This document contains too many "could haves" and "might haves" for me to take Mr Camping's claims serious. He mixes speculative assumption with his obsession for numbers to come up with an erroneous conclusion.
In an interview with the SF Chronicle last year, Mr Camping explained how he reached his conclusion for May 21, 2011:
He somehow postulates the number 5, equals "atonement." Ten is "completeness." Seventeen means "heaven." With this in mind, he goes on to say Christ hung on the cross April 1, 33 A.D., 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, he 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 cannot fathom anyone staking their current reputation, credibility, and ultimate salvation on this type of reasoning. But that's "Just me Mike"
Here's the source:
Biblical scholar's date for rapture: May 21, 2011 | Full Page