Mystery of 2012?
Maya Dresden Codex, Page 9
The following news story was of interest:
The Mystery of 2012?
Not surprisingly, the Mayan-inspired mania surrounded 12/21/12 is more money-grubbing than actual science.
If the hundreds of millions of Google searches related to “2012” are any indication, the apocalyptic predictions and mystery surrounding the date December 21, 2012 have captured public interest and created a legitimate culture of fear. Now Roland Emmerich, the brains behind doomsday blockbusters like Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow, is working on a new film titled 2012, a $200 million project based on—you guessed it—the end of the world. Set to open in July, this latest eco-disaster flick will underscore the increasing presence of 12/21/12, the supposed “end date” of the Mayan calendar, in contemporary media. In the midst of all the cataclysmic depictions in books and films, one is left feeling an anxious uncertainty. What is fact and what is fiction? Where did this latest end-of-the-world date come from?…
While many essays are predictably rife with spacey New Age lingo and present some very hard-to-grasp “meta” ideas evocative of the documentary What the Bleep Do We Know!? (2004), contributors like Gregg Braden and Robert K. Sitler are successful at explaining the fascinating complexities of the Mayan calendar—the origin of the 2012 prophecy.
The most important thing to know about the remarkable time-tracking system known as the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar, is that nowhere amongst the glyphs does it say “the world will end via (insert preferred natural disaster here) on 12/21/12.” The Maya were amazingly skilled at tracking cycles in nature, and their calendar, which most experts believe started at a date that correlates with 3114 BC, reflects these cycles in an astonishingly harmonious way.
As you may have learned in astronomy class or in the beginning of the documentary Zeitgeist, the Movie (2007), there’s evidence showing that ancient peoples had knowledge of Earth’s “wobble” movement known as precession. Since one full 360-degree cycle of precession takes approximately 26,000 years to complete and just one degree of “wobble” takes approximately 72 years to notice with the naked eye, it is truly remarkable the ancients were capable of even realizing the occurrence of this movement given their short life spans and limited technology…
As theorists and extremist subgroups of the New Age movement continue to speculate about our future and 2012 disaster flicks continue to make Hollywood rich, all facts seem to show 12/21/12 will have the same fate as the dreaded Y2K. Unsurprisingly, 2012 fever is being fueled simply by want of money and/or fame and is leading to a viral spread of unauthentic information. While it’s easy to see why the highly sophisticated astronomical knowledge coupled with the mysteriously sudden appearance and disappearance of their civilization is so captivating, all we can truthfully conclude about the ancient Maya is that they were extremely skilled at tracking time. Moreover, all we truly know about what will go down on the winter solstice of 2012 is embodied by the symbol inscribed on the Mystery of 2012’s title page: a big grey question mark. http://www.splicetoday.com/pop-culture/the-mystery-of-2012
Actually, we truly do know a few things for reasonable certainty pertaining to 2012.
We know that an astronomical event is going to take place on December 21, 2012. Various “experts” on The History Channel are referring to this as “the galactic alignment” (astronomers tend to reject that concept that the sun will be in the exact center of the Milky Way). Its actual significance, however, is a question mark.
We also know (because the deal of Daniel 9:27 has not yet taken place, and it will take 3 1/2 for the tribulation to start after that deal is made) that 2012 is the earliest possibly year for the Great Tribulation to begin (for details, see Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011?).
However, for a variety of reasons (including probable media hype probably leading to prophetic loathing), I am fairly certain that the Great Tribulation will not be likely to begin before 2013 (actually unless the Daniel 9:27 deal is made in the next 5 1/2 months, 2013 is the earliest date for the Great Tribulation to begin) and may be a few years later because of at least one calculation of the likely year that God’s 6000 year plan for humans to rule themselves will come to an end (for details, see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).
But, because of the movie on 2012 due this July 10th (called 2012, but whose working title is Farewell Atlantis) combined with the perilous times we seem to be living in, I do not doubt that many will be concerned that the negative interpretations of the Mayan December 21, 2012 date may be correct.
But, as I have written before (End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?), it seems to me that 2012 is intended by Satan to be more of a distraction as the Great Tribulation will begin relatively soon (3 months to 5 or so years) after the Mayan date, people may well be weary of listening to “doomsday prophecies” right when they really should be. The Bible is clear that the future scorning of prophecy will occur. Notice:
3…scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? (2 Peter 3:3-12)
It certainly seems that 2012 hype help may set up the fulfillment of that and related prophecies. The “mystery of 2012” likely is that people will weary of giving much credibility to prophecies that indicate that the Great Tribulation is fast approaching. But according to Jesus the Great Tribulation will come, it will be very bad, but it will end:
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:21-22).
The related good news, of course, is that 3 1/2 years after the Great Tribulation begins, Jesus will return and establish His millennial kingdom (see also The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church and Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?).
But a bumpy (and sometimes extremely rough) road is what is expected until then. Notice what Jesus taught:
36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:36).
Stay tuned.
Several articles of possible related interest may include:
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it. Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.
Getting the Gospel Out is More than a Local Job Discusses Biblical rationale for doing an international, and not just a local, work.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory.
Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected? What does the Bible really teach? Does the Church flee or is it taken up just prior to the great tribulation? Who really is left behind?
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament?
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