Much has been written about a supposed Mayan prophecy announcing the end of the world on 21 December 2012. The irrational sceptics posting ridicule and abuse on the various blogs, have dismissed the prophecy as “rubbish.” Many others believe that no one can foretell the future, so all prophecy, whether biblical or Mayan, must be rejected as the ranting either of Jewish “goat herders” or the insanity of “blood thirsty Mayans priests." But should the final date of the Mayan Calendar be dismissed as nonsense because some people are unable to separate fact from fiction? I don’t think so.
It has been reported and verified by the Spanish conquistadors, that the Mayans prophesied hundreds of years in advance, that their empire or civilisation would be overthrown on a specific date, which was fulfilled on that very date in 1533. This prophecy can’t be dismissed as the insane ranting of a “blood thirst Mayan priest,” or be compared with the vague and opaque prophecies of Nostradamus, which are interpreted after events have occurred.
Does the above mean that I believe that the world will end on 21 December 2012? No, I don’t. For Jesus said: "For of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels in heaven, but my Father only" (Matt. 24:36). And there is no clear evidence that any Mayan has prophesied it will, either. But since the Mayan calendar doesn’t go beyond 21 December 2012, one has to ask oneself, why does it end on that date? And since they have prophesied at least one major event that has been fulfilled, I believe it would be very unwise not to expect some significant events to occur on that date or leading up to that date.
Furthermore, when Herbert W. Armstrong started preaching the gospel in South America, it was discovered that many of the people living there were already familiar with the Holy Days, the Sabbath and some other doctrines of the bible. This would indicate that at some time in the past, men of God were preaching and teaching the bible among these people. And these men were able to prophesy the destruction of the Mayan pagan society, which occurred in 1533. And these same Christians were responsible for passing on the knowledge of God’s calendar to the Mayans, which has been corrupted by dishonest men. Just as the wholesome teachings of Mr Armstrong have been corrupted by misguided men, who have developed their own brand of religion for the sake of money.
So, will 2012 usher in a period of unprecedented misery? If the perilous times in which we live is a guide to the future, the answer has to be yes!
