List of dates predicted for apocalyptic events

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This is a list of predicted dates for apocalyptic events such as the Rapture, Last Judgment, or any other event that would result in the end of humanity, civilization, the planet, or the entire universe. The list shows the dates of predictions from notable groups or individuals of when the world was, or is, forecast to end.

Past predictions

Date (BCE)/(CE) Claimant Description Reference(s)
634 BCE Romans Many Romans feared that the city would be destroyed in the 120th year of its founding. There was a myth that 12 eagles had revealed to Romulus a mystical number representing the lifetime of Rome, and some early Romans hypothesized that each eagle represented 10 years. [1]
389 BCE Romans Some Romans believed that the mystical number revealed to Romulus represented the number of days in a year, so they expected Rome to be destroyed around 365 AUC (389 BCE) [1]
66–70 CE Essenes It is believed this sect of Jewish ascetics saw the Jewish revolt against the Romans in 66–70 as the final end-time battle. [2]
1st century CE Early Christians Some first-century Christians believed Jesus would return within one generation of his death and resurrection. According to Bart Ehrman, Paul the Apostle was one of these. Jesus' statements in Matthew 16:28 and Matthew 24:34 have been interpreted by Albert Schweitzer and Johannes Weiss (supported also by Dale Allison, E. P. Sanders, and Alfred Loisy) as a prediction of an imminent apocalypse. [3][4][5]
2nd century CE Montanists Members of the Montanist movement, founded in 156, predicted that Jesus would return sometime during their lifetimes. [6]: 30 
365 CE Hilary of Poitiers Announced that the end would happen that year. [6]: 30 
375–400 CE Martin of Tours Stated that the world would end before 400, writing, "There is no doubt that the Antichrist has already been born. Firmly established already in his early years, he will, after reaching maturity, achieve supreme power." [7][8]: 119 
500 CE Hippolytus of Rome, Sextus Julius Africanus, Irenaeus All three predicted Jesus would return in the year 500. One prediction was based on the dimensions of Noah's ark. [6]: 31 [9]: 35 
793, April 6 Beatus of Liébana The Spanish monk prophesied the second coming of Christ and the end of the world that day to a crowd of people. [6]: 31 
800 Sextus Julius Africanus Sextus Julius Africanus revised the date of Doomsday to 800. [10]: 37 
799–806 Gregory of Tours Calculated the End occurring between 799 and 806. [11]: 48 
848 Thiota Declared that the world would end this year. [8]: 337 
992–995 Various Christians[who?] Good Friday coincided with the Feast of the Annunciation; this had long been believed to be the event that would bring forth the Antichrist, and thus the end-times, within 3 years. [12]: 236 
1000, January 1 Pope Sylvester II The Millennium Apocalypse. Various Christians predicted the end of the world on this date, including Pope Sylvester II. Riots occurred in Europe. Pilgrims headed east to Jerusalem. [6]: 32 [9]: 35–36 
1000, December 31 Various Christians[who?] The end of the Christian Millennium. When the Millennium Apocalypse failed to materialize, many believers asserted that the Millennium would end on this date instead. Riots recurred in Europe. [6]: 32 
1033 Various Christians[who?] Some believed this to be the 1000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and his second coming was anticipated. [6]: 31 
1184 Various Christians[who?] Various Christian prophets foresaw the Antichrist coming in 1184. [8]: 338 
1186 John of Toledo Predicted the end of the world during 1186, based on the alignment of many planets. [6]: 32 
1260 Joachim of Fiore The Italian mystic determined that the Millennium would begin between 1200 and 1260. [10]: 48 
1284 Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III (d. 1216) predicted that the world would end 666 years after the rise of Islam. [7]
1290
1335
Joachimites The followers of Joachim of Fiore rescheduled the End to 1290 and then 1335 when his 1260 prophecy failed. [13]: 58 
1346–1351 Various Europeans[who?] The black plague spreading across Europe was interpreted by many as the sign of the end of times. [6]: 33 
1370 Jean de Roquetaillade The Antichrist was to come in 1366 and the Millennium would begin in 1368 or 1370. [11]: 55 
1378 Arnaldus de Villa Nova This Joachite wrote that the Antichrist was to come in this year. [13]: 62 
1504 Sandro Botticelli Believed he was living during the Tribulation, and that the Millennium would begin in three and a half years from 1500. [11]: 60 
1524, February 1 Astrologers Predicted the world would end by a flood starting in London based on calculations made the previous June. [12]: 236–237 
1524, February 20 Johannes Stöffler A planetary alignment in Pisces was seen by this astrologer as a sign of the Millennium. [12]: 236–237 
1524–1526 Thomas Müntzer 1525 would mark the beginning of the Millennium, according to this Anabaptist. He and his followers were killed by cannon fire in an uneven battle with government troops. [14]: 48 [9]: 36 
1528, May 27 Hans Hut Predicted the end would occur on this day. [11]: 67 
1528 Johannes Stöffler Revised date from Stöffler after his 1524 prediction failed to come true. [12]: 238 
1533, October 19 Michael Stifel This mathematician calculated that the Judgement Day would begin at 8:00am on this day. [13]: 88 
1533 Melchior Hoffman This Anabaptist prophet predicted Christ's Second Coming to take place this year in Strasbourg. He claimed that 144,000 people would be saved, while the rest of the world would be consumed by fire. [10]: 59 
1534, April 5 Jan Matthys Predicted that the Apocalypse would take place on this day and only the city of Münster would be spared. [8]: 338 
1555 Pierre d'Ailly Around the year 1400, this French theologian wrote that 6845 years of human history had already passed, and the end of the world would be in the 7000th year. [13]: 72 
1585 Michael Servetus In his book The Restoration of Christianity, the Spanish born reformer claimed that the Devil's reign in this world began in 325 AD, at the Council of Nicea, and will last for 1260 years, thus ending in 1585. [15]
1588 Regiomontanus Predicted the end of the world this year. [12]: 239 
1600 Martin Luther Predicted the end of the world would occur no later than 1600. [11]: 66 
1624, February 1 Astrologers The same astrologers who predicted the deluge of February 1, 1524 recalculated the date to February 1, 1624 after their first prophecy failed. [12]: 236–237 
1648 Sabbatai Zevi Using the kabbalah this rabbi from Smyrna, Turkey, figured that the Messiah would come in this year. [12]: 239 
1654 Helisaeus Roeslin This physician made a prediction that the world would end this year based on a nova that occurred in 1572. [12]: 240 
1656 Various Christians[who?] Some Christians believed the world would end this year as 1656 is the number of years between Creation and the Great Flood in the Bible. [16]
1657 Fifth Monarchists This group of radical Christians predicted the final apocalyptic battle and the destruction of the Antichrist were to take place between 1655 and 1657. [10]: 67 
1658 Christopher Columbus Columbus claimed that the world was created in 5343 BCE, and would last 7000 years. Assuming no year zero, that means the end would come in 1658. [13]: 77 
1660 Joseph Mede Mede claimed that the Antichrist appeared in 456, and the end would come in 1660. [13]: 147 
1666 Sabbatai Zevi Following his failed prediction of 1648, Zevi recalculated the end of the earth in 1666. [12]: 239 
Various Christians[who?] The presence of 666 in the date, the death of 100,000 Londoners to bubonic plague, and the Great Fire of London led to superstitious fears of the end of the world from some Christians. [17]: 87 [9]: 36–37 
1673 William Aspinwall This Fifth Monarchist claimed the Millennium would begin by this year. [8]: 209 
1688 John Napier This mathematician calculated the end of the world would be this year based on calculations from the Book of Revelation. [11]: 92 
1689 Pierre Jurieu This prophet predicted that Judgement Day would occur this year. [10]: 70 
1694 John Mason This Anglican priest predicted the Millennium would begin by this year. [10]: 72 
Johann Heinrich Alsted Predicted the Millennium would begin by this year. [10]: 66 
Johann Jacob Zimmermann Believed that Jesus would return and the world would end this year. [18]: 19–20 
1697 Cotton Mather This Puritan minister predicted the world would end this year. After the prediction failed, he revised the date of the End two more times. [8]: 338 
1700 John Napier After his 1688 prediction failed to come true, Napier revised his end of the world prediction to this year. [11]: 92 
Henry Archer This Fifth Monarchists claimed the second coming of Jesus would occur this year. [13]: 158 
1705
1706
1708
Camisards Camisard prophets predicted the end of the world would occur in either 1705, 1706 or 1708. [10]: 70 
1716 Cotton Mather Revised prediction from Mather after his 1697 prediction failed to come true. [8]: 338 
1719, April 5 Jacob Bernoulli This mathematician predicted a comet would destroy the earth on this day. [12]: 240 
1700–1734 Nicholas of Cusa This Cardinal predicted the end would occur between 1700 and 1734. [13]: 73 
1736, October 16 William Whiston Whiston predicted a comet colliding with the earth this year. [19]
1736 Cotton Mather Mather's third and final prediction for the end of the world. [8]: 338 
1757 Emanuel Swedenborg Swedenborg claimed that the Last Judgement occurred in the spiritual world this year. [20]
1780 Various New England residents[who?] The sky turning dark during the day was interpreted as a sign of the end times. The primary cause of the event is believed to have been a combination of smoke from forest fires, a thick fog, and cloud cover. [21]
1789 Pierre d'Ailly 1789 would bring the coming of the Antichrist, according this 14th-century Cardinal. [11]: 59 
1792
1794
Shakers Predicted the world would end in both 1792 and 1794. [8]: 338 
1795, November 19 Nathaniel Brassey Halhed While campaigning for Richard Brothers' release, Halhead proclaimed that the world would end on this day. [13]: 310 
1793–1795 Richard Brothers This retired sailor stated the Millennium would begin between 1793 and 1795. He was eventually committed to an insane asylum. [13]: 73 
1805 Christopher Love This presbyterian minister predicted the destruction of the world by earthquake in 1805, followed by an age of everlasting peace when God will be known by all. [17]: 101 
1806 Mary Bateman In Leeds, England in 1806 a hen began laying eggs on which the phrase "Christ is coming" was written. Eventually it was discovered to be a hoax. The owner, Mary Bateman, had written on the eggs in a corrosive ink so as to etch the eggs, and reinserted the eggs back into the hen's oviduct. [22][23][9]: 37 
1814, December 25 Joanna Southcott This 64-year-old self-described prophet claimed she was pregnant with the Christ child, and that he would be born on Christmas Day, 1814. She died on the day of her prediction, and an autopsy proved she was not pregnant. [24]
1836 John Wesley Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, foresaw the Millennium beginning this year. He wrote that Revelation 12:14 referred to the years 1058–1836, "when Christ should come". [13]: 269 [9]: 37 [25]
1843, April 28
1843, December 31
Millerites Although it was not officially endorsed by their leadership, many Millerites expected the Second Coming to occur on April 28 or at the end of 1843. [26]: 16 
1843 Harriet Livermore The first of two years this preacher predicted the world would end. [13]: 699 
1844, March 21 William Miller Miller predicted Christ would return on this day. [26]: 17 
1844, October 22 Millerites After Christ did not return on March 21, 1844, the Millerites then revised William Miller's prediction to October 22, 1844, claiming to have miscalculated Scripture. The realization that the predictions were incorrect resulted in the Great Disappointment. [26]: 17 [9]: 38 [27]
1847, August 7 George Rapp Rapp, the founder of the Harmony Society, preached that Jesus would return in his lifetime, even as he lay dying on August 7, 1847. [18]: 23 
1847 Harriet Livermore The second prediction of the end of the world from this preacher. [13]: 699 
1853–1856 Various Many people[who?] thought the Crimean War was the Battle of Armageddon. [13]: 437 
1862 John Cumming This Scottish clergyman stated it was 6000 years since Creation in 1862, and that the world would end. [8]: 283 
1863 John Wroe The founder of the Christian Israelite Church calculated that the Millennium would begin this year. [24]
1873 Jonas Wendell In 1870, Wendell published his views in the booklet entitled The Present Truth, or Meat in Due Season concluding that the Second Advent was sure to occur in 1873. [28]
1874 Bible Student movement The first prediction of the end of the world from the Bible Student movement started by Charles Taze Russell. [10]: 93 
Seventh-day Adventists The newly formed Seventh-day Adventists, a group founded by former Millerites, predicted the Second Coming would be in this year. [8]: 339 
1878 Bible Student movement The second prediction of the end of the world from the Bible Student movement. [10]: 93 
1881 Mother Shipton (attrib.) This 15th-century prophet was quoted as saying "The world to an end shall come, In eighteen hundred and eighty one" in a book published in 1862. In 1873 it was revealed to be a forgery; however, this did not stop some people from expecting the end. [12]: 243 
Bible Student movement The third prediction of the end of the world from the Bible Student movement. [10]: 93 
1890 Wovoka The founder of the Ghost Dance movement predicted in 1889 that the Millennium would occur in 1890. [14]: 69 
1899 C. A. L. Totten[verification needed] Predicted that 1899 was a possible date for the end of the world. [13]: 924 
1901 Catholic Apostolic Church This church, founded in 1831, claimed that Jesus would return by the time the last of its 12 founding members died. The last member died in 1901. [29]: 87 
1908–1910 Bible Student movement The fourth prediction of the end of the world from the Bible Student movement. [10]: 93 [9]: 40 
1910 Camille Flammarion She predicted that the 1910 appearance of Halley's Comet "would impregnate that atmosphere and possibly snuff out all life on the planet", but not the planet itself. "Comet pills" were sold to protect against toxic gases. The comet indicated the Second Coming to many. [30][9]: 38 
1892–1911 Charles Piazzi Smyth This pyramidologist concluded from his research on the dimensions of the Great Pyramid of Giza that the Second Coming would occur between 1892 and 1911. [18]: 94 
1914 Bible Student movement "...the battle of the great day of God Almighty… The date of the close of that "battle" is definitely marked in Scripture as October 1914. It is already in progress, its beginning dating from October, 1874." [31]
1915 John Chilembwe This Baptist educator and leader of a rebellion in Nyasaland predicted the Millennium would begin this year. [14]: 69 
1916 Bible Student movement World War I would terminate in Armageddon and the rapture of the "saints". [32]
1918 Bible Student movement Another prediction of the end from the Bible Student movement. [10]: 93 
1920 Bible Student movement In 1918, Christendom would go down as a system to oblivion and be succeeded by revolutionary governments. God would "destroy the churches wholesale and the church members by the millions." Church members would "perish by the sword of war, revolution and anarchy." The dead would lie unburied. In 1920 all earthly governments would disappear, with worldwide anarchy prevailing. [33]
1925, February 13 Margaret Rowen According to this Seventh-day Adventist the angel Gabriel appeared before her in a vision and told her that the world would end at midnight on this date. [8]: 45 
1925 Joseph F. Rutherford, Bible Student movement ...we may expect 1925 to witness the return of these faithful men of Israel from the condition of death, being resurrected and fully restored to perfect humanity and made the visible, legal representatives of the new order of things on earth." [34]
1935, September Wilbur Glenn Voliva This evangelist announced that "the world is going to go 'puff' and disappear" in September, 1935. [8]: 287 
1936 Herbert W. Armstrong The founder of the Worldwide Church of God told members of his church that the Rapture was to take place in 1936, and that only they would saved. After the prophecy failed, he changed the date three more times. [35]: 99 
1941 Jehovah's Witnesses Another prediction of the end from the Jehovah's Witnesses, which branched from the Bible Student movement. [35]: 72 
1943 Herbert W. Armstrong The first of three revised dates from Armstrong after his 1936 prediction failed to come true. [35]: 99 
1947 John Ballou Newbrough The author of Oahspe: A New Bible foresaw the destruction of all nations and the beginning of post-apocalyptic anarchy in this year. [12]: 243 
1954, December 21 Dorothy Martin The world was to be destroyed by terrible flooding on this date, claimed this leader of a UFO cult called Brotherhood of the Seven Rays. The fallout of the group after the prediction failed was the basis for the 1956 book When Prophecy Fails. [36]
1959, April 22 Florence Houteff Believing that the end of time was imminent, Houteff and her council began a campaign to evangelize across the U.S., Canada, the West Indies and western Asia. The campaign included publicity events such as equipping cars with signs that read, "Hear Ye The Rod," a Biblical reference (Micah 6:9) to "The Shepherd's Rod" Message. The cars also were outfitted with loudspeakers to broadcast the Rod message to passersby. [37][unreliable source?]
1962, February 4 Jeane Dixon This psychic predicted a planetary alignment on this day was to bring destruction to the world. [8]: 340 
1967, June Various Christians[who?] Prophecy watchers declared that the reclamation of Jerusalem by the Jews in the Six-Day War ended the times of the Gentiles. [9]: 39 
1967, August 20 George Van Tassel This day would mark the beginning of the third woe of the Apocalypse, during which the southeastern US would be destroyed by a Soviet nuclear attack, according to this UFO prophet, who claimed to have channeled an alien named Ashtar. [38]: 145 
1967 Jim Jones The founder of the Peoples Temple stated he had visions that a nuclear holocaust was to take place in 1967. [11]: 214 
1969, August 9 George Williams The founder of the Church of the Firstborn predicted the Second Coming of Christ would occur on this day. [39]: 77 
1969 Charles Manson Manson predicted that an apocalyptic race war would occur in 1969 and ordered the Tate-LaBianca murders in an attempt to bring it about. [40]
1972 Herbert W. Armstrong The second of three revised dates from Armstrong after his 1936 and 1943 predictions failed to come true. [35]: 99 
1973, January 11–21 David Berg Berg, the leader of Children of God, predicted that there would be a colossal doomsday event heralded by Comet Kohoutek. [41][42]
1975 Herbert W. Armstrong Armstrong's fourth and final false prediction. [35]: 99 
Jehovah's Witnesses In 1966 Jehovah's Witnesses estimated it would be 6000 years since man's creation in the fall of 1975 and it would be "appropriate" for Christ's thousand-year reign to begin at that time. These claims were repeated throughout the late 1960s and in 1974 they reaffirmed there was just a short time remaining before "the wicked world's end". [43]
1977 John Wroe The founder of the Christian Israelite Church predicted this year for Armageddon to occur. [12]: 243 
William M. Branham This Christian minister predicted the Rapture would occur no later than 1977. [44]
1980 Leland Jensen In 1978 Jensen predicted that there would be a nuclear disaster in 1980, followed by two decades of conflict, culminating in God's Kingdom being established on earth. [45]
1981 Chuck Smith The founder of Calvary Chapel predicted the generation of 1948 would be the last generation, and that the world would end by 1981 at the latest. [46][47]
1982, April–June Tara Centers Full-page ads in many newspapers April 24–25, 1982, stated that "The Christ is Now Here!" and that he would make himself known "within the next two months". [9]: 39 
1982, March 10 John Gribbin, Stephen Plagemann Stated in their 1974 book The Jupiter Effect that combined gravitational forces of aligned planets would create a number of catastrophes, including a great earthquake on the San Andreas Fault. [8]: 62 [30]
1982, June 21 Benjamin Creme Creme took out an ad in the Los Angeles stating the Second Coming would occur in June 1982 with the Maitreya announcing it on worldwide television. [48]
1982, October/November Pat Robertson In late 1976 Robertson predicted that the end of the world was coming in October or November 1982. [29]: 138 
1984, October 2 Jehovah's Witnesses Another prediction of the end from the Jehovah's Witnesses. [49]
1985 Lester Sumrall This minister predicted the end in this year, even writing a book about it entitled I Predict 1985. [8]: 99 
1987, April 29 Leland Jensen Jensen predicted that Halley's Comet would be pulled into Earth's orbit on April 29, 1988, causing widespread destruction. [39]: 73, 76 
1987, August 17 José Argüelles Argüelles claimed that Armageddon would take place unless 144,000 people gathered in certain places in the world in order to "resonate in harmony" on this day. [10]: 156 
1988, September–October Edgar C. Whisenant Whisenant predicted in his book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988 that the Rapture of the Christian Church would occur between 11 and 13 September 1988. After his September predictions failed to come true, Whisenant revised his prediction date to October 3. [8]: 93 [50]
1987–1988 Noah Hutchings[verification needed] The president of the Southwest Radio Church suggested that the Rapture would take place "possibly in 1987 or 1988." [8]: 101 
1989, September 30 Edgar C. Whisenant After all his 1988 predictions failed to come true, Whisenant revised his prediction date to this day. [8]: 93 
1980–1989 Hal Lindsey[verification needed] Lindsey book The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon stated that "the decade of the 1980's could very well be the last decade of history as we know it" and that the U.S. could face "destruction by a surprise Soviet nuclear attack." The book strongly suggests that the 1980s would see the Biblical events of tribulation and end times come to pass.[failed verification] Lindsey suggested the 1988 Rapture, reasoning that it was 40 years (one Biblical generation) after Israel gained statehood. [51][8]: 85 
1990, April 23 Elizabeth Clare Prophet Prophet predicted a nuclear war would start on this day, with the world ending 12 years later, leading her followers to stockpile a shelter with supplies and weapons. Later, after Prophet's prediction did not come to pass, she was diagnosed with epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease. [6]: 61 [52]
1991, September 9 Menachem Schneerson This Russian-born rabbi called for the Messiah to come by he start of the Jewish New Year. [9]: 40 
1991 Louis Farrakhan The leader of the Nation of Islam declared that the Gulf War would be the "War of Armageddon which is the final war." [8]: 307 
1992, September 28 Rollen Stewart This born-again Christian predicted the Rapture would take place on this day. [53]
1992, October 28 Lee Jang Rim

(이장림 or 李長林)

Lee, the leader of the Dami Mission in Seoul, predicted the Rapture on this day. South Korean officials took elaborate precautions against a mass suicide, posting 1,500 riot officers to monitor about a thousand followers who had gathered in the group's headquarters to await the Rapture. Their efforts were successful, although four group members had committed suicide in previous days. ko:다미선교회 시한부종말론 사건

[54]

1993 David Berg Berg predicted the tribulation would start in 1989 and that the Second Coming would take place in 1993. [10]: 145 
1994, May 2 Neal Chase This Bahá'í sect leader predicted that New York would be destroyed by a nuclear bomb on March 23, 1994, and the Battle of Armageddon would take place 40 days later. [39]: 79 
1994, September 6
1994, September 29
1994, October 2
Harold Camping Camping predicted the Rapture would occur on September 6, 1994. When it failed to occur he revised the date to September 29 and then to October 2. [55][8]: 95 
1994 Jehovah's Witnesses The witnesses proclaimed 1994 as the end of the generation that saw the events of 1914. [9]: 41 
1995, March 31 Harold Camping Camping's fourth predicted date for the end. This would be Camping's last prediction until 2011. [8]: 95 
1996, September Various Christians[who?] One author placed Christ's return in September as 2,000 years after his birth in 4 BCE. [9]: 41 
1996, December 17 Sheldon Nidle California psychic Sheldon Nidle predicted that the world would end on this date, with the arrival of 16 million space ships and a host of angels. [56]
1996, February Monte Judah Judah stated the Tribulation would begin in late February or early March 1997 based on numerology and the Psalms, but stated that it was misrepresentation to call him a date setter. [9]: 42 [57]
1997, February 24 Various Christians This date occurred 1,260 days after the signing of the Oslo Accords and was seen as the beginning of the Tribulation. [9]: 42 
1997, March 26 Marshall Applewhite Applewhite, leader of the Heaven's Gate cult, claimed that a spacecraft was trailing the Comet Hale-Bopp and argued that suicide was "the only way to evacuate this Earth" so that the cult members' souls could board the supposed craft and be taken to another "level of existence above human". Applewhite and 38 of his followers committed mass suicide. [58]
1997, September 12 Stan Johnson & The Prophecy Club Johnson and friends calculated the latest possible completion of the book of life would be September 1997 and believed the tribulation was 90% likely to begin. He also held this date to be Jesus' two thousandth birthday. [9]: 42–43 
1997, October 23 James Ussher This 17th-century Irish Archbishop predicted this date to be 6000 years since Creation, and therefore the end of the world. [14]: 68 
1998, March 31 Hon-Ming Chen

(陳恆明)

Hon-Ming Chen, leader of the Taiwanese cult God's Salvation Church, or Chen Tao — "The True Way" — claimed that God would come to Earth in a flying saucer at 10:00 am on this date. Moreover, God would have the same physical appearance as Chen himself. Chen chose to base his cult in Garland, Texas, because he thought it sounded like "God's Land." On March 25, God was to appear on Channel 18 on every TV set in the US. Critics stated that channel 18 on several cable systems was the Playboy Network. [59][9]: 43 [60]
1998, May–June Marilyn Agee Her book The End of the Age placed May 31 (Pentecost) as the end of 6,000 years of creation. After this date she predicted June 7, 14, and 21, and about ten other dates for the end. [9]: 43–44 
1999, May 21–22 Marilyn Agee Agee set this date for the Rapture after several failed predictions in 1998. [9]: 44 
1998 Various Christians[who?] 1998 (three times 666) was regarded by some Christians as a prophetically significant year. [9]: 43 
1999, July Nostradamus A prediction attributed to Nostradamus stating the "King of Terror" would come from the sky in "1999 and seven months" led to fears of the end. [61]
1999, August 18 The Amazing Criswell The predicted date of the end of the world, according to this psychic well known for false predictions. [8]: 43 
1999, September 11 Philip Berg Berg, dean of the worldwide Kabbalah Centre, stated that on this date "a ball of fire will descend, destroying almost all of mankind, all vegetation, all forms of life." [9]: 44 
1999 Seventh-day Adventists[who?] Some literature distributed by Seventh-day Adventists predicted the end in this year. [62]
Charles Berlitz This linguist predicted the end would occur in this year. He did not predict how it would occur, stating it may involve nuclear devastation, asteroid impact, pole shift or other earth changes. [10]: 194 
Hon-Ming Chen

(陳恆明)

Hon-Ming Chen's cult God's Salvation Church, now relocated to upstate New York, preached that a nuclear holocaust would destroy Europe and Asia sometime between October 1 and December 31, 1999. [63]
Hal Lindsey[verification needed] Lindsey published the book Planet Earth 2000 A.D. in 1994, which stated that Christians should not plan to still be on earth by the year 2000.[failed verification] [64]
James Gordon Lindsay This preacher predicted the tribulation would begin before the year 2000. [8]: 280 
Texe Marrs[verification needed] This conspiracy theorist stated that the last days could "wrap up by the year 2000." [8]: 311 
Timothy Dwight IV This President of Yale University foresaw Christ's Millennium starting by 2000. [10]: 81 
2000, January 1 Various Predictions of a Y2k computer bug were to crash many computers and would malfunction causing major catastrophes worldwide and that society would cease to function. Year 2000 problem
Credonia Mwerinde, Joseph Kibweteere An estimated 778 followers of this Ugandan religious movement perished in a devastating fire and a series of poisonings and killings that were either a group suicide or an orchestrated mass murder by group leaders after their predictions of the apocalypse failed to come about. [65]
Jerry Falwell Falwell foresaw God pouring out his judgement on the world on this day. [66]
Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins These Christian authors stated the Y2K bug would trigger global economic chaos, which the Antichrist would use to rise to power. As the date approached however they changed their minds. [67]
2000, April 6 James Harmston The leader of the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days predicted the Second Coming of Christ would occur on this day. [13]: 2496 
2000, May 5 Nuwaubian Nation This movement claimed that the planetary lineup would cause a "star holocaust," pulling the planets toward the sun on this day. [38]: 121 
2000, October 9 Grant Jeffrey[verification needed] This bible teacher suggested this date as the "probable termination point for the 'last days.'" [8]: 341 
2000 Peter Olivi This 13th-century theologian wrote that the Antichrist would come to power between 1300 and 1340, and the Last Judgement would take place around 2000. [11]: 54 
Helena Blavatsky The founder of Theosophy foresaw the end of the world in this year. [35]: 83 
Isaac Newton Newton predicted that Christ's Millennium would begin in the year 2000 in his book Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John. [17]: 96 
Ruth Montgomery This self-described Christian psychic predicted the Earth's axis would shift and the Antichrist would reveal himself in this year. [10]: 156, 195 
Edgar Cayce This psychic predicted the Second Coming would occur this year. [68]
Sun Myung Moon The founder of the Unification Church predicted the Kingdom of Heaven would be established in this year. [10]: 148 
Ed Dobson This pastor predicted the end would occur in his book The End: Why Jesus Could Return by A.D. 2000. [69]
Lester Sumrall This minister predicted the end in his book I Predict 2000. [8]: 99, 341 
Jonathan Edwards This 18th-century preacher predicted that Christ's thousand-year reign would begin in this year. [11]: 171 
Jehovah's Witnesses In 1971, and again in 1984, the Jehovah's Witnesses stated the end would be before the end of the 20th century. [70][71]
2001 Tynetta Muhammad This columnist for the Nation of Islam predicted the end would occur in this year. [11]: 213 
2002 Various Yoruba Yoruba priests predicted dramatic tragedy and crisis in 2002, including coups, war, disease, and flooding. [9]: 45 
2003, May Nancy Lieder Lieder originally predicted the date for the Nibiru collision as May 2003. According to her website, aliens in the Zeta Reticuli star system told her through messages via a brain implant of a planet which would enter our solar system and cause a pole shift on earth that would destroy most of humanity. [72]
2003, November 29 Aum Shinrikyo This Japanese cult predicted the world would be destroyed by a nuclear war between October 30 and November 29, 2003. [38]: 98 
2004 Arnie Stanton This date for Jesus' return is based on a tetrad of lunar eclipses in 1996 and 1997. [9]
2006, September 12 House of Yahweh Yisrayl Hawkins, Pastor and Overseer, The House of Yahwah, Abilene, Texas in the Feb. 2006 newsletter predicted the start of nuclear war on September 12, 2006. [73]
2007, April 29 Pat Robertson In his 1990 book The New Millennium, Robertson suggests this date as the day of Earth's destruction. [8]: 138 
2008, September 10
2010, March 30
Various A number of groups claimed that activation of the Large Hadron Collider experiment would bring about the end of the world through the production of planet-eating micro black holes or strangelets. Similar claims were made about 2010, March 30, when the collider reached 7 TeV, half of its maximum energy. See safety of particle collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. [74]
2010 Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn This order predicted the world would end in this year. [35]: 223 
2011, May 21 Harold Camping Camping predicted that the Rapture and devastating earthquakes would occur on May 21, 2011 with God taking approximately 3% of the world's population into Heaven, and that the end of the world would occur five months later on October 21. 2011 end times prediction
2011, September 29 Ronald Weinland Ronald Weinland stated Jesus Christ would return on this day. He prophesied nuclear explosions in U.S. port cities by July 2008 as the blowing of the Second Trumpet of Revelation. After his prophecy failed to come true he changed the date for the return of Jesus Christ to May 27, 2012. [75][76][77]
2011, October 21 Harold Camping When his original date failed to come about, Camping revised his prediction and said that on May 21, a "Spiritual Judgment" took place, and that both the physical Rapture and the end of the world would occur on October 21, 2011. 2011 end times prediction
2011, August–October Various There were fears amongst the public that Comet Elenin travelling almost directly between Earth and the Sun would cause disturbances to the Earth's crust, causing massive earthquakes and tidal waves. Others predicted that Elenin would collide with Earth on October 16. Scientists tried to calm fears by stating that none of these events were possible. [78]
2012, May 27 Ronald Weinland Ronald Weinland stated Jesus Christ would return and the world would end on this day. [79]
2012, June 30 José Luis de Jesús José Luis de Jesús predicted that the world's governments and economies would fail on this day, and that he and his followers would undergo a transformation that would allow them to fly and walk through walls. [80][81]
2012, December 21–24 Various The so-called Mayan apocalypse at the start of the 14th b'ak'tun. The Earth would be destroyed by an asteroid, Nibiru, or some other interplanetary object; an alien invasion; or a supernova. Scientists from NASA, along with expert archeologists, stated that none of those events were possible. 2012 phenomenon

Future predictions

Date (CE) Claimant Description Reference(s)
2013, May 19 Ronald Weinland Ronald Weinland's revised prediction of Jesus Christ's return following his failed 2011 and 2012 predictions. [82][83]
2020 Jeane Dixon This psychic claimed that Armageddon would take place in 2020 and Jesus would return to defeat the unholy Trinity of the Antichrist, Satan and the False prophet between 2020 and 2037. Dixon previously predicted the world would end on February 4, 1962. [84]
2021 F. Kenton Beshore Beshore bases his prediction on the prior suggestion that Jesus could return in 1988, i.e., within one Biblical generation (40 years) of the founding of Israel in 1948. Beshore argues that the prediction was correct, but that the definition of a Biblical generation was incorrect and was actually 70–80 years, placing the Second Coming of Jesus between 2018 and 2028 and the Rapture by 2021 at the latest. [85]
21st century St. Malachy A text attributed to St. Malachy in 1143 is interpreted as having predicted that there would only be 112 more Popes before the end of the world. Pope Benedict XVI is the 111th. The prophecy states the last pope will be named Peter of Rome. Prophecy of the Popes
2129 Said Nursî According to abjad interpretation of a hadith, this Sunni Muslim theologian who wrote the Risale-i Nur Collection, a body of Qur'anic commentary exceeding six thousand pages, which expected the end in 2129. [86]
2240 Talmud, Orthodox Judaism According to an opinion on the Talmud in mainstream Orthodox Judaism, the Messiah should come within 6000 years from the creation of Adam, and the world could possibly be destroyed 1000 years later. This would put the beginning of the period of desolation in the year 2240 A.D. and the end of the period of desolation in the year 3240 A.D. Year 6000
2280 Rashad Khalifa According to Rashad Khalifa's research on the Quran Code, the world will end in this year. [87]
500,000,000 James Kasting The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will drop, making Earth uninhabitable. [88]
5,000,000,000 Various scientists[who?] The end of our Sun's current phase of development, after which it will swell into a red giant, either swallowing the Earth or at least completely scorching it. It is widely accepted by the scientific community that the earth will be destroyed around this time. However, as the Sun grows gradually hotter (over millions of years), the Earth may become too hot for life in only a billion years' time. [88][89]
22,000,000,000 Various scientists[who?] The Big Rip theory predicts that the entire universe will eventually be progressively torn apart by its continual expansion. One hypothetical example of the theory places the end in approximately 22 billion years time. Big Rip
10100 Various scientists[who?] The heat death of the universe is a suggested ultimate fate of the universe, in which the universe has diminished to a state of no thermodynamic free energy and therefore can no longer sustain motion or life. Heat death of the universe

See also

References

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External links