Twenty billboards like this one in Nashville, Tenn., are to appear around metro Detroit on Monday. (http://www.wecanknow.com/)
Posted: Dec. 4, 2010
Billboards to proclaim Jesus' return on May 21, 2011
By NIRAJ WARIKOO
Free Press Staff Writer
http://www.freep.com/article/20101204/NEWS05/12040397/1319/Billboards-to-proclaim-Jesus-return
According to 20 billboards to appear Monday across metro Detroit, Jesus is returning on May 21, 2011. And if you aren't saved, it isn't going to be easy, says the Christian Web site behind the billboards, which are to read "He Is Coming Again!"
The goal is to convince people to accept Jesus and that the Bible is the infallible word of God, said Allison Warden of Raleigh, N.C. She's with www.wecanknow.com , the site putting up the billboards along with a Christian radio network, Family Radio.
The billboards are to dot various locations in metro Detroit and in eight other cities, Warden said. First reported by the Tennessean, the billboards are being erected during the Christmas season to remind folks of the message of the season. In Detroit, they will stay up until early January. Warden would not say how much the billboards cost or who is paying for them. But a spokeswoman for CBS Outdoor, which was contracted to put up the billboard posters, said each poster costs $500 per four-week period. They will be placed on surface streets, not off highways.
The billboards are meant to be a reminder to folks to prepare for what is often known as the Rapture. After certain followers of Jesus are raised up to be with him, those left behind after May 21 will have to suffer through an earthquake that will open graves. And five months later -- on Oct. 21, 2011, to be exact -- the world will end "with God destroying the universe and everything in it," Warden said.
She said the billboards are not intended as "some sort of scare tactic. ... I really try to make it as inoffensive as possible.
"You can't scare anyone into your viewpoint or salvation, so it's an invitation for people to go ahead and look at Scripture."
The Web site also encourages people to leave their churches and denominations, arguing that churches have become corrupt. Family Radio also leans conservative on various issues. Its Web site has a poster that says "Gay Pride" is "Planned by God as a Sign of the End."
Other Christians believe in the end of times, but many say they don't know the exact date. How did the group arrive at May 21, 2011, as the date Jesus will return? The Web site says it has to do with what the Bible says, citing May 21, 1988, as being the start of 23 years of tribulation.
The message may unsettle some, but belief in the idea that Jesus will return is held by four out of five Christians, according to the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life.
The Rev. Ed Rowe of Central United Methodist Church in Detroit said that if "Jesus is coming, that's cool."
But he said it's more important to focus on acting out the message of Jesus, rather than worrying about when exactly he's going to return.
"In the meantime, what are we doing to care for people who have been kicked to the curb, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to keep people in their homes?" Rowe said. "Maybe we should worry more about that, and a little less about when he's coming back."
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MORE ON HAROLD CAMPING
The LORD Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 24, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."
14 comments:
The information pointing to May 21, 2011 is pretty clear and simple. The Bible says Christ's coming will be like the days of Noah (Luke 17, Matthew 24). God told Noah the exact day, month and year that a flood would destroy the world. For example, the Bible says Noah entered the ark 7 days before the flood (Genesis 7). When we apply this 7-day period to judgment day, we know the 7 days equates to the 7000 years between 4990 BC and 2011 AD. This is why God says a day is like 1000 years (II Peter 3).
Darrell, then why did the LORD Jesus Christ tell us in Matthew 24, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only"?
Also Darrell, scripture does not say that Noah new the exact day the flood would come. He simply obeyed God.
"And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him." Genesis 7
Btw, the pre-trib repture is a false teaching: http://poweredbychrist.com/Pretrib_Rapture_Dishonesty.html
hi sister cathy
i met family radio followers in san francisco who were handing out a pamphlet stating this
when i questioned it they just stated that it was thee in the bible for those to see
like yourself i listen to JESUS'S words as i follow GOD not man
may GOD bless you for posting this
as end times draw ever near christians must hold fast to JESUS'S words and not man's
Hi Cathy,
The Bible does NOT say man will not know the day or hour of Christ’s return. It says men will not know if they are not watching. In this respect, judgment day is compared to a thief who comes in the night. You will know the thief is coming if you’re watching vice sleeping. Problem is, most people stopped watching (i.e., reading the Bible).
Matthew 24:42* Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.43* But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what WATCH the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Cathy,
God told Noah to enter the ark because He was going to destroy the world in seven days.
7:1* And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
4* For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
God always informs the believers before He executes judgment on the unsaved (Amos 3:7). Why? So that we can warn the unsaved to turn to Jesus for deliverance.
Am 3:7* Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
In Cathy's defense, I'd like to say that it is our duty to be prepared for Christ's return, not predict it. Plus, let me point out a couple of things about your statements.
1. You say that the Bible says that nobody will know if they are not watching. Well, that may be so, but Matthew 24:44 states that we should be ready because the Lord will come when we least expect it, which may as well support the position of Harold Camping being a false prophet.
2. Amos 3:7 does state that God reveals his secret before his servants, which are prophets, but I'm pretty sure that God also reminded them that no one on earth is to know when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth, only God himself. Of course, it's just a theory, and I do believe in God.
3. Though the Bible does state that a day is with the Lord as a thousand years, it also states a thousand years is as a day. But with that aside, I should point out that what you (and Harold Camping) make of it is an example of misinterpretation. I cannot fully explain this, but I encourage you to google the true meaning of the statement and see the error of your calculation.
4. Finally, the 4990 BC-2011 AD timeline is taken from Camping's biblical calendar. Before you say that it's accurate, let me remind you that other historical figures such as James Ussher, Maria de Agreeda, and even the Maya civilization have made their own timelines of history, Ussher's being the most relied on. We don't exactly have prove of which one of these chronologies is more accurate so there's probably no point in bringing up Camping's timeline.
I have nothing more to say. I hope my words have been helpful. I do not wish to argue. I thank you for your time.
Thank you Cathy and Anonymous!
To Darrel's comment... "judgment day is compared to a thief who comes in the night."
It was said that way to illustrate that WE WILL NOT KNOW! It is not our job to figure out the day and the time but to be ready, and also to be spreading the message of the cross in our words, actions, and interactions with other people.
We should be focusing more on loving our neighbors, helping the poor, and being good stewards of the bountiful gifts our Lord has given us!
As Jesus said:
Matthew 22:36-40 (New International Version, ©2010)
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
And furthermore, the definition of prophets in the old testament is not always in "fortelling" the future - but usually more like "preachers" who were instructing the people in the right ways of God. Jesus was a prophet both in "fortelling" but also in guiding His followers in the right direction and reaffirming what is truly important!
Stamping Out Harold Camping
Is Second Coming date-setter Harold Camping worthy of death? He already has a zero batting average after his September 1994 prediction fizzle and, according to the Bible, is a false prophet.
Nevertheless that California shaman, who should be ashamed, claims he's found out that Christ's return will be on May 21, 2011 even though Matt. 24:36 says that no one knows the "day" or "hour" of it!
A Google article ("Obama Fulfilling the Bible") points out that "Deut. 18:20-22 in the Old Testament requires the death penalty for false prophets."
The same article reveals that "Christians are commanded to ask God to send severe judgment on persons who commit and support the worst forms of evil (see I Cor. 5 and note 'taken away')."
Theologically radioactive Harold Camping and his ga-ga groupies (with their billboards featuring "May 21, 2011") should worry about being "stamped out" if many persons decide to follow the I Cor. 5 command.
The above article concludes: "False prophets in the OT were stoned to death. Today they are just stoned!"
PS - For many years Camping was not known as a pretrib rapture teacher. But now, for $ome my$teriou$ rea$on, he seeks support from those who believe in and teach an imminent, pretrib rapture which supposedly will occur SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE the traditional SECOND COMING to earth! For a behind-the-scenes, documented look at the 181-year-old pretrib rapture belief (which was never a part of any official theology or organized church before 1830!), Google "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty," "Pretrib Rapture Diehards" and "Pretrib Rapture - Hidden Facts."
(saw preceding bit on the net - - Maisie)
THE BIBLE IS ITS OWN DICTIONARY
The phrase KNOWETH NO MAN is only found 3 times in the Bible. When we study this phrase, using the Bible as its own dictionary, we come to the conclusion that believers can know the time of Christ's return.
Matthew 24:36 is very frequently given in support of the teaching that we cannot know of the time of Christ's return:
“But of that day and hour KNOWETH NO MAN, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
The phrase is also found in a similar passage in Mark 13:32:
“But of that day and that hour KNOWETH NO MAN, no, not the angels which are in heaven, NEITHER THE SON, but the Father.”
In Mark we have the additional phrase NEITHER THE SON, possibly suggesting that Christ himself does not know the day or hour of his own return. Why would Christ not know when he is returning? Isn't he God in the flesh? Doesn't he teach “I and my Father are one” in John 10:30. Also in Isaiah 9:6 Christ’s name is “everlasting Father”? The “Son” in this verse could either be referring to Christ as a natural man like you and I and will be discussed below or it could be referring to Satan the “Son of Perdition”. If it is referring to Christ who is directly speaking these words, it is strange at best, since he didn’t say “neither myself”.
When we read Mark 13:32 and Matthew 24:36 in their context, we see that they are both part of the “Parable of the Fig Tree”. Also we know from scripture that Christ spoke in parables, not to illustrate a teaching for easier understanding, but really to hide understanding. We learn this in Luke 8:10, the “Parable of the Sower”:
“And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.”
Using the Bible as it own dictionary to come to understand the hidden meaning of the phrase KNOWETH NO MAN we find it is clearly defined in 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 which states:
“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God KNOWETH NO MAN, but the Spirit of God. Now we Have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
Carefully read the above verses to come to understanding of the spiritual meaning of the phrase “Knoweth No Man”.
If Camping uses "logic" I could come to an equally logical conclusion by picking random words from the dictionary.
I wrote a pamphlet to examine Camping's teaching and its basis from a biblical perspective. Let’s be like the Bereans who “searched the Scriptures daily, [to know] whether those things [that they were being taught] were so” (Acts 17:11).
You can receive a free copy of this pamphlet by sending a self-addressed, stamped (#10) envelope to:
Calvary Baptist Church (5/21),
P.O. Box 594,
Larkspur, California 94977.
Clearly Camping is a FALSE PROPHET. A ravenous wolf leading souls astray,
His message has done more harm than most of us can imagine; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheNeuschwabenlandTimes/message/19094
I have read all the comments ahead of me, and i'll like to lend my voice in support of all the believers who do not believe Mr. Camping. Matthew 16:2-4 states He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[a] 4 A WICKED AND ADULTEROUS GENERATION LOOKS FOR A SIGN, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
All this calculating and counting is besides the point.Christ IS coming back soon, but the exact date is none of our concern. People like Mr.Camping are agents of the devil working to desensitize people to the very real event of Christ's return. When these people do this,those of us who truly want to see the lost saved will be faced with opposition when we witness to them and we tell them Christ is coming soon.
They will say they heard it before and nothing happened. Mr.Camping and others like him need to ask God for forgiveness and repent. This whole thing is very sad. God bless all of you who know the truth and hold fast to it!
New post on the Blessed Hope and update on Camping: http://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2011/05/looking-for-that-blessed-hope.html
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