Could Jesus return on May 21?

Have you seen the guy wearing this sign?

I saw him at Holland's Tulip Time festival (if you've never experienced Tulip Time, it should be on your bucket list).

I was so curious, I went up and asked him, “How do you know it will be May 21?” Half an hour later, I walked away deeply distressed and grieved in my heart. This man and others like him have been deceived by a lie.

Followers of this cult pledge their allegiance to a man named Harold Camping, who promotes his false teaching through radio and the internet (www.familyradio.com).

They claim with absolute certainty that the rapture will occur on May 21, 2011. Immediately, I found myself in I John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

How do we know if this teaching is from God or from Satan? How can we discern truth from deception? Let’s compare the dogma of Harold Camping with the authority of God’s Word.

False teaching:
Camping claims, “about 35 years ago God began to open the true believers’ understanding of the timeline of history. However, it was not until a very few years ago that the accurate knowledge of the entire timeline of history was revealed to true believers by God from the Bible.”

This is merely a regurgitation of an ancient false teaching called Gnosticism. Gnosticism was a Greek system of thinking predominant during the first few centuries A.D. Gnostics sought a mystical knowledge or higher knowledge that, when acquired, would release an individual from this evil body and evil world. Gnostics were interested in the “secret sayings” of Jesus and the spiritual meanings behind God’s words.

TRUTH:
The inspired book of I John was written to guard the church against false teachers who were spewing an early form of Gnosticism. I John 2:20, “you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.” If we are repenting of our sins and trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord then we have “the anointing,” which is the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The Holy Spirit teaches us truth from God’s Word about God, man, Jesus, salvation and judgment. Every Christian has the same Holy Spirit dwelling in them. Every Christian has the same Bible. Therefore, every Christian has the same access to revelation and truth. There is no higher knowledge or secret saying that must be discovered for salvation. I John 2:27, “the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” We as Spirit-indwelt Christians do not need Harold Camping to teach us new revelation from God.

False teaching:
Camping and his followers teach that believing in Christ is a work that “can never initiate salvation or assist anyone in becoming saved.” In fact, this cult declares that a person does not have to hear the name of Jesus or believe the name of Jesus to be saved. All they must hear is a portion of God’s Word and they can be saved.

TRUTH:
I John 3:23, “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.” I John 5:1, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.”

False teaching:
Camping and his cult believe that the church age ended on May 21, 1988. Therefore, they have abandoned the local church because they think, “According to God's timetable, the church age has come to an end, and the Holy Spirit has abandoned the churches” and “Satan now rules in the churches.” So I asked the banner-man, “where do you find oversight and accountability?” He replied, "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler.” Really? They don’t submit to local church authority because Proverbs uses an ant to illustrate diligent work ethic?

TRUTH:
I John 2:18-19, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.” God’s Word tells us that false teachers will leave the church because they are not truly members of the body of Christ.

John wrote 2 and 3 John as “the elder” warning and admonishing the church.

The books of Acts, Philippians, I Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, James, and I Peter all teach God’s design for his church: ministering members submitting to elder leadership. Hebrews 13:17, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account.”

False teaching:
Perhaps the most grievous teaching of Harold Camping’s cult is their depressing hopelessness. Camping proclaims, “we may never presume that anything we have done or are doing will initiate or guarantee salvation,” but we have hope that “maybe God will save me.” There is no assurance of salvation. These cult followers are anxiously waiting for May 21 to find out whether or not they are truly saved.

TRUTH:
I John 2:3, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”
I John 2:28, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
I John 3:19, “And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.”
I John 4:13, “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”
I John 5:13, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”

In conclusion, could Jesus return on May 21? Maybe. But I don’t think so because Mark 13:32-33, "of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is."  Matthew 24:14, “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

That’s why we’re going to Tanzania! We want to see God’s Word translated into the heart language of the people so they can know Jesus and believe in Jesus and plant churches and be sure of their eternal life with Jesus.