Answering today’s off-set questions is Harold Camping, 89, President of Family Stations, Inc.
Background
Camping received a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1942. In 1958, after managing a construction business, Camping, along with two others, formed the non-profit ministry of Family Stations, Inc., a Christian educational network. In 1961, Family Radio began the Open Forum program, a live weeknight call-in program hosted by Camping, and broadcast on the more than 140 stations owned by Family Radio in the U.S., and heard worldwide via shortwave and a network of AM/FM stations.
Questions and Answers
Based on your study of the Bible, you have determined that May 21, 2011 is Judgment Day-that God will completely destroy the Earth. What do you predict will happen as clocks turn to 6 pm?
We cannot say emphatically that it’s 6 pm. There’s a lot of information that looks at the probability of 6 pm in any city in the world-when that great earthquake will occur. It could be that it might be just one great earthquake, but there is enough evidence in the Bible that says it will begin at one point in the world, and it could be at 6 pm-that’s a great possibility. Then as it gets to be May 21 in any other country-there will be a great earthquake there.
But we know absolutely, without any shadow of a doubt, that May 21 will be the day.
How are you feeling right now?
Well, I am trembling. I have never been at this place before. When we are only a few days away from the last thing that has to happen-the whole world destroyed by God-I have never been here before. Where can you get direction so you know how to feel?
So earthquakes could occur around the world for 24 hours?
By the end of 24 hours, the whole world will have been destroyed.
The purpose of the earthquake is three-fold: it will be enormously destructive as God is destroying the earth. Secondly, the people who died as true believers, they will come out of their tombs with their glorified spiritual bodies and will be caught up to be with Christ.
And the rest of the world’s population becomes unconscious?
All of the remains of carcasses-the bones-will be thrown out of the grave and the way the Bible describes it, be like dung or manure-because they will be shamed in the eyes of God as a final of consequence of the wrath of God.
Those who are in the area where earthquake has occurred-they will be in horrible torment, because of all the horrible things that have happened. On the other hand, those areas where the earthquake has not come, they will be able to view the horror that is going on where the earthquake has already happened.
For the unbelievers, the moment they die, they will never again have conscious existence. That is something that churches have never taught. They have never understood. They thought the Bible said they would go to Hell and be punished there forever as a result of their sins. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, and the word “Hell” is actually a synonym for the grave.
Why is God causing this to happen?
Because God created mankind in his image and likeness. God has created mankind to serve him, to obey him. But when mankind rebelled against God, they came unto what is openly demanded by the laws of God, which is death.
How do you suggest people prepare for Judgment Day?
The same way that the people of Nineveh prepared when Jonah came there. Jonah came there and said that in 40 days, God will destroy you. They did three things: Number one, they sat in sack cloth and ashes-they humbled themselves before God. Secondly, they pleaded with God, they begged him that this might not happen. Thirdly, they recognized they were wicked and tried to turn from their sins- they realized God’s wrath was on them because of their sins
And then the entire universe ends on Oct 21?
The Bible does not give us enough information. God is capable, of course, because he is an infinite God. He created the world with all of his life forms just by speaking. So there is no limitation as to what God can do.
You have no doubt that all of this will happen?
Right! I have no doubt at all, because I trust implicitly. I don’t trust me or any man, but I trust the Bible implicitly.
