Campings Failed Predictions
If you've studied Harold Camping at all, no doubt you've heard this many times: "false prophet, false prophet... Camping predicted the end of the world would come in 1994 and he was wrong...". Well, notice that the book is titled 1994? -- with a question mark! DID Camping actually say Christ would return would be in 1994? And if he did, does that make him a false prophet or simply a humble teacher who did not yet fully understand God's word?
"Predicted dates passed by and the world continues to exist...Thus the prophets who made the predictions have been shown to be without authority and without wisdom". (1994?, Pg. 311).
1978
Camping declares to his Alameda Church that the rapture would occur in the fall of 1978. [unconfirmed]
1988
In the original 1983 version of the "Fig Tree" Camping predicted that Israel would be destroyed in 1988. It never happened. [unconfirmed]
May 21, 1988
Beginning og the Tribulation: 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)
End of the Church Age: Camping also claimed that May 21, 1988, the end of the church age, is supported by 721 revolutions of the stars, sun and planets. 721 Ceros
We will discover that some time earlier than 1994, God was finished using the churches to represent the kingdom of God. Thus, the wonderful jubilee year 1994 was a horrible year for the churches. All over the world, God was again saving countless numbers of people, but the churches remained under the spiritual rule of Satan. Truly, God was forever finished using the churches to represent the kingdom of God. The situation was just as it was in 1877 B.C., when the land of Canaan came under the complete rulership of the heathen, and in the year 587 B.C., when the land of Judea came under the rule of the king of Babylon
[WE ARE ALMOST THERE!, Harold Camping, first edition February 2008, p.41]
The information we have examined thus far assures us that the jubilee year 1994 was the end of a period of 2,300 days, during which virtually no one was being saved anywhere in the world. That fact helps us to discover the date of the end of the church age, which must coincide with the beginning of the 23-year (8,400-day) great tribulation. A time of 2,300 days is a few months longer than six years. Therefore, the end of the church age must have occurred six years earlier than the year 1994. Thus, it must have occurred in the year 1988.
[WE ARE ALMOST THERE!, Harold Camping, first edition February 2008, p.44]
...To discover the precise day in 1988 when the church age came to an end, we must remember that the church age was linked to the ceremonial day of the feast of weeks, which is also called the day of Pentecost...
[WE ARE ALMOST THERE!, Harold Camping, first edition February 2008, p.44]
...Since in the year 1988, Pentecost occurred on May 22, the last day of the church age would have been the day before May 22, which was May 21...
[WE ARE ALMOST THERE!, Harold Camping, first edition February 2008, p.44]
...Thus, May 21, 1988, was the official end of the church age and the official beginning of the great tribulation...
[WE ARE ALMOST THERE!, Harold Camping, first edition February 2008, p.44]
...Following the 2,300-day period, there are 6,100 days (8,400 – 2,300=6,100) remaining of the 23-year (8,400-day) period of the great tribulation. These 6,100 days, therefore, will end on May 21, 2011...
[WE ARE ALMOST THERE!, Harold Camping, first edition February 2008, p.44]
September 6, 1994
(Subsequently extended a few days, given the slight variations in the ancient calendars)
"When September 6, 1994, arrives, no one else can become saved. The end has come." (1994?, page 533)
"The results of this study indicate that the month of September of the year 1994 is to be the end of history." (1994?, pp. 532-533)
Only a year later he published another book, Are You Ready? Which continued to promote his 1994 deadline for humanity. (The Idiot's Guide to the Book of Revelation, p.251)
On September 7, 1994, Camping admitted that he had made a teensy-weensy little error in his precise calculations. The end would come closer to mid September. Then September 29. Then October 2. Then March 31, 1995 (The Idiot's Guide to the Book of Revelation, p.251)
September 15, 1994
"The Jewish Day of Atonement" [unconfirmed]
September 29, 1994
"The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles" [unconfirmed]
October 2, 1994
"Birth of Jesus" The actual birthday of Jesus as calculated by Camping. Claimed Christ was born Oct 2 (some reports say Oct 4th), in 7 B.C. and would return exactly 2,000 years later. [unconfirmed]
December 25, 1994
"Christmas" Camping claimed there was Biblical evidence for Christ's return on Christmas: the day of our traditional celebration of Christmas and Christ’s incarnation and birth, based on the statement in Revelation 11:10 that the enemies of God’s people would "send gifts one to another?" [unconfirmed]
February 25 / March 16 / March 31, 1995
"The Jewish Feast of Purim". (Claimed he knew the cycles of the universe, called Ceros, and this can predict the end). Camping claims this is "Watch # 1" of a new wave of dates. [unconfirmed]
September 24, 1995
Camping claimed that there is Biblical evidence of Christ returning "383 days" after September 6, 1994. [unconfirmed]
Camping claimed that September 24, 1995 is 721 + 91 Ceros(A ceros is little over 18 years - 223 lunar cycles or revolutions. A ceros is the complete revoluation of the sun, moon, stars and planets) - Camping claims that these revolutions can predict the end. [unconfirmed]
Camping also states that if you divide the 2300 days of Daniel 8 by the number 6 you get 383. Thus, according to Camping, you can add 383 days to September 6, 1994 and come to September 24, 1995. September 24, 1995 ends the magic 383 day period. [unconfirmed]
April 3, 1996
"Passover" (Watch # 3)- Camping claims that there is Biblical evidence of Christ returning 191 days after September 25, 1995 on the Passover. [unconfirmed]
May 3, 1996
Camping claims that there is a 30 day grace period after April 3, 1996 which Christ can return. [unconfirmed]
2008
Based on the teaching that September 6, 1994 was the right date after all, but it was misunderstood. Camping now says September 6, 1994 was the beginning of the Great Tribulation, not Judgment Day. "Simple arithmetic would put the return of the Lord no later than 2008." [unconfirmed]
May 21, 2011
Harold Camping's current prediction. See below for more information...