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The Hazardous Hermeneutics of Harold Camping

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The Hazardous Hermeneutics of Harold Camping VOL. 22, NO. 2 APRIL-JUNE 2002 EDITOR: KEITH A. MORSE The End of the Church or His End? by G. Richard Fisher ‘‘And the oracle of the Lord you some false prophets don’t know when shall mention no more. For every to quit. man’s word will be his oracle, for Back in 1993, after writing about you have perverted the words of Camping and stating that his premise the Living God, the Lord of for 1994 was unbiblical, PFO received Hosts, our God’’ (Jeremiah from Camping’s followers stern warn- 23:36). ings and predictions of dire judgment Harold Camping is at it — again! because we dared to question his One would have thought that his hermeneutics, interpretations, and failed prediction of the return of date-setting. PFO was called ‘‘judg- Christ in 19941 would have shamed mental’’ for even questioning Camp- and silenced him. ing. When September 1994 came and went without incident, and Camping Camping left himself very little went on as if his false prophecies had wiggle room in his book titled 1994?, never occurred, we heard no more when he stated: from his avid devotees and were no ‘‘I will be surprised if we reach longer promised God’s judgment. October 1, 1994. ... By God’s Camping slipped back, at least part mercy there are a few months way, into the woodwork. left. However, if this study is That all changed this past Septem- accurate, and I believe with all there. However, as another purveyor ber when Camping gathered his staff my heart that it is, there will be of false prophecy, the Watchtower for a solemn meeting to announce no extensions in time. There will Society has proved time and again, (continues on page 16) be no time for second guessing. When September 6, 1994, arrives, no one else can become saved. Inside this Issue: The end has come.’’2 Spinning Sin ................................................................ Page 2 Camping’s heart and his hermeneu- TBN Donation Dollars Hard at Work ....................... Page 3 tics were dead wrong. He should Joyce Meyer: Mired in Confusion and Mysticism .......... Page 4 have ended his foolishness then and HAZARDOUS HERMENEUTICS Biblical prediction of the expecta- must now refer to any Christian (continued from page 1) tion of an increasingly dead gathering as a fellowship only. church and the actuality of a Camping will not even refer to that ‘‘the Church was dead.’’ PFO has robust healthy presentation of Family Radio as ‘‘parachurch.’’ on file a tape recording of the Family the Gospel by means of an • The Church today cannot, in any Bible Radio staff meeting. At the organization like Family Radio.’’5 way, fulfill the Great Commission. meeting, employees asked for specific ‘‘Indeed we must realistically ad- The proof of this, says Camping, is Scriptures. Camping replies with out- mit the churches of today cannot the church of Sardis in Revelation of-context Old Testament verses by any means fulfill Christ’s 3:1. It says that Sardis ‘‘had a name twisted to conform to his new thesis. command to go into all the world that lives’’ meaning the whole In the recording, Camping tells his with the Gospel. Fact is, if we Church is dead and this verse is a employees that if they cannot accept honestly evaluate the totality of prophecy of that fact. Hazardous this new revelation, he will help them the mission effort that is based hermeneutics. find other work.3 on a true presentation of the • Only Family Radio stations can Is the Church dead? Camping goes whole counsel of God, we must preach and fulfill the Great Com- 6 on record when he writes: admit the situation is hopeless.’’ mission. This is a fulfillment of radio airwaves as the instrument of God during the tribulation period that we already have entered. “ On the one hand we see churches Preaching is the instrument of God, whether done in pulpits or on air everywhere becoming more and more waves. Camping has no right to arbitrarily confine God to his radio apostate. Yet on the other hand we see a station in an elitist fashion. • The ceasing of Old Testament ministry like Family Radio becoming ceremonies somehow proves that more and more useful to the Lord in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are obsolete and can no longer be prac- sending the true Gospel into the world.” ticed. In the question and answer session at the staff meeting, Camp- – Harold Camping ing did not declare the exact timing of this ceasing, but only specified it was a few years back and corre- sponded to what he labels the ‘‘What is going on? Certainly Perhaps, it has not dawned on ‘‘satanic Charismatic signs and something strange is happening. Camping that many of his shows are wonders movement.’’ Ordinances On the one hand we see churches church-sponsored, church-related, are down and out — period. Camp- everywhere becoming more and church-funded, and that his support- ing seems to know this, based on more apostate. Yet on the other ers are connected to churches. More- some misty timeline that was hand we see a ministry like over, Camping acts as though he is crossed years ago. He seems to be Family Radio becoming more omniscient. He cannot know the state the only one who knows for sure. of all churches. and more useful to the Lord in • Even Bible-believing churches are sending the true Gospel into the The broad strokes of Camping’s the same as Baal altars and ‘‘high world. ... Indeed any spiritually startling and shocking new revela- places’’ of the Old Testament. In minded believer must admit tions or new discoveries from the God’s eyes, they need to be de- something drastic has happened Bible (he says) are as follows. A stroyed. The arrogance and elitism and is happening in even the summary of his booklet, Has the Era of of Camping is blatant and obnox- most conservative of the the Church Age Come to an End?,as ious here. churches.’’4 well as the tape of his September 20 • All offices of pastor, elder, and staff meeting reveals: The dead state of the churches deacon are abolished as there is no today and the rise of Family Radio is • The Church is dead. Not just the longer any office in God’s eyes right from the Bible — or so Camping apostate or liberal churches. God is because there is no Church. If one says: finished with all churches and the meets with other believers, it is ‘‘However, there appears to be a Church age is over. It is even wrong without leaders and is to be called a major contradiction between the to use the word ‘‘church’’ and we fellowship. 16 · The Quarterly Journal April-June 2002 • Somehow Daniel 12 predicted this This new revelation is a partial rehash strange. A world where anything goes very day and the light Camping has of his 1994? and Are You Ready? and even God seems out of control received. This new teaching, he books. The same misinterpreted and unable to govern Himself by His claims, on the Church age ending is verses and numerology are used in own Word. all there in that chapter. the new paradigm — except for the As earlier noted, everything that date for Christ’s return, which is now Camping has spent his entire career Camping articulated to his staff at the left out. Camping has ratcheted things formulating and trying to float mysti- September 20 staff meeting was all up a bit and painted himself into the cal numerology, prophetic dates, and taught by him to a degree in the book strange and inaccurate translations of proverbial corner. He has locked him- 1994? Because of his insistence on select verses. Often his wobbly ideas self into an impossible extreme. Jesus returning in September 1994, are held up by one verse and a shaky THE WILDER THE BETTER most critics took on that issue and cultic interpretation of it. He seems overlooked the rest. After all, the end incapable of sorting out the Bible As our culture overtakes the of the world should get some atten- from his interpretation of the Bible. Church, we see laughing revivals, tion. Did Camping know something Vineyard craziness with people justi- no one else did? In a past phone interview when fying animal sounds in worship, PFO pressed him to show us a verse claims of gold dust and angel feath- NOW YOU SEE IT, to verify his interpretation of certain ers, promotion of healing statues, NOW YOU DON’T numbers in Scripture, he kept saying, vomiting as a sign of ancestral de- ‘‘All Scripture is given by inspiration Camping has always played a mons being expelled, and the non- from God.’’ It was hardly an answer sleight-of-hand game that is hardly sense and altered states of Benny for his strange understanding of cer- picked up by a casual observer. It is tain verses. He serves up his distorted Hinn and Pensacola meetings. There what could be called ‘‘sandwich biblical interpretations and his follow- is also the latest in Jabez parapherna- hermeneutics.’’ Camping believes that ers hardly understand they are being lia — Jabez coins. not only is the Bible inspired, but his grossly misled. This is ‘‘believe it or not.’’ The interpretations are, too. However, he would never directly say it that way. A LEAKY BOAT bizarre is not only welcomed, but demanded. Designer prophets — who He may hardly notice that that is The teaching of the Church’s de- are no longer called fortune-tellers — what he is doing when he makes the mise also was given at Camping’s will deliver personal prophecies.
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