IN EVERY SEASON: An Independent Biblical Proof that Salvation Is Still Possible

Foreword

About the Brackets

This study cites and quotes passages from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible, revised in 1769. Words that appear in square brackets [] don’t appear in the original Greek and Hebrew text of the Bible as inspired by God. They are supplied by the translators for ease of reading and better grammatical flow in English.

Words that appear in curly brackets {} refer to the underlying Greek New Testament text under discussion in the section in which they are found. For example, the phrase {“my Father only}” surrounded by these curly brackets represents the Greek phrase “pathr mou monos.” This approach is employed by the author of this study to let the reader know where in the English translation the Greek passage in question appears.

The phrase "May 21 defenders" is intended to refer to Harold Camping, president and general manager of Family Radio and any others who support the teaching that May 21, 2011 is an important Biblical date.

About the Greek Words

This study uses English letters to write Greek words. The Greek language uses an alphabet different from that of the English language. The process of representing the sounds of one alphabet using another is called transliteration. This study endeavors to follow the Greek-to-English transliteration rules found at http://www.classicalmyth.com/alphabet.html.

Part 1

The Prophesy Failure Explained Away

Introduction

Now that May 21, 2011 has come and gone without the destruction of the world, the defenders of the May 21 date have not let it go. They assert that May 21 still holds some kind of Biblical significance. This is because it falls on the seventeenth day of the second month of the Jewish calendar on what the May 21 defenders believe to be the seven thousandth anniversary of Noah’s flood.

“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” (Genesis 7:11 AV)

“For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.” (Genesis 7:4 AV)

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8 AV)

The year of Noah’s flood has been calculated to be 4990 BC. Seven thousand years later would be 2011 AD. If this calculation is accurate, then the world has reached the seven thousandth anniversary of Noah’s flood as of this writing. This study will show that there is reason to distrust this calculation and subsequently cast doubt on the significance of the seven thousandth anniversary of Noah's flood.

Noah’s flood is significant because it’s a historical parable pointing to the destruction of the world and the salvation of God’s elect. A teaching that is surfacing within this group is that May 21 was the day that the door of Noah’s ark was spiritually shut and that the possibility of salvation for anyone who has not yet been saved has ended. This study will show why that teaching is not true.

Holding On to May 21, 2011

When the rapture didn’t occur on May 21, 2011, there was a great deal of intense emotion at work among those who had believed it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Some have continued to hold on to the date in question as significant. This is because of the mathematical calculations put forth chiefly by Harold Camping of Family Radio. These calculations make sense from a logical and scientific standpoint and are mathematically verifiable.

The problem with the math and the science is not its preciseness. The issue that few seem to be willing to consider is that some of the information used to complete the calendar projections involve checking secular records to bridge the Old Testament calendar with relatively sketchy dating information found in the New Testament and figure out what the equivalent date is in the present-day calendar system.

The Bible Is Its Own Interpreter.

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:20-21 AV)

If we want to define anything in the Bible, we must look nowhere else. All that God wants us to know from the bible is developed and defined in the Bible. Looking at outside sources opens us up to error because it comes from man and not from God.

“God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” (Romans 3:4 AV)

The Uncertainty of the Biblical Timeline

There’s no way to verify with absolute certainty that anything outside the Bible is perfectly true, especially ancient secular records. Even science, while probably more accurate than other secular sources, is still outside the Bible and shouldn’t be part of a dogmatic system of Biblical doctrine.

Whether or not the calculations that assist in compiling a Biblical timeline can be made with even a reasonable amount of accuracy, the very fact that extra-Biblical data is involved makes it prone to error. Since we have no way to figure out with certainty where the error might lie, we have no way to correct it. The Biblical timeline therefore remains uncertain.

Nevertheless, the seventeenth day of the second Hebrew month of 2011 has been calculated to fall on May 21. The implicit trust in Mr Camping’s calendar system propagates the assumption that this date is significant. So, when the rapture didn’t happen, some started to search for other reasons for this supposed significance.

These same searchers rightly apply the principle that God speaks in parables. Psalm 78:2 states:

“I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old.”

Matthew 13:34 tells us:

“All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them.”

The Shutting of the Ark Door

The time of the shutting of the door of Noah’s ark is a historical event that points to a spiritual principle. No one outside the ark was saved from God’s destruction of the world via the flood. The defenders of the May 21 doctrine apply this parable to May 21 because it falls on the seventeenth day of the second Hebrew month in 2011, which has been calculated to be seven thousand years from the year of the flood.

Logically, if the world is still here on the day that the ark door is shut, those who have not entered into the ark will not be saved from God’s destruction of the world and all the ungodly who reside in it, which is represented by the flood. The May 21 defenders correctly equate the ark to Christ. Therefore, anyone who isn’t already in Christ by May 21, 2011 will not be able to enter into Christ and will be destroyed along with the world. The conclusion is that the era in which someone can become saved is over. According to the May 21 defenders, no one else will become saved no matter what.

The Five-Month Gap

Harold Camping’s original estimate of the day of the end of the world and the beginning of Judgment Day was October 21, 2011. This is because it coincides with the Jewish feast of tabernacles and the feast of ingathering, which he believed had not yet had its spiritual fulfillment in time. The feast of tabernacles and the feast of ingathering fall on the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Mr. camping then had to accommodate his prediction to allow for a five-month gap yielded in a recalculation. He also had to be sure of the existence of Scripture that could support that five-month period. Revelation 9:5 says:

“And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment [was] as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.”

A Biblical event that falls on the second month of a particular year that also represents the end of the world is the time when Noah and his family entered the ark to escape the flood. We read in Genesis 7:11:

“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.”

Supposing that the months in question represent those of the Hebrew calendar, we can see a five-month discrepancy between 2 different events that each apparently represents the end of the Spiritual harvest of God’s elect and the destruction of the world.

Projecting backward five months based on Revelation 9:5 and Genesis 7:11 seems logical, so Mr. Camping adjusted his prediction to allow for both dates. The prediction became that May 21 would begin the five months of torment mentioned in Revelation 9:5, and October 21 would mark the time when the complete destruction of the world would begin.

The Invisible Judgment Doctrine

Now that May 21 has not seen the beginning of any physical torments, world-wide earth quakes, or the rapture itself, those who trust that May 21, 2011 is important have had to seek another explanation. Faced with the failure of Mr. Camping’s prediction but still holding to the framework that yielded it, they have no choice but to conclude that the beginning of the Day of Judgment was not visible but spiritual. Therefore, all the souls who will be saved from the destruction of the world are in Christ already, and the door is shut. No one else can enter the ark.

This conclusion might be perfectly true if not for two critical factors. The first factor is that sources outside the Bible had to be used as aids to completing the calculation of the Biblical calendar. As discussed before, this is prone to error because it is not God’s word the Bible, so it must not be trusted on the same level. The second factor we’ll discuss requires more thorough discussion.

Part 2

That Day and That Hour

The Day and Hour at Face Value

The passages that state that no one knows the day or the hour of the second coming of the Lord is traditionally taken at face value. The understanding is that no person knows when Jesus Christ will come to judge the world and to take His believers to heaven. This includes anyone on earth, anyone in heaven, and even the Son. Christ states in Matthew 24:36:

“But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

We find a similar statement in Mark 13:32, where Jesus says:

“But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”

The short explanation is that checking the Greek of the original text from which these passages were translated turns out to be as it seems. Now here’s the long version.

But Of

Peri de ths is the Greek phrase that the King James translators rendered “but of” in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32. The following three verses contain this phrase in the original Greek.

Matthew 24:36 {But of} that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Mark 13:32 {But of} that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
1 Thessalonians 4:9 {But as touching} brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

The Greek phrase peri de ths literally means “but concerning the.” It’s a reference to the topic of the corresponding statement. The rendering of the KJV “but of” is an acceptable if loose translation. The subject in view is the day and the hour of the second coming of Christ and the associated events.

That Day and That Hour

The Greek phrase translated that day and that hour is “hmeras ekenihs kai ths oras.” It’s a mouth full, but translated one word at a time, it literally becomes “day that and the hour.” So far, we have the English phrase “but concerning the day that and the hour.” In this case, “that” is a definite article. We might say, “that blue car” rather than “a car that is blue.” “The day that” is just an example of Greek grammar and syntax, which might look strange to people who don’t speak Greek.

Knoweth No Man

When we read “knoweth no man” in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32, we’re reading translations of the phrase “oudeis oiden.” Some English translations render this phrase “no one hath known.” This is because the verb is in a Greek tense that depicts an action that is completed once and for all rather than something still in the process of being done. English doesn’t have conjugations for this tense, which is called the perfect tense.

The May 21 defenders argue that “oudeis oiden” refers to the unsaved. They believe that a spiritual interpretation of the phrase can only refer to those whom God has not chosen to know the so called truth of the time of the start of Judgment Day on May 21, 2011 and the second coming of Christ on October 21, 2011. They use the following verse:

“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God {knoweth no man}, but the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:11 AV)

The interpretation they’ve adopted is that because this verse in its original text also contains the phrase “oudeis oiden” that Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 contain, it must be understood that the Spirit of God reveals the day and hour of the second coming of Christ. Since the saved have the Spirit of God, then anyone who believes that no one knows the day or the hour must not have the Spirit of God and must therefore be unsaved.

This self-issued license to pass judgment on the souls of individuals is common among this group based on some verses in the Bible that indicate that the unsaved do not know some things in the Bible that the saved do know. While such passages are certainly true, the May 21 defenders take the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 2:11 only as far as it fits with May 21, 2011.

Examining verses that have a certain Greek phrase in common is important and very helpful. However, the context of a verse is equally important. 1 Corinthians 2:11 doesn’t refer to time. The first 11 verses of 1 Corinthians 2 read:

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God {knoweth no man}, but the Spirit of God.”

Notice the recounting of the apostle Paul’s plight after his conversion. God says that Paul determined not to know anything save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. God further tells us that if the men who killed Jesus had known the hidden wisdom and deep things of God, they wouldn’t have crucified Him. Now, ask yourself a question. Does God mean that if the Jews had known the day or the hour of the final Judgment or of the second coming of Christ, they wouldn’t have crucified Him?

Nor the Angels in Heaven

The concept of angels is a fuzzy one based on superficial readings of the Bible. This is not to say that they don’t exist, but Christianity has conjured an image of a beautiful child-like being with wings who isn’t quite human and applied all verses that mention “angels” to those beings. As a result, it’s possible to miss important truths about such Bible passages. We find an example of this in Revelation 22:8-9, which says:

“And I John saw these things, and heard [them]. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See [thou do it] not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.”

This so called angel is Christ Himself. Careful examination reveals this. Reading further into Revelation 22 shows that it is this angel who commanded John to worship God who goes on to say that He comes quickly and that His reward is with Him. Christ revealed Himself to John as the Son of Man in at least part of Revelation. We know this because this same angel is indirectly referred to as a man as He is measuring the wall of the Holy City:

“And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred [and] forty [and] four cubits, [according to] the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.” (Revelation 21:17 AV)

Angels are Messengers

The word “angel” is only an English mutation of a Greek word that means messenger; it’s not a true translation. The word for “angel” in Revelation 21:17 is “angelou.” This comes from a root word represented by Strong’s Greek 32.

The Bible proves that the word “angelou” means messenger. We can find Greek words that are obviously derived from the root translated as various forms of “angel.” A messenger is someone who sends or carries a message. Here are 2 poignant passages that refer to aspects of the Gospel message:

“This then is the {message} which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5 AV)

“For this is the {message} that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” (1 John 3:11 AV)

The Greek words translated “message” in these passages are “epangelia” and “angelia” respectively. It doesn’t take a Greek scholar to see the similarity of these two words to each other and their similarity to “angelou.”

We can safely conclude that angels are often and probably most of the time really humans, the true believers of Christ who have been born again and have the commission to go into all the world and preach the message of the Gospel to every creature.

The Messengers Of and In Heaven

Jesus states in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 that the angels of or in heaven don’t know the day or the hour of the second coming of Christ.

The May 21 defenders insist that these angels are the fallen angels, but how can they be in heaven? Even if they were in heaven, how could they be of heaven if they’re fallen angels? No. These are people, very likely those who have already preceded Christians who are alive today into God’s presence through physical death. They don’t know the day or the hour any more than earth-dwelling believers do. Even if the “no one” in these passages did refer to unsaved man, the Greek phrase translated “of heaven” is sufficiently ambiguous to allow for the possibility that Christians in either the physical or the spiritual realm are in view.

Neither the Son

This is a big one. It’s probably the most divisive part of Mark 13:32. Jesus appears to be including Himself in the group of people who don’t know the day or the hour. But why would Jesus say that? Isn’t Jesus God? Doesn’t he know everything? The answer to both questions is undoubtedly yes. Jesus is God, and He came to earth as a man. Consider the following verses and the divine mystery that they present to us.

“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt].” (Matthew 26:39 AV)

“And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things [are] possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” (Mark 14:35-36 AV)

“He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” (Matthew 26:42 AV)

It’s understandable to be puzzled or even a bit nervous that Jesus, who is God, could pray something like this. It might shake the foundation of the Trinity for some. Jesus is actually not only displaying human frailty, but also effectively asking the Father if there is a possibility that He would not have to endure the punishment necessary to pay for the sins of His elect. Yet, Jesus also demonstrates awareness that there’s no other way. He must drink the cup of God’s wrath in order for it to pass from Him.

Now we know that there is precedent for some part of Jesus not to know something. His humanness is the part of Him that asks the questions, that appears to contrast with the will and knowledge of God the Father. God tells us in Hebrews 4:15:

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.”

To add further to this puzzle, God tells us in Hebrews 5:8:

“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.”

We certainly have a mystery. How can God learn anything if He knows everything? Jesus repeatedly referred to Himself as the Son of Man. This is the missing piece of the puzzle. In this capacity, Jesus was able to be fully human. The only difference between Jesus the human is that He had no sin as other humans do. Jesus is the Son in Mark 13:32.

The May 21 defenders grapple with the identity of the Son in this passage. They judge and malign anyone who believes that this is Jesus and accuse them of denying that Jesus is God. However, they don’t offer a reasonable alternative. Saying that this son is a figurative reference to all saved people, referred to as sons of God in John 1:12, would exclude them from knowing the day and hour of the second coming of Christ. This would obviously cause a big problem for them. They instead say that the son is Satan. Even if this were true, we already have the problem of who the angels in and of heaven are, as well as who God has in mind when He says “no one knows.” We’ve already seen that both these groups encompass human beings, saved or unsaved, messengers or others.

Jesus Is a Messenger In and Of Heaven

As we’ve established, the so-called “angel” of Revelation who talks with John toward the end of the book is Christ. Let’s also reiterate that “angel” is an anglicized Greek word born of a misapplication of the Greek root from which it is translated. An angel is a messenger, and Jesus Christ is the King of all the messengers.

Note that Jesus leaves out the reference to the Son in Matthew 24:36, saying:

“But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

Jesus is still included in this verse. He is the head of all the messengers, the Messenger with a capital M, as it were. Jesus was not in heaven at that time, but He is of heaven. As the Son of Man, He is the most important Messenger of all, even making a point of manifesting Himself to John as a Messenger who is “of thy brethren the prophets.” (Revelation 22:9) Again, we can be sure of this because God repeatedly identifies the “angel” as the one who is speaking:

“And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” (Revelation 21:9 AV)
“And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.” (Revelation 21:15 AV)
“And he said unto me, These sayings [are] faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.” (Revelation 22:6 AV)

Though Jesus uses fewer words in Matthew 24:36 than in Mark 13:32, He is not saying any less or any more in either passage.

My Father Only

Here’s the clincher. The Greek phrase translated “my father only” is “pathr mou monos.” In case there is any doubt who “my Father” is, God makes it as clear as anything can be. Every single time that the Bible uses the phrase “pathr mou”, Jesus is the one speaking. Likewise, the person Jesus refers to when He uses that phrase is unquestionably and invariably God the Father. This is not only apparent in the Greek phrase, but also in the context of each instance of the phrase. The following 14 verses contain the Greek phrase “pathr mou” In the original text. Please note that the English has the word” heavenly” between “my” and “father” in some of these verses, but examination of the Greek text via an interlinear Greek New Testament assures us that this is only a function of English language syntax. “Pathr mou” is the underlying text, and the Greek actually reads “my Father heavenly”:

Matthew 15:13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which {my} heavenly {Father} hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but {my Father} which is in heaven.
Matthew 18:35 So likewise shall {my} heavenly {Father} do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but {my Father} only.
Luke 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as {my Father} hath appointed unto me;
John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, {My Father} worketh hitherto, and I work.
John 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but {my Father} giveth you the true bread from heaven.
John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am [he], and [that] I do nothing of myself; but as {my Father} hath taught me, I speak these things.
John 8:54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is {my Father} that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
John 10:29 {My Father}, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and {my Father} will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
John 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come [again] unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for {my Father} is greater than I.
John 15:1 I am the true vine, and {my Father} is the husbandman.
John 15:8 Herein is {my Father} glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

The Greek “monos” in Matthew 24:36 is really the English word “alone.” It verbalizes the concept of one entity. It’s from this root that we get English words such as “monorail”, “monaural”, and “monogamy.” We find the word “monos” in the original text of the following 20 verses:

Matthew 14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there {alone}.
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father {only}.
Mark 6:47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he {alone} on the land.
Luke 5:21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God {alone}?
Luke 9:36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found {alone}. And they kept [it] close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.
Luke 24:18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou {only} a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
John 6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself {alone}.
John 8:9 And they which heard [it], being convicted by [their own] conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, [even] unto the last: and Jesus was left {alone}, and the woman standing in the midst.
John 8:16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.
John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth {alone}: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
John 16:32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not {alone}, because the Father is with me.
Romans 11:3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left {alone}, and they seek my life.
Romans 16:4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not {only} I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
1 Corinthians 9:6 Or I {only} and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
1 Timothy 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, [who is] the blessed and {only} Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
1 Timothy 6:16 Who {only} hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom [be] honour and power everlasting. Amen.
2 Timothy 4:11 {Only} Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
Hebrews 9:7 But into the second [went] the high priest {alone} once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and [for] the errors of the people:
2 John 1:1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I {only}, but also all they that have known the truth;
Revelation 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for [thou] {only} [art] holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Now we have the complete phrase “my Father only” in all its glorious clarity. After all this analysis, we find that Jesus is speaking plainly after all. Somehow, only the person of God the Father knows the day and the hour of the second coming of Christ.

Projecting Backward Five Months

Harold Camping’s statement to the press two days after the failure of his prediction affirmed the teaching now popular among Family Radio supporters that the world is under Judgment. His stated intention that Family Radio will now concentrate on teaching and building up people who are already children of God and cease to warn the world about God’s Judgment strongly implies his belief that there’s no more salvation after May 21, 2011. He also asserts that October 21, 2011 is the last day of the world’s existence after all. This study has established that no one knows the day or the hour of Christ’s second coming, which is synonymous with the events Jesus prophesies in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Since no one knows that day or hour but the Father only, projecting backwards to a time 5 months prior to it is impossible for anyone but the Father. Only the Father really knows when Christ will return to this world to gather together the elect of God. No earth dweller or heavenly resident who isn’t God the Father knows the day or the hour.

Mr. Camping and Family Radio explicitly state that the Bible teaches that we can know the time of Judgment. However, we don’t know the time of the second coming, so we can’t project back five months from the rapture to what they believe is the beginning of Judgment Day or to any other point in time, since no one knows at what hour Jesus will come. We can’t be ignorant of one without being ignorant of the other. We must also remember that the inclusion of any extra-Biblical data in the construction of a Biblical timeline throws the timeline into doubt. Therefore, projecting backward or forward from any point in modern time to another for the purpose of prophesy of the end of this world is a waste of time and energy.

Part 3

Christ’s Commandment of Hope

And Pray Always

“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:36 AV)

The above verse is part of Jesus’ answer to his Disciples’ question of what the signs of the second coming of Christ and the end of the world are. These events are foretold in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

The exact nature of the fulfillment of these events is beyond the scope of this study. What is important to this exposition is the nature of the prayer that Jesus commands us to pray and when to offer that prayer.

Examination of the original Greek text reveals a very interesting phrase consisting of three words. The King James translators chose to represent this phrase with one word, “always.” However, a more accurate and much more telling rendering can be found in Young’s Literal Translation:

“watch ye, then, {in every season}, praying that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are about to come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36 YLT)

The English phrase “in every season” in Young’s Literal Translation is parallel to the word “always” found in the King James Version. Young’s Literal Translation more closely follows the Greek text, which reads “en panti kairo.” It’s relatively easy to figure out the meaning of “en.” Acceptable translations include “in’ and “at.” We’ll concentrate on “panti” and “kairo.”

The Greek word “panti” comes from a root meaning “all.” It’s from this root that we get words like “pantheism”. Pantheism is the belief that everything in existence makes up the supreme power of the universe rather than an independent and separate being who actually designed and created it. It combines pan-, meaning all; theos, meaning God; and the “ism” suffix, creating a word that literally means the belief that everything is God. In the Bible, “panti” is used to denote every entity of a group while recognizing each entity as a single unit. “Panti” modifies words that are singular rather than plural. Saying “every season” tells us that there is more than one season and groups all the seasons together while recognizing their individual nature. Saying “all seasons” has a slightly different grammatical effect because it uses a plural noun.

The Greek “kairo” refers to time of indeterminate and nonuniform length. Sometimes it depicts what modern English speakers understand as seasons, but not always. Some examples include:

“At that {time} Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.” (Matthew 12:1 AV)

“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due {season}?” (Matthew 24:45 AV)

The time of the Harvest

There are many more passages in which “kairo” appears, and the contexts are historically diverse. We find one very notable “season” in which we are to pray for escape from the things that shall come to pass and to stand before the son of man. This is in the parable of the wheat and the tares:

“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the {time} of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matthew 13:24-30 AV)

One fascinating thing about this parable is not only the use of the word “kairo”, but also the reference to the harvest. Jesus tells us what the harvest is later in the chapter:

“Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked [one]; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:36-43 AV)

It certainly looks like one of the seasons in which we are to pray the prayer of Luke 21:36 is the time of the harvest, which Jesus plainly proclaims to be the end of this world. This proclamation is not a parable. We read in Mark 4:34:

“But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.”

Note that Jesus’ disciples asked Him to declare the parable of the wheat and the tares when they were alone. We can therefore be sure that Jesus is not saying anything with a hidden meaning he is declaring the parable. We are all invited to watch, praying in every season, that we might be accounted worthy to escape these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man. Jesus’ use of the word “kairo” places the time of the harvest among the seasons in which we are invited to pray, even as God is commanding the reapers to gather the tares into bundles to burn them.

The Harvest Shall Not Cease While the Earth Remains

“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22 AV)

This is a slightly different use of “harvest.” Jesus talks about the ongoing harvest of sending forth and receiving the Gospel, which He equates with harvest and reaping:

“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and [then] cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.” (John 4:35-38 AV)

This might seem contradictory, but Jesus is speaking of a continual harvest through the entire history of the world, of which the reapers are all those who are in Christ. The final harvest of the parable of the wheat and tares is one in which God will be the chief harvester. This final harvest is characterized by the final gathering of the wheat into God’s barn right after the casting of the tares into the furnace of fire.

Plowing in Hope

By declaring that the reapers reap where they have not sown, we know that Christ is also telling us that we are to reap of the Gospel for our own sols as well as that of others. The Son of Man is the sower, and seed time will not cease as long as the earth remains. God will not stop sowing the seed of His Word in this world for as long as this world exists. Some seed will fall by the wayside, some on rocky ground, some on thorny ground, and some on good ground. Whether we witness any conversions or not, the Bible fully supports that God will keep converting right up until the last moment in time.

“For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he [it] altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, [this] is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.” (1 Corinthians 9:9-10 AV)

“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap [their] hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign [that] shall not be cut off.” (Isaiah 55:10-13 AV)

We are to pray until the end of this world. If you’re reading this rather than absent from the body and present with the LORD, rejoicing with Christ in the New Heaven and the New Earth, or burning in the furnace of fire among the tares of the field, then you are to pray to be accounted worthy. Anyone who says otherwise is in danger being subject to the frightening declaration that Jesus makes in Matthew 23:13:

“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.”

The Saved Are Already Worthy

If you’re a child of God, if you’re born again as Jesus said you must be in order to see the kingdom of God, then you’re already worthy to escape these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man. This commandment is not directed at believers alone. The conjugation of the rather long Greek word translated “ye may be accounted worthy” indicates a possibility of something that might not yet have become reality, one that might or might not become a fact. Grammarians call this the subjunctive mood. Wouldn’t it be mocking and dishonest on the part of Jesus Christ if He were to command us to pray such a prayer of possibility and hope if neither existed?

If you’re not sure whether or not you’re saved, then pray the prayer of Luke 21:36. If you know in your heart that you’re not saved, then pray this prayer. The earth still remains, so you still have time. If you’re sure you’re saved, pray this prayer anyway, because people who are unsaved can feel saved. Obey Christ and pray this prayer in every season. It might be that God has seen fit to pay for your sins in Christ Jesus for you to exist in the presence of the blessed Great I Am for eternity.

2 Corinthians 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now [is] the day of salvation.)