In finality, let us look for just a moment to some who, in our lifetime, have been going through an unscriptural pattern such as that which we saw in the lives of William Miller, Charles Taze Russell, Judge Joseph Rutherford, and Herbert W. Armstrong. Just four years ago, the prophecy-hungry masses were all atwitter about, "88 Reasons Why The Rapture Could Be in 1988" or "On Borrowed Time."

It was just a few years ago that Edgar C. Whisenant, a former NASA employee, came forth with some dramatic false prophecy. He was involved with "World Bible Society," Nashville, Tennessee, the corporate home of some Baptists and Methodists, and some others. This man evidently struck a most responsive chord in the hearts of millions. Consequently, millions of people from various denominations and from some of the cults paid $4.00 each for his book in order to find out exactly when Jesus would be returning.

When they received their book and read it with care, they were informed by Edgar Whisenant that the Rapture would take place on September 12, 1988, that the 144,000 would be sealed on September 26, 1988, that WW III between Russia and the USA would end June 19, 1989, that the Two Witnesses would be killed at Sunrise on March 9, 1992." He went on to explain that the Antichrist would die and go to Hell on April 19, 1992, that Armageddon would conclude on October 4, 1995, and that Satan would be chained on that Wednesday" [This may be where Hal Lindsey gets some of his prophetic detail. RW]. He climaxed these supposedly final truths with the words that on Tuesday, January 1, 3000 A.D. "Eternity Begins" [pp. 48-51).

As William Miller before him in 1843, Edgar Whisenant apparently made some slight miscalculations. After the Rapture did not take place as scheduled, on September 12, 1988, he went back and did a little more recalculating. He determined that he had made a one-year mistake. Therefore, he brought out another book in which he assured his followers that Jesus would be returning at about the same time in 1989.

During the early part of the following year, as many who had followed William Miller earlier, Edgar Whisenant was able to peddle a few more of his books to many who had bought the first one in 1988. Needless to say, these last sales were just "gravy on the steak," or if you prefer, biscuit! Unless I have miscalculated, that "deadline" for "the end of time" has come and gone, and another "false prophet" has learned to his sorrow that "There are no endtime signs for the Church Age." AS WELL AS I AM ABLE TO DETERMINE, JESUS HAS NOT YET RETURNED. OR, IF HE HAS, HE HAS LEFT ME BEHIND!

Seemingly, there is never an end to such nonsensical "endtime prophesying" on the part of men. In every generation there are those who are determined to inform us that Jesus did not know what He was talking about when He said, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father, only" (Mt. 24:36).

Sometime during the month of July, 1992, my preacher son who pastors in South Texas shared with me a book that someone had sent him unsolicited. The title of that book is, "The Day And Hour Jesus Will Return." It is written by one Colin Deal. Some of the dramatic publicity that accompanied the book indicates that the book is by a "National Best-Selling Author," though I have not seen his name in any of the regular reviews of the "National Best-Selling Authors." According to one of the pages in the back of this 153 page book, he also has an "End-Time News Monthly Letter," that is put out in "Rutherford College, North Carolina." By the publicity that accompanies it, we are led to suppose that it is, "Evangelical, Inter-Denominational, and Pre-Millennial."

Included with the book was a colorful brochure headlined, "God's Judgment Day Is Near." Perhaps the most important aspect of this brochure is the message that it conveys as to what the message of the book allegedly contains. If one reads the book with some care, it will be discovered that on "October 28, 1992, Jesus is Coming Again." One to whom I showed the brochure very wisely noted, "If He comes, He probably will not come on October 28, 1992." I would be inclined to agree with my friend. Later, I learned that some of the Christians in Korea who took this man and one of their own whom we have referenced elsewhere seriously sold their homes, businesses, and awaited the end on October the 28th there in the Land of Chosen. I knew that Land before it was industrialized in those very dark days of "United Nation's Police Action." Tragically, some of the deluded ones then went on and took their own lives, and it was necessary for the government to bring in the troops to break-up the cult with some suicide proclivities.

As we said earlier, we continue to say, "All who indulge in endtime prophecies for The Church Age are false prophets"! Since October 28, 1992, has come and gone, we can know that Colin Deal is just another one of the false prophets. There has never been an exception to the fact that "All Church-Age Endtime Prophets Are False," and we may be assured that "All Church-Age Endtime Prophets Will Be False" in the future. The thesis or hypothesis is intact! That Scriptural prophet of long ago, Jeremiah, obviously spoke with wisdom both for his day and for ours.

Still, there obviously is never any end to such false prophecy. On the 18th of November, 1992, I came across this headline in a column called "Prediction," "Rapture Date Set -- Again"! This item of news which does not indicate an author has, "Once again, the date of Christ's return has been predicted -- this time, it is set for 1994. Harold Camping, host of the call-in radio program 'Open Forum' and president of Family Stations, makes that case in a book titled 1994? published by a subsidy book publisher, Vantage Press . . ." ("Christianity TODAY," November 23, 1992. p. 48).

Subsequently, I have learned that all across America, this new prediction of the end in "1994," is on the lips of many thousands who have been deceived to suppose that he is speaking with heavenly wisdom. Those of many denominational persuasions are ready to conclude that out of all of the prophets who have ever been present upon the earth, Harold Camping is the one man who has rightly so dealt with the historical and Scriptural past that his prediction has to be the right one. Further, most of those with whom I have been in contact by means of our Computer Network are reluctant to speak of Harold Camping as a false prophet even if his prophecy of the end is just as false as any of those "endtime signs" to which men have appealed previously.

It is quite probable that I, personally, will have taken my flight to the realms of Glory and no longer be cast within my mortal frame when the year of 1994 comes and goes. It will be demonstrated once again, in 1994, nonetheless, that "All Church-Age Endtime Prophets Are False." That persisting thesis that we have demonstrated time and time again still will be intact! Though Mr. Camping may have indulged in some rather elaborate calculations and in a "masterful twisting" of Scriptural Truth beyond that which any other mortal has ever accomplished, we may be assured by THE WORDS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST in Matthew 24:36 that Mr. Camping's prediction of an endtime date of "1994" will be shown to be just as false as that of Montanus who indulged in his unscriptural lying so many, many years ago.

Our thesis would seem to be, still intact!
Endtime Church-Age prophets are false!

On April 14, 1993, at about 5:45 P.M., Central Standard Time, one by the name of Paul Crouch came on rather dramatically during a portion of what was being called a "Praise-A-Thon" that was simply a week-long, 24-hour appeal for funds to keep what is called "The Trinity Broadcasting Network" [TBN] on the air! He advised all of the supposed millions who were listening to his three-fold EXTRAVAGANZA -- California and the West Coast, Texas and the Central USA, and Florida and the Eastern USA -- that he had some world-shaking news.

That news was that a very dear friend of his whom he identified as "Pastor Henkle" had recently had some personal and verbal words directly from God. He assured us that he had experienced some of Pastor Henkle's prophecies in the past and had observed them to come true. The earth-shaking and world-altering words that Pastor Henkle supposedly had received directly from God were that "On June the 9th, Thursday, 1994, I am going to rip evil from this world"! [Also see: Dean McHard, The Ruler of Revelation 1:5, Megaharvest Group, Inc., P. O. Box 692002, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74169-2002. July 1993. p.112. Isaiah 25:6-9 supposedly was given “as a Scriptural basis for this startling prophecy].

This promoter of Pastor Henkle, Paul Crouch of TBN fame, was supposedly fully convinced that this Pastor Henkle had received this message just two Sundays ago, and that he had received it verbally and directly from God. Apparently, this man, Paul Crouch, has never realized or understood that "The Bible" was complete toward the close of the first century. He obviously is not aware that the last inspired Word of God was effected in the conclusion of that first century when the Apostle John was given "The Apocalypse" that we sometimes call, "The Book of Revelation." Paul Crouch indicated that he was so fully convinced that the message that this "Pastor Henkle" received on April 14, 1993 was from God that on Wednesday, June 8th, 1994, just before Thursday, June 9th, 1994, he is scheduling a world-wide prayer meeting over his TBN Television Net Work. If we have any spiritual or Scriptural insight perhaps we should cry, "Shades of William Miller" and "Shades of October 22, 1844."

This prayer meeting that Paul Crouch is planning -- if he still has some confidence in the thinking of Pastor Henkle when that day comes around -- doubtless will be as the "Prayer Meetings" which were held by William Miller and his deluded followers in 1843 and in 1844. Too, it may be that the prayer meeting which Paul Crouch has scheduled for Wednesday, June the 8th, 1994, prior to the supposed ripping of "evil from this world" on June 9th, 1994, will be as that prayer meeting held in Korea on October 28, 1992, a futile and a wasted effort.

Proving again -- the foolishness of men!

Men rejecting clear teachings of Jesus!

Perhaps one of the strangest experiences that has been mine in the pursuit of this thesis, "All Church-Age Endtime Prophets Are False," is a discovery in that which is called the "AWAKE" paper that might well be called a booklet or a magazine. It would seem that our God has provided some insight even for these who are the products, the successors, or the spiritual successors of Charles Taze Russell. They apparently are capable of taking note of another false prophet's folly, but they obviously cannot grasp the nature of the folly of their predecessor.

In the April 8, 1993, "AWAKE" magazine these who speak of themselves as members of "The Watchtower Society," sometimes referenced as "Jehovah's Witnesses," provide us with the following interesting information:

Rapture Deadline Passes -- Again!

The Mission for the Coming Days in Korea confidently predicted that on October 28, 1992, the "rapture" would occur, whisking faithful church members to heaven. The Korea Times reported that thousands of people who embraced this prophecy left jobs and family and sold off their belongings. Reportedly, one pregnant believer had an abortion out of fear that the fetus would weigh her down during her ascent heavenward. The day came and went without incident, except that a few disappointed churchgoers beat up their preachers, demanding to know why the rapture had not come. However, the church founder was already in prison. He had been arrested for embezzling church funds. The Korea Times notes: "Some of his investments included bonds maturing next May, months after his predicted doomsday." (AWAKE, Watchtower, Brooklyn, April 8, 1993. p. 29).

The one who wisely declared a long time ago that "There is a sucker born every minute" may have had some insight of which most of the "false prophets" have been aware. As we have noted before, and as we doubtless shall note again, old Jeremiah had some insight into the hearts and into the minds of people generally in his day and in ours. Some people find their greatest delight in the lies that others delight to tell. What we have seen in the past, we doubtless shall have an occasion to see again and again, and that many, many times.

Satan, quite obviously, is able to "seek those whom he may devour" on just about every corner and in most every American household. Having observed that many of these false prophets whom we have referenced have found a spiritual home, as it were, in most Churches in this land, we can know that there is a great darkness upon our land. "The Holy word of God" as we have it from the lips of our precious Lord Jesus Christ is mocked by a multitude of those who are being called Christian; those who may actually be Christians, having been born again, and being eternally redeemed; having believed that “Jesus is the Christ”!

Needless to say, those involved in such crass defection from the truth had never comprehended the truth of God as provided by Isaiah, "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa.53:6). Likewise, they have not understood the word of James, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one part is guilty of all" (James 2:10) or Paul’s, "O wretched man that I am ... ." after 30 years of preaching. Consequently, these false prophets apparently had never, or they have never realized that they were subject to being deceived as they followed their own unholy devices or their own greed, and that apart from the Holy Word of God.