220 more examples of prophecy.

Terror attacks fueling end-time theologies

10/6/2001

The Associated Press

Predictions that the end of the world is at hand have come' and gone for centuries, and they've always had one thing in common. They've always been wrong. Yet with the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, experts who monitor doomsday predictions say fresh apocalyptic scenarios are popping up with a new intensity.

"People who are obsessed with end times have never learned from history," said Hank Hanegraaff, president of the California-based Christian Research Institute, a conservative evangelical agency that monitors new religious movements.

"They've been 100 percent wrong, 100 percent of the time."

Hal Lindsey, author of best-selling books on Bible prophecy, envisions more terrorist attacks, setting the stage for the collapse of America. "The Battle of America has begun!" Lindsey wrote in the minutes after the strikes on the World Trade Center, "So be it!" "I saw without any happiness at all the reality thafr it's begun," Lindsey said in a telephone interview from the Los Angeles area. "The decline of the United States has begun."

In San Antonio, Texas, evangelist John Hagee told his congregation, "You can hear the Four Horsemen riding to Armageddon," referring to the harbingers of what many Christians believe is earth's final battle. Paul Crouch of Trinity Broadcasting Network, a Christian media company, said the attack was the next stage in what Jesus described as "the beginning of sorrows" during the end times. New York minister David Wilkerson said the attacks were a warning of a greater destruction he's already predicted, unless New York City repents. The messages are extreme, but the audiences for them are in the mainstream, according to polls.

Forty percent of adults and 71 percent of evangelical Protestants, according to a 1999 Newsweek poll, believe the world will end in a battle at Armageddon between Christ and the Antichrist, an evil ruler on earth foretold in the Bible.

Uncertainty caused by catastrophe makes people anxious about tomorrow, said Lindsey, whose 20 books, including "The Late Great Planet Earth," have sold tens of millions of copies. "I think people see the events going on and they want an answer," he said. "They want an idea where it's going."

But critics say that people such as Lindsey haven't helped. Church historian Samuele Bacchiocchi, in his book "Hal Lindsey's Prophetic Jigsaw Puzzle,' details several of Lindsey's failed predictions. Among them: that Christ would return in 1988 during a colossal nuclear clash between the armies of Europe and Asia. The apocalypse-minded aren't deterred by errant predictions, said Richard Landes, director of Boston University's Center for Millennial Studies. "These people don't give up because they're disappointed," he said. "They're just waiting for a new sigu." Lindsey said his predictions about the end times will prove accurate in the long run.

Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and many Protestant churches reject such end-times interpretations, saying Revelation and Daniel should not be read literally and citing Jesus' words that no one will know the day and hour of his return (Matthew 24:36).

"At some point, (end times forecasters) are going to be right, sure,' Said Bob Weldrep of the Texas-based Watchman Fellowship, a Christian group that studies new religions and apocalyptic cults. "We won't know until after it occurs.

Hanegraaff thinks Christians who are obsessed with end times ultimately discredit the faith. "Every time you make a prediction that doesn't come true, you're looking more and more ridiculous."

1654	Archbishop Ussher of Armagh fixes the date of Creation as 4004 BC (26th October at 9 AM), and the End as 1997 AD (6000 AM of the Great Week) when the Millennium begins. This idiot also claimed to know when the earth was created (4004 BC) and is still quoted by fundamentalists today.
1733	Sir Isaac Newton thinks the Coming of Christ to be about 2000 AD.
1774	Ann Lee (tongues-speaking Quaker) founds the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing (Shakers) as the Millennial church in America (promoting celibacy). She declares herself to be the reincarnation of Christ and female aspect of God's dual nature. The Shakers win the admiration of many for their inventiveness (the circular saw, screw propeller, rotary harrow, etc.), model farms and their orderly prosperous communities.
1800	The Millennium does not arrive. New prophecy nuts come out in droves.
1802	Prophetess Joanna Southcott in England begins 'sealing' the '144 000' elect for the End. Her thousands of followers include some Anglican clergy.
1825	Britain's Rev Edward Irving predicts that Christ will return in 1864 (the Irvingites are the origin of the Catholic Apostolic Church, and today's New Apostolic Church. The Old Apostolic Church is a South African break-away from this group). See http://users.iafrica.com/l/ll/lloyd/6-EndTimeIssues/Predictions.htm Adventists off shoots http://www.jmahoney.com/adventis.htm Armageddon and All That Jazz
1826	Edward Irving begins his "school of the prophets" focusing on end time issues.
1829-1833	Edward Irving, Henry Drummond, and John Nelson Darby develop the 'pre-Tribulation Rapture' theory of Christ's Return. Darby (Plymouth Brethren) promotes the idea as part of a dispensational division of history. Through the Bible notes of a lawyer, C.I. Scofield, the Irving-Drummond-Darby 'pre-Tribulation Rapture' theory spreads among Christians to become the dominant End Time view in Christian circles in the 20th century.
1832	Latter Day Saints (Mormonism) founder, Joseph Smith of America, says: "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: 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." (Doctrine & Covenants 130:14-15).  Joseph Smith declared: "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." (History of the Church, Vol.5, pp.336-37).
1844	Joseph Smith dies without seeing the Lord's Return or his 85th birthday.  March 21st : William Miller, encouraged by some clergy, calculates this date as Christ's Return. It fails and is recalculated as -  October 22nd: The Return of Christ predicted by Miller's Adventists (numbering about 100 000) fails again.
1845	The 'Seventh-day' Adventist movement, helped by Mrs Ellen G White as prophetess, develops the doctrine of the 'mark of the Beast' as Sunday-worship by a papal Antichrist in explanation of Christ's so-called 'delayed' Return.
1864	Rev. Edward Irving's predicted Return of Christ fails. (See 1825). Adventists off shoots http://www.jmahoney.com/adventis.htm Armageddon and All That Jazz
1888	In France, General Boulanger is denounced by an un-named prophet from England as the Antichrist, claiming that his name in Greek has the numeric value of 666, and pedicts that Christ will return at 3 PM on March 5 that year.
1889	Rev. Michael Baxter, editor of the Christian Herald, announces in his book The End of This Age about the End of This Century that 1896 would witness the Rapture of 144 000 devout Christians, and that the world would end in 1901.
1896	Baxter's Rapture does not happen. (See 1889).
1901	Baxter's Millennium does not come. (See 1889).
1914	Jehovah's Witnesses' predicted return of Christ fails, but they now change their teaching to an invisible Coming known only to true believers.
1917	May 13th: Three small children claim to have seen the Virgin Mary standing in an oak tree. On the 13th of each subsequent month until October crowds gather to see the vision but only the children claim to see her. They also claim that three prophecies are given, two revealed and a third kept secret in the Vatican. (See May 13, 2000).
1959	April 22nd: hundreds of 'Davidians' (a break-away Seventh-day Adventist sect) at their 77 acre compound at Waco, Texas, await the Return of Christ, watched by a large crowd and the media. The expectation is broadcast across the United States - and fails. (See 1993, February 28th).
1965	July: self-styled prophet, William Branham, declares in response to California earthquake: "The Scripture reader or even a--a believer knows that we are now at the end of the history of the world. There will be no use of writing it, because there won't be anybody to read it. It's at the end of the time. ..."
1973	This idiot is still at it! Hal Lindsey publishes in his best-selling book 'Late Great Planet Earth' that there will be only one generation between Israel's new statehood and the End Time. Although he does not state the date he provides many of the arguments upon which the date 1988 is based. April: Rev. David Wilkerson claims a supernatural vision of imminent world-wide disaster of unprecedented proportions, economic collapse, famine, earthquakes, etc., in 'this generation', leading to Christ's sudden evacuation of Christians and the rise of Antichrist. 'More than one-third of the United States will be designated a disaster area within the next few years'.  Roman Catholic Sister Agnes Katsuko at Akito, Japan, receives a message from the Virgin Mary, saying 'Father God will inflict a punishment greater than the Deluge ... Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, sparing neither priests nor the faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead.' In anticipation of the year 2000. (TW Petrisko, Call of the Ages, Queenship, 1995, p.xxi)
1978	November 18th: 'Disciple's of Christ' church, 'Peoples Temple', Jonestown, Guyana, conducts a mass suicide of its 900 members (one third were under 18 years and so some probably murdered) because of a Federal investigation (they practised suicide procedures several times over the years as a sign of loyalty to the church). Pastor Jim Jones had warned his followers that a disastrous period of fascism, race war, and nuclear holocaust was coming. In the year of the suicide 'Peoples Temple' was the highest contributing church to their denomination.
1980s	Edgar Whisenant (former NASA engineer) publishes his book, 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988.  Hal Lindsey (of 'The Late Great Planet Earth') writes concerning the so-called 'Jupiter Effect' - 'what we can expect in 1982 is the largest outbreak of killer quakes ever seen in the history of planet earth along with radical changes in climate'.
1982	Hal Lindsey's 'Jupiter Effect' prediction fails. Should have seen Pat Robertson quoting this nut on TV!
1988	Charles Taylor, American prophecy teacher, advertises a Holy Land tour with the incentive that by staying in a hotel on the Mount of Olives, 'if this is the year of our Lord's return, as we anticipate, you may even ascend to Glory from within a few feet of His ascension.'  September 11/12 is expected as the date of the Rapture by Trinity Broadcasting Network, who cancel their regular programs and run videotapes instructing non-believers what to do if their families suddenly shoot up into the sky.  September 29/30 is published by Hart Armstrong (chairman of 'Christian Communications') as a Rapture Alert date in his publications.  October: Return of Christ as predicted by many Christian evangelicals fails (40 years (a 'generation') + 1948 (Israel's statehood) = 1988).  Christian evangelist George Curle predicts God's judgement on Antichrist in 1999, the Tribulation in 2002, and Christ's Return and the millennium of Israel in 2005: 'the third Exodus for Israel and believing Gentiles will be accomplished in 2005 AD'.
1991	Cape Town's Rev. J.S. Malan predicts the beginning of the great Tribulation 'op die laaste' by September 1995 and Christ's Return by 2002.
1992	The Tami Church based in Seoul, South Korea, under pastor Lee Jang Rim, distributes the visions and prophecies of it's world-wide membership indicating the Rapture will happen 28th October 1992. (the Millennium will begin 7 years later in 2000 AD).  October 28th: 20 000 members of the 'Mission for the Coming Days' (Tami Church), spend the afternoon waiting for the Rapture, resulting in great public humiliation to Christians and the amusement of the world.
1993	February 28th: Four American Federal Agents investigating illegal weapons are killed, 16 wounded, by 'Davidians' at Waco, Texas, thus initiating a siege of the premises (see 1959). The Davidians believe they are living in the days of the book of Revelation.  March 11th:  President Clinton is appealed to jointly by Revd's Dunn (Baptist Joint Committee) and Kelley (National Council of Churches) to urgently demilitarized the Waco siege, as the 'Davidian' apocalyptic mentality would see it as 'validation of their fondest prophecies ... Whether it explodes or implodes, the result will be tragic for all'.  April 19th: 6.00 AM Tear gassing of the Waco compound begins. Davidians fire at Federal Agents.  12.05 PM The Waco Davidian compound bursts into flame accompanied by explosions and gunfire. 74 Davidians are found dead, including 21 children (10 under five years old).
1995	Roman Catholic newspaper 'Queen of Peace' (Pittsburgh Centre for Peace, Spring, 1995) announces concerning the nearing third millennium, 'The time has arrived' ... the long awaited 'Era of Peace' predicted at Fatima in 1917 is said to be about to occur. ... The Virgin's words indicate the face of the earth will be transformed. Like the ancient cities of Sodom or Gomorrah, some nations will even vanish. Others, like Russia, are promised to blossom with new splendour. Peace will rule and the Church will reign, Evil will be paralysed, and like an old well, it will dry up and almost vanish from the face of the earth.'  September: Rev. Malan's predicted start of the Tribulation and world rule of Anti-Christ fails (see 1991).
1997	Marilyn J. Agee, with much Christian support, publishes her so-called Bible-based predictions, as: 1998 'most likely May' Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Bride of Christ 2007 September 12 The end of this Age (Elul 29, 5767) September 13 The 2300th day of the Shortened Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture of Tribulation Saints All Israel born-again in a day (who will live on into the Millennium) (Tishri 1, 5768). 2008 April 6: the Return of our Lord Jesus Christ with His saints, first day of Jewish Regnal Year (Nisan 1, 5768).  2008 May 30: Armageddon lasts 40 days and 40 nights, ends Friday (Iyar 25, 5768).  2008 May 31: true world peace, the Millennium, begins (Iyar 26, 5768). November 6: Archbishop Ussher's prediction fails (see 1654).  But, Dr James McKeever (editor of the End Times News Digest) declares that the 6000 years of the Great Week could end 'sometime between now and the year 2030'.
1998	May: Marilyn Agee's prediction of the Rapture of Christians fails! August 16: Samuel Doctorian announces to Christians at a Prayer Retreat on Patmos an encounter he had with the "five angels of the five continents" in his room on the island at 3:50 AM on Saturday June 20 1998 who revealed to him a program of world destruction starting immediately, during which the Christian church will be preserved. Financial crisis, nuclear holocaust, earthquakes over Asia killing millions, Australia will split and "a great part will go under the ocean". Nuclear weapons used in general war throughout the whole Middle East (which he describes as a continent) causes huge loss of life. In Europe earthquakes and flooding, "millions drown", Eiffel tower collapses, a "great part of Germany destroyed", etc. In Africa, from Cape to Cairo, earthquakes to change river flow and drown many. "There shall be a trembling of the earth like has not been seen since the creation. None shall escape the sword of the Lord". Millions die. "The final day has come. Judgement day is here." In the Americas millions die, the Atlantic and the Pacific join together, "the Amazon river turning into a great sea". "The angel said, 'It is our message. You are the instrument, the channel. What a privilege that God has chosen you to give this message to the nations.' I said, 'Lord, Thy will be done'."  What a pity that this ultimate message was entrusted to someone with such limited communication skills, so that it was only announced 57 days later (more than eight weeks!). It could have helped many Christian pensioners to avoid loosing their life savings in the slide of many stock markets following the East Asian financial crisis of this year. Amazing!  September 20: Robert Blake 'This could see the start of the Final War, Armageddon, followed by the establishment of the Millennium in the year 2000.'
1999	January 4th, The Interior Ministry of Israel orders the deportation of 11 members of an apocalyptic Christian cult under suspicion that they were planning to commit violent acts in Jerusalem at the close of 1999, Israel Radio, 'Kol Yisrael', reports.  Three additional cult members will remain in Israel for questioning.  The 'Jerusalem Post' reports that the Denver-based apocalyptic cult intended to provoke a shoot-out by opening fire on policemen, an act they believed would hasten the second coming of JESUS.  A police statement said that "The arrests were carried out to protect certain sectors of the Israeli population and members of the cult themselves, who blindly follow" a leader who is now overseas.  According to Israeli authorities, the leader, identified as Monte Kim Miller, has claimed that he is one of the final 'two witnesses' prophesied in the New Testament in Chapter 11 of the Book of Revelation, and is said to have told his followers that he would die in Jerusalem in December 1999 and be resurrected three days later.
	July-August: A note on Nostradamus (Michel de Notredame) Recent publications of Nostradamus' 'prophecies' as applied to whatever is the current public concern are largely inventions of the various commentators/publishers and bear little relation to his 1555 and 1558 Centuries. (The title 'Centuries' merely refers to the grouping of his rhyming quatrains and has no reference to time).
	Evangelist Curle's predictions begin to fail. (see 1988). July 7: Eileen Lakes - The pole-shift in July 1999 will immerse the world in the Water Baptism.(?) At 7 am GMT, according to Eileen, the world will turn 90 degrees to the right 'very instantly'. Perhaps her own surname inspired her.  August 24: Adrian Gilbert's astrological calculation of the End fails. September 27: H.J. Hoekstra - The date of the Rapture! - Really?  'Rosh Hashanah' - Jack Van Impe's date "...when this generation that lives to see 'all these things' comes to a glorious conclusion." Van Impe then, in an attempt to avoid justified criticism, says "We're not setting dates" (although it has the same effect), "but one has to admit - it's interesting!" (Playing with words, Dr Jack, does not excuse misleading God's people). (See 2001).
2000	April, Friday 17, Uganda: Leaders of a dissident Catholic apocalyptic sect ('Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God') burn 470 followers to death. The subsequent investigation exposes several mass murders by the sect's priests, bring the total victims to above 900, and indicating that financial gain by the priests may have been the motive.
	May: Astrologists' predicted apocalyptic disasters arising from a so-called "alignment" of the planets does not happen. Saturday 13, Rome: The Papacy announces the content of the third and secret 'prophecy' of Fatima, being one of danger to the pope amidst a field of corpses. (see 1917).
	September 6:  Daniel Adam Millar - The peace accord between Israel and Palestine on September 13, 1993 marked the beginning of the seven-year tribulation. On September 6, 2000, the Antichrist will proclaim himself God, and begin the battle of Armageddon. (This Tribulation really needs to be renamed!). September 13: The House of Yahweh - The last seven years of human history began on September 13, 1993. Presumably, the final war will then begin sometime about September 13, 2000. (ditto). Another widely predicted Return of Christ fails (Sir Isaac Newton, et al).
2001	Jack Van Impe - This year will see the start of the Great Tribulation. Political chaos, natural disasters, nuclear war and the world-wide rise of Islam will usher in mankind's final hour. (Apart from nuclear war, what's new?). This is about as accurate as his Rosh Hashanah 1999 speculation!
2002	Rev. Malan's predicted Return of Christ is to fail. (see 1991).
2007	Another predicted Return of Christ is to fail. (Based on the 40 years, a supposed 'generation', after the 'Six Day War' of 1967 which brought the ancient Temple site under Israeli political control).
2013	An asteroid larger than Jupiter will strike the earth. (If its an "asteroid" its in our solar system. If its as large as Jupiter how-come its invisible?). And so on ...

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