From Book of Matthew 24: 35-36."Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." Matthew 24: 35-36.
Ever since they have been organized religion, they have been end of the world predictions. This website (a religious based one) lists end of the world predictions dating back to 44 A.D. Predictions that obviously did not come true. One of the more prominent ones was by William Miller who predicted that the end would come in 1843 or 1844. Some of his followers predicted a more exact date: October 22, 1844. When that date came and went, not only did Miller's followers (known as he Millerites) have to deal with disappointment. They also had to deal with grief and in case cases, violence from the public.
More recently we had to deal with a series of end of the world predictions from the years 1999-2000. American Evangelist Hal Lindsey was among many who predicted the end would come in 2000 (it should be noted he also predicted Christ's would return in 1988. Many other religious and New Age personalities echoed Lindsey's belief. Well It's 2011, I'm writing this and you're reading this. So I don't think I'm saying anything shocking by saying none of those predictions came true.
Now, with the Mayan calender due to end in 2012, we are once again being deluded with end of the world predictions. How the end of an ancient calender has to do with apocalypse I don't know. But a lot of people believe in it. But before we deal with 2012, we have to deal with this year, since there's some people who believe the end will come in 2011.
The most prominent of the 2011 apocalypse preachers come from Family Radio, a Christian radio network lead by Harold Camping. Camping is predicting that the Rapture will occur on May 21, 2011. Following the Rapture will be the apocalypse which will occur on October 21, 2011. It should be noted that Camping also predicted the end of the world would come in 1994. Of course, 1994 came and went without the apocalypse, but Camping's ministry lives on. His miss on 1994 has not discouraged him from making more predictions. If anything, Camping has become more bolder. In the past he said that the end might come in 1994. According to the Family Radio website Judgment Day will come on May 21, 2011 saying that the Bible guarantees it.
In the likely event that Camping's 2011 predictions are wrong, we'll have to deal with 2012. They are various beliefs on what will happen in 2012. The most common belief: a series of cataclysmic events will happen during the year. It will all lead to the apocalypse. The date that most are predicting: December 21, 2012. The date that the Mayan calender ends.
I was confident that the would wouldn't end in 1999 and 2000. I'm also confident that the world will not end in 2011 or 2012. Why? First of all, a vast history of missed predictions. Secondly, the Bible itself. The Bible clearly states that no one will know the exact day and hour. That leaves very little wiggle room.
Will the world end? Yes, when the sun die dies some 5 billion years from now. Is a apocalypse described in the Book of Revelations possible? Despite my skepticism of people like Camping, i do believe in God and the Bible. But a series of events has to happen before the end comes. Most predominately, the rise of the anti-Christ, who will claim to be God and demand people got "the Mark of the Beast as an oath of loyalty to him. Many of the world leaders and politicians may have god sized egos, but as far as I know, none of them have claimed to be God. As far is I know, neither Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin or Sarah Palin has plans to have the number 666 affixed to our foreheads.
I'm confident that we'll all be around on January 1, 2013. I'll probably be at the gym dealing with the New Year's resolution crowd. In the mean time, they'll be a lot of people left to explain why their predictions did not come true.
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