What are you doing next Sunday? According to a well known preacher in the U.S. you don’t have to make any plans at all. According to him, the second coming will take place this Saturday. This isn’t the first time he’s predicted a date regarding the second coming. Jesus was supposed to come back in 1994 as well. In the Old covenant someone who made false prophecies wouldn’t be around long enough to make another.
Deut. 18:20-22 (ESV)
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ [21] And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— [22] when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
This is not to say that this is what should happen to this man, but it is to say that we should not pay him any attention whatsoever and certainly not lose any sleep over anything he says at all.
Consider this exchange between the man and New York magazine:
How certain are you that world is going to end on May 21 — do you have any doubts?
God has given sooo much information in the Bible about this, and so many proofs, and so many signs, that we know it is absolutely going to happen without any question at all.
You can read the whole interview here.
The best way to respond to this kind of nonsense is to simply say hello next Sunday, the day after Jesus is supposed to return, and go about your business. In the meantime, meditate on this:
1 Thes. 5:1-11 (ESV)
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. [2] For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. [3] While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. [4] But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. [5] For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. [6] So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. [7] For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. [8] But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. [9] For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, [10] who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. [11] Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Since Jesus is returning when He sees fit, our response is not to try to determine dates and times. It is to live as children of light (verse 5) stay alert and live soberly (verse 6), live soberly, by faith in a great hope (verse 8). And we are to encourage other believers (verse 11). Let such things be evidence that we believe in the return of Christ.
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