Over the past couple years there has been a lot of hype over
the Mayan Long-Count Calendar that supposedly predicts the end of the world as
we know it. This prophecy is perhaps the most popular and most talked about in
the world today. It is popular among many New Agers and UFO enthusiasts, and a
number of cults around the world. The date predicted for the end of the world
is Friday December 21, 2012. So is there any merit to this date that has been
set for the supposed end of the world? Let's explore this subject together and
see what the Word of God says about it.
There are two popular views that are promoted today
surrounding the December 21, 2012 date. They are as follows: (1.) The
Pole-Shift Theory along with a number of scientific predictions as well; (2.)
and the Mayan Calendar prediction. There are a number of other religions as
well as other ancient prophecies that also supposedly speak of this date. In
this blog entry, I will be just looking at the Mayan prophecy and what the Word
of God has to say about it?
What is the Mayan
Long-Count Calendar?
There are three primary calendars that the Maya's relied on
for their main time-tracking calendars. They are as follows: (1.) The Solar Calendar, known as the Haab', or Vague Year, was based on the celestial cycle. (2.) The ceremonial or sacred calendar called the Tsolk'in, was related to the Venus' cycle. (3.) The Long-Count calendar was used to
document the "world age cycles" that repeat over and over.
The Mayan Long-Count Calendar consists of a time period of
26, 000 years from beginning to end with five cycles of 5,125 years. Writing on
this subject, author Lloyd B. Hildebrand makes this insightful comment below:
"The Mayans saw the 26, 000-year period...as being
divided into five cycles, and each of these cycles was believed to be
approximately 5, 125 years long; each was also considered to be its own
"world age" or "creation cycle." The Aztec Calendar (the
sun stone), which we will discuss more fully in a later chapter, shows each of
these cycles as being ruled and destroyed by one of the five natural elements.
The following chart shows the various divisions related to
the long-count calendar:
1. The Precession of the Equinoxes -- 26, 000 years. This
period is known as the Grand Cosmic Year.
2. The Five Creation Cycles -- 5, 125 years each. (The Fifth
Great Cycle began in 3114 BC, and it will end on December 21, 2012.)
3. Baktuns -- Cycles o 394 years (or 144, 000 days) each.
4. Each era lasts approximately 2, 152 Years.”[1]
What is even more interesting is the fact that the Mayans
were sometimes referred to as the "Lords of Time." And according to
many researchers, they have earned that title. The Mayans had an incredible
accuracy in keeping time as seen in their calendars. Another notable author,
Mark Hitchcock had this to say about the time keeping abilities of the Mayans:
"The Maya weren't just interested in time, they were obsessed
with it. They were galactic masters. The Mayan calendar keepers painstakingly
charted the cycles of the moon, the sun, and Venus. Their uncanny accuracy was
not duplicated until modern times. As Lawrence Joseph notes, "Without
telescopes or any other apparatus, Mayan astronomers calculated the length of
the lunar month to be 29.53020 days, within 34 seconds of what we now know to
its actual length of 29.53059 days. Overall, the 2000-year-old Mayan calendar
is believed by many to be more accurate than the 500-year-old Gregorian
calendar we use today." Their solar year was estimated to be 365.2450 days
minus an error of .0002. Our modern calendar calculates it as 365.2425 plus an
error of .0003. And the Mayan astronomers did all of this without the help of
telescopes, computers, or calculators.
The Maya didn't keep track of time for just a few years, or
even a few decades. They kept track of time for centuries, even millennia, up
to 26, 000 years. "For the Maya, time was holy. It had its own set of qualities
that reflected in events. Time formed history, not the other way around...Time
was not a succession of days; it was the enactment of a cosmic plan. The Mayan
time codes are very elaborate and precise.
Like most premodern cultures, the Maya viewed history not as
the linear passage of time but as a series of cycles that repeated over and
over again. For them, it was all about numbers and cycles. Their calendars
meticulously measured cycles."[2]
So what does all this add up to? Well, according to the
Mayan Long-Count calendar, we are nearing the end of the fifth cycle, which is
going to end on Friday December 21, 2012. What is actually going to happen? The
answer will be seen in my next point below.
What is going to
Happen at the End of this Fifth Cycle?
To put it simply and boldly, the world is NOT going to END on that given DATE for Friday December 21, 2012. What is going to happen at the end of this Fifth Cycle? Simple, it is just going to end that Cycle on the Mayan Long-Count calendar just like the 20th century ended on our Gregorian calendar date back in December 31, 1999 at 12: 00am. Perhaps you might say who am I to say the world won't end on that date. Well, I can say that because I am not saying it in my own authority, nor am I appealing to any man's authority. I am appealing to a much higher Authority, the Authority of God's Word! This of course leads to my last point below.
What does God's Word say about setting Dates for the End of the World?
To put it simply and boldly, the world is NOT going to END on that given DATE for Friday December 21, 2012. What is going to happen at the end of this Fifth Cycle? Simple, it is just going to end that Cycle on the Mayan Long-Count calendar just like the 20th century ended on our Gregorian calendar date back in December 31, 1999 at 12: 00am. Perhaps you might say who am I to say the world won't end on that date. Well, I can say that because I am not saying it in my own authority, nor am I appealing to any man's authority. I am appealing to a much higher Authority, the Authority of God's Word! This of course leads to my last point below.
What does God's Word say about setting Dates for the End of the World?
There has been a lot of speculations and predictions of doom
and gloom surrounding the date for Friday December 21, 2012. Now whether such
wild speculations and predictions are true remains to be seen. For there has
been a number of modern day Doomsday prophets who have predicted the date for
the end of the world. And each one has been proven to be wrong. The Scriptures are clear "of that day and hour no one knows,..." (Matt. 24: 36, NASB). In the same chapter in Matthew, we read these words, "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming...For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." (24: 42, 44, see also v. 50). Another passage of Scripture further adds, "Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come" (Mark 13: 33, NASB). As you can see from the above Scriptures that it is abundantly clear that "man" cannot predict "the actual date" when the world is going to end. It is not for man to know, but for God alone to know "that day and hour" when He will return. However, the verses above do instruct God's people to "be on the alert," "be ready," and "take heed, [pay attention]." In other words, the Lord expects His people to be not distracted by the things of this world, but to be watchful and prepared for the Second Coming of Christ.
When you take a closer look at the Mayan’s history, you will discover that they are very oriented to the future. Yes, they were able to make predictions, but many of them go beyond December 21. Plus, you have to consider the Mayan’s interpretation of the end of the cycle. For them, it’s not the end of the world but rather, a fulfillment of a milestone.
ReplyDeleteEmmaline Pham
Hey Emmaline,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insight. Yes, I agree, your comment "For them, it's not the end of the world but rather, a fulfillment of a milestone." I haven't had the chance to finish my blog on the Mayan Prophecy Topic above. I believe just like there was all that hype about the Y2K back in 1999, so it no doubt will be the same for the supposed date for Friday December 21, 2012. And like you said, this is only one prediction among a number of them. I believe only God knows when the world will come to an end. Just like our calendar ended the 20th Century on December 31, 1999 at 12:00am to mark that milestone, I believe the same will be said of December 21, 2012. For all we know, the world could come to an abrupt end a week before the Mayan date given for the end of the world. Again, thanks for the comment.
Jerry Sheppard