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Unfulfilled historical predictions by Christians

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This page attempts to list time-specific historical predictions (or prophecy) by claimed prophets or leaders within various churches and sects who identify themselves as Christian, but whose predictions failed to happen. Biblical prophecy is not included, and is dealt with in separate articles.

The "prophets" listed here include anyone who has predicted or prophesied about the future within visible Christian churches Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox) — even where they were considered heretical, at the time or later. New Religious Movements that have their original basis in the Christian church are also included here. It should also be noted that the vast majority of Christians have never believed in these extra-Biblical prophecies.

Contents

Lutheran Church

The founder of the Lutheran Church was the reformer, Martin Luther (1483-1546 A.D.). According to one authority, Luther stated: "For my part, I am sure that the day of judgment is just around the corner. It doesn't matter that we don't know the precise day... perhaps someone else can figure it out. But it is certain that time is now at an end." (Reformation Principles and Practice: Essays in Honor of Arthur Geoffrey Dickens, p 169). Another work says: "In all of his [Luther's] work there was a sense of urgency for the time was short... the world was heading for Armageddon in the war with the Turk." (Luther's View of Church History, John M. Headley, Yale University Press, 1963, pp 13,14) Even after his death in 1546, Lutheran leaders kept up the claim of the nearness of the end. About the year 1584, A zealous Lutheran named Adam Nachenmoser wrote a large volume entitled Prognosticum Theologicum in which he predicted: "In 1590 the Gospel would be preached to all nations and a wonderful unity would be achieved. The last days would then be close at hand. Nachenmoser offered numerous conjectures about the date; 1635 seemed most likely." (Prophecy and Gnosis—Apocalypticism in the Wake of the Lutheran Reformation, Robin Bruce Barnes, p 64) Other date predictions followed but all failed.

Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church also has a history of failed predictions about the "time of the end." For example, Gregory I who was pope from 590-604 A.D predicted that the end of the world was near in a letter that he wrote to Ethelbert, a European monarch. He advised: "Further, we also wish Your Majesty to know, as we have learned from the words of Almighty God in Holy Scriptures, that the end of the present world is already near and that the unending Kingdom of the Saints is approaching. As this same end of the world is drawing nigh, many unusual things will happen—climatic changes, terrors from heaven... All these things are not to come in our own days, but they will follow upon our times." (Visions of the End—Apocalypticism in the Wake of the Lutheran Reformation, Bernard McGinn, p 64). Cardinal Nicholas de Cusa (1401-1464 A.D.) was " a cardinal of great learning...At the age of 23 Nicholas became a doctor of law, but when he lost his first lawsuit he left the profession of law for the study of theology. Possessing a thorough knowledge of the Greek, Latin and Hebrew languages, and a rare degree of eloquence, soon attracted attention... was made a cardinal (1449 A.D.)" (Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature by McClintock and Strong, Volume II, p. 611). Cardinal de Cusa later held that the end of the world would come in the year 1700 A.D. Another Catholic scholar, Arnald of Villanova predicted that the Antichrist would appear in 1378 A.D. (Visions of The End, McGinn, p. 147)

Baptist Church

The Baptist Church also has a history of date and time predictions that have failed. One of the first Baptist groups "the Anabaptists of the early Sixteenth Century believed that the Millennium would occur in 1533." (When Prophecy Fails, Festinger, Riecken and Schaeter, page 7) Another source reports: "When the prophecy failed, the Anabaptists became more zealous and claimed that two witnesses (Enoch and Elijah) HAD come in the form of Jan Matthys and Jan Bockelson; they would set up the New Jerusalem in Munster. Munster became a frightening dictatorship under Bockelson's control. Although all Lutherans and Catholics were expelled from that city, the millennium never came." (Soothsayers Of The Second Advent, William Alnor, page 57.) In the early 1900s, the well-known Dr. Isaac M. Haldeman, pastor of the First Baptist Church in New York City, predicted that before the Jews returned to Palestine to establish a Jewish State--an event that happened in 1948--that the Antichrist would appear. Haldelman explained: 'The Scriptures teach that this man (the Antichrist) will be the prime factore in bringing the Jews back, as a body into their own land; that he will be the power that shall make Zionism a success; that through him the nationalism of the Jews shall be accomplished." (The Signs of the Times, Isaac Massey Haldeman, pages 452, 453).

Presbyterian Church

Thomas Brightman who lived from 1562 to 1607 has been called "one of the fathers of Presbyterianism in England." This well educated and esteemed fellow predicted that "between 1650 and 1695 [we] would see the conversion of the many Jews and a revival of their nation in Palestine...the destruction of the Papacy...the marriage of the Lamb and his wife." (A Great Expectation--Eschatological Thought in English Protestantism to 1660 by Bryan W. Ball and E.J. Brill, page 117). This did not happen.

Christopher Love who lived from 1618-1651 was a bright graduate of Oxford and a strong Presbyterian. Love predicted that: (1) Babylon would fall in 1758 (2) God's anger against the wicked would be demonstrated in 1759 and (3) in 1763 there would occur a great earthquake all over the world. (The Logic of Millennial Thought by James West Davidson, page 200). None of this occurred.

Assemblies of God Church

The Assemblies of God Church has made an indelible impression because of its active, evangelical work. Like other popular groups, this community has a rich history of failed predictions. One definitive study of predictions made within this church was published by an Assemblies of God scholar and pastor, Professor Dwight Wilson. The book was entitled Armageddon Now! On the jacket of his book is this caveat: "The author cautions his fellow Premillenarians that they will lose their credibility if they continue to see in each political crisis a sure fulfillment of Biblical prophecy--despite their obvious errors concerning earlier crises."

During World War I, The Weekly Evangel, an official publication of the Assemblies of God, carried this prediction: "We are not yet in the Armageddon struggle proper, but at its commencement, and it may be, if students of prophecy read the signs aright, that Christ will come before the present war closes, and before Armageddon...The war preliminary to Armageddon, it seems, has commenced." (April 10, 1917 edtion, page 3). Other editions speculated that the end would come no later than 1934 or 1935 (May 13, 1916 pp 6-9 etc). These predictions failed.

The Anglican Church (Episcopal Church)

In volume II of The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, author Leroy Edwin Froom tells us about a prominent Anglican prelate who made a relevant prediction: "Edwin Sandys (1519-1588), Archbishop of York and Primate of England was born in Lancastershire... Sandys says, 'Now, as we know not the day and time, so let us be assured that this coming of the Lord is near. He is not slack, as we do count slackness. That it is at hand, it may be probably gathered out of the Scriptures in divers places. The signs mentioned by Christ in the Gospel which should be the foreshewers of this terrible day, are almost all fulfilled." (The Prophetic Faith of our Fathers, pages 417, 419.) This prediction made over 400 years ago went unfulfilled.

Calvary Chapel

The founder of the Calvary Chapel system is the charismatic Pastor Chuck Smith. Some years ago, he published a book entitled End Times. On the jacket of his book, Smith is called a "well known Bible scholar and prophecy teacher." In this book he wrote: "As we look at the world scene today, it would appear that the coming of the Lord is very, very, close. Yet, we do not know when it will be. It could be that the Lord will wait for a time longer. If I understand Scripture correctly, Jesus taught us that the generation which sees the 'budding of the fig tree', the birth of the nation Israel, will be the generation that sees the Lord's return; I believe that the generation of 1948 is the last generation. Since a generation of judgment is forty years and the tribulation lasts seven years, I believe the Lord could come back for his church anytime before the tribulation starts, which would mean anytime before 1981. (1948 + 40 - 7 = 1981) However, it is possible that Jesus is dating the beginning of the generation from 1967, when Jerusalem was again under Israeli control for the first time since 587 B.C. We don't know for sure which year acturally marks the beginning of the last generation." (pages 35, 36). This same viewpoint was published by the popular Pastor Hal Lindsey in his widely published book entitled The Late Great Planet Earth (see page 43).

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Mormon church like other churches has its share of official predictions that were unfulfilled. Indeed, the founder of this institution, Joseph Smith, made a number of predictions that failed. In 1835, Joseph Smith predicted that within 56 years the world would see its end. Simple math tells us that means by 1890 or 1891 it would all be over. We read: "President Smith then stated...it was the will of God that those who went to Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, or the coming of the Lord, which was nigh-even fifty-six years should wind up the scene."- See volume 2, page 182 of the History of The Church. Joseph added that the voice of the Lord told him the following: "' My son, if thou liveth until thou art eighty-five years of age, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man,' I was left to draw my own conclusions concerning this; and I took liberty to conclude that if I did live to that time, He would make his appearance, But I do not say whether He will make his appearance or I shall go where He is... There are those of the rising generation who shall not taste death until Christ comes." See History of the Church, Volume 5, page 336. One writer notes that: "in 1890 there was a widespread belief among church members that Joseph Smith's prediction of 1835, that fifty-six years would 'wind up the scene.' would be fulfilled." (See Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Klaus J. Hansen, page 76). One must, however, bear in mind that Smith made this prediction based on what he said he heard the Lord tell him. A glance at any historical textbook reveals that Smith did not live to be eighty-five years old (and was, in fact, murdered in 1844).

Mennonite Church

Like the Baptists, the Mennonites have a common connection to the Anabaptists. It is said that the first Mennonite congregation was formed in Zurich, Switzerland in 1525. Menno Simons (1496- 1561 ca) a converted Roman Catholic priest gave the movement its name. Similar to others of his time, Menno believed that the return of Christ was imminent. In a letter to his sister-in-law, he wrote: "We daily expect Christ Jesus." Later, in the 19th century, Russian Mennonite leader Claas Epp, Jr. predicted that Christ would return on March 8, 1889. 
Catholic Apostolic Church

The well known Scottish cleric, Edward Irving, is the founder of the Catholic Apostolic Church and a forerunner of the Pentecostal movement.  In 1828 he wrote a work headed The Last Days: A Discourse on the Evil Character of These Our Times, Proving Them to be the 'Perilous Times' and the 'Last Days' on pages 10-22 we find some telling information which includes the following: " I conclude, therefore, that the last days... will begin to run  from the time of God's appearing for his ancient people, and gathering them together to the work of destroying all Antichristian nations, of evangelising the world, and of governing it during the Millennium... The times and fulness of the times, so often mentioned in the New Testament, I consider as referring to the great period numbered by times...Now if this reasoning be correct,as there can be little doubt that the one thousand two hundred and sixty days concluded in the year 1792, and the thirty addtional days in the year 1823, we are already entered upon the last days, and the ordinary life of a man will carry many of us to the end of them.  If this be so, it gives to the subject with which we have introduced this year's ministry a very great importance indeed."  No more needs to be said about this prediction. 



Third century



Fifteenth century



Sixteenth century




Nineteenth century



Twentieth century















Rapture posters such as this one were spread across New England based on the prophesy of a South Korean cult. Made of latex or a like material, many of the posters continue to last after more than a decade.

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Rapture posters such as this one were spread across New England based on the prophesy of a South Korean cult. Made of latex or a like material, many of the posters continue to last after more than a decade.
















Twenty-first century





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