2012: A Gringo Invention?

“Orthodox” 16th Century Representation of the “Apocalypse”

With December 21, 2012 less than 3 1/2 years away and Sony’s movie on it due in less than five months, some are wondering about 2012:

2012: A Y2K for the New Age

Newsweek by Lisa Miller

…One of the most popular authors in the 2012 category is John Major Jenkins, a self-described “independent researcher” whose 1998 book “Maya Cosmogenesis 2012” helped usher in this craze.

“Around the year we call 2012,” he writes, “a large chapter in human history will be coming to an end. All the values and assumptions of the previous World Age will expire, and a new phase of human growth will commence.”

David Freidel is an archeologist at Washington University in St. Louis. He recently agreed to speak at a New Age conference on 2012,…”I immediately said yes so I could get to the podium before the charlatans do,” says Freidel. He has studied the Mayan calendar (actually, calendars), and while he agrees that what’s called the “long count” calendar does end in 2012, he believes that the Maya—were they still living by their ancient system of dates—would not have seen it as any kind of cataclysm…

Quetzil Castañeda makes a similar argument…In Mexico…the real Maya think of 2012 as “a gringo invention.”

In America, we have always been uniquely receptive to end-times prophesy—Y2K is the most recent example. What’s unique about 2012 is that it appeals not to fundamentalist Christians but to the New Age set. http://www.newsweek.com/id/195688

The truth, of course, is that the modern Mayans do not seem to have been the ones to popularize “2012” in recent days. According to Wikipedia, it appears that 2012 was first popularized by José Argüelles as a date, when he indicated it could mark the beginning of a new age of peace. Dr.Argüelles was one of the original founders of “Earth Day” in 1970 and is considered a leader with New Age beliefs. Here is some of what he has recently written:

When we look at the calendar…the thirteenth subcycle of this beam, began in 1618 and runs to 2012…

There are actually many points of convergence among the Mayan galactic code, I Ching, the Book of Revelations, and many other systems…

you have the mathematical code of the Book of Revelations, which is based on 7 and 13, and 144 and 144,000; it’s the same number of the Mayan Code. The Mayan Code is the master code. It’s the galactic code. It’s the master program.

Of course, the Mayan Code is NOT the master program. But some wonder if it might be.

The reality is that while there is likely to be some hysteria reminiscent of Y2K, when the world does NOT end in a flood shortly on December 22, 2012 (the 2012 alignment takes place the day before at 11:11 am GMT), some people associated with the New Age Movement (as well as some associated with certain forms of Buddhism) will likely declare that a new age of peace is dawning on the earth.

However, it is possible that this may be one of the four periods of false peace declarations that the Bible warns about. Specifically the following one:

8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord GOD. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD. 10 Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace (Ezekiel 13:8-10)

Anyway, whether or not the ancient Mayans meant to teach disaster or change or anything else to happen when their long-count calendar ended cannot be determined as those who produced it have long been dead.

But some Mayans apparently did believe in disaster as the following from near the early 16th century suggested one:

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 besides 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. 67).

So, something bad (which biblically cannot happen per Genesis 9) is expected by some.

Since many people believe that something was predicted (and there are peace predictions from New Agers, Buddhists, Astrologers, and others), this very belief could have various ramifications for those of us who will be alive next decade.

Also, because the 6000 years that God has given humankind to rule itself will be over shortly past 2012, the next decade is likely to be very turbulent and even usher in the Great Tribulation.

Some articles of possibly 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?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”, based up an early 20th century writing.
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? This is the longest and most detailed of the articles here related to prophecy and Barack Obama.
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?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?