Does December 21, 2012 and the Mayan Calendar have anything to do with the Christian Rapture?

by Bill
(Muskogee)

Ancient Mayan humor

Ancient Mayan humor



Thanks for the good question about the Mayan calendar and the rapture. Using the Mayan Calendar to date the Rapture is, in my opinion, an exercise in futility. I have Links at the bottom of this page which explore the Mayan Calendar and the Biblical Rapture.

There is no reason to believe that pagan Mayans who did not believe in Christ would have helpful insight into Biblical teaching about the Rapture. And there is no reason to believe that God would instruct Christians about prophetic events through pagan Mayans who were not Christians.

Is the Rapture of the Church
sound Bible doctrine?


There have been many date-setters over the years who claimed to have figured out the date of the Rapture. My old Pastor, Dr. Peter Ruckman, photo on this page, told me once, that there's "no way 1989 could end without the Rapture happening if our calendar is right." Of course, 1989 ended and the Rapture didn't happen.

False Rapture Predictions
Don't try this at home!

  1. The Shakers predicted Jesus would return in 1792.

  2. Adventists, led by William Miller, predicted Jesus would return on March 21, 1844. When Jesus failed to appear, Miller revised his prediction to October 22, 1844.

  3. Jehovah's Witnesses, working from Miller's failed calculations, taught that Jesus would return in the fall of 1914. When Jesus failed to appear, they claimed He returned invisibly or secretly or spiritually. Jehovah's Witnesses' leader Judge Rutherford then claimed that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would return in 1925.

    Rutherford even had a mansion constructed in San Diego so Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would have a place to stay when they returned. Seeing no need to waste a perfectly beautiful mansion, Judge Rutherford moved in and lived there, waiting for the patriarchs but 1925 and 1929 ended and the patriarchs failed to appear. No problem since Rutherford enjoyed living in the mansion anyway, wink wink, nod nod, say no more.

    Jehovah's Witnesses then proclaimed that Jesus would return in 1975 but again, Jesus was a no show and their prediction was demonstrated to be false.

  4. William Branham, the charismatic false prophet, expected Jesus to return in 1977 but Willie was wrong.

  5. Chuck Smith, founder of the Calvary Chapel movement, taught that Jesus would return in 1981 but again, Jesus did not show up on Chuck's schedule.

  6. Others predicted the Rapture would happen in 1989 and 1991 and 1994 and 1995. Pick almost any date and some nut somewhere thought the Rapture would happen on that date.

  7. And of course, Harold Camping of Family Radio thought the Rapture would happen on May 21, 2011. When the world was not hit with the massive earthquakes Harold the false prophet predicted, he simply lied again and made a new Rapture date for October 21, 2011. The new date also proved to be a false prophesy.

    The Board of Family Radio must be a bunch of gutless wonders to keep supporting their false prophet. If they loved God and His truth, the Board of Directors would remove lying Harold from leadership.

    According to Harold, Jesus DID come back on May 21, 2011 but He came back spiritually, whatever that means. According to Harold Camping's latest false teaching, Jesus will come back physically on October 21, 2011. Why do people follow these Bible blockheads?

It's NOT nutty to
believe in the Rapture


It is nutty to try to predict the Rapture. The Rapture is the future event, which could happen at any moment, when Jesus returns in the clouds to catch up the dead in Christ and Christians who are alive at His coming, to take them to heaven, before the Tribulation begins, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

It is nutty to follow false prophets who keep predicting the Rapture and getting it wrong and then change their mind and make yet another false prophesy about the Rapture. The fact that so many people made false predictions about the Rapture doesn't mean it's not going to happen. It just means they are not as smart as they think they are. The less reverent among us refer to them as Bible blockheads.


This page updated April 19, 2012.


Helpful links to
more Rapture information


Return to Ask A Question

Return to 101 Community

Gracethrufaith defends the Pre-Trib Rapture

Everything you need to know to be RaptureReady

Biblebell on the Rapture

RaptureReady on the Rapture and the Mayan Calendar.

RaptureReady on 2012 Maya Prophesy

RaptureReady.com - Everything you've always wanted to know about the Rapture

Ephraem's Pre-Trib Rapture sermon from A.D. 373

Answering common objections to the Pre-Trib Rapture

A Scriptural Critique of Preterism

Pre-trib Rapture Myths - don't let them snow you!

Gracethrufaith defends the Pre-Trib Rapture

Everything you need to know to be RaptureReady

Who is Jesus?

Christs Bride will be with the Lord after the Rapture.

We've answered the question: Does December 21, 2012 and the Mayan Calendar have anything to do with the Christian Rapture? Return to Gay Christian 101 Home Page.


Comments for Does December 21, 2012 and the Mayan Calendar have anything to do with the Christian Rapture?

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Oct 12, 2009
 WM Branham
by: Erlend F.

William Branham did not prophecy or speak in the name of the Lord concerning 1977. He said he could miss it a 100 years and he emphasized that this was a prediction, NOT a prophecy.
Oct 12, 2009
 End of the Mayan calendar
by: Anonymous

I really only have one thing to say about this.

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mark 13:32).
Oct 12, 2009
 William Branham was a false prophet
by: Rick Brentlinger

Branham claimed to be God's end-time prophet. Branham's followers identified him as the prophetic Elijah of Malachi 4 and the seventh angel of Revelation 10.

Speaking of himself, Branham wrote:

"...we are promised a return of that Spirit (Elijah) just before the end-time. He won't start another church, because there is no more church ages to come... because the Laodicea Church Age is the last age, and the messenger of the Seventh Angel... is the fellow that is going to reveal, by the Holy Spirit, all of these mysterious things.... Notice. This last message of the last church age is not a reformer, he is a PROPHET!" The Seven Seals, pp. 144-145.

According to his disciples, Branham is not just a prophet but a major prophet. "A MAN SENT FROM GOD." That the ministry of William Branham qualifies to be that of a major prophet and thus fulfill Malachi 4:5-6 and Revelation 10:7 should become abundantly clear to any who take time to conduct even a brief investigation..." The Message, p. 7.

Branham falsely predicted that America would be destroyed in 1977, The Seven Church Ages, p. 322. Branham was a false prophet because while he claimed to be a prophet, what he claimed would happen did not happen, Deuteronomy 18:20-22.

While he explained that it was a prediction rather than a prophecy (without explaining the difference), he also firmly stressed that the 1977 date was based on his thirty year study of the Bible and "Divine inspiration." The point is, what Branham said would happen did not happen.

Here is additional information pointing out Branham's false teachings.


False teachings of William Branham


More about William Branham's false teachings
Aug 06, 2010
 FALSENESS!!
by: Anonymous

Well, that was false, too.
Mar 20, 2011
 Rapture
by: Anonymous

God will never let anyone know the exact time of his coming. How would you live if you knew he would come 2020. You would stop going to church and do what you want, to return to the church in 2018. That is not what god wants. He wants you to come to him, surrendering yourself so you are ready when he comes. There is no man on this earth knowing when Jesus comes for us.

Praise God for his word. We are in the end time have faith and trust in God. If you have to be in the Rapture you will be there.
Sep 01, 2011
 I sure hope so!
by: Lavender Darwin

Too much white in my beard. 2012 would be perfect timing for the end...
Apr 19, 2012
 #6 Needs to Be Corrected
by: Anonymous

I really like the information presented here. Nicely done. However the group that you mentioned in #6 above is not a version of SDA. There aren't different flavors of our religion. Besides why would we have referenced Rosh Hashana if we don't even celebrate it?

Rick's comment: Thanks for the heads up. That group's website no longer exists so I removed #6. On my point that there are different flavors of Adventism, that is also the view of Adventist Today, published by the Adventist Foundation in Loma Linda, CA.

In an article in the Nov-Dec 2007 issue titled: Progressive and Traditional Adventists Examined, the author discussed liberal and conservative Adventists, traditional Adventists, historic Adventists, Bible believing Adventists (kind of a misnomer since they follow Ellen G. White), cultural Adventists, evangelical Adventists and even ecumenical Adventists.

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