Buzz
The apocalypse seems to be fashionably late, as it hasn’t shown up yet! Since the dawn of humanity, we’ve been obsessed with forecasting the end of the world. Many predictors prefer dropping cryptic hints about apocalyptic events rather than pinpointing exact dates.
However, some forecasters are daring enough to specify exact years, months, or even days for the world’s demise. Despite every single prediction being wrong so far, the trend continues. Thousands of such prophecies have been made throughout history, and, surprisingly, many people still take them seriously!
This list delves into ten fascinating instances when the apocalypse was predicted to occur at a precise moment. Needless to say, all ten predictions were incorrect—after all, we’re still here creating this list, and you’re still here reading it. But who knows? Perhaps one day, someone will accurately predict the end of the world. As the saying goes, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
10. AD 400
Martin of Tours, also known as Martin the Merciful, served as the third Catholic bishop of Tours, France. Born in either AD 316 or possibly AD 336, he passed away on November 8, AD 397. In his youth, he was a Roman cavalryman in Gaul but later left the military to embrace Christianity. He became a highly active bishop, particularly in Tours, dedicating his life to the church.
As a bishop, Martin was relentless in eradicating what he viewed as pagan practices of the Gallo-Roman religion. He harshly persecuted non-Christians, striving to establish Christianity as the dominant faith. Today, he is revered by many French Christians as the patron saint of the Third Republic and numerous other communities and organizations across Europe.
Despite his nickname, Martin’s actions weren’t always merciful. He was deeply preoccupied with the apocalypse, firmly believing the world would end around AD 400, with Jesus Christ returning to defeat evil. He once wrote, 'There is no doubt that the Antichrist has already been born. Firmly established in his early years, he will, upon reaching maturity, seize supreme power.'
Of course, this prophecy never came true. However, Martin’s own world ended just before AD 400 when he died. In a way, he did meet his maker around the time he predicted—just without taking the rest of humanity with him.
9. April 6, 793
Beatus of Liébana, a monk and theologian, lived in what is now modern-day Spain from approximately 750 to 800. Little is known about his life, as details of his childhood and much of his adulthood remain shrouded in mystery, leaving historians with many unanswered questions.
Despite the lack of personal details, discovered writings reveal that Beatus had strong connections with high-ranking religious figures across Spain and Europe. His own works suggest he was a prominent religious scholar of his time, deeply engaged in theological reflections on God, society, and the afterlife.
Beatus is most famous for his influential work, 'Commentary on the Apocalypse,' first published in 776, revised in 784, and reissued in 786. This work presents a vivid and enigmatic depiction of the apocalypse, blending text with striking imagery to illustrate the end times.
In his writings, Beatus describes the events leading to the apocalypse, the fate of believers and non-believers, and the criteria for entering the Kingdom of Heaven. He also predicted a specific date for the world’s end: April 6, 793. Needless to say, this prophecy failed to materialize, leaving no record of how his followers reacted when the day passed uneventfully.
8. 1368 (or 1370)
Jean de Roquetaillade, also known as John of Rupescissa, was a French Franciscan born around 1310, living through much of the Middle Ages. He studied philosophy for five years at Toulouse before joining the Franciscan monastery at Aurillac, where he spent another five years immersed in religious studies and theological texts.
After his education, John developed a deeply critical perspective on what he perceived as widespread corruption and abuses within the church. Confident in his intellect, he began making apocalyptic prophecies, which did not sit well with church authorities.
John’s outspoken views led to his imprisonment in a Franciscan convent. Over the years, he was moved between various convents, eventually arriving in Avignon. There, he appealed directly to Pope Clement VI for release, but his plea was denied. During this time, he authored Visiones Seu Revelationes, among other works.
In his writings, John predicted the arrival of the Antichrist in 1366, followed by the end of the world and the dawn of the Millennium in either 1368 or 1370. These predictions, of course, never came to pass. John himself died around this time, likely in the Avignon convent, marking the end of his world, if not the world at large.
7. 1504
Sandro Botticelli, a renowned painter of the Early Renaissance in Italy, is celebrated as a trailblazer of the Italian Gothic era. His masterpieces, such as The Birth of Venus and Primavera, remain iconic and widely admired to this day.
Although Botticelli spent most of his life in Florence, Italy, his thoughts often turned to the broader world and its perceived rapid decline toward destruction.
These apocalyptic ideas are vividly expressed in his painting Mystical Nativity, created in oil on canvas around 1500 or early 1501. This work is unique, as it is Botticelli’s only signed piece and features unconventional iconography for a Nativity scene.
Botticelli used this painting to predict that the apocalypse would occur three and a half years after its completion, around 1504. This bold prophecy is explicitly written in Greek across the top of the artwork.
The inscription reads: 'This picture, at the end of the year 1500, in the troubles of Italy, I, Alessandro, in the half-time after the time, painted, according to the eleventh [chapter] of Saint John, in the second woe of the Apocalypse, during the release of the devil for three and a half years; then he shall be bound in the twelfth [chapter] and we shall see [him buried] as in this picture.'
Throughout his life, Botticelli was convinced that he and his contemporaries were experiencing the Great Tribulation. Many Europeans of the time pointed to the continent’s turmoil as evidence that Christ’s Millennium, as described in the Book of Revelation, was imminent. Botticelli believed 1504 would be the year this prophecy would unfold, but it never came to pass.
6. February 20, 1524 (Then, Uh, 1528)
Johannes Stöffler, a German astronomer and astrologer, lived during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He studied astronomy at a university and later served as the parish priest in Justingen, where he combined his clerical duties with observations of planetary movements.
Over time, Stöffler began corresponding with other astronomers and humanists, including Johannes Reuchlin, with whom he shared a lively exchange of ideas. He even crafted horoscopes for Reuchlin, showcasing his astrological expertise.
In 1499, while studying the stars, Stöffler observed a rare planetary alignment in Pisces. Interpreting this through the lens of his religious and scientific beliefs, he concluded it was a divine sign. From this alignment, he predicted a global flood would occur on February 20, 1524.
Stöffler confidently made his prediction 25 years in advance, standing by his claim. However, February 20, 1524, passed without any sign of Noah’s Ark or a global flood. Unfazed, he revised his prophecy, declaring the deluge would occur in 1528 instead. This prediction also failed to materialize. Stöffler died in 1531, having outlived both of his apocalyptic forecasts without witnessing either come true.
5. 1555
Pierre d’Ailly, a French theologian of the late 14th and early 15th centuries, was known for his apocalyptic predictions based on his interpretations of the world, the afterlife, and the cosmos. In the late 1300s, he began calculating the duration of human existence on Earth.
D’Ailly concluded that humans had been on Earth for 6,845 years by the year 1400. He believed the 7,000th year of human existence—1555—would mark the beginning of the end of the world, as he detailed in his writings.
This prediction is intriguing for several reasons. First, it never happened. Second, d’Ailly forecasted a year so far in the future that he would not live to see it (he died in 1420). Third, later in life, he contradicted himself by predicting the Antichrist’s arrival in 1789, leaving his earlier 1555 apocalypse prediction unexplained and inconsistent.
There’s an additional twist to this story: d’Ailly’s theories deeply influenced Christopher Columbus. The famous explorer adopted d’Ailly’s ideas, believing he was living in the end times, even though his life began 31 years after the theologian’s death. Columbus was convinced that society was nearing its apocalyptic conclusion, just as d’Ailly had predicted.
This belief drove Columbus to sail westward, ultimately leading to his discovery of the New World. Upon arriving, he claimed that his actions were triggering the apocalypse by transforming the known world as it existed at the time.
4. 1689
Pierre Jurieu, a prominent French Protestant leader in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, was widely respected by Protestants across France and Europe. He witnessed the rise of Catholicism and became a vocal advocate for the rights of Protestant worshippers.
Jurieu was also a prolific writer and a provocative thinker, known for producing works that stirred public debate. While the saying 'all publicity is good publicity' is often associated with the modern era, Jurieu’s life demonstrates how he leveraged controversy to elevate his profile as a French Protestant during a time of growing Catholic dominance.
From an apocalyptic standpoint, Jurieu’s most renowned work is his 1686 treatise, “Accomplissement Des Propheties.” In this text, he vehemently criticized the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which had stripped many rights from Protestants in France the previous year.
Through this work, Jurieu convinced himself and fellow Protestants that the apocalypse would arrive three years later, in 1689. He proclaimed that the Antichrist—whom he and other Protestants identified as the Pope—would be defeated, leading to the resurgence of Protestantism.
Naturally, this prediction did not come true. While it’s easy to mock Jurieu for his inaccuracies, he played a crucial role for French Protestants who sought solace from persecution. His apocalyptic ideas went beyond mere speculation, influencing broader historical events.
His writings directly inspired William of Orange’s 1688 invasion of England, a pivotal moment in the fight to preserve Protestantism. Although the apocalypse didn’t occur in 1689 as Jurieu predicted, his end-times theories left a lasting impact.
3. 1977
William Branham, a prominent Christian minister in the early 20th century, was a key figure in the rise of charismatic preaching in America and Europe post-World War II. He is recognized as a pioneer of the second wave of Pentecostalism in the U.S., a movement that later evolved into modern televangelism.
Though Branham predated the era of televangelists, his dynamic and passionate preaching style greatly influenced many who followed in his footsteps. Tragically, his life ended in a car accident in 1965 caused by a drunk driver. However, his legacy persisted until 1977, the year he had prophesied as the end times.
Branham believed he was a prophet endowed with the spirit of Elijah, granting him the ability to foresee the rapture and the Second Coming of Christ. He claimed to have been visited by an angel in rural Arizona in May 1946, who revealed that the rapture would occur no later than 1977. For the next two decades, Branham fervently preached this prophecy, insisting it was an undeniable truth.
His teachings attracted a devoted following, with some even viewing him as a Christ-like figure. While Branham discouraged personal worship, emphasizing Jesus instead, his apocalyptic prediction captivated many. Ultimately, the prophecy never came to pass, and Branham did not live to witness its failure, as time continued its relentless march.
2. 1873
Jonas Wendell, born in 1815, was a fervent Adventist preacher from Pennsylvania. He drew significant inspiration from William Miller, the leader of the Millerites, who famously predicted the world’s end in the 1840s. Despite Miller’s failed prophecies and subsequent ridicule, Wendell was determined to carry on his legacy.
By the late 1860s, Wendell dedicated himself to studying the Bible and preaching across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New England. He frequently spoke at tent revivals, proclaiming the imminent return of Christ. His teachings on the rapture and the Second Coming resonated deeply with his followers, leading him to focus even more on these themes.
Initially, Wendell suggested Christ might return in 1868, but he soon shifted his prediction to 1873. By 1870, his apocalyptic forecasts gained regional and national attention. However, in 1871, his reputation faced a severe blow when the Associated Press reported his alleged arrest in Pennsylvania for 'improper intimacy' with a 16-year-old girl. Wendell vehemently denied the accusations, and no evidence was ever presented, but the scandal tarnished his name.
Despite the controversy, Wendell’s 1873 prediction remained widely known. When the year passed without the Second Coming, his prophecy joined the long list of failed apocalyptic forecasts. Wendell died that same year, but his teachings left a lasting impact, particularly on Charles Taze Russell, who became a prominent Adventist leader in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, founding movements like the Watchtower.
Still, Wendell’s prediction hung out there for the whole world to see. Inevitably, 1873 came and went without the Second Coming landing anywhere on earth. Wendell himself died that year in a darkly funny coincidence, but the apocalypse didn’t come with him. Interestingly, though, he did have one major influence on the future: Wendell’s preachings reinvigorated the faith of Charles Taze Russell. He would later become one of the most influential Adventists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, overseeing things like the Watchtower Movement and other religious upheavals.
1. 1831 (And Then 1847)
Harriet Livermore, an American preacher born just before the 19th century, became one of the most influential female preachers in U.S. history. Rising to prominence during the Great Awakening, she was a key figure among the era’s charismatic religious leaders.
Initially, Livermore focused on core Protestant values like conversion, repentance, salvation, and modesty. However, her message took a more radical turn as she began proclaiming that the apocalypse was imminent and would soon engulf America.
In 1831, she declared that Christ’s Millennium was approaching and even set that year as the start of the end times. As she traveled across America and made multiple pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Livermore insisted that the apocalypse was near.
When her 1831 prediction failed, Livermore shifted her focus westward. By 1832, she was preaching to Native American tribes at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and their ancestral lands. Eventually, she and her followers revised their prophecy, claiming the apocalypse would instead occur in 1847.
This prediction stood out because, during the 1830s, the Millerites believed the end times would start in 1842. When that didn’t happen, they shifted to 1843, and after those dates passed, they confidently declared 1844 as the definitive beginning of the apocalypse. Ultimately, the Millerites became a subject of widespread ridicule in America.
Livermore, determined to avoid a similar fate, distanced herself from the Millerites’ predictions and chose 1847 as her apocalyptic date. However, her forecast also proved incorrect. She lived for another two decades after her failed prophecy, passing away in 1868.
