It’s been a little more than two weeks now since Harold Camping’s failed prophecy for the rapture.
 
His followers, many now disillusioned by the event, have turned on him. The movement gained claim among followers in part because it claimed to use only biblical sources for its revelation — specifically the May 21 date for the rapture and subsequent Oct. 21 destruction of the world. But when Jesus didn’t show, countless sign-toting followers abandoned Camping.
 
With books like Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins’s “Left Behind” series and countless scientific-sounding 2012 prophecies, it seems like the end of the world is on everyone’s mind — a modern problem.
 
But the game is as old as it is ridiculous.
 
Even in Jesus’ time, people believed the world would end any day. In the Christian Bible, Luke attests to this in chapter 21 of his namesake book. According to Luke, Jesus warns his followers: “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” Even with a generous lifetime, this only gives a few decades for Jesus’ return.
 
The implied timeline is much sooner, though. In 1 John, an early Christian letter generally attributed to John the Evangelist, he warns Christians: “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that Antichrist is coming, even now many Antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.”
 
Nevertheless, as far as we can tell, Jesus didn’t show — then or now.
So, ever resilient, the faithful across the centuries have tried to predict the Jewish carpenter’s return. All manner of methods were used. Many Christians believed the world would end in 1033 — one thousand years after Jesus’ death. Early seventeenth century England was home to the Prophet Hen of Leeds, whose eggs read, “Christ is coming.” It was later discovered to be a hoax. The politically correct — and aptly named — Pope Innocent III believed the world would end in 1284, approximately 666 years after Islam’s rise.
 
There are literally hundreds more recorded. Numerology, astronomy and reading between the lines in the Christian Bible don’t seem to be a great way to forecast the future if we’re just going by accuracy.
 
So, I was quite surprised to see Harold Camping’s hook — because there’s always a hook — was allegedly counting the time between the significant dates in the Christian Bible, then forecasting forward to May 21, 2011.
 
After several days in clear confusion, Camping appeared on Family Radio’s Open Forum, where news reporters were allowed to ask questions. The pastor was calm, reflective and soft-spoken, especially when speaking about the event.
 
In response to the many believers – or “May 21sters” – who dropped out of school, sold their homes and generally prepared for their plane-less flight, Camping explained he hadn’t told anyone to do any of those things. Instead, he claimed he urged them to pray to God and follow his commands, which if true, makes his responsibility for the events substantially less.
 
He also claimed God had not revealed that the physical rapture would actually be a “spiritual judgement,” but still holds the event had indeed occurred.
 
Camping was trained as a civil engineer from the University of California, Berkeley. I expect more from someone with such a high level of education, but I commend him. He made a falsifiable claim based on his beliefs — and stood by it.
 
Those who do any less are not serious about finding truth in their beliefs.
And if it turns out Camping was just off by a month or so and the true believers are whisked away from the rest of us, at least we’ll be able to enjoy the fire, brimstone and plagues without having to suffer through any more folk Christian and country music.
Devin Graham is a 22-year-old economics senior from Prairieville. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_Dgraham.
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Contact Devin Graham at [email protected]