Daily Devotional, Year 4: November 8 (Noble Bereans, Part 34: “Killing The Messenger” CONTINUED)
By admin On July 11th, 2023.
.
Daily Devotional, Year 4: November 8
.
.
.
.
Noble Bereans,
.
Part 35:
“Killing The Messenger”
CONTINUED FURTHER
To read part 1, click here…”September 2nd (Noble Bereans?)”
.
.
.
.
.
KILLING THE MESSENGER:
“False witnesses did rise up;
they laid to my charge things that I knew not.”
Psalm 35:11
.
.
.
.
.
THE 2ND ANGEL’S MESSAGE
.
In the 44th year after the close of the 1st angel’s message at the passing of Ellen White in 1915, the Lord began the proclamation of the 2nd angel’s message with the ministry of Family Radio in 1959.
.
Yes, with the advent of radio, the Gospel was finally able to be proclaimed in a growing number of places around the world, by various faithful radio ministries.
.
.
.
.
.
.
HERALD EGBERT CAMPING
.
Unfortunately, the Church was still mired in some major false doctrines which only held them in bondage to error and confusion.
.
Thus came the time for God to raise up one thin little man with a booming voice, named Harold Camping. And like the 1st angel’s messenger, E. G. White, Camping had been a Christian probably from birth. And like Ellen White, Camping likewise lived a pretty much irreproachable life.
.
Harold-Camping
.
.
.
.
.
1959: FAMILY RADIO WAS BORN
.
Beginning as an architectural engineer, Camping started out designing and orchestrating the construction of commercial centers in the Bay Area. But more and more, the Lord tugged at the heart-strings of this slightly odd-looking fellow (due to his over-sized ears. He definitely had “ears to hear”) to begin a Christian radio ministry.
.
And so, with the help of several other men, Camping finally was able to begin broadcasting a weak little radio signal from an office building in the San Francisco area in 1959.
.
Well, it wasn’t very long until he realized that his listeners greatly longed to hear a Bible question/answer call-in talk show. And soon, this additional program became the centerpiece of Family Radio, propelling Camping’s ministry far beyond the Bay Area.
.
Harold-Camping – courtesy Family Radio
.
.
.
.
.
CRAMMING FOR HIS FINALS?
.
Now because Camping was a dedicated Christian, he felt compelled to study the Bible as very few other Christians were willing to do! Consequently, he could occasionally be heard to say, “Long ago, I decided to begin to study the Bible as if I were cramming for my college final-exams.”
.
And, for an average of up to 6 hours per day, armed with an exhaustive concordance, Camping studied his King James Bible, faithfully comparing scripture with scripture, and “comparing spiritual things with spiritual”. 1st Corinthians 2:13
.
ABOVE PICTURE: Holy Bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Lic.
.
.
.
.
.
GOSPEL PREACHED VIA SHORTWAVE RADIO
.
And together with his booming voice, Camping’s teachings could even be heard via the poor shortwave signals in many other countries. Yes, even in places where the static noise of shortwave was so great, Camping’s loud and booming voice could just barely be heard even by many who had to eagerly and willingly hold their ears right up to their shortwave radio speakers in order to hear him over the sea of noisy static airwaves!
.
And more or less, Camping’s radio ministry went on like this for 52 years, howbeit, steadily growing throughout the world.
.
Harold-Camping – courtesy Family Radio
.
.
.
.
.
“BABYLON IS FALLEN”
.
But as Camping became more and more knowledgeable of the Bible, He slowly began to realize just how apostate the church-world was becoming. And as he realized more unbiblical error often being preached by the so-called “orthodoxy”, his radio station began to be despised by the various congregations and denominations.
.
Finally, God caused Camping to begin to proclaim that “Babylon, the Mother of Harlots” was actually the apostate individual congregations which together comprised God’s apostate church-community.
.
And well into the last half of Camping’s 5-decade ministry, he at last realized that it was his duty to proclaim the message, “Come out of her, My people, that ye not partake of her sins, neither receive of her plagues!” Revelation 18:4
.
And with this announcement, the 2nd angel’s message combined with the call from Revelation 18, to come out of the apostate churches and denominations which constituted spiritual Babylon.
.
.
.
.
.
.
MANY DETRACTORS
.
Well, needless to say, this modern-day “exodus message” caused great outrage by all many who were familiar with Camping’s ministry.
.
And Camping’s nightly 90-minute talk show became peppered with angry callers who attempted to refute this “outrageous message”: the message that God’s Spirit was no longer working with the various Christian organizations.
.
But because of his vast accumulated knowledge of the Scriptures, it was difficult to refute Camping’s corrections of the various false doctrines which had crept into the church-world over the years and even over the centuries.
.
Harold Camping on phone – Courtesy of Family Radio.org
.
.
.
.
.
A WORLD-WIDE FIRESTORM
.
But then, when it became time for Camping to proclaim the end of the world and the return of Christ, he decided to sound a loud clarion trumpet call for this announcement.
.
And so, Family Radio emptied its entire savings account, in order to buy billboard space to proclaim the end of the world. And all over the world, the message began to be heard that Christ was soon returning to earth. And this created a pandemic firestorm! Camping’s name became somewhat of a house-hold word (usually attached to vile, four-letter denunciations).
.
Judgment Bus New Orleans 2011 – cropped imnage – Wikipedia – Share-alike License
.
.
.
.
.
A LIFE ABOVE REPROACH!
.
And Satan wasted no time in causing his loyal armies to attack Harold, often by false accusations, calling him “a false prophet”, and “only in it for the money”. But it was hard to make these accusations stick, since Camping’s life was virtually free of covetousness or scandal.
.
And because of that, virtually nobody who personally knew Camping (not even his radio station accountants) could bring any inside personal accusations against this faithful servant of God, other than disagreeing with his new “End of the church-age & Christ’s Return” teachings.
.
Harold Camping – Wikipedia – copyrighted – not-for-free-use
.
.
.
.
.
NOBLE BEREANS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!
.
But alas, the Noble Bereans were almost nowhere to be found! And instead of searching the scriptures daily and monthly to prove the veracity of Camping’s message, the Church, by-and-large, began to join in with the world in mocking and scorning Herald Camping. And even most of those who previously associated with him, began to “jump ship” from his ministry!
.
Angry protesters with signs, stood and chanted slanderous slogans in front of his radio stations. Television cameras and microphones were seemingly everywhere, attempting to find some hidden dirt to further malign Camping and his much hated message.
.
Bible teachers reassured their followers that Camping was “crazy off his rocker”, and not to be listened to.
.
Protest – Anti-Christian rally in Chicago – cropped image – Wikimedia
.
.
.
.
.
A SEEMINGLY FAILED PREDICTION
.
Well, when the predicted dates for Christ’s return came and went, there began an all-out assault on Family Radio’s C.E.O., Harold Egbert Camping. Insulting caricatures of Camping were posted in the Internet. Sarcastic mockery could be heard on both radio and television, many even calling for Camping’s death! Halloween masks of him were sold!
.
And in a few months time, Harold could no longer endure his supposed failed prediction. He had a massive stroke, and died a few years later, a broken man, but one who still trusted in his Lord even to the very end!
.
And with Camping’s death, the public now felt vindicated and extremely delighted! After all, the world was still intact! No mourners were heard giving Camping’s name a decent burial! Instead, only further mockings, denunciations and rejoicings could be heard that this “false prophet” was now dead. Gifts were exchanged around the world in the form of jokes and mockings and rejoicings that Christ had not returned, and that Harold was finally dead! The churches and the public were delighted!
.
Harold Camping – Courtesy of Family Radio.org
.
.
.
.
.
“PROPHECIES, THEY SHALL FAIL”
1st Corinthians 13:8
.
But what few, if any, people realized was, that Camping’s supposed failed prediction was actually purposely orchestrated by God “to prepare the way for the kings of the east”, i.e., God’s last-day remnant people to stand in the battle of the last Great Day of the Lord, referred to in the Hebrew tongue as Armageddon.
.
And Camping’s supposed “false and failed prophecy” also allowed the Lord to prepare the way for the 3rd and final angel’s message.
.
ABOVE PICTURE: Orion the Soldier and the Revelation 12 Dragon (Hyades & Pleiades, etc. – winter constellations – www.signsofheaven.org – not for commercial use
.
.
.
.
.
.
And tomorrow’s devotional will speak about that…
November 9 (Noble Bereans, Part 35: “Killing The Messenger” CONTINUED FURTHER)
Stephen Stoned Acts 7:57-60 – lavistachurchofchrist.org
.
.
.
.
.
TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Help me to be an open-minded seeker of truth, even if it means giving up a very highly regarded Church opinion! Let me be willing to investigate any seemingly new teaching if it appears to have some biblical validity…
Marine Praying – Wikimedia – USMC Public Domain
.
.
.
.
READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read…OCTOBER 19 (Noble Bereans, Part 3: Re-thinking Harold Camping), or you can also read…JUNE 13 (Why The World Didn’t End on May 21, 2011) or you can also read…October 29 (Noble Bereans, Part 25: “The Message of the Second Angel of Revelation 14”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
.
.
.
.
.
THE END
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN
.
.
.
FINALLY WALKING UPWARD INTO THE HIGHWAYS OF ETERNITY
.
Day by day, you will find yourself walking, like the Disciples, spreading the precious Gospel seed wherever the Spirit leads.
.
Taking the lovely name of Jesus, with every word spoken. Walking through this sin-darkened world, witnessing to those who take notice that of a truth, Jesus is present within you. Even like faithful Enoch, walking through the highways and byways of life in this world, spreading the Gospel-seed of unpretentious love.
.
Day by day, you will become more and more closed in with God. Moment by moment, your heart will become intertwined with God’s heart, eventually two hearts beating as one heart.
.
And just like Enoch, when the appointed time of sojourning on earth is finally done…you will walk onward…and upward…and into the highways and byways of eternity. (“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” Genesis 5:24).
.
Thomas Cole – Pilgrim of the Cross at the End of His Journey – Wikimedia – US public domain
.
.
.
.
READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Castor and Pollux & The Mystery Ship of Scripture”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
.
.
.
.
.
TOMORROW…
November 9 (Noble Bereans, Part 35: “Killing The Messenger” CONTINUED FURTHER)
Stephen Stoned Acts 7:57-60 – lavistachurchofchrist.org
.
.
.
.
.
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY BY ELLEN G. WHITE
.
Noble Berean: This 44-chapter audio book is a brief history of the Church, from the Cross of Christ forward to the Return of Christ.
.
Chapter 1 – The Destruction of Jerusalem
.
.
Martin Luther – 95 Thesis – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
.
EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…
.
Noble Berean: This is a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50 year series of 90 minute nightly talk shows…This is Open Forum Show #52
.
.
ABOVE PICTURE: Holy bible – creopped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons lic.