Back last night from Toronto, where this weekend I spoke and provided evangelism training for the college church in Oshawa. It was a pleasure to work with Pastor Edgar Nunes and other pastors whose churches are part of the NET 11 process.
Last Sabbath, as I'm sure you know, was supposed to be the rapture and the start of the Great Tribulation. Well, it sure didn't happen in Toronto, and apparently neither did anywhere else. Seventh-day Adventists knew this (and most of the world suspected it), but the whole affair leaves us thinking about how this may actually impact NET 11 plans for this fall.
You see, Harold Camping, head of Family Radio and the originator of the Judgment Day May 21 debacle, as of today, has changed his tune--slightly. What he shared through radio was picked up by the secular media, and here is the new scenario: the whole thing was "spiritual." The rapture and the series of earthquakes were spiritual, not physical happenings. October 21 is still the end of the world. And that will be the real thing. (He had always maintained that the desolations of the world would culminate on October 21).
Camping begins with typical Dispensationalist/futurist thinking: the rapture, the tribulation that follows, disasters everywhere ushering Christ's return. But he goes beyond most by extrapolating dates, basically out of the air, to calculate the dates for these events. Whatever little credibility he had before anyone other than his closest followers is now gone altogether, after the May 21 non-event. However, this makes our work harder. Or does it?
Let me explain.
On the one hand, this May 21 non-happening, with all the billboards and the surprisingly large secular media coverage it received, has created a lot more skeptics out of those who already had second thoughts about religionists who focus on end-time issues. Secondly, it has turned secular people into plain, open mockers of the whole thing. Talk shows on radio and TV have derided the non-event and poked serious fun, not only at Camping and his followers, but, by extension, at religious people in general. There are pro-Bible people who will now make sure they don't say much about the Bible, to avoid any more trouble. Tragically, the May 21 fiasco has brought discredit on the Bible itself, as many see it.
This is a serious challenge to our mission. We firmly believe that Jesus is coming soon, but now more people will be bound to laugh the whole thing off since they have fresh evidence nothing did happen when it was predicted. I guess it shouldn't be surprising that Camping's new interpretation of the non-event was made to be "spiritual." That is exactly how a number of Millerites explained the fact Jesus did not return physically on October 22, 1844. Those people made the life and ministry of young Ellen White very grievous.
What we face is the possibility that, as the prophecy series approach, the media will also begin to focus on October 21, fully convinced it will also be a non-event, poised to mock again all who might think it is. Camping promised no one will be passing out tracks or using billboards this time. However, the use of billboards is something we're considering just as I write these lines!! Will we be grouped with these false prophets for drawing attention to the end times?
What gets to me more than anything else, is the real possibility that we may pull back advertising plans because Camping and co. has brought disrepute to the whole issue. What shall we do?!
But here is an alternative thought. What if God, somehow uses this mess for His glory? The weeks leading to May 21 clearly showed that a lot of people are interested in end-time scenarios, otherwise the secular media wouldn't have gotten so deep in it. Would the nearness of October 21 be a catalyst for people to come out to our meetings? Or would they stay away fearing association with extreme people devoid of common sense?
If there is a time to think about this it is right now. We're making important advertising decisions RIGHT NOW, and we need the guidance of the Spirit of God about them. Only God knows what will happen this coming September and October. Only He knows what the mood of the world will be at that time.
Last Sabbath, as I'm sure you know, was supposed to be the rapture and the start of the Great Tribulation. Well, it sure didn't happen in Toronto, and apparently neither did anywhere else. Seventh-day Adventists knew this (and most of the world suspected it), but the whole affair leaves us thinking about how this may actually impact NET 11 plans for this fall.
You see, Harold Camping, head of Family Radio and the originator of the Judgment Day May 21 debacle, as of today, has changed his tune--slightly. What he shared through radio was picked up by the secular media, and here is the new scenario: the whole thing was "spiritual." The rapture and the series of earthquakes were spiritual, not physical happenings. October 21 is still the end of the world. And that will be the real thing. (He had always maintained that the desolations of the world would culminate on October 21).
Camping begins with typical Dispensationalist/futurist thinking: the rapture, the tribulation that follows, disasters everywhere ushering Christ's return. But he goes beyond most by extrapolating dates, basically out of the air, to calculate the dates for these events. Whatever little credibility he had before anyone other than his closest followers is now gone altogether, after the May 21 non-event. However, this makes our work harder. Or does it?
Let me explain.
On the one hand, this May 21 non-happening, with all the billboards and the surprisingly large secular media coverage it received, has created a lot more skeptics out of those who already had second thoughts about religionists who focus on end-time issues. Secondly, it has turned secular people into plain, open mockers of the whole thing. Talk shows on radio and TV have derided the non-event and poked serious fun, not only at Camping and his followers, but, by extension, at religious people in general. There are pro-Bible people who will now make sure they don't say much about the Bible, to avoid any more trouble. Tragically, the May 21 fiasco has brought discredit on the Bible itself, as many see it.
This is a serious challenge to our mission. We firmly believe that Jesus is coming soon, but now more people will be bound to laugh the whole thing off since they have fresh evidence nothing did happen when it was predicted. I guess it shouldn't be surprising that Camping's new interpretation of the non-event was made to be "spiritual." That is exactly how a number of Millerites explained the fact Jesus did not return physically on October 22, 1844. Those people made the life and ministry of young Ellen White very grievous.
What we face is the possibility that, as the prophecy series approach, the media will also begin to focus on October 21, fully convinced it will also be a non-event, poised to mock again all who might think it is. Camping promised no one will be passing out tracks or using billboards this time. However, the use of billboards is something we're considering just as I write these lines!! Will we be grouped with these false prophets for drawing attention to the end times?
What gets to me more than anything else, is the real possibility that we may pull back advertising plans because Camping and co. has brought disrepute to the whole issue. What shall we do?!
But here is an alternative thought. What if God, somehow uses this mess for His glory? The weeks leading to May 21 clearly showed that a lot of people are interested in end-time scenarios, otherwise the secular media wouldn't have gotten so deep in it. Would the nearness of October 21 be a catalyst for people to come out to our meetings? Or would they stay away fearing association with extreme people devoid of common sense?
If there is a time to think about this it is right now. We're making important advertising decisions RIGHT NOW, and we need the guidance of the Spirit of God about them. Only God knows what will happen this coming September and October. Only He knows what the mood of the world will be at that time.
"O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before his great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You."
2 Chronicles 20:12
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