An Open Letter to Harold Camping of Family Radio

By Walt Hibbard
 

The ministry of Family Radio reaches around the world. Our Lord God has been pleased to use this ministry toward the salvation of tens of thousands of people in many lands. However, recently the president of Family Radio, Harold Camping, has begun to teach that the church age has come to an end. God is no longer using the local churches to evangelize the world, according to Mr. Camping. The Holy Spirit has departed from the churches, pastors are no longer pastors, elders no longer elders, deacons no longer deacons. They no longer have authority. But if you and I, as church members, are able somehow to find a local church that is reasonably faithful to the Gospel, should we not remain in it and support it diligently? No, we must leave even that church! God has commanded every believer to "come out of Babylon." If we remain, we make ourselves "holier than God" and will face God's certain judgment.

Mr. Camping arrives at these strange conclusions through a very bizarre method of interpretation. He cites Jer. 29:16-19, relating to 587 BC, where those who would still remain in Jerusalem and refuse to depart for Babylon would come under God's judgment. Added to this is the Lk. 21:20-24 passage which speaks of "flee(ing) to the mountains" from Judea (the church) as akin to departing from our churches today. It is not enough to just experience the apostasy, but if we even SEE it around us, we are to depart. We are to "get out of Jerusalem (the church)."

How does Mr. Camping know that we are in the Great Tribulation now? The renewed interest in signs, wonders and miracles is one sign. Another is that some people are "falling backwards" or "are slain in the Spirit." This is equivalent to "fire coming down from heaven" (Rev. 13) Since the days of Elijah prove that Satan can not call literal fire down from heaven, we must understand these things spiritually. Camping tries to tie this in with the pre-crucification scene where Christ caused wicked men to fall backwards. What further proof do we need that we are in the Great Tribulation today? Mr. Camping likens the leveling of the stones of the temple of Jesus' day (Matt. 24) to the demise of the churches in our day. "Not one stone shall be left on another" means total destruction and that is the state of the church today, abandoned by God," according to Mr. Camping. Believers must leave now!

But will this not invite excommunication? "Fear it not! The church has no authority any more... No individuals will have spiritual rule over the congregation." Therefore, he concludes, that church officers have no spiritual authority and therefore now "each person must answer directly to God."

The above material was gleaned from several issues of the Family Radio News. Harold Camping, who often teaches on other issues from the perspective of the Reformed faith, is leading multitudes of Christians to abandon their churches in large numbers. One church in New York lost about 50 members (including 30 communicants) and another church in Pennsylvania reports a sizeable portion of their congregation has departed. Other examples abound. This is tragic!

Within this context, I could not bear to sit by and do nothing to warn this man about his faulty interpretative method that is leading so many astray. So I wrote a letter to Mr. Camping, pleading with him to reexamine his current teachings and weird hermeneutical principles. That was on January 3, 2002. As of today, March 24th, no response has been forthcoming, nor did Mr. Camping even have the courtesy to acknowledge the receipt of my letter. I am reproducing below the letter that I sent to Mr. Camping.

January 3, 2002

Mr. Harold Camping, President Family Radio Oakland, CA 94621

Dear Mr. Camping,

As a Bible teacher heard on Family Radio around the world, you carry an enormous responsibility before our Sovereign God to proclaim the Word of God faithfully in His sight. Millions of people around the world are looking to you as a reliable Bible teacher. Because it is a very serious matter to be a teacher of God’s Word, James records under inspiration in the first verse of his third chapter that "teachers…will receive greater judgment." It behooves those who teach, therefore, to be absolutely certain that they accurately and honorably reflect God’s message to their hearers.

This can only be done as teachers prayerfully seek to proclaim the same Gospel message as our Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles proclaimed to those first century Christians. It is necessary, therefore, to very carefully examine their system of interpretation before they proclaim it to others. They must ask themselves, "Am I as a teacher of God’s Word being faithful in conveying the message accurately?" This can take the shape of several pointed questions:

A) Am I recognizing that the Bible was written to specific people at a specific time in history?

B) Do I understand that while the entire Bible was written for us today, none of it was written directly or specifically to us?

C) Is it not reasonable to understand, therefore, that if a specific prophesied event was imminent to the first century people to whom the message was originally delivered, then it could not possibly be imminent to people who would live in forthcoming centuries?

D) Does not the definition of the word "imminent" mean that the prophesied event would find fulfillment "very soon," or "be about to" happen, or was "at hand"? The New Testament is replete with dozens of imminency statements from the lips of Jesus and His apostles such as Matt.10:23; 16:27-28; 24:34; 26:64; Luke 21:22; Rom. 13:11; Phil. 4:5; I Thess. 4:13; Titus 2:13; Heb. 10:25, 37; Jas. 5:8-9; I Pet. 4:7; Rev. 1:1; 22:6,7,12,20.

E) To teach therefore that predicted New Testament events which had their fulfillment in the first century should actually be understood by 21st century reader as events that have future fulfillment for us today-- is this not a gross distortion of the Bible’s message?

F) Does not the system of interpretation practiced by most Bible teachers today confuse the difference between fulfillment of a prophecy and the application of Scriptural principles?

This gives rise to further questions and comments:

G) If Jesus and His Apostles believed and taught that the Coming of the Son of Man was an event that would happen in that first century generation, then other end-time events, such as the Resurrection (Acts 24:15) and the Judgment (Matt: 16:27; Acts 24:25), which use the Greek word "mello" (about to be), must have also occurred at the same time.

H) Could it be that the church of Jesus Christ missed its Lord’s Second Advent in A.D.70 just as the Jews also failed to recognize their Messiah’s First Advent just forty years earlier in that same first century generation?

I) Is it not extremely likely that if the church today were to repent of its error of denying the promises of Christ and His Apostles regarding the timing of His Second Advent and other age-ending events, and began to teach a fulfilled salvation message, would not God honor His Word and bless His church?

As we work out the necessary implications derived from this Scripturally grounded interpretative system, we will arrive at a number of additional conclusions:

J) The term "last days," that the New Testament writers referred to, actually began at the Cross and continued until the destruction of the Temple by the Roman armies in A.D.70. Therefore, we are not living in the last days here in the 21st century. The Great Tribulation was the Roman siege of the city of Jerusalem and the burning of the Temple. It ended in A.D.70.

K) This forty year period marked the closing days of the Old Covenant age mediated through Moses and marked the beginning of the New Covenant age mediated by Christ which reached its fullness by A.D.70. We are living today under the New Covenant.

L) The Old Covenant age reached its "last day" in A.D.70 as Peter in the third chapter of his second epistle speaks of it in "collapsing universe" language descriptive of the changing of covenants. The term "heaven and earth" often refers to covenants as Isaiah 51:15-16 shows.

M) This fullness of the New Covenant ushered in the New Heavens and Earth that Isaiah predicted in chapter 55 and Peter anticipated in his second epistle.

N) The Old Covenant did not end at the Cross. The author of Hebrews informs his readers that even as he was writing his epistle, the Old Covenant was "ready to vanish away." (KJV) But it had not completely vanished away at that time. That remained to be consummated at A.D.70.

O) The administration of the "everlasting covenant" (Heb. 13:20) and the "everlasting Gospel" (Rev. 14:6) continues forever, as people continue to be born and God regenerates the elect. God may be pleased forever to use this world, as we know it, as a "proving ground" for heaven. After these millennia, does He have a Plan B?

P) The "church militant" (on earth) and the "church triumphant" (in heaven ) continue as long as God sees fit to make it so. Planet earth shall never be destroyed. Refer to Gen. 8:21; Eph. 3:21; Eccl. 1:4; Ps. 78:69; Ps. 104:5

Q) Since A.D.70 the ongoing Judgment takes place at the physical death of each individual, both the saved and the lost. Refer to Heb. 9:27

I urge you, Mr. Camping, to prayerfully and carefully follow through the above outline. This view is consistent with the message of the Gospel preached in the first century by Jesus and His apostles. It takes the words of the Lord Jesus seriously. Jesus did fulfill His every promise exactly when and how He said He would. The mouths of the skeptics are silenced!

No longer do we have a tension between Jesus’ teachings concerning the time of His Return and all current futurist teaching of whatever brand: pre-mil, a-mil, or post-mil.

Neither is there a need for a lapse of time between the death of our physical bodies and when we receive our glorified, incorruptible, spiritual bodies, suitable for dwelling in heaven. Please refer to II Cor. 5:1-10

I am enclosing a paper that I wrote earlier entitled, "Our Presuppositions Are What Makes the Difference" that supports this viewpoint with many quotations from the Word of God. I think you may find it to be challenging to the viewpoint that you presently teach.

You have a tremendous responsibility, Mr. Camping, to be absolutely certain that what you believe and teach to people around the world is actually what the Bible teaches. We all need to be like the Bereans of Acts 17:11, who "searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (KJV)

Thank you for considering this letter together with the enclosed supplement. I will anticipate receiving a response from you soon.

Only because of His grace,

Walt Hibbard

My letter above tried to set forth a more biblical approach to the study of the prophetic scriptures, a methodology that compares Scripture with Scripture and utilizes the gramatico-historical system of interpretation as understood by the Reformers in the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the Protestant Reformation did little to advance the understanding of eschatology, I have gone beyond this to employ interpretative principles that are framing the content of prophetic studies as we approach, in the words of John Noe, "the next Reformation."

It is the opinion of this writer that only the Preterist view unites both the great soteriological and eschatalogical doctrines of the Christian faith in a way that puts to rest the bizarre interpretations of today and answers decisively the teachings of false prophets who continue to lead Christians astray.

Walt Hibbard

Date: 10 Nov 2006
Time: 22:13:11

Comments:

To whom it may concern,
My name is Edward B. Gardner.I just have a quick question regarding transcripts. I was blessed to be a part of Family Radio School of the Bible. This was in 1992. I did completeall lessons given to me by you. I would like to have my transcripts because they show achievements within my life serving the lord.

You can e-mail me at:
nessa_va_gentleman@yahoo.com

My telephone number is:
908-477-7627

Date: 27 Nov 2006
Time: 23:48:35

Comments:

Mr Camping Needs Meds. In NY family radio on there broadcast on WFME states, Family Radio Newark NY. They even lie about where their station is located. Newark is in New Jersey and when I mentioned it to the station they choose to continually Lie. So perhaps I should report the Dumb Station to the FCC for deseminating false information.

Date: 28 Nov 2006
Time: 14:18:38

Comments:

We were involved with Famiy Radio for many years in upstate NY. 1994 was very sad, but finally with the latest "leave the church" teaching it was time to start a new replacement ministry. To God's glory, Redeemer Broadcasting, Inc (RBI) was begun, offering uplifiting music, sound teaching, supportive of the church, and is in an area served currently by another FR station. The listeners are appreciating the alternative, with more and more changing over to RBI. Praise the Lord.

Date: 11 May 2007
Time: 20:45:05

Comments:

Greetings! God Specifically Instructs us; "Do *not forsake yourself from the Assembly" ...from this sound scriptural passage we are subsequently "told and instrusted" to go "be with" our Spiritual family, the Assembly, the Devine Family of God! It is amazing how people can get off course and away from the Truth, I pray for anyone who attempts to divide and separate the Church and Family of God, may their heart and spirit be renewed,and may God grant them forgiveness and redirection. From David at ~ davt7@msn.com

Date: 19 Jul 2008
Time: 08:41:48

Comments:

Concerning his prediction of Jesus' return in 1994.

If a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it.

Now he predicts the year will be 2011.

Date: 31 Jan 2009
Time: 10:04:59

Your Comments:

why is so hard to belive the world might end in 2011 ? i mean with all the bad things going on and why would be hard to belive the church age is over? i mean they have pastors marring same sex how far from bible and god do we have to go ??? harold camping is seeing things reveltion thats going on in today world and tell us the way it is and getting from the bible not from man. hey know one wants to belive it .they didnt want belive it in noahs day they joked about noah saying he was crasy just like they do to camping .ok what if campimg is a modern day noah and you where wong ???? what then ??