Will Jesus Christ come back to rapture His people on May 21, effectively bringing to an end the current world as we know it?
Even Drudge Report has it: Multitudes of Christians are proclaiming that the Rapture will occur this weekend. This “end of the world” hysteria is sweeping across continents as some Christians attempt last-minute efforts in preparation and evangelism, while atheists and other skeptics are capitalizing on the opportunity: Some have created an organization that will take care of “left-behind” pets of taken-up Christians. Skeptics are undoubtedly snickering at the religious fanatics who are fearing May 21. They cannot wait for May 22 to prove the Bible wrong.
To their surprise, the Bible cannot wait for the coming of May 22, either.
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven” says verse 36 of Matthew 24, the famous chapter giving signs of Jesus Christ’s second coming to earth. A few verses later, it becomes clearer:
“Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming” (40-42).
These verses in the Bible are extremely clear that no one will know the day when Christ comes. Why then is May 21 proclaimed the rapture date? The originator of this date, Harold Camping of Family Radio, is expressly known for his end-times “predictions” (note the plural). His prediction that the world would end during 1994 was shown to be false, though he claimed that God extended His mercy a little longer. But the clear fact remains that he and his followers are not following God at all, for Camping totally ignores the Bible’s clear declaration that not a human nor angelic soul will know the day that Christ returns.
This viral belief is a false teaching — plain and simple. The worst part of this whole thing is that most people hearing this stuff will not know that the huge majority of rapture-believing, fundamentalist Christians like myself do not believe in this deception. I can just imagine atheists on May 22 championing the falsity of Christianity based on this twisting of God’s Word — without ever bothering to see if the Bible even teaches this stuff. And they will lead many claimed Christians astray after the dust settles from May 21. I am posting this before “the big day” in hopes that skeptics and fervent believers alike will remember that despite the furor of end-times predictions, the Bible is in no way disproven by their failures. I hold the belief that we are very likely living in the end times, but we must not believe any old rapture prediction:
“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).
Camping is just another false prophet as promised for the beginning of the end, albeit without even any wonders. The real trouble is yet to come, and no one will be making date predictions on that day. Camping’s call of May 21 is like the boy who called wolf — the skeptics will laugh at all these false warnings, but when the real time of the end comes upon the earth, they will not be laughing. After all, the end only has to come once. Not on May 21, but don’t let that fool you.
Witnessing God 
Thank you for posting this. I just heard about this noise earlier today from my boyfriend who heard it on the radio. I am very easily paranoid and freak out about natural disasters on a daily basis, and am waiting for something bad to happen rather than enjoying every day. But this really upset me, and I have been freaking out and worried all night, but if this was a true prophecy, everyone would be way more on alert and worried and it’d be making huge headlines, not just on a radio station, society would be going nuts, and no one can predict the end, as you said, and quoted, no one knows when the end will be. I trust though, that our Father will not let us suffer.
You eased my mind a bit about Saturday though, I might just be able to enjoy that day knowing it’s just me going crazy about it, and everyone else is relaxed and believing everything is fine. So thank you for bringing my mind peace. I’ve been driving my boyfriend CRAZY asking if he believes it, and what he thinks will happen, and if I should just O.D on that day to save me from pain and hurt.
I am just very gullible and easily disturbed, that struck a HUGE nerve. But you made good and accurate points.
🙂
God bless you and your family.
Hi Chelsea!
I am so glad that you found peace just from reading my post 🙂 Yes, this May 21 thing is getting a lot of people worried, not just you, and so we need to get back to what the Bible says instead of what a claimed prophet says. Oh gosh, definitely don’t O.D. just because of this or some other disaster — even if God wills that we go through any kind of pain and evil for Him, like the apostles of old, He will give us strength to go through it and glorify His name to the unbelieving world. There is a purpose for every suffering and evil, so don’t feel down if something bad happens!
Just to say though, when the end of the world does come, the world will not know it. For “the day of the Lord [when Christ comes] will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly . . . But you, brethren, are not in darkness” (2 Thessalonians 5:2-4). When Christ comes, the world “will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage . . . so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37-39). Basically, the world near the end will probably not be in a recession or other trouble, but the unbelieving world will be happy and doing everything as it normally would. If a radio message or TV message is saying that it is the end of the world, it most likely isn’t the end! Only believers will know that something is up, but we wouldn’t know the exact day.
If you really want to know the sign of Christ’s coming, the Bible gives one: “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky . . . and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky” (Matthew 24:29-30). There won’t be any doubting when the heavens go dark that God has come! But it is not a time to fear — because the Lord will take us to be with Him! For us Christians, the end will be a time to look forward to, because finally God will judge the earth and save His children into Heaven. And Heaven and Earth will be made new from its currently degenerated state.
So I hope you can enjoy tomorrow, as well as every other day. Have you been a Christian long? Just trust in God no matter what happens — He brings good in everything for all those who love Him! Reading the Bible can help you not to worry, since then you’ll know whether a teaching is from God or just from some kook claiming to be from God!
God bless you and your loved ones! I pray you grow in the Lord!
Rowena