the end of the world. But the strong implication of Daniel 12:4 is that the seals would be taken off once the time period of the end is reached.
The quotation is correct, but it's taken out of the broader context of Scripture. The sealed scroll does indeed appear again over in Revelation 5, and it's broken open. Even if I concede to the conjecture about the contents of this scroll (i.e. that it includes the math to reach the Day of Judgment), note what else it says in Revelation 5:3. It plainly says that no one living or dead was able to open it, save for Christ alone. So even if there is some magical equation for the end of the world, it's not false prophets like Camping -- nor any human being -- it would be revealed to, but rather the Lamb of God who alone is worthy to open it.
Why the churches won't (and shouldn't) understand.
The next portion launches into a series of preemptive attacks on those that would decry this false prophecy for what it is: a blatant contradiction of the established principles of the Bible. It raises the point (which I agree with) that we shouldn't believe something simply because it's a popular view among modern churches or your pastor. However, by that same measure, why take the popular opinion of a subculture with its own radio network?
Instead, as 2 Timothy 3:14-17 says, we ought to use Scripture itself as our source of truth, testing all teaching against it. Or as 2 Peter 3:16 warns, we ought to read Scripture for what it says, rather than the meaning a particular person so desperately wants it to have.
Their essay continues to assail the church, talking about how God has abandoned it since 1988 (a point out of the scope of this rebuttal) and has left them in spiritual darkness, groping about blindly and ignoring the truth. I would like to turn these words back upon their author. Now that May 21st has come and gone, will the leadership of this organization confess their sin of false teaching, repent, and return to Biblical teaching? Will the followers confess their sin of following these men and return to the true shepherd? Will you confess and honestly deal with the darkness and ignorance you've indulged in and subsequently embarrassed the Kingdom with?
God certainly does forewarn his people.
The subsequent section starts off with points I generally agree with. While it is not God's obligation to forewarn us of every act He has planned, it is true that many of the great events in Scriptural history were preceded by prophecies, signs, and warnings. However, this is where I split from the author.
Regarding the end of the world, we have been forewarned. We've been told it's coming, what it will mean for believer and non-believer alike -- and an organic part of that warning is that it will take us by surprise. One cannot appeal to places where God did give very specific times (such as the flood warning to Noah) and extrapolate that in blanket fashion to say that all prophecies are accompanied by a timestamp.
The author also cites Matthew 24:38-39 to reference Christ's own statement that the end times bear similarity to Noah's flood. In this case, what's being drawn out specifically by Jesus is that the world will continue as it always has, only to be taken by surprise one day when everything changes. The point is about the ungodly ignoring impending disaster, not the godly knowing a date.
In Noah's case, the righteous were spared by a boat. They needed specific instructions on the size of the vessel and the timing of the flood, lest their fate by sealed by virtue of building the ark a few days behind schedule. So is that also true of the end times?
The same point is raised about Lot. God was preparing to annihilate two cities by fire. Lot was told to take his family and leave only a very short time before the event. But just as Noah was saved by a boat, Lot was saved by the very physical act of running away.
So do we have a plan from God to help us prepare for the ultimate end? Do we have all the information we need to reach His salvation? We do, and it's set out quite specifically in Matthew 24:42-51. What we're given is not a date but instead a warning that even the faithful servant will not know the time this will occur, and therefore our assigned task is to remain vigilant right until the end.
Like the man guarding his house or the faithful servant, we should stay awake and involved every hour of every day, so when that time arrives and takes even the believer by surprise, they will be saved from destruction and stand unashamed before their Lord. Unlike building a boat or running from a city, you don't need to know a date to remain perpetually obedient and thus be saved from disaster.
A thief or a master?
The author continues by pointing out Christ's reference to the end coming like a thief in the night. It is further posited that the metaphor of a thief is in reference to one half of what Christ will do upon his return (striking the unredeemed as opposed to delivering the redeemed). This point is backed up by 1 Thessalonians 5 and Revelation 3, where we're provided with warnings that this event ought not overtake us like an unexpected thief. Yet again, I agree with the author thus far but no farther.
The article makes this point in the absence of the rest of Christ's metaphor. Just as he will return to unexpectedly judge the wicked, we are given the analogy of a master over servants with appointed tasks (an image that fits His relationship with the believer) returning at an unknown hour. The admonishment once again is not to be ready at a specific hour but rather to be ready at every hour, for even the servant does not know when the master will appear.
A whale of a story.
The next segment centers around the Ninevites who were warned by Jonah they had exactly 40 days to repent. Yet again, we see an example of where cherry-picked truths are being taken from one story and applied to another. Because the Ninevites were given a rather specific timeline, does that mean we will as well? Is God obligated to do that? Is there any Scripture that specifically says God must or always will? No, yet I can find several that make it quite clear the last day of our world is beyond our knowing.
Yes, there are parallels used throughout Scripture to liken the end times to other catastrophes. This sort of analogy was a common practice then and still is today. We help each other understand new ideas by drawing on familiar ones. But that doesn't mean we can take the analogies, stretch them out, and presuppose two events will be identical in aspects never intended by the person drawing the comparisons.
I would further point out that the message to Jonah for the Ninevites -- just like the timelines for Noah and Lot -- were given directly by God to the necessary parties. They did not come through a human middleman, nor did they require some sort of hidden math to be derived. People were told plainly what they needed to know to prepare in accordance with God's mercy.
Jesus and math.
While not part of the article I'm responding to, one of the most peculiar facets of this whole ordeal is how Harold Camping arrived at his end date. Let's start with a reminder that Christ says in Matthew 24 he was not aware of the date. Centuries later, Camping would claim he figured it out. So how did he arrive at May 21st, 2011?
He starts with the presumption that Noah's flood was in 4990 BC. He then takes Genesis 7:4 where Noah is told the waters will come in seven days. He notes the verse in 2 Peter 3 where it's said that, to God, a thousand years is like a day and a day is like a thousand years. As a side note, I believe the point being made in 2 Peter is that God views time differently than we do, not a clue to some secret Bible math. But more importantly, this is information that Christ would have been well aware of when speaking in Matthew 24.
Being eternal, did he not know when the flood occurred (even if we presume it was in 4990 BC)? Was he not aware of the seven day flood warning? Being God, would he not be aware that (once again, presuming you agree with a rather wooden reading of 2 Peter) God equates a single day with a thousand years? Was he incapable of multiplying 7 X 1,000 and adding that to the date of Noah's flood? This really stretches credulity. If Jesus couldn't have figured out the end time based on such simple math and events that occurred well before his earthly ministry, we serve a pretty sad savior.
(NOTE: My source for this portion: http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/outreach/tracts/may21/.)
Some closing thoughts.
The article ends on a rather ironic note in which those that believe in the May 21st date are called wise, while those that ignore it are fools. In fact, the most damning words of all come straight from their own writing.
Finally, whether or not we know that May 21 in 2011 is Judgment Day rests on whether or not God has opened up our eyes to understand these things. If He has, we will know that May 21, 2011 is the Day of the Lord’s Wrath. If He has not opened our eyes, then we will not know.
It's in human nature to want to have all of the facts, so I understand what drives people to search for these hidden equations and try to predict the date of our Lord's return. We want to explore, reason, and unlock hidden truths. In most contexts, that's a wonderful thing that pushes us to new heights. But in this particular case, trust in God who has put this particular fact off limits, repent of such pursuits, and return to the real tasks God has set forth for us to do: obedience to righteousness and teaching the Gospel.
Then, whenever He does show up, you'll be ready to stand redeemed and unashamed before your rightful master.
