There have been more dooms-day- sayers then we care to admit. In fact practically every soul on earth considered the possibility, if even for a second, that midnight December 31st 1999 would be the end of humanity.

During the earlier part of 2010, MSNBC reported a popular opinion poll. It was a Christian poll revealing how people of faith viewed the end of the world. According to their poll results, Christians believe that the world age will come to an end within the next forty-years. Forty is a good number, as it is a biblical equation used throughout scripture i.e. forty-day fast by Christ and forty-years wandering in the wilderness. However, this poll showed that the world would end as Christ returns to earth ushering in the new world age.

What is the harm in predicting the end of the world? For most people there isn’t any harm. We just let the rumors role off and we continue living our lives. But there are some people extremely vulnerable to the whiles of fanatical seers. Some people are in search of the truth and then find themselves consumed by ravings of lunatics.

For example, Reverend Jim Jones, founder of the Peoples Temple, became so enamored by himself and his success, he actually began to believe his own lie, that he was the second coming of Christ. As a result, convinced that the world was trying to put him to death, forced nearly one thousand people, including children to commit suicide. Until the events of September 11th 2001 it’s recorded as one of the largest mass murders in history.

Born Vernon Wayne Howell, David Koresh leader of Branch Davidian religious sect. He had already begun to give the message proclaiming that he was Christ "the Son of God, the Lamb who could open the Seven Seals. He believed that he was the one who would usher in the new world. As a result, himself, 54 adults and 21 children were found dead after the fire at his compound.

Heavens Gate was another end of the world type second coming of Christ based faith that focused on UFO’s. Founded and led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, they convinced naïve followers that they had inside information concerning the return of Christ. Marshall, after suffering a severe heart attack, was certain that he and his nurse Bonnie were the two witnesses spoken of in the Bible, the Book of Revelation. He led his followers to believe that the Comet Hale-Bopp was the sign that Jesus was returning. The day after the comet March 26 1997 police discovered the bodies of 39 members of the group who had committed suicide in order to reach an alien aircraft that was supposedly following the aforementioned comet.

And now there is Harold Camping in this his second attempt to predict the end of the world. He’s bold enough to call it “The Rapture of May 21st 2011” and people are listening to him. He follows this up with “God will blow the earth to smithereens five months later on October 21st .

Will this actually happen? I don’t think so. However from what I have researched in the Holy Bible there is some credence to what he claims. According to the scriptures a false Christ does come to earth and will reign for five months preceding the return of the True Savior. But it’s a mistake to believe that he has the ability to predict or has actually heard from God concerning the end to His plan.

Why would God tell anyone when the end is here? He wouldn’t and we should stop attempting to predict as if God personally confides in mere mortals.

What does Jesus say? After giving us all the signs to look for the most He could say is, “Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only”.

He gave us a whole list of events that must occur before He returns. Jesus said that only the Father knows when the end comes. He didn’t know (He probably knows now), the angels didn’t know and I’m pretty sure that man doesn’t know. Anyone who claims to know isn’t playing with a full deck.