WAFB Louisiana's News Channel Special Report
The End of Time?
May 2, 2007 10:06 AM EDT
Source: http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=6456562

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Since as far back as we can remember, there have been predictions made about when the world will come to an end. And one of those predictions that's getting a lot of attention puts the end less than six years away. Is this just another end of time prophecy that will come and go like so many before it? This prediction was made by the ancient Mayans in South America more than 2,000 years ago. The creation of the Mayan calendar dates back to six years before the birth of Christ, and it's more accurate than the one we use today. And, if that calendar is correct, we only have five years, 235 days and two hours left to live.

You may have seen this show on the History Channel, Decoding the Past: the Mayan Prophesies. The focus: how the ancient people who built this city on the Yucatan Peninsula also developed an extremely accurate calendar, a calendar with predictions some say have come to pass, a calendar with a beginning and an end. Scholars say that end date is December 21st, 2012. If that's the case, it's like we're living in the final seconds of a basketball game.

It's not that far of a stretch to pretend a basketball is the sun. So, we'll pretend a tennis ball is the earth. It just so happens that on December 21, 2012, the sun and earth will be in perfect alignment with the center of the Milky Way galaxy. That happens only once every 26,000 years. Also, on that date, the earth will complete a wobble on its axis. Again, that happens once every 26,000 years. So, the Mayans may have something here.

Fr. John Carville says, "I think we can admire them for their astronomy. We don't have to necessarily believe the way they used it." Father John Carville is the associate pastor at Christ the King Catholic Church. He has extensive knowledge of the end of times described in the book of Revelation, and doubts the Mayan prophecy. Fr. Carville says, "Jesus tells us in the New Testament that no one knows the exact time. Not even he."

Dr. Delbert Burkett says, "There have been, all through history, there have been people who have predicted particular dates for the end of the world or transition to the New Age. So far, none of them has been right." Dr. Delbert Burkett teaches a class at LSU which focuses on the apocalypse. To back up that statement, Dr. Burkett points to Preacher William Miller who predicted the end of the world in 1842, and more recently to Hal Lindsey's prediction the world would end in 1988. Dr. Burkett says, "The failure of these sorts of predictions in the past, I think, would tend to cast some doubt on our ability to make these sorts of predictions."

Despite their advances in architecture and astronomy, Many of you don't buy into the Mayan prophecy, either. Stephen Smith says, "I highly doubt it from people who sacrificed people to appease their gods." Melanie Victorian says, "I can't get and I won't get caught up on man's predictions. I'm going to continue to follow the word of God. Trust and believe."

Trust and believe December 21, 2012 will come, and we'll keep going. You can find short videos about the Mayan prophecies on the History Channel's website, www.history.com. And, if you would like to own the entire program, you can buy the DVD there, as well.