Customer Reviews

Time Has an End: A Biblical History of the World 11,013 B.C. - 2011 A.D.

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Anyone who has studied Biblical chronology in depth will understand that all Biblical calendars must make contact with known secular history at some point, otherwise they cannot be assigned BC or AD dates. In Camping's case, he relied on Edwin Thiele's 931 BC date for the Schism, which itself was fixed by the Assyrian Eponym List. This list is not an infallible document, and the year of 931 for the Schism is rejected by many Biblicists, who favour Ussher's date of 975 (or dates close by) for the Schism. The bottom line is that 2011 is not a Biblically derived date. It is essentially a date worked out by projecting time-spans from a calendar that has been dated through the Assyrian Eponym List. Therefore, it is date of men, not of God. Reader beware.

dateline worldwide friday 20 may 2011
(and we will ***all*** be here
on the 22nd may 2011 too)
[and most of us , barring a few natural deaths, will still be here on 22 October 2011]

read his free copy online
not worth spending money on this baloney

his logic is faulty
his "proofs" unconvincing
the formatting/style off-putting

sample his stuff from this book free online and see how badly it is written for yourself

i wonder what "correction" he will make next week to explain why he was wrong about this upcoming saturday

there is no shortage of people who have magically gained some special insight that the rest of us lack and have predicted the end of the world many times before -- and they were all wrong. it will happen many times in the future too.

oh wait, they are very very smart
and everybody else is very very stupid

next up - the mayan prediction for 2012

unless some new crackpot slips in with another end of world scenario first

either you believe the Bible is the Word of God and believe what it says when it says that NObody whether man , angel, or even Christ Jesus the Son knows the time and date of the end but only God the Father knows it.

Can anyone who says they know the date of the end really believe the Bible???

Recently (before May 21, 2011) I tried to engage with proponents of Harold Camping's teachings, interpretive approach to the Bible and his prophecies. That website can be found at departout dot com, but I learned that H. Camping's leadership usually invites two kinds of people:

1) Those who fail to make any distinction between what the Bible actually SAYS and what humans say that it MEANS. Because of this, these same people have bought so heavily into H. Camping's teachings that they are incapable of seeing any other interpretation as even remotely plausible. Even when they are faced with the unequivocal proof that Harry Camping is either deceived or a deceiver, they are unable to divest themselves from his instructions and interpretations, and anyone who leaves or questions is quickly branded as an apostate, messenger from Satan or worse.

2) The other type of person, like me, is drawn to engage with Harold Camping and his faithful flock because we perceive the danger of such cult-like behavior and want to help these credulous but mislead believers find Christ in the midst of all the garbage they have been spoon-fed about Jesus and the Bible. My endeavor to help these people is drawing to an end however, for MOST of them have proved to be completely incapable of thinking for themselves or even considering the remote possibility that they don't have all the answers or that the Bible was never intended to function as some cosmic countdown/ doomsday clock.

What started out as my sympathy for most of these people has unfortunately turned to disgust. Not all, but most of them have proved not only to be resistant to rational discourse, but also hateful and willingly or purposefully ignorant. Family Radio/Harold Camping is truly the blind leading the blind.

Since H. Camping's most recent failed prophecy regarding Armageddon that was supposed to initiate on May 21, 2011, he has not even skipped a beat and made yet another adjustment proclaiming that October 21, 2011 will now be when the universe melts etc. At one time, I would have offered that Harold Camping's followers would be free of him in the aftermath of his false prophecies, but I have learned that this is not the case. If I might make a prediction of my own, come October 22, 2011, these Bible calendar countdown people will make MORE excuses and CONTINUE to play their fools' game and CONTINUE to pervert the Bible and make it dance to their own warped tune.



Nevertheless, I would like to offer a more focused review of this particular book by offering a response to a Harold Camping follower who asked me to offer an opinion, not on H. Camping's mathematical formula (which is laughable) but on the SOURCE material for that formula (the book itself, that explains the rationale).

So here it is: I have indeed read various sections of Harold Camping's book and found them all to be significantly lacking in terms of biblical scholarship, interpretation, sound argumentation and even basic English conventions. I am amazed that this man has any sort of following whatsoever, much less that otherwise seemingly intelligent people are willing to equate his misguided ramblings with the very words of God himself. If anyone honestly believes that this book makes a "reasonable" case of explaining H. Camping's convoluted argument, then I am not sure what else we have to talk about. In short, the book is a complete mess.

The "source" predicting 5/21/11 as the beginning of the end has nothing to do with God or the Bible. Rather, it is a delusion of a disoriented man, Harry Camping, whose formula is an episodic "just-so" story that starts out with the very number its strained mathematical chicanery was specifically designed to fabricate. There is nothing objective about it. It is pure fiction and possibly little more than the nefarious invention of a seemingly nice but ultimately enfeebled and confused man.

Can anyone tell me of even one other person who has arrived at the same formula and date as Harold Camping INDEPENDENTLY from Harold Camping? Have we considered all of the other misguided religions, sects and cults who based their entire worldview on the writings/ teachings of a single person? Take your pick: Siddhartha Gautama, Muhammed, Joseph Smith, Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Manson. The trajectory and value of some of these men was quite different, but what unites them is that they started movements that were grounded in little more than their own inspiration and creativity (at best) and delusional and demonic influence (at worst). In that sense, Harold Camping is no different than any of these fellows.

In a nutshell, that is my problem with the so-called "source" material.

-CL

I've learned a great deal from Camping's teaching. The more I check the teaching (and thinking) against the Bible, the more I find the book is faithful to the Bible.

It is not surprising that the prospect of the world coming to an end is very upsetting even among those who claim to be Christians. To those who are in denial about Christ's inevitable return or at the very least, their own mortality, Christ will certainly come as a thief in the night. If we face our fear and ask ourselves what our fate would be if He were to return, then the book Time Has An End can help us.

Concerning the statement Jesus said in Matthew 24:36: But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Note the specific language that Christ uses. No one can know the DAY or HOUR. These are specific measures of time. Christ could have easily have said no one can know the millennium or even the year. Perhaps we can not know the specific moment of Christ's return, yet God gives us a lot of clues as to the signs of His coming. Christ makes a similar statement in Mark 13:32, but immediately afterward he emphasizes the need to BE PREPARED for his coming AT ALL TIMES. I'm speculating here a bit, but I believe I might be on the right track. God is speaking to every man throughout time saying be ready because you don't know when I might come. What purpose would it serve for a man living in 1600 A.D. to know that Christ is coming in 2011 A.D.?

In discussing the possibility of Christ's return in 2011 A.D. with individuals, even among Christians, the reaction I'm getting is mostly apathy or indifference. Yet He might return within six years. How much more indifference and apathy to an individual living hundreds of years ago?

Lastly, the methodology that Mr. Camping uses to arrive at the year 2011 A.D. is astounding. He simply pieced together a calendar of events and examined the linear relationship of those events and discovered a pattern. It's so simple, yet I have to ask myself, "Why wasn't this done before?"

I've read other books in the past concerning Christ's return and I've found them to be confusing and convoluted. They seem to be good for science fiction, but offer no substantial method of arriving at a date as Mr. Camping has done. 2011 A.D. may come and go and life may continue as it always has, but it could also be the year of Christ's return. So the question shouldn't be, "What if Harold Camping is wrong?" the question should be, "What if Harold Camping is right?"

This is a book which gets right to the point of making you ask - "Where do I look for my reference authority on truth?".
When we confront the fact that the Bible alone is the complete and absolutely reliable authority given to us from infinite God, we suddenly realize that things are not actually as we might have thought.
This book does an extremely thorough job of guiding via the Bible alone, to understand the real calendar of history and future of the world. It shows how God has an absolutely precisely timed plan for the whole history of the world - it has not just been meandering along through time.

Everyone should want to know about this!

The world is headed imminently to facing God in Judgement. It is shocking to find out that God is already preparing the churches for this Judgement and that we are in that time called the Final Tribulation.
We need to be begging for Gods salvation mercy while we have time.

"Watch out that you are not decieved. For many will come in my name claiming 'I am he' and 'THE TIME IS NEAR.' Do not follow them."

Self-explanitory. Harold Camping makes confident statements based on bad assumptions and wacky numerology instead of simply trusting the Word of God at face value.

Here's a clear method: if you insist on trying to predict the day Jesus will come back, then you don't actually believe that what Jesus himself said is true.

The reason you will want to read this book is that it shows that the Churches are no longer being used by God. The reviewers giving this book a low rating have made untrue allegations that become evident to those who actually read this book and tie it to their Bible. -Better yet read the Bible first (Bible has priority over any book) & then this book while praying to God for wisdom. Apparently the reviewers giving this book 1 star missed 1st Peter 4:17 "For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God...". The Churches have changed doctrines & are under judgement by God -not Camping. Make your informed decision after reading it & observing what has/is happening in the Churches "who have lost their first love". I pray all reviewers find truth. Pls see: II Thess 2:3-12. 1 John 3:11-15. 2 Cor 11:14. Jer. 12:10-13 - "All men are liars" so don't trust the minds of men- rely on God. & see Proverbs 2:6 --I pray you find the only true peace which is that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ--

The basis of this book is NOT the Holy Bible, although its author disputes that. The author is Harold Camping, president and general manager of Family Radio (also known as Family Stations).

The basis of this book is secular. The book hinges on what the author describes as "the timeline" or the "biblical" calendar of history.

If you use the Bible only, then you can NOT validate the "biblical" calendar of history. Some people say "if you start with 931 B.C....", but how would you know that year if you used the Bible only? You wouldn't. Yet it is so natural to think this way.

The Gregorian calendar is not biblical; no man-made calendar is biblical. If you add the Gregorian calendar to the Bible (even just a little bit...just one tiny date), then you are in violation of Revelation 22:18. It really is that simple. There are no B.C. or A.D. dates in the Bible; nor can you arrive at such dates without ADDING something to the Bible.

We are seeing one of the dangers of adding to God's Word. How can anyone deny the many proofs and coincidences? What really happens when we add to God's Word...even when we think it is justified? Perhaps "miraculous" things happen...things that would lead us to believe that what we have done is the right thing.

"Time has an End" was preceded by "Adam When?" and "The Biblical Calendar of History" and "The Perfect Harmony of the Numbers of the Hebrew Kings", and several other books written by Harold Camping. The foundation of "Time has an End" includes the books mentioned above. If you read these books, you will notice that many non-biblical sources were used to write them.

When we add to God's Word, terrible things happen.
When we take away from God's Word, terrible things happen.

When we mix the understanding of mankind with the Holy Scriptures, terrible things happen.

Some people elevate the "biblical" calendar of history to the same level as the Bible itself. The calendar has become their idol. Without the calendar, the Bible loses much of its meaning. Almost every teaching from these folks features a date as its focus...either justifying May 21, or supporting October 21. It seems that without a date, a "study" is incomplete.

"Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry." (1 Corinthians 10:14)

"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!" (Ezekiel 13:3)

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" (Ephesians 4:14)

"And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." (Mark 13:21-22)

The reviewers that are posting one-star reviews are only doing so because they do not like Harold Camping. Even if you were to disagree with 2011 possibly being the end, there is still plenty of good material in this book that any student of the Bible would benefit from reading.

This is a great book to help further the reader's understanding of many aspects of the Bible. This is not just a book about predicting when the end of the world might be. Harold Camping explains how we can use the Bible to determine the age of the earth and discusses facts about the world's history that science has not always been correct about. He explains God's use of numbers in the Bible (patterns, not numerology). He covers exactly what the Great Tribulation is and how it relates to those that say they are God's followers. He thoroughly explains how the Old Testament relates so heavily to us today. He even covers interesting detail about what it means that we are created in God's image. The end of the world aside, all of these topics are a great thing for any student of the Bible to learn more about.

Mr. Camping does a great job of constantly using Scripture throughout the book to support his statements. It is formatted with the Scripture text in bold and separated so that it is easy to identify (makes the reading easier). The only downside is that, although it is done to ensure the reader doesn't get lost, he tends to repeat himself a lot. If the teachings in this book are new to you, then this will probably be helpful. However, if you are already familiar with much of what Camping is saying, then you may find yourself skipping the end-of-the-chapter summaries. The book starts off with relatively basic information and moves along slow for the first few chapters, but it quickly moves into deep topics with a lot of details.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is truly interested in knowing Biblical truth because some very important things are said in this book other than the issue of the year in which the world might end.

In response to a previoues reviewer, I'd just like to point out that Mr. Camping has never claimed that he knew the day or the hour of Christ's return...not in 1994 and not now. Also, to "prophesy" means to proclaim the Word of God and just because a Bible teacher makes an incorrect interpretation of the Bible doesn't mean that interpretation came from Satan. I think any Bible student will experience being wrong at one point or another...that's just part of studying the Bible.