Salem Kirban

One of the more busily engaged prophets of the last quarter of a century is known by the name of Salem Kirban. For a goodly part of his ministerial life, he has had what he calls his "King James Prophecy Bible." Too, he has a book which consists mostly of charts and is called, "Kirban's Book of Prophetic Charts." Some of his rather dramatic publications have the titles, "I Predict," "Coming Events In Prophecy," "Prophecy For Today," and "Israel and The Nations In Prophecy."

One of his more intriguing publications for the millions who have followed his teachings and his preaching for a long time is his volume with the simple title, "666." He even boasts that there are 50 revealing photographs in this volume to whet the sensationalist appetites of some. Then, he says, "Here are the thrilling chapters of terror, tragedy and triumph." One of these chapters involves, "Flight To Moscow" which is supposed to explain, "The strange alliance against Israel." Another is, "Triumph and Tragedy" which involves "Horses and Russia's cunning tactics in her invasion of Israel." [He probably read some of Theodore Epp's word that we shall reference a little later. RW]

He wrote this in the 1960's, and a few things other than his prophecies have transpired since then. There is even a chapter covering, "March On Megiddo" wherein he says, "The world lines up for battle ... the East, the North, the South, the West. The curdling call to march on Megiddo."

Needless to say, this man who has been exciting the multitudes with his sensationalism’s for a quarter of a century and more has missed on all counts. But that does not preclude his "Guide To Survival" which he published in 1968 and reprinted at least six times. I read the sixth printing. In this volume, we have this statement:

Following through on this belief, they state that the genealogical tables in the history of the Old Testament seem to show that from Adam to Christ, about 4000 years of recorded Biblical history or 4 days (since 'one day with the Lord is as a thousand years . . .') II Peter 3:8.

The 5th day ended with the advent of the dark ages in 1000 A.D. (996 A.D. -- since Christ was born at about 4 B.C.).

The 6th day then would end in the year 2000. The Millennium would then be ushered in and the thousand year reign of the saints with Christ would begin.

If this assumption should be correct, and the Rapture must take place at least seven years before the Millennium, this would put the Rapture or the vanishing of the saints to meet Christ at approximately 1989. ... (Salem Kirban, "Guide To Survival," 1968 -- 6th printing -- June 1970, p. 126).

First, we observe his words, "the genealogical tables in the history of the Old Testament seem to show that from Adam to Christ, about 4000 years of recorded Biblical history or 4 days ... ." This man is obviously giving us the impression that the 4000 year B. C. creation date is something that he found in the Word of God. This, in itself, is deception. That 4,004 B. C. creation date is the figment of the imagination of a man by the name of Archbishop Ussher, an English Divine of another century. Somehow, in the course of the production of some of the editions of the King James Versions, someone "slipped" these dates into the Biblical pages.

From that hour until this some have been attempting to prove "a recent creation." Then, when C. I. Scofield personally arranged to put these Archbishop Ussher dates into the 1917 edition of his Scofield Bible, this became a confirming detail to which multitudes have resorted in every subsequent year. We may be assured, however, that the 4,004 B. C. year of creation was a figment of the imagination of Archbishop Ussher, and it still was a figment of the imagination when C. I. Scofield placed this creation date in his 1917 edition of The Scofield Reference Bible.

• Creation was fiction for Bishop Ussher!
• C. I. Scofield's word was foolish fantasy!

Second, we take note of the fact that this man is providing us some of his re-worked C. I. Scofield notes that he apparently believes to have been inspired. In this we see something of the continuing tragedy of that which has been called "The Scofield Reference Bible." Even some of the most astute, and sometimes even some of the most learned turn from the supposed difficulties of the Scriptures to "the ease" of Scofield's notes. It is then that they begin giving their lives to serving "the itching ears" (II Tim. 4:3) of those who may have become addicted to Scofield along the way. Understandably, most of those who are so afflicted no longer have any interest whatever in sound Scriptural doctrine. Read the reference, and you will have a better understanding as to what I am saying.

Thirdly, we notice again that Salem Kirban is giving us the intellectual ragings or ramblings of one by the name of Archbishop Ussher. He apparently would have us believe that this English Divine had some final insight to the Scriptures. If we have any insight or understanding at all, we need to realize that Archbishop Ussher's speculative and unscriptural conclusion that Creation took place around 4,000 or in 4,004 B.C. really is nothing but literary nonsense drawn out of his own personal imagination. We have spoken to this a little more extensively above.

Much added confusion has resulted from the fact that these Archbishop Ussher dates once were placed in one of the later editions of "The King James Version" of the Bible. Multitudes apparently came to the conclusion or supposed that these Archbishop Ussher dates were as inspired as the Word of God. Sadly, it seems that Salem Kirban was one of these deceived souls. Thus, he says, ". . . the Old Testament seems to show that from Adam to Christ, about 4000 years of recorded Biblical history or 4 days . . ." (Ibid.).

Then, Salem Kirban proceeds to tell us, "The 5th day ended with the advent of the dark ages in 1000 A.D." (Ibid.). He follows to say, "the 6th day then would end in the year 2000 ... If the assumption be correct, and the Rapture must take place at least seven years before the Millennium, this would put the Rapture or the vanishing of the saints to meet Christ at approximately 1989" (Ibid.).

Did he get this nonsense -- and it can be only that [in another place, we have spoken to it as gobbledygook] -- out of the Word of God? No! A thousand times, no! He apparently deemed Scofield's Notes to be Scripture just as he earlier presumed that Archbishop Ussher's dates were Scriptural. What awful darkness is upon the mind of a man who can think in this manner. Unless I miss my guess, we are somewhere near or perhaps even in 1993, we are still counting, and I have seen no worldwide news notice yet of "Millions Missing"! Just as some of the others, however, gullible people by the millions yet hang on his words as though they were true. Remember the early prophet who prophesied the end for several years, and many of his followers never questioned his preaching!

Even though Salem Kirban obviously is another one of the false prophets in the Church Age, it perhaps would be good to take a look at some of the "signs" upon which he based his false prophecy concerning the endtime. He indicated that these signs were given "previously in this chapter." Interestingly, the title of this chapter is, "Vanishing Christians," and the signs that he gives are as follows:

You will recall the first four chapters outlined events that bring us to the threshold of the Last Days. They include (a) an increasing crime wave, (b) lawlessness, (c) avalanche of pornography and nude films, (d) trend towards a World Church, (e) air pollution, (f) population explosion, (g) increasing famine, (h) earthquakes, (i) onrush of more virulent germ strains, (j) fantastic new weapons of mass destruction, (k) a breakdown of the family unity through increased divorce rate, and (l) the building up of East and West powers into two strong opposing factions with the Mid-East as the tinderbox (Ibid. p. 106).

The year 1989 has come and gone, and there does not seem to have been any "catching-away"! Salem Kirban seemed rather positive that the endtime signs were in place, and that in 1968 and in 1970 the next thing on God's "endtime schedule" or agenda was some "Vanishing Christians." He apparently did some miscalculating as Archbishop Ussher and as C. I. Scofield before him. Unless I have missed something somewhere, except for those Christians who have left this world by the door of death, those who should have been "Vanishing Christians" are still with us. And another "Church-Age Endtime Prophet" has shown himself to be a false prophet.