Can I Eat This Turkey?

I took my mom to the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving 2011 so she could get some things for the Thanksgiving meal. On the way back to her place, she mentioned she had a turkey she needed to return: a Butterball frozen turkey. I asked why the need to return a turkey? She said she discovered all Butterball turkeys were "halal certified" under the Muslim custom, so she felt she couldn't eat it. After talking for a little bit, I learned that she understood the Scriptures to say if one has knowledge that meat was a part of a non-Christian religious ceremony, one could not eat that meat.

Halal in the Muslim religion simply means "lawful" or "permissible" and is used in connection with food to indicate whether or not it can be eaten by a faithful Muslim (just as kosher refers to foods that can be eaten by faithful Jews). The turkey goes through a special process that is done swiftly with respect and compassion to avoid as much as possible any pain or discomfort for the animal. However, it is prayed over in the name of Allah, and this causes a lot of concern for some Christians. It has to do with those interesting passages in the Bible concerning the eating of meat sacrificed to idols.

The Bible instructs us concerning eating meat sacrificed to idols (or in the name of false gods and false religion):

1. There is only one true and living God who knows no other god besides Him (Isaiah 43:10). He is the creator of the animals. An idol or false religion is nothing and is simply empty practices and customs (1 Corinthians 8:4-6).

2. Paul says there is nothing wrong with eating meat sacrificed to idols if you know and understand point #1. The instruction from the Holy Spirit to the Gentile converts in Acts 15:29 was for brand new converts who needed to distance themselves from their pagan backgrounds. As they grew in the faith and matured, they would understand that idols and pagan religions are nothing and the eating of meat sacrificed to idols would be no big deal anymore. Paul calls those "weak-minded" and basically immature who think eating meat sacrificed to idols has significance (1 Corinthians 8:7, 10, 12). A mature Christian can eat anything and give praise to the only true and living God for it without worrying if it was sacrificed to an idol or prayed over in the name of Allah.

3. There are those who need more growth in the faith and still think false religion has significance. For their sake, do not eat meat sacrificed to idols in front of them. They could give in to what basically amounts to peer pressure (following your example in order to fit in) and eat with a guilty conscience, and you in essence sin against Christ because of it. Eating meat sacrificed to idols in the presence of someone who thinks it is wrong (or drinking alcohol or smoking a cigarette or anything else here applies) drags the gospel of Jesus Christ through the mud. Be VERY mindful of your brother and sister in Christ (1 Corinthians 8:9-13; 10:24). If a brother or sister notes something as wrong, for his or her sake don't do that in front of him (1 Corinthians 10:28-29). It doesn't matter if you think it will help him grow. It doesn't matter if you think he is wrong. It doesn't matter if you feel you have the right to do so in Jesus Christ. DO NOT DO IT or you yourself will be sinning against Christ! As well, there's no need to broadcast the fact that people are eating a "halal certified" turkey. Just don't do anything that will destroy a person's faith or hurt a person's conscience. And if you just can't help it or if there is any question, then for the sake of those who think eating a "halal certified" turkey is wrong, just make other arrangements.

4. When you buy meat or when you are invited to an unbeliever's house for a meal, don't ask questions. There's no need. Just buy the meat or eat what is set before you and give thanks to God. Otherwise, you will end up looking like a jerk and offending your host and the gospel will lose a lot of its power in that situation (1 Corinthians 10:25-27). As well, there is no need to write Butterball or any other provider of meats and ask religious questions. If you have real concerns about it, instead of writing and sending letters, read the letter Paul already wrote to Corinth with Spirit-inspired instruction concerning idols and false religions (1 Corinthians 8:4-6). Spend time meditating on that instead of filling people's minds with a disgust toward Muslims or other religions--I don't care how many Muslims are trying to kill Americans. Christ wants them all to hear His gospel and see it in practice so they have that much more of an opportunity to come to Him!

Eat your hams and turkeys and beef and whatever else this holiday season in good conscience. Always give the praise to God through Jesus Christ, and always think of others before you think of yourself.

To the only true and living God, always faithful, full of patience and love for those who call upon His name, to Him we will always praise and give thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.

If you have any questions, post below or email me.

Misconceptions in the Christmas Story

We get a healthy dose of the story of Christ's birth this time of year:

A very pregnant Mary and her fiancee Joseph travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and Mary is riding on a donkey.  As they are entering Bethlehem city limits, Mary starts going into labor, but they find there is no room at all in any inn.  They have to settle for the barn out back, and, surrounded by talking cattle, sheep, chickens and other animals, Jesus is born and placed in a manger to sleep.  And this newborn did not make a sound. 

Meanwhile, there are shepherds in the field, and a myriad of angels appears and begins singing in Latin!  And then three kings from eastern countries come to Jerusalem by following a wandering star that later shows them the way to Jesus by stopping and shining over the barn where the baby Jesus is sleeping.  The shepherds and kings together kneel in worship, and Jesus is presented with the gold, frankincense and myrrh.    

Is any of this true?  The only place we can find anything concerning the events of the birth of Jesus are Matthew 2 and Luke 2.

1.  Did Mary go into labor as soon as they arrived in Bethlehem?  Maybe, but the Bible actually indicates they were in Bethlehem for a time before she went into labor.  "...while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth"  (Luke 2:6).

2.  Did Mary ride on a donkey?  Maybe, but the Bible does not say.

3.  Was Jesus born in a barn or stable?  A manger is quite common in a stable or barn--it is a feeding trough for barnyard animals.  But the Greek word translated as "inn" in Luke 2:7 is used only 3 times in the New Testament.  The other two times, it is translated as "guest room" (Mark 14:14; Luke 22:11).  It is more likely that Joseph and Mary stayed with relatives in Bethlehem, and preparations had not been made to welcome a baby into the world, so a manger was brought inside, washed out, and used as a crib.  Or maybe the room in which they stayed was too small to have a crib, so a smaller manger was employed.  Jesus was probably not born in a stable.

4.  Did the animals talk at Jesus' birth?  This point is far less common than the others covered here, but I remember it from my childhood.  Maybe it was in a cartoon or something, but I've always carried around with me the idea that the animals actually spoke in amazement at the birth of Jesus.  Given that He was probably born in a house rather than a stable, this becomes moot, but the Bible does not say whether the animals talked when Jesus was born.

5.  Did Jesus cry when He was a baby?  I figure Philippians 2:7 might indicate that He did--He was the Word made flesh.  His flesh gestated in Mary's womb just like every other baby.  He was born just like every other baby.  Why wouldn't He cry like every other baby?  I think some people have this perfect little idea of infant Jesus looking up at Mary with big blue eyes and saying in a British accent, "Mother, don't worry about feeding me.  I shall command the birds to drop manna on my lips until I am filled.  And do not worry about changing diapers.  I shall manipulate my physical aspects to do away with diapers altogether!"  No, He cried!  If Jesus wept when Mary told Him of Lazarus' passing (John 11:35), He cried as a baby.  He had smelly diapers.  He was human in every aspect so that He could say to any one of us on the planet that He is one of us!  He gave up His godhood and became a man.  This is the gospel in its purest form.  If Jesus didn't get scared at animal noises and cry (which is not a sin or anything to be embarrassed about), how was He human?  But that's all beside the point--the Bible doesn't mention anything about whether He cried or not.

6.  Were there shepherds in the fields the night of December 25?  Maybe.  Some say Winter was not a time to have sheep out in the fields, but the climate of Judaea south of Jerusalem in the winter months could support it.  But they were more likely out in the fields with sheep from March thru September,  and I believe that Jesus was born at or closer to Passover.

7.  Did the angels sing for the shepherds?  Well, they praised God, and that's all the Bible says.  One angel appeared to the shepherds and told them where to look for the new King.  And then myriads of angels appeared and began to praise God--probably in Hebrew or Aramaic or Greek (depending on the language of the shepherds--they would have praised in a manner that the shepherds understood what they were saying).

8.  How many kings or wise men were there?    The Bible calls them magi which was a group of wise men.  The Bible never calls them kings.  They brought three different types of gifts--gold, frankincense and myrrh.  This doesn't necessarily mean three wise men each gave a gift (though it is possible).  It could be that a group of wise men presented gold, another group presented frankincense, and another group presented myrrh.  The Bible just doesn't place any importance on how many wise men there were.  But you know the saying, though--"The more, the merrier."  What if a large number of wise men came to Bethlehem to see the new king--a large enough party that, when they ignored Herod's request to inform him of Jesus' whereabouts, Herod became threatened enough and paranoid enough to attempt to murder the new King?

9.  Did the star wander around in the sky until it stopped over the place where Jesus lay?  Most likely not.  Following the stars was the GPS of the 1st Century.  Constellations were identified and used to determine direction at night, and the magi were simply doing this.  The wording in English in Matthew 2:9, however, makes it seem like the star moved around.  Apparently, there was a bright star that was an indication to the magi of a new king born in Judaea.  And they simply used this star as a navigation point in the sky.  My translation of Matthew 2:9 is:

"When they heard the king, they left, and, BEHOLD!  the star they saw in the east led them until it showed itself fixed over the place the young child was."  

10.  Did the wise men show up the same night Jesus was born?  Probably not. The way Matthew records the event, it seems the magi came to Jerusalem later. Herod slew all the male infants in Bethlehem that were two years old and younger according to the time the magi told him the star appeared. So Jesus was probably six months to a year old from birth before the magi came. I've written elsewhere that I believe Jesus was born around Passover of 1 B.C., and there was a noted eclipse that occurred December 29, 1 B.C., and Herod died soon after that. I think Jesus and family left for Egypt about this time, which means Jesus was about 9 months old at that time, but 18 months if they continued to reckon his age from conception as the ancients had done for over 3500 years.

Perhaps there are other misconceptions and ideas that you can think of, but these are the ones I'm familiar with.  If you know of others, let me know.

The Eclipse of Herod and the Birth of Jesus

"In the third year of the presidency of Barack Hussein Obama, in the month called December, in the morning of the 10th day of that month, an eclipse of the moon could be seen over the city of New York."

Perhaps if we were living in ancient days, a historian would account for this morning's eclipse in that manner. Or, he could link it to an event--"A man tried to steal a car from an off-duty Newark, NJ, police officer and was shot in the chest. And that very morning, there was an eclipse of the moon." You can read the article about this carjacking here--I didn't just make it up. ;-)

Eclipses and other astronomical phenomena (not astrological, mind you!) are used just as God decreed--"let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years" (Genesis 1:14). Eclipses especially can be used to date certain historical events prior to the anno domini calendral system. The ancients placed tremendous stock in eclipses as omens of impending doom or death. Thanks to this, we have many eclipses recorded by ancient historians and can use these to try to determine when a particular event happened.

The First Century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus recorded an eclipse in connection with some atrocities commited by Herod (the baby killer). Some people had learned that Herod was not recovering from his horrible illness, so they decided to tear down all the things Herod had built in Jerusalem that were contrary to the Law of Moses. Herod had these people executed by being burned alive. "And that very night there was an eclipse of the moon" (Antiquities 17:167).

The significance of this eclipse is two-fold: 1) It is the only eclipse Josephus mentions, and 2) he mentions it unknowingly in connection with events surrounding the birth of Jesus. Scholars throughout the ages have focused on this eclipse in attempting to determine the year in which Jesus was born. That date ranges from 10 B.C. into the early years of the First Century A.D. (as we know it).

At the risk of writing something that is absolutely boring, this is simply a presentation of my conclusion with supporting evidence based on my own study: Jesus was born at Passover in 1 B.C., and Herod died soon after the eclipse of December 29, 1 B.C. but before the Passover of 1 A.D.

These are the facts as presented in the Bible:

1. Jesus was about 30 years old at His baptism (Luke 3:23). This does not mean he was in his late 20's. This means he was 29 about to turn 30, and He turned 30 at the Passover of John 2.

2. The ministry of John began in the 15th year of Tiberius (Luke 3:1-2).

3. Jesus was born in the days of Herod and of Augustus (Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:1).

What we must do first is establish with certainty when the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius occurred. Regardless of whether or not Tiberius co-reigned with Augustus a certain amount of time, both Suetonius and Tacitus, First and early Second Century Roman historians, record Tiberius' death as occurring during the consulship of Proculus and Nigrinus (37 A.D.) in the 23rd year of his reign. Likewise, Josephus gives a reign-length of 22 years, 5 months, 3 days (Tiberius had reigned 22 full years and then reigned 5 months and 3 days of his 23rd year). All three are reckoning his reign from the death of Augustus in 14 A.D. Additionally, both Suetonius (Tiberius, 73) and Tacitus (Annals VI) say Tiberius died in his 78th year. Suetonius (Tiberius, 5) says Tiberius was born in the year Lepidus and Plancus were consuls (42 B.C.). Tiberius, then, reigned from 14 A.D. and the death of Augustus to his own death at the age of 78 in 37 A.D. This means his 15th year was from mid August 28 A.D. to mid August 29 A.D.

Jesus turned 30 at or around the Passover of 29 A.D., so 30 years previous was 1 B.C.

The eclipse happened at sunset on December 29. Sunset occurred about 4:45 that evening, and the moon was rising in the east. And being that early in the evening, it would have been widely visible and people would certainly have connected it with the horrible act Herod had committed that day. It was a partial eclipse, but being a full moon and that the Jews had used the moon for 1500 years to maintain their calendar, the partiality did not matter.

It was probably about this time that Herod ordered the babies in Bethlehem killed as well. Josephus records following this eclipse that Herod "grew so choleric that it brought him to do all things like a madman" (Antiquities, 17:173). Josephus then notes that Herod ordered all the principle men of the land shut up in a tower and killed upon Herod's death just so there would be mourning in Israel after he died. He also killed his own son Antipater and then died himself five days later (January of 1 A.D.). So it is no wonder that, upon hearing of the birth of the King of the Jews and being shunned by the wise men that Herod lashed out in insanity against the children of Bethlehem.

Anyway, I'm starting to ramble now. I needed to write about something technical to take my mind off of some things. Of course, with the study of ancient history, dates are subject to change pending new information surfacing and new understandings and interpretations. I might have something different to add to this post by this time next year ;-)

The Census of Quirinius

I am a student of ancient history as it pertains to the Bible, and while that may seem pointless to some, it fascinates me for some reason. Call me crazy, but I like reading the Works of Josephus and various other historical narratives from our past. I actually have Antiquities of the Jews open in front of me as I write this. Notably, I'm looking at Book 17, chapter 2, verse 42--"Accordingly, when all the people of the Jews gave assurance of their good will to Caesar, and to the king's government, these very men did not swear, being above six thousand..." Josephus is writing about the Pharisees who refused to swear allegiance to Augustus Caesar, and so Herod (you may know him as the baby killer) imposed a fine on them.

Some scholars agree (and I agree with them) that this is a reference in passing to the "census" mentioned in Luke 2:1-2:

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. ([And] this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)" (KJV)

What has puzzled scholars for years is the fact that our English versions tend to place the census during the governorship of Quirinius, but Quirinius did not come to Syria as governor until after Herod was dead and Archelaus, Herod's son, needed to be dealt with. By that time, Jesus would have been in elementary school in Nazareth, and so there seemed to be a major historical discrepancy here. Some reasoned that Quirinius had a "first" governorship that archaeologists have not yet discovered. But there is a much simpler explanation.

Yes, there was a census under Quirinius after Judaea became a part of the province of Syria, and this is from what Luke is trying to make distinction. The Greek word protos, which is usually translated as "first" can also indicate "before" in matters of time. For example, the Pharisees knew "Elijah" would come first and then the Messiah would come (Matthew 17:10, cf. Malachi 4:5). In other words, "Elijah" would come before the Messiah.

The way I understand Luke 2:2, Luke is telling us of a census or taxing that happened before Quirinius was governor of Syria so that his original reader, Theophilus, would not be confused with the census that happened after Archelaus was deposed much later after Herod had already passed away.

Augustus himself notes that in his 13th consulate (2 B.C.), the Senate and all the people called him "father of the country". This was great cause for a census/registration and what Josephus notes (what I referenced above). This was certainly what would have brought both Joseph and Mary to Jerusalem and to Bethlehem as they were both descendants of David.

This is how I would translate Luke 2:1-2:

"Now it happened in those days that Caesar Augustus issued a decree that the whole of the inhabited earth should be registered (this registration happened before Quirinius was governor of Syria)..."

The Good Message of Jesus Christ

Harold Camping imagined and predicted the second coming of Jesus Christ to occur yesterday.

It didn't happen.  

The principle set forth in Matthew 24:32 stands true and will be true until the Lord actually returns--no one except the Father will ever know when that event will happen.

Friends, God did not change his mind about yesterday.  He didn't secretly take people and leave the rest of us to suffer unimaginably for five months.  He hasn't stopped loving this world and everyone on it.  Harold Camping is simply a false teacher who has led many astray--an agent of the Adversary working to thwart the mission of the body of Christ in the world.  2 Peter and many other passages of God's word warn of these false teachers and their deceptive practices.

But God has not forsaken anyone.  God IS love, and He loved the world so much that He GAVE His only begotten Son as a demonstration of that love, so that those who trust in Him would not perish but would be saved from this present evil age and would be reconciled to God and redeemed from every lawless deed, purified as a people of His own possession, zealous for good deeds.  Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised the third day as the Scriptures foretold, and God, having raised Him, has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah, making His name the only name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved.  This Christ, full of love, mercy and forgiveness, stands as KING of kings and LORD of lords. He has established an immovable, unshakeable kingdom in which those who clothe themselves with Him can experience a rest from having to justify themselves, from having to win the approval of men, from carrying the burden of guilt from sin, and from the worry of the things of this world.  Christ, who conquered sin and death, reigns!  And He calls all men to a changed mindset, from trusting in ourselves to trusting in the only true and living God and in His Christ.  And this same Christ who conquered sin and death will come again at the appointed time known only to the Father at the renewing of all things, and He calls all men and women to join Him in His mission to reclaim this world from the clutches of the Adversary and his minions, sin and death.

God is patient and doesn't want anyone to perish but wants all to come to repentance--a life focused on trust in God through Jesus Christ, a life of freedom, a life in service to Christ through loving and serving others which is how the war against the Adversary is won.  Friends, God didn't send Christ into the world to destroy it but to save it.  But there is a time coming when Christ will return in judgment against those who have aligned themselves with the Adversary, and He calls all who align themselves with Him to be ready for that day!

Won't you join Christ in His mission to reclaim the world and step into the water in faith to meet Him.  Be crucified with Christ and raised with Him as a new creation, clothed with Him for a life of discipleship in faith.  He loves you and wants to release you from the chains of sin, and He needs you for the care of a broken world HERE and NOW!  Leave your allegiance to the Adversary and save yourself from this crooked and perverse generation by giving your life to Christ!

I am happy to answer any questions you may have or help you in any way I can.

Will Jesus Return on May 21, 2011?

Will Jesus return on May 21, 2011?

Possibly, but no man knows, not even Harold Camping in California.

According to his website and the many billboards posted across the nation, Camping says Jesus will return on May 21, 2011, to call His people to heaven. This will usher in a five-month period of horrible plagues and firestorms that will kill millions daily, ending on October 21, 2011, with a lake of fire and bottomless pit as he understands these from Revelation. He points to the Gay Pride movement as a "dramatic and clear" sign that the judgment is near and calculates his date using an imagined seven-day time period he describes as the time it took Noah to build the ark (nowhere in the Bible does it say it took Noah only seven days to build the ark). Camping points to 2 Peter 3:8 to show that these seven days should be understood as seven thousand years, and based on his calculated date for the Flood, he arrives at May 21, 2011. Of course, it will be Camping's followers who will be whisked away to an eternal glory while everyone else will suffer unspeakable torture for months.

Camping says the reason no one has been able to calculate this date before is because the seventh seal of Revelation 8:1 was not broken until May 21, 1988--the beginning of a 23-year period where "very few, if any, were saved." It was that day that God withdrew the Holy Spirit from the churches and employed Satan to officially rule all the churches and the world. This resulted in the silence in heaven for "half an hour." 2,300 days later (in 1994), the Holy Spirit was once again poured out as a "latter rain" to produce a final harvest before the day of judgment. When the seventh seal was broken in 1988, a vast knowledge of what the Bible really says was given to the true believers (Camping and his followers). His explanation for being able to circumvent Matthew 24:35-42 is simple: it was true that no man could really know until the seventh seal was broken in 1988.

Camping has some very serious problems before him: 1) He is the latest of a very long list of people who have tried and failed to predict the second coming of Jesus Christ and the day of judgment. 2) He is making all who seek to follow Jesus Christ look really stupid. 3) He' deceiving many people for which he'll have to answer when it comes his time to stand before the Judgment Seat of God.

The following is my response to those who try to predict the second coming of Christ. I'm going to give you the ending up front: you don't have to worry about what Camping or any end-times prophet is saying. They do not speak the truth.

Problem 1: Every single end-times prophet who has come and gone robs the book of Revelation of its tremendous value to a Christian and forces it to refer to things in the future. "Well it talks about Jesus coming back, and since He hasn't returned, it must be yet future, right?" Revelation talks about Jesus coming in battle against all who declare war against the church, beginning with the Roman Empire. Revelation is NOT about end-time events written for a group of people sitting around waiting to go to Heaven. It was written to give comfort and assurance to Christians who face persecution and even death at the hands of godless men. The point of Revelation is that the only true and living God is sitting on the throne and IN CONTROL NOW. Not Caesar, not Kim Jung Il, not Gadhaffi, not the bullies at school or the thugs in the alleys, not anyone on Wall Street, not Obama. The only true and living God is in control and will avenge those persecuted and/or martyred for the cause of Christ. Since Revelation is not a list of end-time events, it does not point to a specific time for the second coming. Matthew 24:35-42, therefore, stands firm, Mr. Camping: NO MAN KNOWS, NOT EVEN THE SON...

Problem 2: Every single end-times prophet who has come and gone robs 2 Peter 3:8 of its tremendous value to a Christian by forcing it to indicate time is relevant to God. "A day is like a thousand years...so that must obviously mean the seven days I think it took to build the ark in the literal sense equals seven thousand years in a spiritual sense." The use of 2 Peter 3:8 in this manner is highly inconsistent. What, then, do the 40 days Moses was on the mountain of God represent? 40,000 years? Where does that fit into the equation? What about the day the sun stood still for Joshua? Where does that 1000 years fit? End-times prophets have each had their own equations, and none of them worked. This one of Campings is no different! 2 Peter 3:8 speaks timelessly of the patience of God who does not want anyone to perish but for all to come to repentance! It does not at all indicate how He views time or give any spiritual key to Biblical numerology. In fact, we read in Isaiah 46:10 that God sees the end from the beginning and declares it. All of time is like a single sheet of paper before Him. One day or a thousand years means nothing to Him.

Problem 3: Every single end-times prophet who has come and gone robs the world of the good message of Jesus Christ and not only reveals himself to be false because his predictions fail but also because he teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ as about focusing on self--A FALSE GOSPEL (Galatians 1:6-9). Peter says much against these teachers in his second letter. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not about Christ returning to destroy the world, "so you'd better repent!". The gospel is about God's LOVE FOR THE WORLD (John 3:16--remember this??) and what He is doing through Jesus Christ because of that love to reclaim a world destroyed by sin. It's about Christ's sacrifice--His giving Himself in order to rescue us from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4-5). Certainly, there is a crown of life waiting for the "faithful unto death" (Revelation 2:10), but that is not the focus. Those who focus on the afterlife and teach others to do the same are ignoring the purpose of Christ's coming to begin with--to give us an example to follow (1 Peter 2:21-25). Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). There's no such thing as a free ride to Heaven by simply inviting Jesus into your heart. Yes, the gift of God (Romans 6:23), the gift of the Son (John 17:2) and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) is freely given, but it is given for a reason, and that is to continue the work of Jesus in demonstrating the love of God to a sick world, not as an arbitary deal whereby man simply dances into Heaven.

Harold Camping is no different from William Miller, Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russell, Hal Lindsey, Edgar Whisenant, David Koresh, and a host of other end-times prophets--these have all failed. And, believe it or not, this is not his first prediction for the end of the world. His previous prediction was to happen in September 1994 (though, to be fair, he noted 2011 should his 1994 prediction fail--and it did fail). If such Bible knowledge was poured out on him like he claims after the seventh seal was supposedly broken in 1988, why did he fail at his 1994 prediction?

"When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him" (Deuteronomy 18:22).

It's important to understand that a day of Judgment awaits all men (Hebrews 9:27). It's important to be ready for that day--a day on which the only true and living God "will render to each person according to his deeds" (Romans 2:6). No man knows when his day will come. The deeds to which we are called through Jesus Christ concerns a life of faith--a life of complete trust and reliance in God through Jesus Christ as we continue the work of Christ as His people--His body, the church. Those who choose to follow the example of Christ are those whom God has called and those whom God justifies before Him. And as we live by faith, we can be certain of our salvation in this life and the afterlife--it's something the Christian doesn't have to worry about. If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, won't you turn from a life of seeking to please self to a life in service to God--make this choice and save yourself from this perverse generation (Acts 2:40). Upon the understanding that Jesus is the Christ, step into the water and be immersed into the forgiveness of sin, clothing yourself with Christ, and you WILL receive the gift the Holy Spirit gives freely--salvation. Walk with Christ as His disciple and join Him and the rest of His body in demonstrating the love of God to your community, your nation and the world, understanding that God is in control regardless.

Mr. Camping needs to read further than vs. 8: The day of the Lord will come like a thief (2 Peter 3:10)--absolutely no one will know the date.