My Road to Damascus Moment

 We find in the Book of Acts, within the Bible, that when Saul, later named Paul, was confronted by the very God, The Lord Jesus Christ, that he persecuted on his way to Damascus, Saul said, “Lord, what would you have me to do.” (Acts 9:6)  

The Apostle Paul’s conversion is recorded within the Scripture as a historical parable teaching the attributes of reproof and correction of which all Scripture is given by and through God’s inspiration (II Timothy 3:16). My road to Damascus moment, of course, did not require an audible voice from heaven for my compulsory reproof and correction but rather the still small voice (I Kings 19:12) contained in the written and long ago completed Word of God (Romans 10:17) over a period of time. (John 10:27)

Some of my family, friends, and acquaintances may remember my participation in warning people about the coming of Judgment Day on May 21, 2011. To my surprise, nothing was visibly verified as having happened that day as myself and others had proclaimed would occur.

The apparent failure of this prophecy immediately provoked astonishment by those who confidently proclaimed May 21, 2011, as Judgment Day. This apparent failure had also emboldened those who do not believe anyone can know with accuracy the timing of end time events, and additionally, assuring those who fail to accurately predict end time events are discredited, and never again to be trusted to reveal or impart Biblical truth.

After October 21, 2011, which was thought to be the last day of a 5-month period of judgment, great concern and many questions arose among those that believed May 21, 2011, would be the Day of Judgment. Doubt as to what anything we believed and proclaimed was accurate became prevalent with many and this period reminded me of the astonishment and scattering of the apostles after Christ was arrested and then crucified by the religious and political leaders of Jerusalem on April 1^st of 33 AD. They were told by Christ in three instances found in Matthew 16:21-23, Mark 8:31-33, and Luke 9:22-27 that He was to be delivered to be crucified, and rise again, however, they had not been given an understanding of this reality until after His  Resurrection when Christ said that  “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.”(Luke 24:44) This pattern of coming to an understanding of all God wills concerning spiritual events after they occur has become increasingly evident over time  for those diligently incorporating the proper means of understanding the Bible which is by comparing scripture with scripture.

Obviously a correct “understanding” of what did and did not happen on May 21, 2011, was not God’s plan after two failed predictions in 2011 and I thought however we must not disregard all Bible truth which includes the Biblical Timeline of History, the total and complete apostasy of the corporate churches worldwide, or God’s sovereignty in the salvation of His elect, among many other accurate and verifiable gleanings from Scripture because an accurate “understanding” of Judgment Day was not given to those searching the Scriptures at that time. 

The Biblical evidence indicating May 21, 2011, would be the Day of Judgment was thought to be Biblically conclusive by others and myself. The evidence is appearing that God has, indeed, opened an understanding after the fact, which would indicate May 21, 2011, was the first day of an extended period of Judgment. Rather than a literal rapture, a rolling earthquake, and an apocalyptic horror on earth, as we anticipated would occur on May 21,2011 this judgment is spiritual in nature, yet no less ominous, or consequential.

Background

 My background prior to May 21, 2011, included nearly 30 years of listening to WKDN 106.9 FM Camden NJ. Family Radio. I was not raised in a Bible believing, church going, home. My mother gave me a Children’s Bible when I was 9 that I was fascinated with and then began reading the Authorized King James Bible furthering my interest. Doctrinally, I gravitated towards the Reformed Tradition, Martin Luther, and especially the teachings of John Calvin. By the early 80’s I had musings of becoming a pastor and attended Philadelphia College of Bible (now Cairns University) in Langhorne, PA, beginning studies in the Pre-Seminary program. I quickly found out that I may have been one of the only Calvinist there. It would be during my long, daily commutes from Centerton NJ to Langhorne PA, that I ran across a man with a distinct voice teaching from the Bible on WKDN 106.9 FM Camden NJ. Family Radio. His name was Harold Camping.

The contrast between what I heard on Family Radio and from the instructors at Philadelphia College of Bible was astounding. PCB taught that we come to Biblical truth through the literal, historical, grammatical means of interpreting Scripture. Family Radio was teaching us to come to truth from the scripture by comparing scripture with scripture. Family Radio had prioritized reading and studying the text of the Bible where PCB emphasized dispensationalism and the literal means of interpreting scripture as PCB’s founder, C.I. Scofield proposed in his notes found in the Scofield Reference Bible.

To my surprise, I was learning far more from Family Radio’s free School of the Bible and its curriculum than from the expensive classes I was attending at Philadelphia College of the Bible.

By the latter end of the 80’s I had joined my first church as a member–the historic Deerfield Presbyterian Church in Deerfield NJ. Although the teaching was significantly better there than what was being provided by PCB, it still was not nearly as informed as Family Radio. In 1989 the church was rocked by scandal that effectively obliterated the congregation. My interest had begun to wane in becoming a pastor and I pursued what came must appropriately which was a career in golf.

In relocating to Tampa in 1992, I began looking for a church and could not find any that remotely taught as accurately and effectively as Family Radio which was heard in Tampa. When I was able, I visited Coral Ridge Presbyterian in Ft Lauderdale and met Dr. D. James Kennedy who I admired and respected for his interest in Christian advocacy within politics and the American government.

Meanwhile, Mr. Camping was discussing the scriptures that may have been pointing to1994 as a significant year, perhaps a date for Judgment Day occurring on September the 7^th. What was discovered later, which becomes a pattern, as more truth from the Scriptures was being revealed to those diligently comparing scripture with scripture was that September 7 would be understood to be the 2^nd portion of the Great Tribulation known as the “Latter Rain” (James 5:7) where a “great multitude”(Revelation 7:9) would be given the application of the washing of the Word of God unto regeneration. (Titus 3:5)

 In 1995, I returned to New Jersey and once again visited churches to see if any were teaching similarly to Family Radio. The churches were reformed and conservative, yet they did not employ the essential hermeneutic in comparing scripture with scripture. The last church service I ever attended was a return to Coral Ridge Presbyterian on January 30, 2000.

In 2002 Mr. Camping would publish “The End of the Church Age and Beyond.” I personally could attest to the evident apostasy existing within the Reformed, Orthodox Presbyterian, and conservative churches that were incredibly debilitated by the literal, grammatical, historical means of Biblical interpretation from coming to Biblical truth.

By 2005 with Mr. Camping publishing “Time Has an End,” all Biblical Timeline roads led to the highly significant date of May 21, 2011. Examples included in further demonstrating the continued pattern of coming to God’s revealing of truth after the passing of dates being fulfilled would be the end of the church age occurring on May 21, 1988, and the aforementioned  “Latter Rain” (James 5:7) beginning on September 7, 1994. It would not be until years later with God “loosing the seals,”(Revelation 5:2) and “opening the book”(Revelation 5:3)  with “knowledge increasing”(Daniel 12:4) that anyone could possibly know God, the Holy Spirit would remove Himself from the churches and congregations, frightfully installing Satan sitting in authority there (II Thessalonians 2:4) with God commencing judgment on the house of God (I Peter 4:17) in a time period of “Great Tribulation.” (Matthew 24:21)

I began to record each Family Radio Open Forum program given by Mr. Camping during the weeknights. Each night, Mr. Camping would place himself out into the marketplace of ideas and opinions and field the questions and statements issued by callers proving his position and postulations from the Bible alone. Many others would be searching the scriptures and checking to scrutinize if what Mr. Camping would say was Biblically accurate. No other pastor, preacher, teacher, theologian, or Bible scholar has ever made themselves more accessible or susceptible to scrutiny as did Mr. Camping on the Open Forum Program beginning in the 1960s and ending in June 2011.

A Watchman

 By 2008, it became a priority for me to participate as a “watchman” (Ezekiel 33:6) in proclaiming the coming of Judgment Day. It was at this time work began on a book I formulated entitled, “The Last Apology: Time & Judgment,” which was intended to be a concise and comprehensive end time apologetic or defense for the information God has enabled us to gleam from Scripture at the end of this world. I had local publications throughout South Jersey run ads on Judgment Day. A story was published about my warning of the coming Judgment in the Grapevine Newspaper in Vineland entitled “Doomsday Predicted,” just prior to May 21, 2011. A debate on the validity of May 21, 2011, between myself and a local pastor was televised on Quinn Broadcasting (QBC) and simulcasted on WSNJ 1240 Radio. An editorial was placed in the Cape May Herald and countless tracts were handed out along the South Jersey shore points and the Vineland Flea market. A website and a blog were created www.timeandjudgment.blogspot.com. I created a booklet entitled, “The Evidence for Judgment Day, May 21,2011.” Much of its content will be made available on the www.time-judgment.com website in the coming days.

After May 21, 2011

 An understanding concerning what would occur after May 21, 2011, was one of abject physical and literal terror for 5 months ending on October 21, 2011. This idea was derived from Revelation 9:5, &10. It was thought that the graves would be opened to reveal the dead, suffering and horrors often depicted in apocalyptical movies for those left behind after God’s elect were raptured. A 5-month period of literal hell on earth is what others and I anticipated. However, nothing was apparent in any manner that had changed in the world from May 20,2011 to May 21, 2011, and after.

A significant amount of toleration and acceptance had been afforded me by my wife, my family, friends, and my employer during the last years approaching 2011 with my proclaiming impending judgment. When May 21, 2011, came without visible manifestation and then again on October 21, 2011, my wife, my family, friends, and employers continued to show support despite the reality of their obvious reluctance to hear from me regarding Biblical related topics again. I was recalcitrant in immediately thinking that May 21, 2011, was a “spiritual,” judgment and questioned how we could know beyond a reasonable doubt that the door of salvation was indeed shut and that God was no longer washing by His Word (Ephesians 5:26) unto the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5) unto the salvation of His elect any longer, This despite the overwhelming evidence from the Bible pointing to May 21, 2011, as Judgment Day. I was quite perplexed.

The direction taken after 2011 was essentially to start my professional career over at 50 years of age and pursue my long-held interest in United States history and politics. Subsequently, I acquired my BA and MA and founded a non-profit organization to help better educate our citizens on America’s founding documents, their intent, and to restore the initial principles by which the Republican Party had been founded upon such as natural law and natural rights.

In January 2016, I founded the New Jersey Constitutional Republicans. We began with monthly meetings that would consist of a short educational presentation and then remarks from local and state candidates. A YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@njcr4restores) was created that featured virtual conversations with candidates which then moved to a more academic focus with leading scholars and teachers in the United States and throughout the world discussing an array of topics primarily of constitutional and historical significance. A website followed, giving NJCR greater exposure. Locally, I attempted to participate in Republican Party activities but learned that monetary contributions and strict loyalty to whatever the leadership of the Party deemed expedient (whether right or wrong) was non-negotiable and prerequisite in order to partake. This coupled with the drastic turn taken by the majority of professing Republicans turning to the passionate poisons of populism and the demagoguery that fuels it successfully metastasizing the Party into a personality cult further confirming the futility of political restoration or influence. Republicans locally, statewide, and nationally had completely repudiated and abandoned all the characteristics of truth, justice, moderation, and reason exemplified by the founding fathers, the Republican Party’s greatest champion: Abraham Lincoln, and Republican leaders throughout the Party’s history essentially choosing rather to commit death by suicide beginning with the presidential primaries in 2016. I have written extensively on the total collapse of the Republican Party and its abandonment of the United States Constitution along with the rejection of its initial principles on NJCR’s webpage: www.njcr4restores.com.

As the 2020’s has moved on it has become very evident that long established institutions in every aspect of society including familial, constitutional, legal, political, governmental, educational, economic, social, multimedia, and religious institutions have suffered an unprecedented deprivation in conduct and accomplishment. Consensus clearly exists among most of the world that the times “feel” increasingly precarious.

Indicative of the putrefying of all institutions is the systemic corruption that permeates all of them. Long-held standards of conduct and principle no longer are important to those who comprise and hold positions of authority and power within them which includes the presidency of the United States. The people’s trust no longer is in God, men who fear Him, nor the institutions formed to help sustain freedom but rather trust is placed in a man who seeks spiritual counsel, admiration, and affirmation from a legion of peddlers of false gospels similar to the political and religious leaders in 33AD who looked for a political kingdom and thereby rendered incapable of understanding the nature of Christ’s kingdom which is spiritual. (John 18:36)

Perhaps no greater manifestation that can be seen and heard by all attesting to a spiritual judgment throughout the world now is division, dissension, discord, and disagreement. The fervent opposition, angst, rage, abhorrence, and hatred amongst the peoples of the world for each other within institutions whether familial, social, political, and religious division is a noticeable attestation of a spiritual judgment that has conspicuously escalated in intensity since May 21, 2011.

As time continues a pattern once again comes into view that consists of God enabling our understanding of the Scriptures after certain dates that ultimately comprise the Biblical Calendar of History initially thought to be literal manifestations are later recognized as being accomplished spiritually and invisibly. Man’s propensity to look for physical and literal manifestations of Bible passages and prophecies comes natural with eyes that are made to see much of what exist in this world, however the spiritual world, the invisible world, must and can only be seen and heard through spiritual eyes and ears given by God.(Matthew 13:11 & Luke 8:10)

The churches and congregations throughout the church age and after having looked predominantly towards a literal display or fulfillment of practically all eschatological passages in Scripture that remarkably have already been fulfilled spiritually without recognition whatsoever from those who remain in the churches and congregations. I too fell for the need to see some physical or literal manifestation on May 21, 2011. By  God’s mercy in time, it became increasingly evident, especially in reading two passages “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:” Matthew 24:29, and then in reading Mark 13:24, “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.” These verses long considered to be a description of the literal end of the world must be understood spiritually since there can be no possibility of “those days” occurring after the tribulation without the timekeepers, the sun, and the moon. These verses can be shown by comparing scripture with scripture to have indeed occurred spiritually on May 21, 2011.

As the Biblical Calendar of History has moved forward it becomes evident that as God did, indeed, prove literal and historical manifestations found within God’s Special Revelation, His Word, The Bible, in these last days evidences His Word, through the Scriptures, primarily spiritually. No doubt exists between the reality of two realms of existence, one comprised of the lower discernable or natural universe and then the higher invisible realm of the spiritual. I Corinthians 2:13 validates this and also indicates the distinction between who can and cannot distinguish the spiritual from the natural.

Over the last year it has become increasingly evident to me that solutions to political problems are no longer possible as every institution designed to ameliorate human existence and to ensure justice has been reduced to rubble. The work I had hoped to accomplish in creating a Constitutional Republican movement restoring constitutionalism and a reset for the Republican Party back to its natural law and natural rights heritage is an impossibility and an exercise in futility. I prioritized the “cares of this world,” since May 21, 2011, in thinking a restoration of political principles was possible. Now, by God’s great mercy, I see the error of my way. God’s wrath now reigns in the affairs and lives of all men, whether God’s elect or not. Coming to this realization has been My Road to Damascus moment along with the futility of “kicking against the (pricks,”(Acts 9:5) or a better translation for “pricks” being, “stings,” -Strongs G2749 also found in Revelation 9:10) that is rejecting the sting associated with God’s judgment now upon the world. With this understanding comes the further acknowledgement that the world appears to be indeed under spiritual judgment that began on May 21, 2011 with Satan being vanquished as the ruler of this world (Mark 3:26) and Christ reigning as King of Kings (Revelation 19:16) ruling in judgment demonstrating the wrath of God as being revealed from heaven (Romans 1:18) (spiritually) against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men by God’s lifting His Hand of restraint on mankind allowing the wicked to do what comes naturally and to a far greater degree.

It has always been the eschatological view of the churches and congregations that God’s elect would be “raptured” and taken up to be with Christ in heaven with the non-elect left behind. A careful examination of the Scripture relying wholly on the Holy Spirit’s guidance have come to understand otherwise and that God’s elect remains on earth during an extended period that began on May 21, 2011. The parable of separation of wheat and tares (Matthew 13:30) occurred spiritually on May 21, 2011, yet literally both remain alive on this earth together during the Day of Judgment. (I Corinthians 5:10)

So rather than focus on political solutions that are temporal the focus must be on what is of eternal significance in helping to strengthen God’s elect during this time of unprecedented trial by fire: (II Peter 3:7), the spiritual fire of God’s judgment. As God’s elect live through the Day(s) of Judgment they will need spiritual nourishment which comes exclusively from God’s Word: The Bible. The task now is to feed the sheep (John 21:15,16, & 17), as Christ commanded Peter to do in helping to spiritually nourish God’s elect with the Word of God; The Bible alone and in its entirety during this time of unprecedented testing, refinement and “fiery trial.”(I Peter 4:12)

Asking Christ as Paul did after his conversion on the Road to Damascus, “Lord, what will thou have me do?” I too must ask what wilt thou have me do and the answer is given in the Bible alone (John 21:15,16, & 17), with the task of helping to nourish the elect of God during this time of spiritual testing. A website  www.time-judgment.com  and a  YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TimeJudgment have been established, along with a Facebook Page and a Group Page: Time & Judgment: Our Place in Time & The Nature of Judgment. These resources are designed to show from the Bible how we can know the Biblical Timeline of History is accurate and show the important events that have transpired leading up to Judgment Day(s). We will also examine how to correctly interpret many passages from scripture that remain incomprehensible to those remaining in the churches and congregations. Additionally, we will show many of the events anticipated as coming in the future by the churches and congregations have actually been fulfilled and some for an extensive amount of time due to their inability to discern time and judgment. It will be shown that Christ came as the Thief in the night in ending the church age for the churches and again as a Thief in the night for the whole world (I Thessalonians 5:2 & II Peter 3:10) in launching the end of this world in judgment. Being able to “see” or being given an understanding of these realities in knowing our place in time and the nature of judgment which is indeed spiritual can only come from the Bible alone and God, the Holy Spirit guiding His elect into truth. By God’s allowing, more social media presence will be provided along with Virtual Conversations, Video, and Audio Studies. Short Reels, Bible, and Book Audible Readings, along with a Podcast, and live call-in programs are also in the works for 2026 as God allows.

Time & Judgment: Our Place in Time & The Nature of Judgment may help in providing further spiritual nourishment and encouragement for those elect and especially those who may struggle with knowing if they are indeed one of God’s elect, having been given the application of the washing of regeneration unto salvation prior to May 21, 2011. Many may be earnestly pleading with God, as I do, that His Will included you and I as His elect before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4)  I can be very candid with you and say that if you are trusting in any action you took in order to get “saved” or if you continue to trust your pastor or trust in your church than you are not trusting in the Bible alone, in its entirety, nor its authority.  Time & Judgment: Our Place in Time & The Nature of Judgment may be a resource you will want to consider in examining the scriptures more thoroughly in coming to truth.

May the grace and peace of God, through the Lord Jesus Christ’s completed work and now reign, with the Holy Spirit, help sustain and strengthen you during the Day(s) of Judgment.

“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 10:22

John Robert Carman (J.R) email: johnrobertcarman@timejudgment.com

www.time-judgment.com