The millennium and end-of-the-
world-as-we-know-it prophecies

	"About the time of the end, a body of men will be raised up who will turn their attention to the prophecies, and insist upon their literal interpretation, in the midst of much clamour and opposition." Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727 CE) 1
	"The prophecies are to be unintelligible to the ungodly but intelligible to those who are properly instructed." Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662 CE) 2
	"The Earth is degenerating today. Bribery and corruption abound. Children no longer obey their parents, every man wants to write a book, and it is evident that the end of the world is fast approaching." Allegedly this came from an Assyrian tablet, c. 2800 BCE. However I seem to recall that an almost identical message was said to have appeared as graffiti on a wall in Pompeii.
	"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." Charles Schultz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip. 4

Introduction:

For many centuries, people have been predicting the year, the month and sometimes the day when:

	A violent and sudden end would terminate all life on earth;
	Major social and political upheavals would occur around the world;
	The war of Armageddon would take place in the Middle East;
	God would pour horrendous wrath on most of humanity; and/or
	Christ would return in what is referred to as the second coming.

The prophesiers have almost always predicted that these horrendous events would happen in their own immediate future.

All of these predictions share one factor: none have ever come true.

The year 2000 came and passed -- a year that some considered very special, simply because it contained three zeros. A lot of people predicted that major events of cosmic proportion would happen. ₃ But no massive events actually came to pass. There were the usual number of major earthquakes, civil disturbances, tornados, people of different religions trying to exterminate each other -- but nothing of a cosmic or even world-wide nature.

Still more end events are predicted for precise dates our future.

	Some people in North America devoutly believe that at least some of these events will happen in their lifetime.
	Others expect that they will happen at some time in the far future. They note that such events have not happened in the 19 or so centuries since the Bible was completed, and so they don't expect them in this century.
	Many of the public disagree, and does not expect any more that the usual complement of natural disasters in the future, until, of course, the next big asteroid hits.

The Millennium and TEOTWAWKI*  topics covered in this section:

(* The End Of The World As We Know It)

	The millennium: All about the new millennium: When did it start? What was expected during the year 2000?   What did the public expect at or near the millennium?
	About TEOTWAWKI: Overview: End of the world as we know it beliefs; Natural ways that the world may end.  Web sites devoted to end of world prophecy   Some signs of an end-time panic: Hopeful, not-so-hopeful, and interesting signs   Predictions that the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it would happen: By Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus Christ) and Paul By secularists and Christians - historical review By the Jehovah's Witnesses prior to 1921 1921 to 1990 1990 to 1994 1995 to 1997 in 1998 in 1999 in 2000 in 2001 in 2002 in 2003 in 2004 in 2005 in 2006 2007 or 2008 2009 or 2010 In the not too distant future during the 2010s On or about 2012-DEC-21, inspired by the end of the Mayan calendar after 2020
	End of the world as we know it, and religion: Premillennialism and other competing Christian theories about the end of the world or end of the age. The Rapture, a miraculous event when many conservative Protestants believe they will meet Jesus in the sky.
	Information sources about the Millennium and TEOTWAWKI: Novels, other books and web sites

Related essays on this web site:

	The Y2K problems: computer and social: FBI's "Project Megiddo" warning of violence in the year 2000. CSIS (Canadian security agency) warning of violence in 2000.
	Public opinion polls on religion.

Amazon.com lists the following books about the end of the world:

References used:

1. Quotation found on the web site of the "Ancient of Days UFO Conference" in Roswell, NM for 2003-JUL-4. We are uncertain of its validity. Original source is unknown.
2. Quotation found on the "Blessed Hope Ministries" web site at: http://www.bhm.dircon.co.uk/ Original source is unknown.
3. S.J. Gould, "Questioning the Millennium: A Rationalist's Guide to a Precisely Arbitrary Countdown.", Harmony Books, (1997) You can read a review and perhaps buy this book from amazon.com online bookstore
4. Serendipity, "New Age Truth," at: http://www.newagetruth.com/ Well worth reading!

Copyright © 1996 to 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally published 1996-MAR-03
Last update: 2009-NOV-10
Author:  B.A. Robinson

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