(Rev 9:5-6 KJV) And to them it was given
that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five
months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he
striketh a man. {6} And in those days shall men seek death, and shall
not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
Once again Harold Camping has created another meaning to a verse which
is simply not there. In Revelation 9:5, Camping believes there is going to
be 153 days of torment on the unbelievers after the true Christians have
been raptured on May 21, 2011. This 5 month period of the wrath of God is
supposed to end on October 21, 2011. Within that 5 month period, he claims
that men are going to seek death and they will not find it. He claims that
this “death” is not physical death but during that time he claims that
people are going to be looking to become saved but the possibility of
salvation ceased on May 21, 2011. He bases this on some verses in
Colossians.
(Col 2:20 KJV) Wherefore if ye be dead with
Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world,
are ye subject to ordinances,
(Col 3:3 KJV) For ye are dead, and your
life is hid with Christ in God.
He claims that the death that these people will be looking for will be
to become dead in Christ. Now there is a great problem with this theory
because the Bible speaks plainly that no one seeks after God. The Bible does
not say that people do not seek after God except in hard times.
(Psa 14:2 KJV) The LORD looked down from
heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did
understand, and seek God.
(Psa 53:2 KJV) God looked down from heaven
upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did
understand, that did seek God.
(Rom 3:11 KJV) There is none that
understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Since the Campingites find all their dead church doctrine in the Old
Testament, here are two verses in the Psalms which teach us that there is no
one that seeks after God. God writes this twice to emphasize that people are
spiritually dead and the dead cannot seek after anyone. Not only does God
write it twice in the Psalms, He repeats this fact in Romans 3:11. He spells
it out very plainly that no one seeks after God. He does not put a condition
on it which means these three verses apply to all those in history which are
not the elect of God. So if the Bible in three places states plainly that no
one is seeking after God, then Camping’s theory about people seeking
salvation AKA God in this mythical 153 day judgment period falls flat on its
face. Not only that, but in this same chapter at the end, it states that
those on the earth which were not killed by the plagues did not repent of
their sins as we read in Revelation 9:20-21. So if someone is not repenting
of their sins (because they are spiritually dead) then this means they will
not be seeking salvation. The only ones who seek the Lord are those who have
already become saved. If you are going to pick and choose Rev. 9:5-6, then
you must include the following 2 verses, however, because it does not fit
into Camping’s theories, these verses are totally ignored.
(Rev 9:20-21 KJV) And the rest of the men
which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of
their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and
silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear,
nor walk: {21} Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their
sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Now as for this mythical 153 days of judgment of the unbelievers, this
too does not conform to the Biblical record. The Bible teaches plainly that
there is no time period between the rapture of the Saints and the final
judgment. They both happen on the last day.
(John 6:39 KJV) And this is the Father's
will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose
nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
(John 6:40 KJV) And this is the will of him
that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may
have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
(John 6:44 KJV) No man can come to me,
except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at
the last day.
(John 6:54 KJV) Whoso eateth my flesh, and
drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last
day.
Here are four verses in John which teach plainly that the believers will
be raised at the last day. The Lord is not stating that there will be a time
period between the rapture and the end of time. He is stating that the
raising of the believer is on the last day.
(John 11:24 KJV) Martha saith unto him, I
know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Here is John 11:24 with Martha’s declaration stating that Lazarus will
rise in the resurrection. When? At the last day! Lazarus was a believer so
why are all the other believers being raptured 5 months before the last day
and Lazarus is being raised on the last day? Do you see how it does not fit
with the Scriptures? These verses are plain in that the believers will be
raised at the last day. Look at John 6:39 again, the Lord states that he
will lose nothing. The way Camping’s teachings are compared to the Bible, it
looks like the Lord lost Lazarus because he isn’t getting resurrected until
5 months later. That, of course, is ridiculous because every true believer
is going to be raised at the last day.
What about the unbeliever?
(John 12:48 KJV) He that rejecteth me, and
receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have
spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Camping states that there will be no judgment at the end but again his
teachings fall flat. John 12:48 teaches plainly that those who are unsaved
at Christ’s return will be judged. When? In the last day! So the Scriptures
are plain that the rapture of the believers and the final judgment will be
simultaneous on the last day. There is no 153 day period between the rapture
of the believers and the last day of recorded history. We have plainly seen
that both the rapture of the Saints and the judgment of the unbelievers
happen on the last day, they are not separated by a time period. Camping’s
153 day judgment theory falls flat on its face in the light of Scripture and
his belief that the spiritually dead seek after God also falls flat. His
pure allegorical method of interpreting the Scriptures has caused him to go
way off the pages of Scripture and into outer space.