From: jonh@david.wheaton.edu (Jonathan Hayward)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Hal Camping prediction for Second Coming, Sept. '94!!
Date: 6 Sep 92 19:43:04 GMT
Organization: Wheaton College, IL

In article <Sep.5.16.59.14.1992.17228@athos.rutgers.edu> laura@catfish.ocpt.ccur.com (Laura Gillespie) writes:
>I don't know if all of you are aware of it yet, but a big event just
>happened last night on the radio.  One of the most respected, humble,
>and trusted servants of God, Mr. Harold Camping of Family Radio,
>headquartered out of Oakland, Calif., actually gave a prediction for
>the end of the world, that is, for the Second Coming, for September
>1994.

Um, forgive me for throwing in a huge note of skepticism, but WHAT?!?

Revelation plainly states that the end of the world will come soon, and it
also states that Christians should live as if the end of the world could come
tommorrow.  I believe that that is something good to be reminded of, because
one of the more subtle forms sin can take is to grow complacent and apathetic -
why do today what you know that you can do tommorrow?

However, soon is also plainly stated to be by the measure of the Lord and not
by human measure - by this measure, it is entirely possible for more to happen
in a single second than in a millenium.

The passage in Revelation that states that the day or hour will not be known
seems to me and others to be not to be taken in a most strictly limiting
literal manner (IE it could be possible to know when Christ will come to within
a time span of one day plus one second), not as a matter of error but as a
matter of slightly figurative speech (like using the phrase "forty days and
forty nights" in a manner roughly equivalent to "about a month").  A
confinement of the time to some time in September 1994 (why should God choose a
limiting time based on the human calendar?) is something that I do not
understand.

I will (whether this interpretation/prophesy turns out to be true or not) do my
best to live as if Christ could come tomorrow - which would be entirely
possible, just like coming some time during September 1994, just like coming
some time during October 1994, just like coming some time during October 2994.
Neither I, nor most of the other Christians reading this newsgroup, will doubt a
statement that Christ is coming soon, and soon could mean September 1994.

Could someone please, however, post an explanation of exactly why that has come
up?  Not by posting scriptures that say "it is soon", but an explanation of why
soon means September 1994?  I don't have the time to go, buy, and read a book
right now, and am probably speaking for many other people in this regard.

Thank you.

################################################################################
# "God, give me mountains # "But the greatest   # Jonathan Hayward             #
# to climb and the        # of these is love."  # Jonathan_Hayward@wheaton.edu #
# strength for climbing." # I Corinthians 13:13 # jhayward@imsa.edu            #
################################################################################

[I should note that I regularly reject postings saying that the end is
going to come on a certain date, on the grounds that we have this
discussion on date setting on a regular basis.  I've accepted this one
because several different people posted on it, and because we haven't
had such a discussion for a while.  I personally read statements such
as Mat 24:36 ("But of that day and hour no one knows", which I think
is the passage Jonathan described as coming from Rev) and Lk 12:40 as
warnings against date setting.  As I read Jesus' statements, we should
always be ready, but we should not run after these people who set
particular dates.  --clh]