(Mark 13:32) “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
It’s as old as time for people to set dates for the Lord’s coming. All throughout Church history there have been predictions made from earnest and sincere individuals that the Lord would come on a particular date. They use some kind of formula or interpret some kind of event as a signal that the Lord will come at a particular time. And what gets me besides these false predictors is the gullibility of many people of faith who are swayed by a strong voice and then are stumbled when the anticipation never comes to pass. When will we learn that no one knows the day or the hour?
1843-1844: William Miller determined that the second coming would happen sometime between 1843-1844. A spectacular meteor shower in 1833 gave the movement a good push forward. The buildup of anticipation continued until March 21, 1844, when Miller's one-year timetable ran out. Following the Great Disappointment most Millerites gave up their beliefs.
1914: The Jehovah’s Witness religion has made a number of predictions about the end of the world. The first was 1914 – they based their prediction on prophecies from the Book of Daniel. After the end did not come, they changed the meaning of the prediction and stated that it was the date that Jesus would begin to rule invisibly. Some other years that the group have predicted the end of the world to come are: 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975, etc.
1988: Edgar C. Whisenant predicted the Rapture would occur in 1988, sometime between September 11 and Sept. 13. He published a book about this entitled “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988” and copies sold like crazy.
2011: Harold Camping predicted that on May 21, 2011 Jesus Christ would return to Earth, the righteous would fly up to heaven, and that there would follow five months of fire, brimstone and plagues on Earth, with millions of people dying each day, culminating on October 21, 2011 with the end of the world.
2012: New Age writers cite Mayan and Aztec calendars that predict the end of the age on December 21, 2012.
We don’t know when the Lord is coming back. We are just to be ready. (Mat 24:44) Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Don’t be taken in by false prophets in and outside the church who set dates. It’s all a distraction. Keep your eyes on Jesus and live like He will return at any moment!
Louie