End-of-the-world prophecies

Part 1 of two 2 parts:

Predictions that were made, mostly
for some vague time in our future:

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Overview: (Repeated)

Predictions have been made of several events that some Christians believe are related: the second coming of Jesus, the war of Armageddon, the arrival on earth of the Antichrist, the Tribulation, the Rapture, some horrendous natural disaster, etc. Jewish, Islamic, psychic and occultic predictions have also been offered as well. ₁

In this section of our web site, we have listed over 7 dozen predictions of TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it) which were supposed to have happened in our past. They all have one factor in common: none have ever come true. There is every likelihood that most (perhaps all) of the future predictions will not materialize either.

Listed below are a few dozen additional predictions for some remarkable events at some vague time in the future.

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Recent developments in the prophecy industry, and this webmaster's rather pessimistic long-range prediction for the Earth's future (bias alert):

The end-of-the-world prophecy industry became relatively inactive after the massive failure of so many predictions on 2012-DEC-21 and on subsequent dates. We expect that the industry will lie low for a few years, come back to life in a few years, and start predicting many more prophecies for the 2020's.

Currently, the industry has been largely taken over by climate scientists. They are more credible because their predictions are based on real scientific data. Some scientists are predicting a runaway increase in global temperature that will cause an extinction of most species of life on Earth including humans. Such an extinction would correct the climate change problem for a while, because there wouldn't be any humans around to burn fossil fuels. Thus, over a few centuries, the gasses causing the greenhouse effect would gradually dissipate. Global temperatures and climate patterns should then gradually return to normal. Unfortunately, there might be no humans left to appreciate normalcy.

Still, bed bugs and a few other insects would probably survive, and inherit our world. Natural selection causing evolution of the species should eventually result in a more intelligent species evolving from bed bugs, etc. in a few hundred million years, With luck, they might have the intelligence to not destroy their environment as we seem committed to doing, If not, then the few hundred million year cycle will repeat until a new intelligent species finally gets it right.

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Disclaimer:

We offer no guarantees that the prophets listed below actually made these predictions. We have described their alleged predictions as they were reported on the Web, in newspapers, books, etc. We do not have the resources to track down original source material.

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Predictions of TEOTWAWKI in the future, at some vague time:

Pastor Mark Biltz expects that Jesus will return to Earth in the near future. He doesn't know the year, but feels that he does know the season of his return. He claims that the book of Leviticus defined three fall feasts that are referred to in the Bible as "the Lord's feasts" and are intended for everyone:

Rosh Hashanah (circa SEP-16)
Yom Kippur (circa SEP-25) and
Feast of Tabernacles (circa OCT-07)

He suggests that these feasts are the times of "dress rehearsals" of Jesus' second coming. Thus, presumably Jesus' return will be in the fall of some year.

The Marian Movement of Priests issued a statement titled "Why Am I Still Weeping" on 1987-SEP-15. It allegedly quotes the Virgin Mary as saying:

"Man is becoming ever more corrupt, Godless, wicked and cruel. A 'CHASTISEMENT' WORSE THAN 'THE FLOOD' is about to come upon this poor and perverted humanity. FIRE WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN, AND THIS WILL BE THE 'SIGN' that the 'Justice of God' has as of now fixed the hour of His great manifestation."

Unfortunately, she did not specify the date when this holocaust is to begin.

Daniel Dl-Maio believes that UFOs have been visiting Earth during all of the world's past. They are piloted by intelligent beings who once created the biosphere that we inhabit. He believes that there are forces on Earth that are trying to create the fiction that we will soon be invaded by aliens. All of humanity will then focus on preparing to repel such an attack. But, in reality, the "invasion" will be Jesus and his army returning to save the world. See: http://www.bibleufo.com

Tyndale House Publishers have created the "Left Behind Prophecy Club." In early 2004-JAN, they noted five events in the year 2003 that they feel are "compelling signs of the End Times" in our near future:

	Israel is constructing a 320 mile barrier to separate itself from Palestinian controlled land.
	The removal of Saddam Hussein from power may result in the rebuilding of Babylon.
	French President Jacques Chirac suggested that a "pioneer group" of nations within the European Union (EU) separate from the main EU group and progress towards a reunited Europe. This could be the ten kingdom prophesied in the book of Daniel.
	By moving towards equal rights for everyone, including sexual minorities, they feel that the Episcopal Church (USA) is abandoning parts of the Bible. Apostasy was one of the defining characteristics of the end times, according to the Bible.
	They feel that the election of Vladimir Putin and his party may lead to a rebuilding of Russia as a dominant player on the world scene, as is allegedly prophesied in Ezekiel. ₂

The American Traditional Catholic Church predicted that "the three days of darkness" will envelop the earth shortly. As a warning sign, a cross will appear in the heavens so that all can see. The family and society will fall apart.

"...the gates of Hell will be opened and satan and his demons shall be released and given authority to roam the earth without limitation. There will be complete darkness for three days. " It will be as if time has come to a stand still. The only source of light will be from candles blessed according to the traditional Rites of the Church Catholic." ₃

Agape Press reported that Bishop Huey Harris of the First Pentecostal Tabernacle in Elkton, MD said: "What I'm seeing is the Scriptures being fulfilled right before our very eyes." Agape Press reports: "He says what he is looking for next is for the Church to be raptured, and then Jews receiving Christ as their Messiah."

ProphecyKeepers.com noted that on 2003-MAY-31:

"In fulfillment of prophecy, the sun appeared over the Middle East and Europe as a 'sackcloth of ashes' and 'refused to give her light' in a rare 'annular' or 'ring of fire' eclipse." They predict that "the final traditional Hopi and Holy Bible prophecy cycle of destruction had finally begun." ₄

This topic continues in the next essay

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Related essays:

	The end of the Millennium: What people thought would happen: The Y2K Problems: Social, Economic, and Spiritual Aspects
	Premillennialism and other competing Christian theories about the end of the world.

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References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

Tom McIver, "The end of the world: An annotated bibliography," McFarland & Company, (1999) You can read a review and perhaps buy this book from amazon.com online bookstore. "This bibliography contains careful and bias-free annotations of close to 3,500 works written over many centuries about the end of the world." It mainly lists Christian sources, but also includes some Jewish, Islamic, psychic and occult predictions. An Amazon.com reader regards this book as "Indispensable for serious researchers."
"Left Behind Series: Interpreting the signs," Tyndale House Publishers, at: https://secure.agoramedia.com/
"The three days of darkness: The mercy and justice of God," at: http://www.atcc.com/
Will Anderson, "May 2003: The turning point in the Hopi and Biblical prophecies?" at: http://www.prophecykeepers.com/
Personal communication on 2006-JAN-12.
Thomas Chase, "Astrology for the New Age, prophecies of the future, economic predictions, comets, plane crash patterns," at: http://revelation13.net
"World population," Wikipedia, as of 2010-JAN-10 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/
"Doomsday cult expands: SA, Africa, and beyond," The Daily Maverick, 2010-JAN-11, at: http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/
"Enlightenment Messages From Tathagata - The End of The World," at: http://www.members.tripod.com/