The end of the world on 21st May 2011?

According to the prediction of the evangelical broadcaster Harold Camping, Jesus was supposed to return to earth today, Saturday 21st May 2011, and true believers would be "raptured" to heaven. According to the media, he and many followers have used broadcasts and billboards to publicise his ideas.

When I write this, the central European time is not yet 7pm, but I can predict that Jesus will not return today. Why am I so sure that Harold Camping and his followers are wrong about this?

In Acts chapter 1 and verse 7, Jesus says that it is not for us to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. Nobody knows when the rapture will happen  -  not even Jesus Christ Himself. Only God our Father knows the time. So I advice each and everyone of you not to pay attention when someone claims to know the day or the month or the year of the return of Jesus or the end of the world.

In the following verse, Acts chapter 1 and verse 8, Jesus says that we instead shall be witnesses to Him. We shall let people know that God did not send His Son into the world to condemn people, but to save them through Him (John chapter 3 verse 17). We shall let people know that God has been reconciling them to Himself in Christ, that He does not count their sins against them, that God made Him who had no sin (Jesus) to be sin for us, so that in Jesus we might become the righteousness of God (2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verses 19 and 21). This is what we are supposed to do. Not wasting time in trying to calculate times or seasons which God has put in His own authority.

But you might wonder if there actually will come a day when Jesus will return and true believers will be "raptured" to heaven? In 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 16-18, we can read what will happen: "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.". Yes, there will come a day when Jesus will return and true believers will be "raptured" to heaven! But only God knows when this will happen.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, do not be afraid! God's grace is enough for you.

If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, know that God does not count your sins against you. He requires no good deeds nor a moral life from you. He offers you to receive His Son Jesus Christ as your Saviour. It is up to you whether or not you will receive Him.