OAKLAND, Calif. — Whew.

With the clock running out on a much-hyped — and much-ridiculed — apocalyptic prediction, it appeared on Saturday that humankind had survived, with few if any signs of the end of the world. (Except, of course, another year without a Triple Crown winner in horse racing.)

The prophecy, made by Harold Camping, an 89-year-old Christian radio entrepreneur, had gained traction in the popular imagination in large part as a result of a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, paid for and promoted by Family Radio, Mr. Camping’s nonprofit network of more than 200 religious radio stations.

The blitz also included thousands of billboards and millions of pamphlets announcing — in no uncertain terms — that May 21, 2011, would be Judgment Day. (“Have you heard the awesome news?” read one ad. “The End of the World is Almost Here!”)

But as of late Saturday, planet Earth seemed to continue to spin in the cosmos, even as the jokes seemed certain to continue to percolate through sports radio, comedy clubs and David Letterman’s Top 10 list (“Top 10 Things I, Dave, Need to Do Before the End of the World: No. 4. Tell Oprah that I love her”) .