Harold Camping’s End of the World, Redux

In this photo from May 22, 2011, Christian radio host Harold Camping speaks outside of his home in Alameda, Calif. Brandon Tauszik/AP Photo

Plans for today’s Armageddon aren’t nearly as organized as the doomsday that never happened five months ago.

In preparation for the May 21st doomsday that wasn’t, Harold Camping and his Family Radio burned through millions on more than 5,000 billboards and 20 RVs plastered with the doomsday message, according to the Associated Press.

This time around, for Camping’s renewed prediction of doom today, there are few signs that the great rapture is near.

In an update on its end of the world website, the non-profit group posted: “On May 21 Christ did come spiritually to put all of the unsaved throughout the world into judgment. But that universal judgment will not be physically seen until the last day of the five month judgment period, on October 21, 2011.

The Website continued, “…we can be sure that the whole world, with the exception of those who are presently saved (the elect), are under the judgment of God, and will be annihilated together with the whole physical world on October 21, 2011, on the last day of the present five months period.”

Camping, who suffered a stroke about 20 days after his May 21st prediction, is out of  the hospital and recuperating with his wife, according to a special announcement posted on the Family Radio Website.

Family Radio did not return calls or emails seeking comment. Calls to numbers associated with Harold Camping went unanswered. Calls to lawyers associated with the group weren’t returned.

Using his platform, Camping has predicted the end of the world 12 times. His first prediction of the end of times dates back to 1978, according to a source familiar with Camping.

His May 21st End of the World website stated: “…the Bible has given us absolute proof that the year 2011 is the end of the world during the Day of Judgment… Amazingly, May 21, 2011 is the 17th day of the 2nd month of the Biblical calendar of our day…”

Camping, who stated he pinpointed the date for the end of the world, placed the time of the rapture at 5:59 p.m.  But the day came and went without a big bang. Later he said his math was off. Callers to Open Forum, the show Camping hosts, expressed outrage.

“You’re really pathetic, you know? I wasted all my money because of you. I was putting all my money and my hopes on you… I wish I could see you face to face, I would smack you. Mr. Camping, you always say a lot of (redacted) I lost all my money because of you, you (redacted),” a caller said, according to The Christian Post.

The California-based Christian organization owns more than 60 stations.  The group depends on donations from its listeners.