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Subscribe to RSSA prediction that the world will end at supper time on May 21 has some trying to warn others about "the end." NBC's Kerry Sanders reports on what believers and skeptics think about the prophecy.
In some parts of the world, it's already Sunday — and there hasn't been any sign that the end of the world was starting as predicted. But you already knew that'd be the way it went down, didn't you?
For years, Family Radio preacher Harold Camping has been telling his flock that the Rapture would gather up 200 million Christian believers to heaven and kick off five months of tribulation for the rest of us, heralded by a massive earthquake. Can you imagine the panic that might ensue if a significant quake actually did strike today? There's always a chance of that, of course. But as it turns out, the day has been relatively quiet in seismic terms.
Readings from the U.S. Geological Survey have turned up only a few quakes worthy of any note around the world, and nothing anywhere near major. If you check the USGS' chart of seismic activity, the blue squares denote quakes that have occurred over the past 24 hours, and the red squares stand for tremors in the past hour. The size of the square represents how big the quake was ... and there are no big squares.
USGS
This chart from the U.S. Geological Survey traces earthquakes stronger than magnitude 4.5 throughout the world over the past week, as of 11 a.m. ET Saturday. Yellow squares denote quakes up to a week ago, blue squares denote quakes up to a day ago, and red squares are quakes in the previous hour. The strongest quakes have been slightly higher than 5 in magnitude, which is in the normal range for those regions.
There's no word yet from Camping, and his followers are likely still hunkered down wondering if the end will come. But other folks are starting to go about their business, which is a good thing.
On the Cosmic Log Facebook page, correspondents around the world are voicing a sense of relief. One woman writes, "Jesus Himself said that no one would know the day or hour, but only His Father in Heaven. Besides, I'm getting married today at 3:00."
Best wishes to the bride ... and to all of you.
Noel Celis / AFP - Getty Images
A passenger jeep on a street in Manila, the Philippine capital, drives past a banner that reads "Judgment Day 21 May 2011." The day passed without incident in the Pacific.
Update for 7:30 p.m. ET: A couple of fairly significant seismic events were recorded later in the day, including a 5.8 quake in Japan and a 5.8 quake in New Zealand's Kermadec Islands. These happened to occur on Sunday as reckoned by local time, and on Saturday according to GMT. None of the events could be called Rapture-worthy unless Camping and his followers end up grasping at straws.
More about the Rapture rumblings:
- Why we're enraptured by the Rapture hype
- Rapture prophet says he'll be watching the action on TV
- Digital Life: Post-rapture video reveals stunning lack of zombies
- The Last Word: Only hours to go until the (fake) Rapture
- End of Days? Believers enter the final stretch
- End of the world? How about a party instead?
- Slate: 144 scenarios for America's apocalypse
- Pet sitting offered during Rapture
- Doomsday facts (or fictions)
Even though Saturday is already finished with in some parts of the world, I'll still be blogging about the Rapture hype until the day is totally finished, and probably even longer. You can follow the updates by checking CosmicLog.com/Rapture. You can also connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page or following @b0yle on Twitter. And for something completely different, check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
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I will not criticize or demean anybody because of their faith or their belief, but as a mainstream Christian, I never anticipated this event occurring today. On one hand, this May 21 Rapture date has been somewhat an embarrassment and ridiculous in its concept, but on the other hand, it has people talking and thinking about God - and that is always a good thing. I tire of these so-called 'Bible Codes' and other means of prophesying the end of time, and I think they cast Christians and religion in general in a bad light. If these are the end times, then we cannot allow ourselves to be mislead by false prophets and mystics. Just live your life everyday as if judgment day is tomorrow, and be true in your faith, and Christ will come when he chooses - not when any self-proclaimed prophet here on earth says he will. I, like everyone else, am in bondage to sin by my human nature. Only through prayer and confession before God are we redeemed and ready for his return. Have faith, live a good life, and you'll be ready to answer His call.
First of all, peace, grace and mercy on to you the reader.
Just for the record I want to confess that I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. However, I like countless other Christians believe as it is written; That NO ONE knows the Day or the Time but God the Father, for this is what Jesus Himself tells us.
To those who believe, Do not be discouraged! Any true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ knows that the bible warns us of such false prophets such as Mr. Camp. May the Lord have mercy on him and those he derailed.
Brothers, keep running the race for the end IS near no doubt about that, just look around you, the signs are all there.
For the non-believer: May the Lord have mercy on you. I am amazed to see how many of you failed to humble yourselves even to the very end. Today was a drill a “dry run” so to speak.. or at least that’s how I saw it. Believe in the Lord Jesus and be saved when it really does happen!
Analyze this if you will.
Jesus walked the earth many years ago, history and non-religion based historians have recorded this to be fact. You say well maybe he was just a good man, a teacher or whatever... The bible and history also record Him having followers. I know them as apostles who walked and learned from him for the 3 years of his ministry. Bear with me a bit longer... Please keep reading.
Looking at the life of these men and and what they did, I can’t help but to believe even more when I think about this…
For the sake of argument, let’s just say that Jesus was a fake, a mastermind that managed to brain wash his followers into thinking that He was God.
Before He was crucified the apostles followed His instructions and did all that the master ordered because they saw what he did and believed in Him right? These very same men began to doubt who this man was once He was arrested, condemned and crucified. Peter who was very close to Him even denied knowing Him at one point. All the rest of the apostles went into hiding in FEAR they would meet the same fate. It seems to me that naturally these men did what any reasonable person would do in this situation.
Keep reading please...
At this point there was no reason why these men should continue to believe or finish what they started, after all the ring leader/ mastermind was now dead and therefore there is no need to continue with the sham if it's going to cost them their life. I believe the apostles pretty much concluded at that point that Jesus was NOT who He said he was and so they were discouraged, scared and disappointed.
Here is where it gets interesting...
Over the next 40 or so days (6 weeks) after the crucifixion, the book of Acts tells us that Jesus physically reveals himself several times, not only to the apostles but to the hundreds of people who saw him ascend into heaven on the day of Pentecost. It was during this 40 day period that the apostles reaffirm their belief in who Jesus is. They went from a full on retreat (hiding and denying Him) to a full on press forward even if it cost them their life. This is a complete 360 degree turn in what they had done in previous weeks. This is extraordinary! Something HUGE had to happen to get these men to be reaffirmed and to change their belief again.
For years after Jesus ascended into the sky. Each of these men faithfully and willingly continued to do what Jesus asked of them which was to continue to share the gospel throughout the world. Except for the apostle John who died of old age in exile, each one of them was killed and died a horrible death for what they BELIEVED and knew to be true.
Let me ask you this…
Would you give up your life and die for something you knew was a lie? Why would these men willingly die as Martyrs if they felt they were following a fake? What was it that they saw that made them reaffirm their belief?
People, I hope this opens some eyes and leads someone to repentance. For Jesus didn’t come here to judge, He came to save. You can accept him now as your Lord and Savior or meet him later as a judge. Either way you will meet Him one day. Your choice…
For my fellow brothers in the Lord. Keep fighting the good fight! Do not be discouraged for we wait on His promise!
Maranatha!!!!
JFR
i do not know about ascending into the heavens, but what i do know is that most of those claims come from the book of mark. the first gospel written about 75 years after jesus' death,(if i remember correctly). written anonymously by a person who did not know jesus or the disciples. the earliest version of mark we have dates to the middle ages and ends at the verse 16:8 with mary running away in fear. no mention of the resurrection, appearing to the disciples on the road to galilee, or the day of pentecost. so when were those extra verses added? by whom? and if those verses were not in the original text, and you are base sing your entire faith on those biblical passages what does that say about your faith?
as far as keeping up the good fight, what fight? when did jesus ever say to do anything but to treat others the way you would want to be treated? the only time i remember him getting mad was at the temple when he drove out the money changers. or to put it another way, those who proffitted off peoples faith. (hmmm, sounds like most churches these days)
drc-3262275
Right on, there are dozens of versions of the bible most Christians I know only read the one given to them by their church. The problem with all religious people is that they can't think for themselves..........
drc, You sound like you have doubt bout the Bible even though you have the ability to speak as though you have read it.
For you to make this claim, have you been told this by someone or have you seen this information first hand?
You ask if someone bases their entire faith on those biblical passages, what does that say about their faith. Well it would be wrong to pick just one part of the Bible and base your entire faith from that, as the Bible is meant to be taken as a whole not to just pick and choose which part we want to adhere to and disregardthe rest. Which by the way I feel many try to do for many reasons, thus creating a watered down version of Christianity. I do agree that there are many churches that create a bad image on what the church is suppose to represent and that is the love of Christ and God All Mighty. Do Churchs miss manage money? Certainly. But the members are to hold them accountable as well or the whole congregation is held accountable to God. I wouldn't want to be a part of that.
Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
Hey my pastor made that comment last week....
Or sitting in henhouse makes you a chicken.
even if you laid an egg? :)
Okay the guy that made the prediction based on the Bible has apparently not read the bible entirely (just like your typical Democrat), The false Prophet should have waited till he got to the part that God Himself said no one will know the day nor the hour of when Christ his son will return he will come as a thief in the night (this is not a direct quote from the Bible). So for everyone who believes in this garbage just remember No one will know and that means if someone says Christ will return on a certain day at a certain time then it is 100% for sure not going to happen! Everyone in the world can guess and everyone will be wrong!
Well then if 6 billion people all pick a different day we are safe from rapture for at least 16 million years
why do you republicans/teapartiers always have to make every issue a political one--grow up already!
Wow one of my neighbors just flew away and the other one came out of his house all on fire!! And I heard the central time zone just evaporated
Its okay folks! Christ just called to say he's tied up in traffic and will be a few hours late. Hang in there!
David, God does have a sense of humor, but you might be pushing it......
Camping! Time to hop aboard a comet before they stick you in the psyche ward of some nursing home
Oh crap turns out the guy wasn't very good at using fractions in his doomsday equation and got the date off by plus or minus 10,000 years
People can be SO utterly stupid. Not just this nut job. But all the others who call HIM crazy, but their only complaint is that he got the timing wrong. Really??
I hate to break it to you, but this is ALL MADE UP! That so many cling to these pathetic god myths in the year 2011 would be funny if it weren't so sad.
stupid suckers! camping runs off with millions and these jerks sell their home...camping will probably come up with some crackpot reason for the failure of the "end" occurring and give his stupid followers some other date...don't these people ever learn?
He's already done that after his failed prediction in 1994. That was a 'miscalculation' and he 'recalculated' and got today's date.
At least when people did this in previous centuries, they were punished, tarred and feathered, etc. Now being a nutjob con man is lucrative.
Well at least this minister (???), gave us a day and an hour, Jehovah's Witnesses predict the same thing, but they believe as the Bible says " no one knows the day or the hour", so it could happen any minute. That's even scarier, the next sixty seconds, next year, ten years from now. They learned their lesson when they predicted the end for 1975. Oops, so sorry everyone, big mistake. This kind of thing could be laughable however I do not believe that spreading fear is the Christian way. Come on everyone, lets just get on with life and try being the kindest, most loving people ever, that would be more appropriate than scaring children and all the vulnerable idiots that believe this stuff.
Harold Camping probably having an orgy, singing "Money for nothing and my chicks for free..."
personally i think i'll stick with sir Issac newtons prediction that it can't happen before 2060. based on his calculation from the book of daniel. than again, he did keep four copies of the book of revelations in four different languages thinking that they held a secret message. (sarcasm)
"There are very well-meaning people who are telling me they're getting rid of their life savings," he said. "I wonder who's going to take care of them when it's all over?"
All of us non-believers and sinners they deride and despise so much.
This is strange...666 can be decoded in Hebrew to predict the following;
Camping - Two - False - Ending = 666 in Hebrew
The Method is shown in this video, weird...
v=lB4rzR6rHMU
v=lB4rzR6rHMU
What rapture fears were those?
If Harold Camping really believed his rheterect he should have had the decency to donate his $70 million net worth to a deserving charity....
If used car saleman pay taxes all Churches should pay taxes too.
I already posted, or tried to post, the following on a related site. Since I really have nothing to add, I'm trying it again here, pasted from my 'Clipboard'.
I must have missed the news stories in 1994 about this old guy ... either that, or I dismissed them then for the same reason that I don't buy his claim now, then proceeded to forget about the whole thing. But I do remember the whole Y2K boondoggle, which was based on something more immediately tangible at the time than a mixture of fundamentalist creationism and numerology. A lot of people were worried that the infrastructure of Internet technology would "meltdown" just because of an old programming glitch using two digits for year dates rather than four. There may have been some valid cause for concern, but it got blown way out of proportion. Then there was the confusion over whether the year 2000 or 2001 was the actual first year of the new century and millenium.
So now that the "deadline" for "the Rapture" is fast approaching (less than 15 minutes away in Vienna, Austria as I write this, and just over 8 hours to go here on the West Coast ... or 9, if one takes into account Daylight Time), what comes next on the 'Doomsday front'? Will Camping switch his prediction to coincide with the end of the Mayan calendar in a desparate attempt to retain his following and save face in some way? Since he's 89, another question might be will he live long enough to see Dec. 21, 2012? These are not questions upon which I expect to dwell in the coming months; I still have work to do and bills to pay, and a daughter planning on getting married this summer (she's having a bridal shower even as I write this), and those are the matters of most immediate concern to me.
It is Christians like Mr. Campion that deter people from reading the bible....not personal interpretation...as well as actively participating in fellowship with others regardless of their personal beliefs. Mr. Campion please refrain from another predications and retire.....before you loose all credibility.....I pray for you
2 minutes to 6pm PDT. Do you hear the low rumble coming from the west?
6:01 pm PDT and all is well, thank ya Jesus, thank ya Lord.
FOR SALE: Ascension Robes, CHEAP! all sizes and colors, hundreds to choose from
Contact Harold C.
Makes me sick that I live in a world that allows Camping to have $190 million in donations so that he can put these billboards and propoganda all over the world. Justify that to the children with cancer who stare their mortality in the eye every second because there isn't enough money for research and medical care.
To Mr. Camping. I can't understand why people like you live so long and I have to see so many good people die young. The only thing I keep telling myself is that Heaven doesn't want you and the devil doesn't want the competion.
Good luck to you. Your gonna need it.