October 24 1994

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September 1994 came and went. "Apparently it was incorrect," end-times forecaster Harold Camping told CHRISTIANITY TODAY by September 28, referring to his prediction that the world would end on the previous day. "Obviously this has not happened, so that was inaccurate." Camping said he somehow misunderstood the importance of the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. He claimed, however, that Christ should still come before the end of 1994, and that the longer period of time could turn out to be a "blessing," because it could help reveal who truly converted to Christ due to his predictions.

"He flatly refuses to be corrected," says B. J. Oropeza, research assistant at the Christian Research Institute (CRI). Oropeza this year wrote "99 Reasons Why No One Knows When Christ Is Going to Return" (InterVarsity Press), in which he criticizes Camping.

Oropeza challenged Camping on radio's Dick Staub Show September 21 to repent of his errors in teaching. Camping said he would admit it if he made mistakes in his calculations, but added, "I don't know what you mean by the word repent."

Two years ago Camping predicted that Christ would return in judgment between September 15 and 27, 1994. The 72-year-old Reformed Bible teacher issued his claims on his nightly Open Forum talk-radio show, which airs on the Family Radio network he founded 35 years ago. The private network owns 39 stations and 14 short-wave international transmitters.

Camping also published his claims in a book, "1994?," and its sequel, "Are You Ready?" (CT, June 20, 1994, p. 46). More than 80,000 copies of the two books are in print.

Thousands of devoted radio listeners heeded his warnings to some extent. Camping's end-times views have been considered inconsistent by some because his ...