When you start reading how Camping came up with the date, you realize very quickly that he is interpreting Genesis 5 (the “begats”) in a way that NO ONE else did. Where is says “Seth lived 130 years and begat Enosh and then he lived 807 years after”, Camping takes it to mean that Enosh was born when Seth was 937 years old. Again NOBODY interprets it that way except Camping.
To Camping, almost all numbers revealed to us by Scripture were placed there for a purpose — TO DISCOVER THEIR HIDDEN MEANING.
So, he focuses on the “hidden” meanings of texts, first seeing pointers towards his first prediction year, 1994 in the number of swine drowned in the Sea of Galilee or in the number of servants in Abraham’s house. For instance, Camping introduced his book 1994? with the following statement, “No book ever written is as audacious or bold as one that claims to predict the timing of the end of the world, and that is precisely what this book presumes to do.” As audacious as it was, it was wrong.
He went further off the deep end when he told Christians to leave their churches. All are apostate. You should no longer trust your pastors and elders, but you should abandon them and turn to one of the only true channels of God’s Word, Family Radio. You should simply fellowship together and await Word from his radio broadcasts in Oakland.
In these new fellowships, there is to be no discipline, no baptism, no communion, and no authority apart from Family Radio’s interpretation of the Bible. Mr. Camping rejects 1 Corinthians 11:26 that says we are to proclaim the Lord’s death, till He comes.
Mr. Camping accuses anyone who differs with him of not really believing the Bible and accuses them of being idolatrous of their church.
Of course we now know that the true idol here is Mr. Camping. Will his pre-May 21, 2011 followers read the Bible for themselves and search the Scriptures to know if these things are true, or will they blindly follow Mr. Camping into yet another false prophecy? And what will be the result for them if they do?