Previous End Time Prophecies
We all know there have been numerous false accusations of the end of
days, with the majority of them being by religions of our current
age. As you read, try and compare all these to what the ancients
have told us about 2012. Also bare in mind all the previous myths,
tales of religious books (like the 10 plagues etc.). Again, you are
free to choose what you believe, just know that our time is almost
up. December 21 2012 is by far the most significant date in our
modern history, it may even rival the day the Earth and its
inhabitants were vaporized by a meteor.
About 30 CE: The Christian Scriptures (New Testament), when
interpreted literally, appear to record many predictions by Jeshua
of Nazareth (Jesus Christ) that God's Kingdom would arrive within a
very short period, or was actually in the process of arriving. For
example, Jesus is recorded as saying in Matthew 16:28: "...there
shall be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till
they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." In Matthew 24:34,
Yeshua is recorded as saying: "...This generation shall not pass,
till all these things be fulfilled." Since the life expectancy in
those days was little over 30 years, Jesus appears to have predicted
his second coming sometime during the 1st century CE. It didn't
happen. More details.
About 60 CE: Interpreting the Epistles of Paul of Tarsus literally,
his writings seem to imply that Jesus would return and usher in a
rapture during the lifetime of persons who were living in the middle
of the 1st century. More details.
About 90 CE: Saint Clement 1 predicted that the world end would
occur at any moment.
2nd Century CE: Prophets and Prophetesses of the Montanist movement
predicted that Jesus would return sometime during their lifetime and
establish the New Jerusalem in the city of Pepuza in Asia Minor.
365 CE: A man by the name of Hilary of Poitiers, announced that the
end would happen that year. It didn't.
375 to 400 CE: Saint Martin of Tours, a student of Hilary, was
convinced that the end would happen sometime before 400 CE.
500 CE: This was the first year-with-a-nice-round-number-panic. The
antipope Hippolytus and an earlier Christian academic Sextus Julius
Africanus had predicted Armageddon at about this year.
968 CE: An eclipse was interpreted as a prelude to the end of the
world by the army of the German emperor Otto III.
992: Good Friday coincided with the Feast of the Annunciation; this
had long been believed to be the event that would bring forth the
Antichrist, and thus the end-times events foretold in the book of
Revelation. Records from Germany report that a new sun rose in the
north and that as many as 3 suns and 3 moons were fighting. There
does not appear to be independent verification of this remarkable
event.
1000-JAN-1: Many Christians in Europe had predicted the end of the
world on this date. As the date approached, Christian armies waged
war against some of the Pagan countries in Northern Europe. The
motivation was to convert them all to Christianity, by force if
necessary, before Christ returned in the year 1000. Meanwhile, some
Christians had given their possessions to the Church in anticipation
of the end. Fortunately, the level of education was so low that many
citizens were unaware of the year. They did not know enough to be
afraid. Otherwise, the panic might have been far worse than it was.
Unfortunately, when Jesus did not appear, the church did not return
the gifts. Serious criticism of the Church followed. The Church
reacted by exterminating some heretics. Agitation settled down
quickly.
1000-MAY: The body of Charlemagne was disinterred on Pentecost. A
legend had arisen that an emperor would rise from his sleep to fight
the Antichrist.
1005-1006: A terrible famine throughout Europe was seen as a sign of
the nearness of the end.
1033: Some believed this to be the 1000th anniversary of the death
and resurrection of Jesus. His second coming was anticipated. Jesus'
actual date of execution is unknown, but is believed to be in the
range of 27 to 33 CE.
1147: Gerard of Poehlde decided that the millennium had actually
started in 306 CE during Constantine's reign. Thus, the world end
was expected in 1306 CE.
1179: John of Toledo predicted the end of the world during 1186.
This estimate was based on the alignment of many planets.
1205: Joachim of Fiore predicted in 1190 that the Antichrist was
already in the world, and that King Richard of England would defeat
him. The Millennium would then begin, sometime before 1205.
1284: Pope Innocent III computed this date by adding 666 years onto
the date the Islam was founded.
1346 and later: The black plague spread across Europe, killing one
third of the population. This was seen as the prelude to an
immediate end of the world. Unfortunately, the Christians had
previously killed a many of the cats, fearing that they might be
familiars of Witches. The fewer the cats, the more the rats. It was
the rat fleas that spread the black plague.
1496: This was approximately 1500 years after the birth of Jesus.
Some mystics in the 15th century predicted that the millennium would
begin during this year.
1524: Many astrologers predicted the imminent end of the world due
to a world wide flood. They obviously had not read the Genesis story
of the rainbow.
1533: Melchior Hoffman predicted that Jesus' return would happen a
millennium and a half after the nominal date of his execution, in
1533. The New Jerusalem was expected to be established in
Strasbourg, Germany. He was arrested and died in a Strasbourg jail.
1669: The Old Believers in Russia believed that the end of the world
would occur in this year. 20 thousand burned themselves to death
between 1669 and 1690 to protect themselves from the Antichrist.
1689: Benjamin Keach, a 17th century Baptist, predicted the end of
the world for this year.
1736: British theologian and mathematician William Whitson predicted
a great flood similar to Noah's for OCT-13 of this year.
1792: This was the date of the end of the world calculated by some
believers in the Shaker movement.
1794: Charles Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism, thought
Doomsday would be in this year.
1830: Margaret McDonald, a Christian prophetess, predicted that
Robert Owen would be the Antichrist. Owen helped found New Harmony,
IN.
1832?: Joseph Smith (1805-1844) was the founder of the Church of
Christ, which became the Restorationist movement after many schisms.
It now includes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints --
a.k.a. the Mormons, and about a hundred other denominations and
sects. He heard a voice while praying. He wrote, in Doctrines and
Covenants section 130:
14: "I was once praying very earnestly to know the time of the
coming of the Son of Man, when I heard a voice repeat the
following:"
15: "Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years
old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man; therefore let this
suffice, and trouble me no more on this matter."
16: "I was left thus, without being able to decide whether this
coming referred to the beginning of the millennium or to some
previous appearing, or whether I should die and thus see his face."
17: "I believe the coming of the Son of Man will not be any sooner
than that time." 14
The year in which this event occurred is not recorded. However, one
commentator suggested 1832 or earlier. 16 Smith is later recorded as
having said:
"I prophesy in the name of the Lord God, and let it be written--the
Son of Man will not come in the clouds of heaven till I am
eighty-five years old." 17
Smith would have reached the age of 85 during 1890. Unfortunately,
by that year, Smith had been dead for almost a half century, having
been assassinated by a mob. Note that his prophecy is ambiguous. It
can be interpreted that:
Jesus would return during 1890 (which did not materialize) or that
1890 would pass without Jesus' return (which did come to pass).
Some anti-Mormon sources quote only verses 14 and 15, and draw the
former conclusion -- that Smith's prophecy failed.
1843-MAR-21: William Miller, founder of the Millerite movement,
predicted that Jesus would come on this date. A very large number of
Christians accepted his prophecy.
1844-OCT-22: When Jesus did not return, Miller predicted this new
date. In an event which is now called "The Great Disappointment,"
many Christians sold their property and possessions, quit their jobs
and prepared themselves for the second coming. Nothing happened; the
day came and went without incident.
1850: Ellen White, founder of the Seven Day Adventists movement,
made many predictions of the timing of the end of the world. All
failed. On 1850-JUN-27 she prophesized that only a few months
remained before the end. She wrote: "My accompanying angel said,
'Time is almost finished. Get ready, get ready, get ready.' ...now
time is almost finished...and what we have been years learning, they
will have to learn in a few months." 10
1856 or later: At Ellen White's last prediction, she said that she
was shown in a vision the fate of believers who attended the 1856
SDA conference. She wrote "I was shown the company present at the
Conference. Said the angel: 'Some food for worms, some subjects of
the seven last plagues, some will be alive and remain upon the earth
to be translated at the coming of Jesus." 11 That is, some of the
attendees would die of normal diseases; some would die from plagues
at the last days, others would still be alive when Jesus came. "By
the early 1900s all those who attended the conference had passed
away, leaving the Church with the dilemma of trying to figure out
how to explain away such a prominent prophetic failure."
1891: Mother Shipton, a 16th century mystic predicted the end of the
world: "...The world to an end shall come; in eighteen hundred and
eighty-one."
1891 or before: On 1835-FEB-14, Joseph Smith, the founder of the
Mormon church, attended a meeting of church leaders. He said that
the meeting had been called because God had commanded it. He
announced that Jesus would return within 56 years -- i.e. before
1891-FEB-15. (History of the Church 2:182)
1914 was one of the more important estimates of the start of the war
of Armageddon by the Jehovah's Witnesses (Watchtower Bible and Tract
Society). They based their prophecy of 1914 from prophecy in the
book of Daniel, Chapter 4. The writings referred to "seven times".
The WTS interpreted each "time" as equal to 360 days, giving a total
of 2520 days. This was further interpreted as representing 2520
years, measured from the starting date of 607 BCE. This gave 1914 as
the target date. When 1914 passed, they changed their prediction;
1914 became the year that Jesus invisibly began his rule.
1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975 and 1994, etc. were other
dates that the Watchtower Society (WTS) or its members predicted.
Since late in the 19th century, they had taught that the "battle of
the Great Day of God Almighty" (Armageddon) would happen in 1914 CE.
It didn't.
The next major estimate was 1925. Watchtower magazine predicted:
"The year 1925 is a date definitely and clearly marked in the
Scriptures, even more clearly than that of 1914; but it would be
presumptuous on the part of any faithful follower of the Lord to
assume just what the Lord is going to do during that year." 6
The Watchtower Society selected 1975 as its next main prediction.
This was based on the estimate "according to reliable Bible
chronology Adam was created in the year 4026 BCE, likely in the
autumn of the year, at the end of the sixth day of creation." 8 They
believed that the year 1975 a promising date for the end of the
world, as it was the 6,000th anniversary of Adam's creation. Exactly
1,000 years was to pass for each day of the creation week. This
prophecy also failed.
The current estimate is that the end of the world as we know it will
happen precisely 6000 years after the creation of Eve. 9 There is no
way of knowing when this happened.
More details on the WTS predictions.
1919: Meteorologist Albert Porta predicted that the conjunction of 6
planets would generate a magnetic current that would cause the sun
to explode and engulf the earth on DEC-17.
1936: Herbert W Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God,
predicted that the Day of the Lord would happen sometime in 1936.
Nothing much happened that year, except for the birth of the
compiler of this list -- who has been referred to as an Anti-Christ.
When the prediction failed, he made a new estimate: 1975.
1940 or 1941: A Bible teacher from Australia, Leonard Sale-Harrison,
held a series of prophesy conferences across North America in the
1930's. He predicted that the end of the world would happen in 1940
or 1941. 7
1948: During this year, the state of Israel was founded. Some
Christians believed that this event was the final prerequisite for
the second coming of Jesus. Various end of the world predictions
were made in the range 1888 to 2048.
1953-AUG: David Davidson wrote a book titled "The Great Pyramid, Its
Divine Message". In it, he predicted that the world would end in
1953-AUG.
1957-APR: The Watchtower magazine quoted 6 a pastor from California,
Mihran Ask, as saying in 1957-JAN that "Sometime between April 16
and 23, 1957, Armageddon will sweep the world! Millions of persons
will perish in its flames and the land will be scorched.'
1959: Florence Houteff's, who was the leader of the Branch Davidians
faith group, prophesied that the 1260 days mentioned in Revelation
11:3 would end and the Kingdom of David would be established on
1959-APR-22. Followers expected to die, be resurrected, and
transferred to Heaven. Many sold their possessions and moved to Mt.
Carmel in anticipation of the "end time". It didn't happen. The
group almost did not survive; only a few dozen members remained.
Most Branch Davidians did die on 1993-APR-29 as a result of arson
apparently ordered by their leader, David Koresh. They were not
bodily resurrected -- on earth at least.
1960: Piazzi Smyth, a past astronomer royal of Scotland, wrote a
book circa 1860 titled "Our Inheritance in the Great Pyramid." It
was responsible for spreading the belief in pyramidology throughout
the world. This is the belief that secrets are hidden in the
dimensions of the great pyramids. He concluded from his research
that the millennium would start before the end of 1960 CE.
1967: During the six day war, the Israeli army captured all of
Jerusalem. Many conservative Christians believed that the rapture
would occur quickly. However, the final Biblical prerequisite for
the second coming is that the Jews resume ritual animal sacrifices
in the temple at Jerusalem. That never happened.
1970's: The late Moses David (formerly David Berg) was the founder
of the Christian religious group, The Children of God. He predicted
that a comet would hit the earth, probably in the mid 1970's and
destroy all life in the United States. One source indicated that he
believed it would happen in 1973.
1972: According to an article in the Atlantic magazine, "Herbert W.
Armstrong's empire suffered a serious blow when the end failed to
begin in January of 1972, as Armstrong had predicted, thus bringing
hardship to many people who had given most of their assets to the
church in the expectation of going to Petra, where such worldly
possessions would be useless." 3 According to an article in
Wikipedia:
"The failure of this prophetic scenario to take place according to
this Co-Worker letter scenario, which was often repeated over the
years in print by Armstrong, may have been one of the initial
reasons why the church organization began to decline as unfulfilled
expectations led to great disappointment. As events unfolded, it
became obvious 1972 did not have the biblical significance that the
church had anticipated for nearly two decades." 15
1973 January 11-January 21 David Berg Colossal doomsday event in USA
heralded by comet Kohoutek
1974: Charles Meade, a pastor in Daleville, IN, predicted that the
end of the world will happen during his lifetime. He was born circa
1927, so the end will probably come early in the 21st century.
1975: Many Jehovah's Witness predicted this date. However, it was
not officially recognized by the leadership.
Herbert W. Armstrong A number of predictions, most of them dire,
such as drought causing population of America to fall by one-third.
See 1975 in Prophecy!
1978: Chuck Smith, Pastor of Calvary Chapel in Cost Mesa, CA,
predicted the rapture in 1981.
1980: Leland Jensen leader of a Baha'i Faith group, predicted that a
nuclear disaster would happen in 1980. This would be followed by two
decades of conflict, ending in the establishment of God's Kingdom on
earth.
1981: Arnold Murray of the Shepherd's Chapel taught an
anti-Trinitarian belief about God, and Christian Identity. Back in
the 1970's, he predicted that the Antichrist would appear before
1981.
Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church predicted
that the Kingdom of Heaven would be established this year.
1982: Pat Robertson predicted a few years in advance that the world
would end in the fall of 1982. The failure of this prophecy did not
seem to adversely affect his reputation.
1982: Astronomers John Gribben & Setphen Plagemann predicted the
"Jupiter Effect"
1974. They wrote that when various planets were aligned on the same
side of the sun, tidal forces would create solar flares, radio
interruptions, rainfall and temperature disturbances and massive
earthquakes. The planets did align as seen from earth, as they do
regularly. Nothing unusual happened.
1984 to 1999: In 1983, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, later called Osho,
teacher of what has been called the Rajneesh movement, is said to
have predicted massive destruction on earth, including natural
disasters and man-made catastrophes. Floods larger than any since
Noah, extreme earthquakes, very destructive volcano eruptions,
nuclear wars etc. were to happen. Tokyo, New York, San Francisco,
Los Angeles, Bombay will all disappear. Actually, the predictions
were read out by his secretary; their legitimacy is doubtful.
1985: Arnold Murray of the Shepherd's Chapel predicted that the war
of Armageddon will start on 1985-JUN 8-9 in "a valley of the Alaskan
peninsula."
1986: Moses David of The Children of God faith group predicted that
the Battle of Armageddon would take place in 1986. Russia would
defeat Israel and the United States. A worldwide Communist
dictatorship would be established. In 1993, Christ would return to
earth.
1987 to 2000: Lester Sumrall, in his 1987 book "I Predict 2000 AD"
predicted that Jerusalem would be the richest city on Earth, that
the Common Market would rule Europe, and that there would be a
nuclear war involving Russia and perhaps the U.S. Also, he
prophesized that the greatest Christian revival in the history of
the church would happen: all during the last 13 years of the 20th
century. All of the predictions failed.
1988: Hal Lindsey had predicted in his book "The Late, Great Planet
Earth" that the Rapture was coming in 1988 - one generation or 40
years after the creation of the state of Israel. This failed
prophecy did not appear to damage his reputation. He continues to
write books of prophecy which sell very well indeed.
Alfred Schmielewsky, a psychic whose stage name was "super-psychic
A.S. Narayana," predicted in 1986 that the world's greatest natural
disaster would hit Montreal in 1988. Sadly, his psychic abilities
failed him on 1999-APR-11 when he answered the door of his home only
to be shot dead by a gunman.
1988-MAY: A 1981 movie titled "The man who saw tomorrow" described
some of Nostradamus predictions. Massive earthquakes were predicted
for San Francisco and Los Angeles.
1988-OCT-11: Edgar Whisenaut, a NASA scientist, had published the
book "88 Reasons why the Rapture will occur in 1988." It sold over 4
million copies.
1988 September 11-September 13 Edgar C. Whisenant Return of Christ.
(Edgar C. Whisenant, in the book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture is in
1988)
About 1990: Peter Ruckman concluded from his analysis of the Bible
that the rapture would come within a few years of 1990.
2000 - January 1st , 2000 the day the computer would fail and
mankind would die on his own account. (is this really a prediction)
2012 - December 21 2012, the day the great cycle ends and a new one
begins. The Maya did not draw this out of a hat, it was thousands of
years of calculations. This is it, the one that surpasses all others
listed above, and the most factual in terms of history of Earth.
