Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Prophecy or Prediction
Zechariah 2:10-1310 “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord.
Harold Camping was a Christian radio broadcaster who served as president of Family Radio. Camping is infamous for issuing a series of failed predictions for the second coming of Christ.
Camping first predicted that the judgment day would occur on September 6, 1994. When it didn’t occur, he changed the date to September 29 and then to October 2. In 2005, Camping once again made his fourth prediction with a date of May 21, 2011, and that "there would follow five months of fire, brimstone, and plagues on Earth, with millions of people dying each day, culminating on October 21, 2011, with the final destruction of the world." It is now November 2021 and we are still here. Five incorrect predictions of the second coming of Christ is the legacy of Harold Camping.
Today’s passage is about the vision of the prophet Zechariah, one of a handful of prophets of the Bible who had apocalyptic visions. Before him, Daniel and Ezekiel saw similar visions. These prophets of the apocalypse did not enjoy bringing such doomsday messages to their people but instead hoped the people would obey the word of the Lord, repent, and turn from their sin. As we all know, they didn’t. Daniel’s messages came while they were in exile and spoke of better times. Ezekiel’s messages, although they spoke of some hope, exposed some of the deepest darkness that lurked within the hearts of God’s people— hypocrisy that imitated a worshiper of God, yet behind the walls of the temple worshiped demons of greed until their sins caught up with them [Numbers 32:23]. God provoked foreign nations to invade and destroy Israel. They left no trace of Solomon’s Temple.
Zechariah’s prophesy was slightly different. His decry was that the Lord Messiah will come to dwell with his people. This was God’s promise to the Jews, to those who believe and take to heart the words of God. Surely the Lord here is talking about a time when the Lord will inherit his people as his own portion. God is gathering his people even today under his wing for that great day when he will forever be with them. But until that day comes, we can be sure that we have a God who loves us.
We hear a lot of things on the news about what’s going on in the world, and it seems as if it is people and nations who have designs over the future. But we know that only our Lord Jesus directs history and our lives. And he says: “I am coming.” He also says: “Be still before the Lord.” We ought to live by faith, be at peace, and have our hearts filled with God’s vision. The beauty of Zechariah’s words is that its prophecy and not a prediction. It is a guarantee of the coming of Christ despite not knowing when. We have confidence that Christ will come.
Harold Camping admitted in a private interview that he no longer believed that anybody could know the end of the world. He stated that his attempt to predict a date was "sinful", and that his critics had been right in emphasizing the words of Matthew 24:36: "of that day and hour knoweth no man". Hopefully, Camping died confident that despite not knowing the date, he had reassurance in Christ’s eventual return.
Dear Lord, we come to You eager to have you with us when you return! AMEN.
Thought for the Day
Oh my heart it yearns within me, For the day when Jesus returns
Oh my heart it yearns within me, For the day when Jesus shall reign
Though my flesh it be destroyed, yet with my eyes, I will see God
For I know that my redeemer lives, And I will stand with Him on that day
For I know that my redeemer lives, And I will stand with Him on that day
-- MY REDEEMER LIVES – Crystal Lewis
Dr. Ron Jacob, Long Island MTC