The Day the Church Died?: A critical look at
Harold Camping's End of the Church Age Doctrine.

"As this study will show, we are now in that time of history when the church age has come to an end. Consequently, God has commanded each and every believer to leave his local church and continue to serve God as His ambassador outside of the churches and congregations. This is the action required by God for any and all who truly tremble before the Word of God." (Harold Camping, "The End of the Church Age and After," Published by Good Message Foundation 1072 S. De Anza Blvd #532 San Jose, CA 95129 USA 2002, preface XV)

To the Christian and Non-Christian alike this does indeed sound like a very strange idea. That's because it is! To the Christian this is considered blasphemy, and to the non-Christian this is something to rejoice over. Sadly, Mr. Camping believes this with all of his heart. Is he wrong? Is he to be trusted? Is the Church* age over? Is God done with local Churches? I don't believe God was ever in the "local Churches" as Harold calls them. The Church is the Church only one true Church. Does God approve of this belief? If so what do we do? So have you left your Church? Are you planning to because of what Mr. Camping is teaching? If you answered yes then you're following a man and not God! Leave the denominations because God has moved on you to depart and come out not because some man has told you so you can support him and his radio stations.

The very sad and confusing aspect to all this is the "faithful" people that continue to work, listen, and follow Mr. Camping. I cannot understand why those dear brothers and sisters cannot rise up and bring to light this man and his erroneous teaching. Either they're deluded and duped, or they're blind.

One reason is that you can not correct Harold. Try as you might he won't let you, and will give a thousand reasons for your being wrong. He is filled with an unteachable spirit. He cuts you off, says your wrong, has an answer different than yours, will never agree to your conclusions, and in short will not be taught. It's true he often says he's open to being taught, but that's an appeasement.

"We've had battles with him before, during and after this book came out," offers a ministry insider, "and Harold just won't listen. He considers himself a modern-day Jonah and feels he has to get his message of Christ's return in 1994 out to everyone, especially those who are reached by Family Radio." (CRI Journal, Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute.)

"We told him not to do that anymore," he sighs, "but he's a loose cannon." (CRI Journal, Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute.)

"What scares me," says the senior staff member [of Family Radio], "is that people are going to react adversely to Harold's 'news.' We've had so many people over the past few decades that have predicted the end of the world and bombed out, that for Harold to virtually pinpoint the time is...extremely poor judgment." (CRI Journal, Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute.)

"After submitting the material, Harold said he was going to change some of it to include his 1994? information. When we [Family Radio board members] told him he couldn't do it" -- because officials would cancel the entire project, as happened earlier in Vietnam -- "he went ballistic. We had one of our biggest knock-down, drag-outs over it." (CRI Journal, Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute.)

"At the Alliance's April 2002 Board meeting it was agreed that several representatives of the Alliance should meet with Mr. Camping to beseech him to acknowledge his errors. This meeting took place in June 2002 but to no avail." (http://www.alliancenet.org/talbotfamilyradio.html)

The biggest problem for Mr. Camping is his overkill of the use of the allegorical interpretation, numerology, and gematria. Getting "spiritual" or "symbolic" meaning from certain verses that dictate that is not wrong. However, it is wrong when those principles of interpretation go way beyond that which the Bible never intends.

Can we trust him?

No. Why? Because he has proven to be false before. And although he spins a web of scriptures to support his claims, as we will see it is conjecture, fallible exegesis, and aberrant hermeneutics.

Sep 27, 1994 Harold Camping, head of Oakland's Family Radio and host of the station's Biblical discussion talk show Open Forum, predicted the end in his book 1994? He calculated that the Tribulation would end on September 6, followed by the Last Day and the Second Coming of Christ between Sep. 15 and Sep. 27. (Camping p.526-7, p.531) prediction #1

Sep 29, 1994 Harold Camping's doomsday prediction #2.

Oct 2, 1994 Harold Camping's doomsday prediction #3.

Mar 31, 1995 Harold Camping's doomsday prediction #4.

"The results of this study indicate that the month of September of the year 1994 is to be the time for the end of history" (Harold Camping, 1994?, New York: Vantage Press, p. 531).

"No book ever written is as audacious or bold as one that claims to predict the timing of the end of the world…and that is precisely what this book presumes to do." (Harold Camping, 1994?)

"Look, let's put it this way. My wife came to me and said we needed new linoleum in the kitchen. I told her that we should hold off on the effort and the expense of doing it until October or November of 1994 -- after the time I predict Christ's return. Now, while it is likely that Christ will return in September of '94, it is not absolute. That's why I take the position I do." (Harold Camping)

"If I am correct in this…and there is every indication that I am, we have a very short time left to get right with God." (Harold Camping)

"…when September 6, 1994 arrives, no one else can become saved. The end has come." (Harold Camping 1994?)

In 1988 Camping published the book "The Final Tribulation" where he states that no one can be saved once the tribulation has started which according to him was May 21, 1988 (p.137-8 and 158).

"And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14)

Harold Camping in his book "Are You Ready?" predicted the Lord's return in Sept 1994. The book was full of numerology that added up to 1994 as the date of Christ's return.

Sept. 15, 1994: Last Day and Return of Christ; Harold Camping; Book: 1994 (pub in 1992) "Last Day and return of Christ sometime on or between September 15, 1994...and September 27, 1994." (p. 531) "I will be surprised if we reach October 1, 1994" (p. 533)

What is the date today? March 9, 2003. You and I are obviously here—I'm writing this and your reading it. Doesn't this tell us something? Yes, Harold was and is WRONG!

"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not , nor come to pass, that [is] the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, [but] the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:22)

If for no other reason than the above citations of his errors we should not take him seriously. We all make mistakes. Many Bible teachers and ministers have, at some point in their career, taught one thing or another (unlike the pre-tribulation folk who teach this false doctrine all the time) that was not so true to the Scriptures. However, Mr. Camping has taught much in the way of error. In the past I can remember when Family Radio and Harold was the only near decent station to listen for Biblical teaching and godly music. Much of that has changed except for the music. Harold, at the time of this writing, is 82 years old now. The man known for the deep voice of Open Forum. I'm not saying that old age is wrong, or that because your old means there is something wrong with you, I'm not saying that at all. However, it's a fact that as one grows older one can become senile, forgetful, confused, stubborn, and obstinate. This may account for much of Harold's thinking.

"Great men are not [always] wise: neither do the aged understand judgment." (Job 32:9)

Ok For You But Not For Me

Harold Camping is a very difficult individual. If by some remote chance you "get him" in a place where you prove to him that he's wrong he'll always leave himself a way out without admitting fault. One example is the book 1994? Here we are nine years later and he has never publicly denounced, recanted, or apologized for this error, but continues to defend himself and the book. I heard him on an Open Forum program once say that if he had to do the book over again he would not change a thing!

In regards to the end of the Church age issue the point is this, back in 1992 my wife and I saw and understood that the Churches (denominations) were lacking much in the way of truth. Many of the Churches were corrupt and full of false teaching. This became so apparent that we both grieved very much. We made a decision back then (1992) to stop going to fellowships and started a home fellowship of our own.

Around this time I made a call into the Open Forum to ask Harold about what we were feeling (wrong idea I know) his response was typical "you must not leave the Church—you must continue to fellowship in a Church reasonably true to the Word of God remember Hebrews 10:25 'Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.'"

The point is when my wife and I saw a breakdown of the denominations, and a dissemination of false doctrine to the point that truth was hard to find, we left. Back then Harold said no way! And rebuked us for leaving, but today that's a different tune. Just because, "God allowed him to see the end of the Church age," and I could not have possibly seen it in 1992 we were wrong and now he's right? The way Harold likes to look at things is this, Harold is always right and everyone else is, well, just everyone else! Believe me I don't say these things because I'm jealous of Harold, but to point out the character of Harold Camping and the kind of person we're dealing with. What should we do?

He must not be listened to. He must not be consulted for Biblical advise. He must be counted as a false teacher/prophet, we must pray for him to repent, he must step down from Family Radio and turn control of the ministry over to others that truly have a heart to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.

The only perfect teacher is Christ. The time has come for maturity to cut the umbilical cord and to decide what is right and wrong from scripture with out having to call up his radio program for the answer. You can check out: http://bibleandscience.com/revelation.htm#Harold%20Camping for a very reveling article on Mr. Camping written by someone who has personally interviewed him.

The Denouncements

"BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the ACCC emphatically reject this dangerous and heretical teaching of Harold Camping. We further issue a warning regarding this cancerous teaching and call upon true Bible-believing Christians to withdraw support from Family Radio Stations Incorporated and to beware of its effect upon all of the programming of Family Radio." (American Council of Churches, Res. 02-1, 11-11-02)

"The Executive Committee of the Jersey Shore Evangelical Ministers Fellowship consisting of approximately 60 churches with their pastors along with other Christian ministries would like to register a formal complaint regarding the aberrant teachings of Mr. Harold Camping." (Jersey Shore Evangelical Ministers Fellowship, March 6, 2002)

What About the Church Age, Has it Come to an End?

Harold has been teaching that the Church age has come to an end since about June of 2001. This is a new and strange teaching that, according to Harold, was hidden until God showed him. Upon hearing this you go back to the whole Ellen G. White and the infallible interpreter vs. the infallible Bible issue.

Proper Interpretation is very important.

"This whole situation shows why, in hermeneutics [the interpretation of biblical texts], it's so important to pay attention to the context of a thing and not apply every verse to your [current] situation," (Dr. Ryken, 10^th Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia Pennsylvania)

Harold in his little book called "The End of the Church Age and After" outlines nine points to evidence his theory they are as follows:

IS IT TRUE that we are now in the time of Great Tribulation?

IS IT TRUE that the church age has come to an end?

IS IT TRUE that God commands the true believers in Christ as their Savior to immediately depart from their churches?

IS IT TRUE that God is no longer using churches to evangelize the world?

IS IT TRUE that the task of world evangelization has now been assigned by God to individuals working alone or collectively together in such ministries as Family Radio?

IS IT TRUE that without exception presently all local churches throughout the world are under the judgment of God?

IS IT TRUE that God no longer is saving by means of the local church?

IS IT TRUE that Satan is ruling in every local church throughout the world?

IS IT TRUE that the judgment that is now on every local church will transition into the final judgment at the end of the world?

Harold says, "However, the essential issue that is being presented is not the subject of the end of the church age. The essential issue is the authority of the Bible." For the purpose of his book the essential issue is the end of the church age; that's what the book is about and what's gotten him in trouble.

He goes on to say, "Has every effort been made to be sure that everything presented in this book is altogether faithful to the Bible? The teachings and the conclusions must have nothing to do with visions or voices or dreams. They are to be unrelated to human speculation. They must be carefully founded on the Bible alone."

Unfortunately, Harold can not say this with all certainty because he says God showed him or opened his understanding, but the real truth is Harold "discovered" this by faulty hermeneutics and human speculation.

Given the nature of Mr. Camping and his unteachable spirit I wonder if he would receive a teaching if God had opened up a mysterious doctrine to me seeing I am one of those with "…the minds of careful, diligent students of the Bible"? Most likely not. Harold, sadly to say, is purporting a very Gnostic view of himself and his abilities. This goes back to the view of your view is ok and mine is not. Why should we trust Harold? Oh, he says don't trust me, but again that's a cloak for his false humbleness.

"Everywhere we look, we see that the churches are increasingly falling away from the truth of the Bible, and following their own wisdom. They are departing from the rules of the Bible and developing their own rules."

Hello Harold? Can you look in a mirror?

"A few believers in a church may get nervous and speak with their pastor or an elder, but their suggestions do not have much impact. In fact, these people will probably find that their church continues to depart further in doctrine and practice from the truths of the Bible. If we honestly examine our own church or the churches in general, we find many areas in which the truths of the Bible have been set aside."

He's right here about this.

"They on the rock [are they], which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." (Luke 18:3)

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron." (1 Timothy 4:1,2)

"Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know [these things] before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness." (2 Peter 3:17)

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

"The saints are those in the churches and congregations. It was given to Satan to make war with the corporate body and to overcome it."

Harold says, "The saints are those in the churches and congregations." No, that can't be. Why? Because you have saints in countries like China that are not involved in any local or international church, congregation, or denomination. They are truly saved by grace and the drawing power of God, and are not in any local expression of the church. Harold is wrong and God is right.

"…I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)

"Is God going to allow all of this without any response? We will find that the Bible answers these questions with a definite NO! Let us look briefly at a few passages to get an introduction to this topic. First, we read in I Peter 4:17-18;

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

This is one of many places where Harold clearly uses a verse out of context. If you read the whole section in 1 Peter 4 starting at verse 12 down through 19 it's speaking about persecution and suffering as a Christian. Not as Harold claims that, "God is insisting in I Peter 4:17 that His judgment begins in His own house, in His churches and congregations."

Please read and re-read these verses in 1 Peter it's not at all talking about God judging churches and congregations. It's speaking about the fact that God judges the elect before salvation and then saves them. Moreover, Harold just told us that the temple in the New Testament is the body of Christ –believers. Now he is saying that believers are "churches and congregations." This is incorrect. The Church—the true Church is comprised of all those that have been called and drawn by God to Christ for salvation and received His free grace of salvation. Which is it Harold?

"He completely destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. We can therefore expect a similar complete destruction of the corporate body again."

The "corporate body"? Does Harold really know what he is saying? What do you believe the corporate body to be? The Church is the Church. There is only one Church which is The Church—the true Church is comprised of all those that have been called and drawn by God to Christ for salvation and received His free grace of salvation.

"Is God only directing His judgment upon the "liberal" churches? Surely my church is still under the blessing of God and my pastor is still preaching from the Bible, so I should not have to worry too much about these things. Actually, God has a lot to say to the believer today, and has a big expectation of the believer. However, in order to understand God’s command for the believer today, we are going to back up and study God’s whole plan of salvation throughout time."

There is no way for Harold to tell us about what the believers response is without filling pages upon pages of the history of salvation. Not that anything is wrong with that. But that if you drop a bomb on someone about the church age ending why not just tell them what they need to do. After all is Harold the "only one with the mind to understand this new revelation from God."?

"Thus far, we have learned that there are three seasons: an early righteous rain of bringing the Gospel, an early rain after this first rain, and a latter rain after the first. God is emphasizing that there is an early rain and a latter rain."

Did you understand that statement? Of course you did, or maybe your not the one with the "mind and understanding" to know these mysteries.

"The fruit of the vineyard was Christ Himself together with the Gospel. These high places, teachings from the mind of men rather from God, are not good fruit from the vineyard. They, to use the language of Isaiah 5, are a stench. It is indeed remarkable that for more than 1950 years, God put up with this stinking fruit. It is a testimony to the patience and mercy of God that He allowed this situation to exist for so long a period of time."

This is incredible. First it was the churches and congregations of our day that are "stinking fruit," and now Harold says they all were for the last 1950 years! I believe that would include the Reformed church that Harold grew up in and got supposedly saved in. What Harold says is that the church he approved of at one time was really stinking fruit.

"As we are hearing and will continue to learn in this study God uses Satan himself to assist in the destruction of all of the churches that are in existence at the end of the church age."

Did you read that? "…God uses Satan himself to assist in the destruction of all of the churches that are in existence at the end of the church age."

I almost can't continue reading these goofy connections with God and satan. Harold now has satan helping God destroy churches! I'm sure satan is very happy about this. People! Please don't be fooled by the erroneous musing of this deluded character.

"God shifted the representation of the kingdom of God to another God-ordained institution which were the local churches that have existed throughout the church age."

Harold seems to forget that God never used the Churches or denominations if you will. He never did. He never planned to. Once again "the Church" is the Church—the true Church is comprised of all those that have been called and drawn by God to Christ for salvation and received His free gift of grace for salvation. It's common knowledge that the Hebrew and Greek words for church mean gathering of people, a gathering of people called out. Not a building with walls or a denomination.

"It is true that believers can come together in an organization such as Family Radio to facilitate the sending forth of the Gospel into the world. But Family Radio has no membership. It does not have any spiritual rule over those who support it…we know that only God can raise up an organization like Family Radio."

Gotta get the plug in for Family Radio. So now Family Radio and Harold Camping are the only vehicles that God will use to send out the Gospel?

"If the Jews in the temple, which would include the religious teachers, are spiritually of their father the devil, it means that Satan in some sense is ruling in the temple and synagogues. And since virtually no one is being saved at this time, it means that the Holy Spirit is not present."

Oh boy!

"Michael is the Lord Jesus Christ."

No, Michael is NOT the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ not Michael.

"Therefore, God structured the church age in such a way that illiterate people could be served with the Gospel. Qualified men who could teach (that is, they had access to the Scriptures and could read and study them), were appointed as elders, deacons, evangelists, and pastors."

But according to Harold now there is no need for them. Let the Scriptures speak.

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." (Ephesians 4:11-14)

"It was God’s good pleasure to continue this method of reaching the world with Christ until God had securely put in place the ability of believers to reach whole continents for hours each day with the true Gospel. That is, God guided men to establish worldwide communication by radio, by Internet, by satellite broadcasting, etc."

There it is, no one is qualified but Family Radio and Harold Camping.

"Therefore, this transition to the time of Great Tribulation is written about exceedingly extensively in the Bible. Because this huge event took place very near the end of time, the numerous Bible references to it were not understood even by the finest God-fearing theologians."

Except for Harold of course.

"This identifies with the warning of I Peter 4:17, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God." The event of this judgment on the churches is a terrible blow to them."

If you go and read the passage in the King James Bible, which Harold uses, you will see that Harold just broke his own rule about not adding to the word of God (Revelation 22:18,19). In this section Harold includes the words "is come" as if it were apart of the original text! To prove this, here is the quote of the same passage on page 9:

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Here is the quote from page 81:

"This identifies with the warning of I Peter 4:17, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God." The event of this judgment on the churches is a terrible blow to them."

Harold is including in text of the New Testament, words that the translators of the King James new were not in the original language! So now with everything else, he purports he is now able to decide for God what words are in or out. Again, a question to the reader, do you still trust him? You shouldn't.

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."

Here he does it again! Look at the verse in the King James.

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds."

Shame, Mr. Camping, shame, shame!

"The destruction of the churches is not a physical literal destruction as was the situation in 587 B.C. Instead, it is a spiritual destruction as God allows the true believers to be driven out."

"Thus, this miracle of people falling backward to the ground which is occurring all over the world is clear evidence that we are now in the great tribulation period of Revelation 13 and Matthew 24."

No, it's as Jesus said.

"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Matthew 24:15-21)

"Trusting our church, our theologians, or any entity of any kind rather than God the Creator will no longer be tolerated by God."

Ok, why should we trust Harold?

"Significantly, in virtually every church that exists anywhere in the world, the image of the beast is worshipped. That is, doctrines developed out of the minds of men are regarded as God’s truth."

True, but again, why should we trust Harold Camping?

"The problem was that of hearing the Word of God."

That's a problem? Since when did the hearing of the word of God become a problem?

"That already is a very severe judgment on the church because what is a church without the presence of God within it."

Excuse me Harold, God does not dwell in local congregations or denominations, he never has. He dwells within true believers. So it's impossible for Him to "judge" the church (denominations) just because He left them He was never there in the first place. Only in true believers does He dwell.

"Therefore, If he is a true believer, he will want to be obedient to all that God commands, even if obedience is difficult or does not seem reasonable."

Oh please! Make a case from the word of God; not for yourself. Once again, why should we be "obedient" to what Harold teaches?

"There is no hope of any kind for the local churches. We are not even to pray for them. They are in a most dangerous place."

"Can the remnant remain in the city? We have learned from many passages that the true believers are to depart out. The city has become a house of the dead."

"If the Holy Spirit is no longer in the midst of that church, those present have been lured into a death trap."

"But the question once more must be raised: If a church earnestly tries to remove all of its wrong doctrines (its spiritual high places), and if it still has true believers within it, why cannot it continue as a viable God blessed congregation."

After begging, pleading, and correcting all the mistakes, God according to Harold, will still not see that group as a true church.

"Likewise, the New Testament commands concerned with the ceremonial laws of water baptism and the Lord’s supper which should be obeyed within the churches and congregations until He comes can no longer be obeyed because God has brought judgment upon the institution of the church."

To read the entire book you can go to: http://www.familyradio.com/temp/church.pdf, or ask for the book free from Family Radio.

In conclusion, as I have pointed out there is many things wrong with Harold's teaching on the subject. He was wrong before and can't be trusted. He has inconsistencies through out the book. He over spiritualizes and allegoricalizes much of the proof texts. He has broken the command of God and added to His word. And he has a terrible understanding of the difference between the true church and denominations. I agree that denominations are unbiblical. And I also know that it has become increasingly hard to find a faithful local fellowship, true teaching, and correct doctrine from these denominations.

We should not trust Harold Camping. We must follow God and His word very closely and allow Him to lead us. We are indwelt with the Holy Spirit not the denominations. My recommendation is this, follow God and His word as revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and allow Him to lead you however He sees fit. Refrain from believing everything Harold teaches. Pray for him. If you have left your denomination because you felt God moving you to fine, but if you left only at Harold's word check yourself.

Amen?

Comments or Questions? E-mail us

* - A note to the reader: the word "Church" in our studies always means the body of Christ/called out ones/believers/saints/remnant etc. not the IC DC (Institutional churches or denominational churches).