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28 Failed Prophecies Throughout History 28 Failed Prophecies Throughout History AILED PROPHECIES F FAILED PROPHECIES Adam's creation. Exactly 1,000 years was to He predicted that a comet would hit the earth, probably in the mid 1970's and destroy all life in pass for each day of the creation week. This THROUGHOUT prophecy also failed. the United States. One source indicated that he THROUGHOUT HISTORY - The current estimate is that the end of the believed it would happen in 1973. HISTORY - 1972: According to an article in the world as we know it will happen precisely 6000 years after the creation of Eve. 9 There is no Atlantic magazine, "Herbert W. Armstrong's Continued From Page 26 way of knowing when this happened. empire suffered a serious blow when the end Continued From Page 26 - 1919: Meteorologist Albert Porta failed to begin in January of 1972, as Armstrong - 1856 or later: At Ellen White's last predicted that the conjunction of 6 planets had predicted, thus bringing hardship to many prediction, she said that she was shown in a would generate a magnetic current that would people who had given most of their assets to the vision the fate of believers who attended the cause the sun to explode and engulf the earth on church in the expectation of going to Petra, 1856 SDA conference. She wrote "I was shown DEC-17. where such worldly possessions would be the company present at the Conference. Said the - 1936: Herbert W Armstrong, founder useless." 3 According to an article in Wikipedia: angel: 'Some food for worms, some subjects of of the Worldwide Church of God, predicted that "The failure of this prophetic scenario to take the seven last plagues, some will be alive and the Day of the Lord would happen sometime in place according to this Co-Worker letter remain upon the earth to be translated at the 1936. Nothing much happened that year, except scenario, which was often repeated over the coming of Jesus." 11 That is, some of the for the birth of the compiler of this list -- who years in print by Armstrong, may have been one attendees would die of normal diseases; some has been referred to as an Anti-Christ. When the of the initial reasons why the church would die from plagues at the last days, others prediction failed, he made a new estimate: 1975. organization began to decline as unfulfilled would still be alive when Jesus came. "By the - 1940 or 1941: A Bible teacher from expectations led to great disappointment. As early 1900s all those who attended the Australia, Leonard Sale-Harrison, held a series events unfolded, it became obvious 1972 did conference had passed away, leaving the of prophesy conferences across North America not have the biblical significance that the church Church with the dilemma of trying to figure out in the 1930's. He predicted that the end of the had anticipated for nearly two decades." how to explain away such a prominent world would happen in 1940 or 1941. - 1974: Charles Meade, a pastor in prophetic failure." 12 - 1948: During this year, the state of Daleville, IN, predicted that the end of the - 1891: Mother Shipton, a 16th century Israel was founded. Some Christians believed world will happen during his lifetime. He was mystic predicted the end of the world: "...The that this event was the final prerequisite for the born circa 1927, so the end will probably come world to an end shall come; in eighteen hundred second coming of Jesus. Various end of the early in the 21st century. and eighty-one." world predictions were made in the range 1888 - 1975: Many Jehovah's Witness - 1891 or before: On 1835-FEB-14, to 2048. predicted this date. However, it was not Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon - 1953-AUG: David Davidson wrote a officially recognized by the leadership. church, attended a meeting of church leaders. book titled "The Great Pyramid, Its Divine 1978: Chuck Smith, Pastor of Calvary Chapel He said that the meeting had been called Message". In it, he predicted that the world in Cost Mesa, CA, predicted the rapture in because God had commanded it. He announced would end in 1953-AUG. 1981. that Jesus would return within 56 years -- i.e. - 1957-APR: The Watchtower magazine - 1980: Leland Jensen leader of a Baha'i before 1891-FEB-15. (History of the Church quoted a pastor from California, Mihran Ask, as Faith group, predicted that a nuclear disaster 2:182) saying in 1957-JAN that "Sometime between would happen in 1980. This would be followed - 1914 was one of the more important April 16 and 23, 1957, Armageddon will sweep by two decades of conflict, ending in the estimates of the start of the war of Armageddon the world! Millions of persons will perish in its establishment of God's Kingdom on earth. by the Jehovah's Witnesses (Watchtower Bible flames and the land will be scorched.' - 1981: Arnold Murray of the and Tract Society). They based their prophecy - 1959: Florence Houteff's, who was the Shepherd's Chapel taught an anti-Trinitarian of 1914 from prophecy in the book of Daniel, leader of the Branch Davidians faith group, belief about God, and Christian Identity. Back Chapter 4. The writings referred to "seven prophesied that the 1260 days mentioned in in the 1970's, he predicted that the Antichrist times". The WTS interpreted each "time" as Revelation 11:3 would end and the Kingdom of would appear before 1981. Rev. Sun Myung equal to 360 days, giving a total of 2520 days. David would be established on 1959-APR-22. Moon, founder of the Unification Church This was further interpreted as representing Followers expected to die, be resurrected, and predicted that the Kingdom of Heaven would be 2520 years, measured from the starting date of transferred to Heaven. Many sold their established this year. 607 BCE. This gave 1914 as the target date. possessions and moved to Mt. Carmel in - 1982: Pat Robertson predicted a few When 1914 passed, they changed their anticipation of the "end time". It didn't happen. years in advance that the world would end in the prediction; 1914 became the year that Jesus The group almost did not survive; only a few fall of 1982. The failure of this prophecy did not invisibly began his rule. dozen members remained. Most Branch seem to adversely affect his reputation. - 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, Davidians did die on 1993-APR-29 as a result - 1982: Astronomers John Gribben & 1975 and 1994, etc. were other dates that the of arson apparently ordered by their leader, Setphen Plagemann predicted the "Jupiter Watchtower Society (WTS) or its members David Koresh. They were not bodily resurrected Effect" in 1974. They wrote that when various predicted. Since late in the 19th century, they -- on earth at least. planets were aligned on the same side of the had taught that the "battle of the Great Day of - 1960: Piazzi Smyth, a past astronomer sun, tidal forces would create solar flares, radio God Almighty" (Armageddon) would happen in royal of Scotland, wrote a book circa 1860 titled interruptions, rainfall and temperature 1914 CE. It didn't. "Our Inheritance in the Great Pyramid." It was disturbances and massive earthquakes. The - The next major estimate was 1925. responsible for spreading the belief in planets did align as seen from earth, as they do Watchtower magazine predicted: "The year pyramidology throughout the world. This is the regularly. Nothing unusual happened. 1925 is a date definitely and clearly marked in belief that secrets are hidden in the dimensions the Scriptures, even more clearly than that of of the great pyramids. He concluded from his Continued on Page30 1914; but it would be presumptuous on the part research that the millennium would start before of any faithful follower of the Lord to assume the end of 1960 CE. just what the Lord is going to do during that - 1967: During the six day war, the ‘X’ Zone Radio & TV year." Israeli army captured all of Jerusalem. Many ‘X’ Zone Radio & TV - The Watchtower Society selected 1975 as its conservative Christians believed that the rapture Show Merchandise Is Show Merchandise Is next main prediction. This was based on the would occur quickly. However, the final No Available At: estimate "according to reliable Bible Biblical prerequisite for the second coming is No Available At: chronology Adam was created in the year 4026 that the Jews resume ritual animal sacrifices in BCE, likely in the autumn of the year, at the end the temple at Jerusalem. That never happened. of the sixth day of creation." They believed that -1970's: The late Moses David www.xzonestore.com the year 1975 a promising date for the end of the (formerly David Berg) was the founder of the www.xzonestore.com world, as it was the 6,000th anniversary of Christian religious group, The Children of God.