by Monte He saw some kind of guy on TV Wolverton who said something about the Mayan calendar ending in 2012. Bob doesn’t know where or when these Maya lived—maybe it was some- where in India—but those ancient people could have known something we don’t. Bob is thinking he might cash in that retire- ment account and do something fun with it while there’s still time. He might just put off that dental work—and maybe that colonoscopy the doctor says he needs and take a long vacation somewhere with Emma. After all, if gurus and pastors alike are talking about 2012—there just might be something to it. Bob sees his workplace coming up on the right. Instead of turning into the parking lot, he guns his Taurus and heads toward the bank to find out about closing out his retirement account (penal- ties notwithstanding). By this time next week, he Is it the End? could be relaxing on a beach in Cancun with Emma. Bob and Emma are like a lot of people. Bob and Emma are not “prophecy buffs.” They may not even be very “spiritual”—but all this talk about 2012 makes them more than a little bit anx- ious—and it may even cause them to make decisions they may later regret. The End Is Near? The frenzy surround- ob backs his 1987 Ford Tau- ing 2012 has been rus out of the driveway on bubbling for nearly a the way to his second job. He decade. Why, you ask? Bstarted the job only a few weeks Could it be because of ago in a futile effort to make ends meet. the summer Olympics in His wife, Emma, needed surgery and the London and the first Win- high deductible and co-pay pretty much ter Youth Olympics in Aus- wiped out their meager savings. tria? Because of the Diamond Bob has been under a lot of pressure lately, and Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II? Be- right now he doesn’t see much light at the end of the cause and Ireland will switch to tunnel. He feels like he is on a treadmill—endlessly labor- digital television broadcasts? Because Universal Studios ing but getting nowhere. Bob and Emma, both in their will open a theme park in Korea? Because Ontario and Ot- ‘50s, have a modest retirement account, but lately Bob tawa will phase out incandescent light bulbs? wonders if they’ll ever see retirement, what with the state No—while all of the above (and more) are scheduled to of the economy, the nation and the world. The future happen in 2012, none of these things are the cause of the looks bleak. current mania. And then there’s that thing about 2012. Heck—there may not even be a future. ...scholars point out that classic Maya inscriptions make few if any Not that Bob lends any credence to that predictions — and certainly none regarding the end of the world kind of rumor. But still, he wonders. While Bob has never been much of a (and even if they had done so, why would their church fan, Emma regularly goes to a church down the street. Her pastor says predictions hold any credibility?). the and Tribulation could happen soon, maybe in December 2012. Bob isn’t sure about the Some people are becoming hysterical because they are exact definition of those terms—but that kind of talk still convinced that December 21, 2012 is the end of the world makes him antsy. as we know it. Others—the Bobs and Emmas of the

RP024 2012—IS IT THE END? PAGE 1 world—may not be hysterical, but tion's End; Planet X Forecast and 2012 ing gasoline on the flames with a sen- they are being influenced by the Survival Guide; Apollyon Rising 2012: sational science fiction movie—2012. issue. Found and the Final In the movie, solar radiation causes The insanity has been fueled by Mystery of the Great Seal Revealed; the to heat up, with ensuing a series of books, articles, websites, Aftermath: A Guide to Preparing For and volcanic eruptions and earthquakes of assorted blogs and a popular motion Surviving 2012; and of unprecedented strength. As scientists picture. The delirium continues to course The Complete Idiot's Guide to see that the earth is about to be flood- grow. A recent search of “2012 books” 2012. ed, world leaders get together and on Amazon.com returned some 33 Hollywood Hype create huge “arks” to save a remnant thousand results! of the human race from annihilation. Just a few of the fascinating titles: A couple of years ago, as the fire of It works. The end. Sorry, I gave away The Mystery of 2012: Predictions, 2012 was spreading through the plot. Prophecies, and Possibilities; Apocalypse our impressionable , The problem wasn’t the movie 2012: An Investigation into Civiliza- Hollywood did us the “favor” of pour- itself—hundreds of sci-fi flicks and TV

THE END IS ALWAYS NEAR: A TIMELINE OF ABANDONED

70 First century Christians, expecting Christ’s imminent return, are dis- mayed when Roman legions de- stroy Jerusalem, yet Jesus does not come back.

c 420 Augustine of Hippo rejects mil- lennialism, explaining that the millennium is an allegory for the spiritual reign of Christ in the hearts of Christians.

c 135 In Asia Minor, Montanus pro- claims that the will soon descend from heaven in Phrygia. His isolationist movement, known as Montanism, spreads throughout the Christian world. shows (most with far better We Don ‘t Make This Stuff Up! stories) are screened every year without people taking them se- he Plain Truth recently received a sincere notif- riously and going off the deep end. Tication of “the order in which the The problem was the unethical events will occur.” The author invited us to “print promotion of the movie. 2012’s viral off this list and keep it handy to test if this is true marketing campaign exploited end- times hysteria through a fictional (and share it with as many as you care or dare to).” organization called the “Institute for Space does not permit reprinting the long list Human Continuity” with press sent to us. However, here are some of its dog- releases, blogs, radio broadcasts matic claims about events predicted to take and websites dedicated to further fanning the apoca- place soon: lyptic flames. While the campaign “The monumental collapse of the free western economies… was roundly criticized for The Euro will crash first (2011-2012) and then 2-3 weeks after- its unscrupulous and wards the dollar will do the same.” deceptive tactics—and the film received mixed to “Martial law will be enacted at this point, if it already hasn’t negative reviews—that did- been enacted prior for some other unforeseen event, like a n’t stop the public from eating massive cyber attack or a , for example. it up. It grossed nearly a billion dollars, including DVD revenues. “Ten global regions, with a leader placed over each will emerge from Of course the movie, as well as the the chaos and the New World Order will be born.” misinformation disseminated in its slick promotional campaign, was fic- The author invited us to “share it with as many as you care or dare to”—we tion. Yet apparently share an excerpt of these claims as a way of illustrating many people had a the irresponsible fear-mongering that is deeply embed- tough time making ded within some religious minds. this distinction. Scientists were bom-

1099 Crusaders capture c 600-700 Jerusalem from The growth of Islam the Muslims, an prompts European Chris- event which many tians to believe the end is believe will prompt near, and that Muhammad Christ to return. is the . c 990 Widespread famines, the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, a fire at St. Peter’s and civil war in Rome are all taken as clear signs of “the end” by many Christians. Mid- night, January 1, 1000 was seen as the likely time of Christ’s return.

c 1200 1066 Italian mystic The Norman con- and theologian quest of England Joachim sets and the appearance the date of of Haley’s Comet 1260 for the convince many that beginning of the end is near. the “Age of the Spirit” or the Millennium. RP024 2012—IS IT THE END? PAGE 3 ...“apocalypse” is a Western concept that has little or nothing to do with Mayan beliefs. Rather, it is connected with American traditions such as the New Age movement and .

had noticed that the In the 1970s, several New Age au- Mesoamerican Long- thors speculated that December 2012 Count calendar (proba- would mark a global “consciousness bly invented by the shift.” Mexican author José Argüelles Olmec and used by the claims that on that date, the earth classic Maya civiliza- will pass through a “great beam” em- tion) would complete anating from the center of the galaxy. its 13th minor numeri- With the publication of other books cal sub-cycle (b’ak’tun) and articles over the years, these ideas in December of 2012— caught on among those who seem to completing a period of believe that primitive and blood- roughly 5,125 years. thirsty cultures (engineering and archi- This, however, was all tectural advances notwithstandi n g ) based on debatable for- have special insight into the future. mulas and starting points. Given the right timing and As early as 1957, and astro- circumstances, and without keeping nomer Maud Worcester Makemson asserted that a clear focus on faith alone, grace “the completion of a alone and Christ alone, it seems that Great Period of 13 b’ak- ’tuns would have been of nearly anyone can be taken in by barded by email questions from fran- the utmost significance to the Maya.” In tic people, wanting to know if the 1966, Michael D. Coe more ambitiously some kind of religious scam. world is truly ending on December claimed in his book The Maya that 21, 2012. One scientist reported that “there is a suggestion…that Armaged- But several reputable scholars, such some teens told him they were con- don would overtake the degenerate peo- as Rosemary Joyce, professor of an- templating suicide prior to that date. ples of the world and all creation on the thropology at UC Berkeley, tell us that Over 50 Years of Arcane Speculation final day of the thirteenth [b’ak’tun]. the ancient Maya ascribed no signifi- Thus…our present [would] cance to this date—other than their Decades before the 2012 movie be annihilated calendar rolling over in the distant fu- hit the movie screens, scholars [in December ture. They certainly did not think it 2012] when the was the end of the world, as they cal- Great Cycle of culated the dates of festivals beyond the Long Count this date. “There is nothing in the reaches comple- Maya or Aztec or ancient Mesoameri- tion.” can prophecy to

1348 As the plague kills a third of the population of Europe, prophets predict Christ’s return c 1540 within ten years. Martin Luther predicts the church's final conflict against the Turks and the Pope.

c 1560 predicts that “The Great King of Terror” will come in 1999, triggering the destruction of the civilized world. Christendom at large likes to believe it is not part of this extremist fringe. But unfortunately, that idea is an illusion. suggest that they prophesied a sud- Again, this particular piece of in- den or major change of any sort in telligence seems to have bypassed 2012,” says Mayanist scholar Mark Van legitimate scholars. NASA scientist Stone. “The notion of a Great Cycle David Morrison reports that neither coming to an end is completely a mod- he nor his colleagues are aware of ern invention.” any such planet, much less an im- Other scholars point out that clas- pending earth-shattering collision. sic Maya inscriptions make few if any Are people just gullible—or igno- predictions—and certainly none re- rant—or both? Or, perhaps, as Will garding the end of the world (and even Rogers once said, “Everybody is ig- Sadly, a major source of 2012 rumor and misinformation is end-times Christendom. The Bobs and Emmas of the world are far more likely to accept such harebrained ideas—and act on them—if they believe them to be somehow biblical (which they are not). a minority of people absolutely reject the idea of any kind of apocalypse, if they had done so, why would their norant, only on different subjects.” whether brought about by God or hu- predictions hold any credibility?). Maybe many otherwise intelligent mans. In the center of the curve is the Somewhat ironically, even the mod- people are ignorant when it comes to broad majority of people—the Bobs ern Maya lend no significance to the matters of faith—or what they will and Emmas—who may allow their year 2012. Mayan elder Apolinario allow themselves to believe. thinking and beliefs to be influenced Chile Pixtun notes that “apocalypse” Does it Really Matter? by the purveyors of end-time hysteria. is a Western concept that has little or Christendom at large likes to nothing to do with Mayan beliefs. So what if a bunch of New Agers and believe it is not part of this extremist Rather, it is connected with American other fringe eccentrics want to believe fringe. But unfortunately, that idea is traditions such as the New Age move- in Nibiru and the Mayan calendar? an illusion. The 2012 paranoia is not ment and millenarianism. After all, don’t we live in a pluralistic limited to Birkenstock-wearing, pony- In spite of the facts, unsuspecting society where anyone has the right to tail-bedecked, crystal-stroking New folks continue to gobble down the fool- believe anything? Agers living in ashrams in the moun- ishness like a herd of hogs at slopping If we took a poll of North American tains north of Malibu, California. time. According to another theory, the beliefs and opinions regarding the Sadly, a major source of 2012 misin- earth will be blown to smithereens on “end time,” we would likely find such formation is end-times Christendom. December 21, 2012 by a collision with beliefs distributed in a classic bell- All the Bobs and Emmas of the world a “” called “Nibiru” or shaped curve. That is, a minority of are far more likely to accept such hare- “Planet X.” people believe in a specific or immi- brained ideas (and act on them) if they nent date for the end of believe them to be somehow biblical the world, while on the (which they are not). other end of the curve

c 1760 Methodism founder John Wesley suggests 1836 as a date for Christ’s return.

1664 c 1830 The Great Plague of London kills 75,000, John Nelson Darby invents followed by the Great Fire of London. Chris- , asserting an tians believe these events portend the end. imminent Rapture, Tribulation and Millennium. RP024 2012—IS IT THE END? PAGE 5 The end-times... is one of religion’s most What, exactly, does that mean? Two Case Studies How do events “accelerate”? And effective tools to keep its followers in what kind of contemporary writer in Failed End- uses the word “fraught”? line…obeying its tyrannical rules…. Many “prophecy experts” in Chris- Times Prediction tendom scoff at the 2012 date—while The 2012 frenzy, and propounding a date of their own Elizabeth Clare Prophet, who in general, is grounded in religious devising. Others, perhaps more died in 2009, was the founder (along millenarianism (the idea of an end- shrewdly, leave the date open while with her husband Mark Prophet, who times cataclysm or continuing their alarmist preaching died in 1973) of the Church Universal followed by a utopian millennium). or writing that the Rapture and the and Triumphant (CUT). CUT is a New Some go so far as to claim that Great Tribulation are just around the Age group (related to Theosophy) Bible prophecy specifies 2012 as the corner (witness the success of Tim which claims to receive teachings from date of the Rapture and the begin- LaHaye’s Left Behind series). You would a cadre of dead “Ascended Masters.” ning of the Great Tribulation. As one think that after decades of such failed Mark Prophet, allegedly now an As- “Christian” website fulminates, 2012 predictions, people would catch on. cended Master himself, claimed to is “…a year fraught with meaning But history tells us that end-time prog- and prophetic importance. The nostications have been thriving for course of world events and global nearly two thousand years (see “The troubles seems to have suddenly End is Always Near: A Timeline of picked up speed and accelerated.” Abandoned Apocalypses”) and few people seem to be the wiser. Today, end-time preaching, publishing and movie- making is a huge part of the big business of Chris- tendom. “End-Times” Teaching— Keeping People in Line? The fact is, there is ab- have lived past lives as several notable solutely no Bible prophecy figures, including Noah, Mark the that points to 2012 or any Evangelist, Pharaoh Akhenaten, Louis other date for the end of XIV, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the world or the Rapture or Sir Lancelot (that last figure is general- the of ly regarded as fictitious by reputable Christ or the beginning of scholars, but what do they know?). the Tribulation. Most of Prophet and his wife had grown up the prophecies in the Old under the influence of various meta- Testament that people physical philosophies, including Rose- wrongly apply to the crucianism, New Thought, Christian “end-times” were fulfilled millennia ago, and many New Testament prophe-

Millerite prophetic time chart from 1843, about the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.

c 1880 c 1840 Charles Taze Rus- Chart showing end sel, founder of Je- Adventist 1909 would come in 1975— hovah’s movement Cyrus Scofield Watchtower Society’s Witnesses, founder William publishes his magazine Awake! preaches that Miller sets 1844 Reference Christ has already as the year of Bible, contain- returned “invisibly” Jesus’ return. ing John Nelson in 1874 and that Darby’s dispen- he will take full sationalist control in 1914. William Miller, founder scheme. of Adventist movement PAGE 6 Charles Taze Russell in 1911 Science and the Self-Realization Fel- offerings of the faithful to amass a claimed to have calculated the exact lowship. huge cache of weapons and ammuni- dates of the Rapture (May 21, 2011) Their original organization, founded tion—just in case. and the end of the world (October 21, as the Summit Lighthouse in Washing- Not surprisingly, church membership 2011). ton D.C., moved through several itera- took a sudden drop. This should have As early as the ‘70s, Camping had tions and locations, including Colorado been the welcome end of another reli- developed his own unique view of bibli- Springs and Pasadena, finally landing gious . cal chronology. In 1992, based on his in Montana, where they planted the Yet the church continues, with con- headquarters of the Church Universal gregations in major U.S. cities and a and Triumphant. growing international membership— Church members followed a long list in addition to several successful of religious rules and regulations— spinoff groups led by former church most of these rules were supposedly officials. given to Elizabeth in thousands of “dic- One major lesson we can learn tations from the Ascended Masters.” from this story is that no matter how Members believed Elizabeth to be thoroughly an idea has been de- infallible, despite shortcomings, such bunked, people will persist in their as her fiery temper and the favoritism belief. shown to her own family. As the church expanded, Elizabeth conducted confer- Harold Camping is president ences in Africa, attended by thou- of Family Radio Stations, boasting sands. She also met with African worldwide broadcast facilities and calculations involving the Hebrew cal- heads of state. more than 150 outlets in the United endar, Jewish festivals and the lunar In the late 1980s, Elizabeth predict- States. month, combined with other numbers ed that nuclear war with Russia would Camping was brought up in the found in the Bible, he suggested break out on April 23, 1990, and urged Calvinist Christian Reformed church, Christ’s return might be on September CUT members to build fallout shelters and served as an elder and Sunday 6, 1994. Failing that, he offered the and stock them with provisions. Of School teacher, while running a con- above dates in 2011. course, nuclear war did not happen, struction company. He holds a B.S. in Of course, the May 21, 2011 Rapture and the cost of building fallout shelters civil engineering. did not happen—and neither did the in addition to paying the required tithes Camping founded Family Radio in predicted October 20, 2011 end of the had taken its toll on many church 1958, with San Francisco station world. members, who were left heavily in debt KEAR, later adding affiliates in New In January of 2010 a San Francisco or bankrupt. York City, Philadelphia, Washington Chronicle reporter asked one of Camp- Unfazed, Elizabeth explained that D.C. and Los Angeles. ing’s followers what would happen if nuclear war had been narrowly averted His Open Forum program, in which May 21, 2011 came and went without by the prayers of her faithful followers. he answers listeners’ Bible questions, incident. He answered: “I can’t even Not long afterward, it was discovered is translated into several languages think like that. Everything is too posi- that her church (which purported to ad- and aired on shortwave, cable and In- tive right now. There’s too little time to vocate peace and love) was using the ternet worldwide. think like that.” Until recently Camping Is there time to think now?

1980 1966 Hal Lindsay Jehovah’s Wit- writes that nesses predict the 1980s 1975 as the date “could very for the beginning of well be the the Millennium. last decade Evangelist Herbert of history as Armstrong also we know it.” suggests this date.

ILLUSTRATION BY BASIL WOLVERTON BASIL BY ILLUSTRATION PAGE 7 Constant speculation The appropriate Christian response is not endless speculation as to when the about “the end” requires frequent next cataclysm will occur—but how we can help our fellow human beings if and moving of the goalposts that when disasters strike, whether they be big or small. supposedly mark “the end zone.” The end-times, as it is popularly con- tle over six thousand people in the ceived is really nothing more than a world every hour—in the sense that longstanding and elaborate perpe- their physical lives are ending and trated by those who really should know they face their Creator. better. It is one of religion’s most effec- The good news is—while Christen- tive tools to keep its followers in line, dom may be rife with end -times anxi- paying and obeying its tyrannical ety—Jesus himself is a source of rules, rituals and regulations. comfort and hope. Christians ought Given the right timing and circum- to be resting in and trusting in Jesus stances, and without keeping a clear irrespective of threats or fears, real or focus on faith alone, grace alone and Christ alone, it The good news is — while Christendom may be seems that nearly anyone can be taken in by some rife with end -times anxiety — Jesus himself is a kind of religious scam. I have been down that road source of comfort and hope. Christians ought to myself, so it isn’t too hard for me to recognize this be resting in and trusting in Jesus irrespective of process with regard to the 2012 phenomenon. threats or fears, real or imagined... In reality, there is always the chance of some disaster or imagined, fictional or factual. As Paul catastrophe occurring at any time and wrote, “For I am convinced that nei- place. We hope and pray that it does- ther death nor life, neither angels nor n’t, but some disaster could happen demons, neither the present nor the in the year 2012. future, nor any powers, neither Or 2013. height nor depth, nor anything else Or tomorrow. in all creation, will be able to sepa- The appropriate Christian response rate us from the love of God that is cies were fulfilled with the fall of is not endless speculation as to when in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans Jerusalem in 70 AD. The remaining the next cataclysm will occur—but 8:38-39). ❑ prophecies are largely misinterpreted— how we can help our fellow human Adapted—originally printed in the Summer 2011 but there are still no dates given (for beings if and when disasters strike, issue of Plain Truth. more details read Greg Albrecht’s book whether they be big or small. Revelation Revolution). All such dates are There are, in fact, many tribulations fiction—not the entertaining kind of (Acts 14:22) and many an- fiction, but destructive religious fic- tichrists (1 John 2:18) in tion (the worst kind). the world as you read this. Christ is coming for a lit-

1992 A Korean prophet declares that the Rapture will be on October 20 or 28 of that year. 20,000 Korean Christians leave school or quit jobs to await the end. 2000 The end of is predicted because com- puters allegedly will not recognize the year 2000. Opportunists 1988 cash in selling books Edgar Whisenant publishes and freeze-dried sur- his book, 88 Reasons Why vivalist food. January 1 the Rapture Will Be in 1988. comes and goes. Any Target dates were subse- problems are easily quently revised to 1989, remedied. The world 1993, 1994 and 1997. moves on. PAGE 8 PTM RESOURCE