May 21, 2011: Judgment Day Rumors Spread Across The US

May 21, 2011 will mark the second coming of Christ, or at least that's what some Christian groups believe.

The date was calculated by Harold Camping, the leader of an independent Christian ministry called Family Radio Worldwide, which is based in Oakland, Calif. Camping's date is based on his interpretation of the Bible.

Camping's group isn't the only one following his apocalyptic prediction though. A number of loosely affiliated websites and radio broadcasts have created a movement independent of churches that have organized to proclaim the day as the end of the world.

Billboards, bus stop benches, and travelling caravans of RVs from Bridgeport, Conn. to Little Rock, Ark. are being used to spread the word, according to the AP. Allison Warden (pictured) has been helping to organize the campaign not only through billboards and post cards, but through the web, using her site We Can Know.

Camping, 89, says the Bible acts as a calendar by which the dates of prophecies can be calculated. "Beyond the shadow of a doubt, May 21 will be the date of the Rapture and the day of judgment," he told the AP.

While this isn't the first time that the end of the world has been predicted, there are many believers that will adhere to the date, even if it passes. "It would be like telling the Wright brothers that every other attempt to fly has failed, so you shouldn't even try," Chris McCann, who works with eBible Fellowship, told the AP.

WATCH:

UPDATE: CNN has since taken a close look at 'Project Caravan,' the mobile movement preaching the end of the world. For more, watch the clip from CNN below.

WATCH:

Comments

[Bodda]

01:47 PM on 03/04/2011

If the world is ending, can I have all your stuff?

[THE FATHER KNOWS]

06:02 PM on 03/03/2011

Do not listen to anyone but the holy spirit within you, work with the father, read scripture for yourself, this is a hoax taking the bible out of context. Read for yourself, MATHEW all of chapter 24. It states only the father will know, not man, not angles, not even CHRIST will know.....so just humble yourself and work towards changing your hearts desires. Work with god yourself, dont listen to others, give the father your attentions and pray for him to help you with your struggles, ask him for guidance. I do not mean to preach but I feel its important that you make god your primary source to have questions answered, do not rely on what people say. It will happen some day regardless, why let the theories or predictions of mankind convince you that they are right, do not rely on the creatures of the earth, rely only on our creator. FROG(FOREVER RELY ON GOD)

[Kenny Grohowski]

01:14 PM on 03/02/2011

Can't Wait!

[Reddog21]

09:38 AM on 03/02/2011

Are you ready?

[deans2cents]

07:15 AM on 03/02/2011

I sure hope it happens, and all the Christian zealots head to the skies...imagine how peaceful and loving the world will be on May 22!

[Pembrokelib]

05:25 PM on 03/01/2011

May 21st is my birthday. Does this mean I won't get my presents?

[silver86]

11:44 AM on 03/01/2011

Religion is like a P3N1S - It's OK to have one, and you can even be proud of it, but don't try to ram it down other people's throats.

[Stephen Stafford]

03:58 PM on 02/24/2011

No one knows the day nor hour he shall appear.

[KrautMan]

01:55 PM on 02/23/2011

The Mayans are going to be so pi$$ed.

[Jon Sapien]

01:22 AM on 02/23/2011

I'm going to eat a bag of popcorn

[metogamekun]

06:03 PM on 02/22/2011

Can I have your car?

[blackfox88]

11:57 AM on 02/22/2011

I just found this article, after seeing a whole bunch of these fanatics walking around my town the past few days I decided to do a search for why the believe May 21st 2011 to be the beginning of the end. First off, I thought every one was declaring December 21st 2012 to be the end of the world, not May-October 2011? Secondly, why would any one take the rantings of an old man with dementia seriously? I mean for the better part of the last decade people have been saying 2012 this, 2012 that, Nostradamus this, the Bible that... It sounds like these religious fanatics are just jumping on the end of the world bandwagon, and are now trying to shove their end of the world philosophy down people's throats. For one when May 21st come around and nothing happens, all the rational minded people (including myself) will be sitting there saying " I told you so" when December 21st 2012 comes around and nothing happens, we will be saying the same thing. Incidentally why would any one believe the Mayans? They couldn't even predict their own end by the conquistadors, so what gives them the right to predict the end of the world for every one else?

[redeemedwho]

07:16 PM on 02/21/2011

I can tell you right now that no Christian who is sound in their doctrinal belief and view in eschatology believe this man's private interpretation. Private interpretation is overruled by original intended meaning. It's a shame it's these crazies, post-modernists and emergents are all the world pays attention too. Talk to a solid believer with the proper hermeneutic instead of this mess. For one, there is no "secret" rapture, these people need to quit taking Scripture out of context. And if you even think about claiming you know a specific date for a second coming than you've just set yourself above Christ as He stated ONLY the Father knew. As for the excuses comment, again, those who are solid have no need for one. This man, as well as the others who have come forth over the years with such lies will have to give an account for their claims. It's no wonder atheists, agnostics and evolutionists assume themselves to be so smart when it's people like this they get to deal with. I'm yet to see one do any damage in debates against those who truly know the Scriptures. Especially against those who know history and have a grasp on science as well. I think it's safe to say that this movement needs to take a step back and learn what Scripture means without reading something into the text that IS NOT there!

[SpiritualIsrael]

12:21 AM on 02/22/2011

If you do not know, then will you be the unfaithful servant in verse 50?

Matthew 24:48-51
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The seals of Daniel 12:4,9 have been removed from the Lamb in Revelation 6:1. Thus, the prophecy of Acts 2:17 is fulfilled:

Acts 2:17
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

There was a time when no one could know; however, just as God warned Noah, Lot, Pharaoh, and Nineveh, so He shall warn the elect.

Ecclesiastes 8:5
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

[redeemedwho]

12:53 AM on 02/22/2011

Matthew 24 came to pass. It's tied in with Daniel's 70 weeks of which there is no 2000+ year gap between weeks 69 and 70. It's all in the hermeneutic. If you interpret from the NT first then apply it to OT you're going to read things into the text that are not there. Dispensationalists tend to interpret the Scriptures that way as opposed to us Covenant Theologians.

There will be a second return, a rapture if you would like to call it that by it's real definition but there's going to be no secret rapture of the church. The times of Matthew 24 were for THAT generation. Will we see similar things prior to Christ's return for those of us whom He predestined to save? Of course, we have been seeing such things for quite awhile.

[NostradamnIsuck]

12:15 PM on 02/19/2011

I wish Glenn Beck would pull out the blackboard on this...

[LafAtChristianFairyTales]

08:45 PM on 02/18/2011

I wish some journalist / historian type would dig into the books and make a list of all of the christian-predicted dates for the Apocalypse that have been made in the last two thousand years. And while they're at it, dig into similar predictions from all of the other goofy religions too. I think it would be a fascinating study. Especially if it could be correlated to economically tough times and/or other challenging situations. Anyone out there good at writing grant proposals?

[LafAtChristianFairyTales]

08:53 PM on 02/18/2011

...and for kicks and grins, also compile a list of all of the excuses they make the day after.