Harold Camping Update: Has the Family Radio Bible Teacher Really Retired?
Harold Camping has reportedly retired, hanging up his hat on his radio ministry, but does that mean Camping will also retire his predictions?
It has been a noteworthy career for Camping, who has built a devoted following of listeners through Family Radio Stations, Inc., which he founded along with two other men in 1958.
The radio evangelist had always prided himself as being an interpreter of the Bible, and, as such, considered himself suited to offer his opinions on biblical accounts.
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His career began to be negatively impacted by a series of erroneous miscalculations, beginning almost 20 years ago, when he first predicted that the world would end in September of 1994.
Following the failure of his 1994 prophecy, the founder of Family Radio told Christianity Today, "Obviously this has not happened, so that was inaccurate."
Later, Camping predicted that the world would end on May 21, 2011. After the failure of this event, the 90-year-old told the San Francisco Chronicle that he was "flabbergasted" as to why his prediction did not materialize. He also added, "It has been a really tough weekend."
Finally, Camping, in an audio message through Family Radio's website, asserted that Judgment Day would occur on Oct. 21, 2011.
"The end is going to come very, very quietly, probably within the next month. It will happen by Oct. 21," he said in the September message.
His prediction would once again prove to be untrue.
After a career of considering himself as a prophet, is it possible for Camping to simply retire? Perhaps Camping is taking a well-deserved rest. In that case, it is worth wondering just how many would be surprised if he decided to offer another doomsday prediction.
The former owner of a construction business, which he began shortly after the end of World War II, Campaign became an evangelist and began a live weeknight call-in program in 1961 on Family Radio called "Open Forum."
This program has been broadcasted on more than 140 stations owned by Family Radio in the U.S. The "Open Forum" is also translated into many foreign languages and, together with other Family Radio programming, is broadcast worldwide via Shortwave.
