Is Jesus returning May 21, 2011?

Apparently there is some religious cult that has posted a billboard on the east side of Columbus that says “The Lord Returns May 21, 2011” and then it gives some website to go to for more information. I went to that website and read their material. I have been a Christian for over thirty years. I have studied and read the bible from Genesis through Revelations over 20 times, teaching through it several times. I have studied literally hundreds of hours on the ‘end times’ and preached many sermons on the prophecies regarding the end times. I have in my library over 30 books that I have read on the subject of the last days prophecies. I have studied and taught out of Ezekiel, Revelations, Daniel, the primary end time books of the Bible.

These people are WAY OFF, they are teaching heresy, and need to be avoided and rebuked. They are teaching things that are absolutely contrary to what the bible says about ‘knowing the day and the hour of Jesus’ return.’ About every ten years or so, since I have been a Christian there has been some group that rises up and tells everyone that they have ‘discovered’ the day and the hour that Jesus will return. Then that day and hour comes and goes and nothing happens so they rework their prophecies and twist the scriptures some more and keep on going in their deceptions. This is so wrong; I cannot tell you any stronger. These people are 'false prophets’ and need to be avoided. They are an embarrassment to our Christian faith and will bring shame to the name of Jesus when their declared date comes and goes.

Jesus made it very clear in Matthew 24:36, “No man would know the day or the hour.” Whenever someone or some group comes along and tries to twist this passage around to show that Jesus really meant ‘we would know the day and hour' a red flag should go off in any thinking person’s mind! False prophets make their move on the whole idea of having some ‘secret’ understanding of the scriptures that no one else has. I have a sermon I would be glad to send you titled, “Five rules to follow when studying end time prophecies.” It can be a real help when dealing with groups like the one who put up that billboard. Just let me know if you would like for me to email it to you. Hope this helps.