Camping is an engineer by trade and claims to have always been fascinated by numbers. Being a man of God has led him to try to understand why God put certain numbers in the Bible. In an interview with SFGate, Camping tells us how he has come to his conclusion that the world will end May 21, 2011:
“The number 5, Camping concluded, equals "atonement." Ten is "completeness." Seventeen means "heaven." Camping patiently explained how he reached his conclusion for May 21, 2011.
"Christ hung on the cross April 1, 33 A.D.," he began. "Now go to April 1 of 2011 A.D., and that's 1,978 years."
Camping then multiplied 1,978 by 365.2422 days - the number of days in each solar year, not to be confused with a calendar year.
Next, Camping noted that April 1 to May 21 encompasses 51 days. Add 51 to the sum of previous multiplication total, and it equals 722,500.
Camping realized that (5 x 10 x 17) x (5 x 10 x 17) = 722,500.
Or put into words: (Atonement x Completeness x Heaven), squared.
"Five times 10 times 17 is telling you a story," Camping said. "It's the story from the time Christ made payment for your sins until you're completely saved.
"I tell ya, I just about fell off my chair when I realized that," Camping said.
It's worth noting that this is not the first time that Camping has predicted the End of the World.
On Sept. 6, 1994, dozens of Camping's followers gathered around the country to await the return of Christ, an event Camping had been promising for two years. His followers dressed in their Sunday best and held Bibles open-faced toward heaven. Of course, the world did not end that day. Camping admitted that he may have made a "mathematical error." He spent the next years going over his work and came to the date we are discussing today, May 21, 2011.
End time predictions are nothing new. People have been predicting the end since before the Great Flood. It is my belief that some people draw comfort in ‘knowing’ when the world will end, that way they can get in whatever partying or praying they need to get in. As for me, I don’t bother myself with dates or times, when the world ends (if at all), it will end and I will know where I am. As for May 21, you will find me at home, the BBQ hot, surrounding by many loved ones, enjoying our birthday celebrations. If that is, indeed, the last day for earth, at least it will end with BBQ sauce and my face and a belly full of ribs.
What do you think? Will the end of the world come May 21st?
