Facts, misinformation, and realities about the Mayan 12/21/12 calendar date

Last Page of Mayan Dresden Codex
Last Page of the Dresden Codex (also known as the Codex Dresdensis)

The Fairbanks Daily News posted an article titled Experts say misconceptions fuel ‘Mayan apocalypse’ (dated December 16, 2012). And without going into all the details in that article, that title line certainly is true.

According to a minority of people, the world is supposed to end December 21/22, 2012 based upon certain interpretations of Mayan pictures, inscriptions, and writings. Both those who believe this and many in the media who do not believe this have relied on misinformation. In my view, misinformation is part what the December 21, 2012 Mayan calendar date is all about.

So, here are some facts, misinformation, and realities related to the Mayan December 21, 2012 calendar date:

FACT: At least two Mayan artifacts bearing inscriptions pointing to the December 2012 date (the Tortuguero monument and Comalcalco brick, though the precise date is less certain on the Comalcalco brick) have been found (Stevenson M. Mexico adds yet another brick to the 2012 Maya legend. AP, November 25, 2011. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45438811/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.TtJVNPKAFrN).
MISINFORMATION: Neither possibly have anything to do with any end of the world prediction.
REALITY: The inscriptions on these items is rather cryptic, and some believe that at least one of them predicts some type of doom on December 21, 2012. It has been reported that on the Toruguero monument (inscribed c. 669 A.D.) its “inscription describes the return of mysterious Mayan god Bolon Yokte at the end of a 13th period of 400 years, known as Baktuns, on the equivalent of Dec. 21, 2012” (for more details, see End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?). While there may be storms, earthquakes, or other disasters on December 21, 2012, that date is too soon for the start of the Great Tribulation (When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2012, 2013, or 2014?)
FACT: The Mayan Chilam Balam (Book of the Jaguar Priest) of the 16th century, teaches, “But when the law of the katun has run its course, the God will bring about a great deluge again which will be the end of the world. When this is over, then our Lord Jesus Christ will descend over the valley of Jehoshaphat beside the town of Jerusalem where he redeemed us with his holy blood” (José Hoíl J, Roys R. The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel. Roys Publisher, 1933. Reprint Forgotten Books, 1967, p. 62). More about this is in the article End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?
MISINFORMATION: The Mayans never predicted the end of the world. They felt that the world would continue for billions or more years.
REALITY: Not all Mayans believed the world would end, and almost no modern Mayans believe it will end on 12/21/2012. However, some after the 10th century certainly did. It is likely that once the Mayans heard of Jesus Christ that they placed His name where they had earlier believed that Bolon Yotke’s name may have been in some of their prophetic beliefs. As far as a flood goes, consider that the main source of information about Jesus comes from the Bible, and the Bible says that God will not destroy the world with a flood (Genesis 9:11,15). While December 21, 2012 is the end of the current Mayan cycle of 13 ‘baktuns’ (roughly 5,125 years), the reference to the ‘katun’ (a shorter time period, less than 20 years) may be for another time. There will be no massive worldwide flood on December 21/22, 2012. For more details, including some on Bolon Yotke, please check out End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?
FACT: There is nothing on the the Tortuguero monument and Comalcalco brick indicating that the Mayans expected an age of peace to begin on December 21/22, 2012.
MISINFORMATION: Various ones, including some associated with the New Age Movement, have indicated that the Mayan calendar date is predicting a time that the world will transition from an age of war to one of peace.
REALITY: When the world does not end this month, various ones will suggest that this positive transition is what the Mayans were predicting. Yet, the Bible is clear that that there will be false declarations of peace based upon non-biblical sources (Ezekiel 13:6-10). And actually, the Satanic deception that there will be a real “golden age of peace” soon is really a major part of what the “2012” phenomena is, and has been, all about. More about this is in the article End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?
FACT: There have long been false prophets who have made false prophecies. Those predicting the end of the world on December 21/22, 2012 are false prophets.
MISINFORMATION: Various ones have declared that “doomsday” prophets have always been wrong, and basically always will be.
REALITY: The world as we know it will end. Jesus made that clear (cf. Matthew 24:3-44). Jesus specifically foretold of false prophets (Matthew 24:11,24), so the fact that there have been many (Harold Camping is one who comes to mind, see Harold Camping’s Teachings About the End of the World Did Not Agree with the Bible). Part of Satan’s plan is to discount true, biblical, prophecy. Apostle Peter warned that scoffers of prophecy would rise up in the last days and discount the warnings in the Bible, but that destruction would come despite their scoffings (2 Peter 3:1-7). The reality is that a major part of what 2012 is really about (from a spiritual perspective) is to get people to ignore prophetic warnings about the coming destruction to the world in general and countries like the USA in particular (see also Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States).
FACT: The “Great Seal of the United States” has thirteen steps on one side of it and the US Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.
MISINFORMATION: That the Great Seal may be pointing to the apocalypse starting on December 21/22 2012 based upon multiplying 12 steps times 19.7 years, the length of time of a Mayan katun.
REALITY: The “Great Seal” does not predict a 2012 apocalypse based upon the Mayan katuns (for details, please see ‘Great Seal’ Does Not Predict 2012). While USA destruction is coming (see, for example Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel and Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States), the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7) is does not begin on December 21, 2012.
FACT: The last page of the Dresden Codex (which can also be viewed in the article End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?) has a representation of Bolon Yotke, astronomical symbols which point to 2012, and shows a serpent figure with water coming out of its mouth while showing two blackened humanoid figures beneath the serpent.
MISINFORMATION: The idea of the world ending on December 21, 2012 based upon the Dresden Codex or the Mayan Tortuguero monument is a recent development of the past couple of decades and exists because of the internet.
REALITY: In 1906, notice some of what was written by Ernst Wilhelm Förstemann concerning the last page of the Dresden Codex:

COMMENTARY ON THE DRESDEN CODEX… This page can denote nothing but the end of the world, for which the serpent numbers have prepared the way. Perhaps what looks like a zero above the sign Eb in the stream of water may likewise point to this calamity. (Förstemann EW. Commentary on the Maya manuscript in the Royal public library of Dresden Papers of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University. Translated by Selma Wesselhoeft, Alberta M. Parker. Publisher The Museum, 1906 Original from Harvard University Digitized Dec 14, 2005, p. 266)

Of course, different researchers have different opinions about what this means, but the reality is that the idea that the Mayans predicted the end of the world is at least a century old–and the world will not end on December 21/22, 2012. More on the Dresden Codex is in the article End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?

There very well may be earthquakes, storms, and other troubles this week. But 2012 is not the end of the world nor will Jesus return in 2012. The Mayan flood prophecy will be proven false, whether it related to 2012 or not or the Dresden Codex or not. Other scriptures show that the Great Tribulation and the later great earthquake (Revelation 16:18) cannot be that early (see Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2012, 2013, or 2014? for more details).

Whatever the Dresden Codex may be trying to portray (my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect discusses certain views), it is not possible that the end of the world will occur in 2012, Jesus will not return in 2012.

But the Great Tribulation will eventually come and Jesus will eventually return. Although some have falsely claimed that the Great Tribulation has already started, they seem to overlook the fact that Jesus said there would be a time called “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:4-8)–which is a time that has apparently began. Jesus said that this period has “troubles’ (Mark 13:8), would precede the Great Tribulation (Matthew cf. 24:4-8,21) and that during this time of sorrows, “See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6). But the end will come later (Matthew 24:19-44).

Yet, because many have made false predictions about 2012, many will likely use 2012 as an excuse to scoff at and discount all prophecy. According to the Bible, that will be a mistake (2 Peter 3:1-13).

Notice something I had published about the Mayan calendar date over three years ago in 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect:

But What About the Mayan December 21, 2012 Date?

The Mayan 2012 calendar date correctly predicts an astronomical event. That is part of its value. And there may be a bit more to it.

There are basically four possibilities that most have considered about December 21, 2012:

2012 is or is not an astronomical event and nothing else. It means nothing. This is a real possibility.

2012 is an astronomical event that accelerates climatic changes—another real possibility.

2012 marks the end of civilization and the destruction of the world by flood. Biblically, that is not a possibility. The world will not end by flooding in 2012.

2012 marks the beginning of a new age of peace. While not an age of true peace, it could mark the time when the following prophecy is fulfilled:

“Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace” (Ezekiel 13:10).

While some type of an astronomical event will occur (even if it is not a true alignment), weather patterns often change. Some will likely claim 2012 is the dawn of a time of peace, as highlighted in point four. The 2012 prophecies may also be part of a spiritual deception.

Of course, the Bible shows that even people like King David (1 Chronicles 21:1) and Apostle Peter (Matthew 16:23) can be moved by Satan.

While this book is not accusing the Mayans (nor most of the others cited in this book) of intentionally trying to serve evil demons (the Mayans were simply the world’s leading calendar experts), the Dresden Codex and various writings may have been inadvertently produced to add further confusion to end-time prophecies just prior to the Great Tribulation.

There are many age-of-peace prophecies from others, such as the Hopis, some of the Hindus, some of the Buddhists, and certain Catholic sources. Some might refer to this as collective thought. However, even the often-accurate Catholic Malachy’s prophecies contain some false elements. Hence, caution is advised with regard to putting full faith in these private prophecies.

While a true age of peace is coming, some might erroneously conclude that it starts in 2012 or 2013 or shortly later—but it will not. It cannot.

When the world does not end in a flood in 2012, many will likely discount not only the Mayan prophecies, but any that seem to be predicting any type of a “doomsday” scenario. Because of that, many will discount the warnings that will come from “the secret sect.”

On the other hand, it is likely that leaders of various religious persuasions will point to signs, wonders, the stars, etcetera, as reasons to believe that the age of peace has arrived. They will use these as justification for ignoring the warnings from the secret sect.

But people will ignore the warnings at their own peril.

In the next decade, the small Nazarene “secret sect” will rise up more and more in effectiveness to fulfill the prophecy Jesus gave, as recorded in Matthew 24:14. Ultimately, the world will hear the message of the good news of the coming Kingdom of God on earth, under the rule of Jesus Christ and His saints (which is the ultimate rising up of “the secret sect”).

The world will then also be more clearly told the message that a new ecumenical religion, one that is destined to temporarily take over the earth, is in the process of rising up.

The small sect will point out the instigator of this new order of religion (the King of the North, 666). The sect will likely explain that he will ultimately plunge the planet into the Great Tribulation, destroy the U.S.A. and its Anglo-allies, will invade the Middle East, will attempt to destroy/takeover all other religions (Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.), and that he will want only his ecumenical religion served.

Because he will not like the Nazarene sect warning about his identity and his plan, he will develop a strategy to destroy that “secret sect,” and eventually, also those whom it had successfully influenced.

Whether you believe any of this or not, you will be affected. Much of your nation will be destroyed, or there will be such devastation in your land, that you will wish you would have listened to the messages from the “secret sect.” Times will get so bad that the Bible warns:

⁶ In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them (Revelation 9:5–6).

We are living in times of major historical interest, as both the “secret” Nazarene sect and the coming anti-Nazarene ecumenical religion will soon face one another. The “secret sect” truly has been faithful to the practices of the original apostles, while the other religion will apparently become quite distanced from those beliefs, as God warns His people to come out of that other religious system (Revelation 18:4).

For a while, this great ecumenical “Beast power” (666) will to some extent take over the whole world.

It has long been my view that “2012,” has been part of a Satanic plan to get people to discount biblical prophecy and chose to believe the lie (cf. John 8:44; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10) that a golden age of peace is about to descend upon the earth. Instead, a time of destruction is going to happen (1 Thessalonians 5:3), and partially because of misinformation about “2012,” many will not believe the truth about the coming destruction.

Those who wish to learn more about 2012 may also wish to check out the following article:

End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? 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? How might Barack Obama be involved in 2012?