Rapture 2011: Other 'End Of The World' Predictions From Around The World (PHOTOS)

A fringe Christian radio group's prediction that "Judgment Day" will be upon us May 21 has created an international sensation, with devotees vowing to repent for their sins as atheists plan to party it up in the last 24 hours before the "rapture."

As the Miami Herald is reporting, Family Radio Network's founder Harold Camping predicts the "rapture" should begin at 6 p.m. on May 21. Interestingly, Camping's prediction just barely contradicts an older interpretation of the Mayan calendar, which many believe indicates the world will end in December 2012.

Of course, a host of "Judgment Day," "Doomsday" and "Rapture" predictions have abounded for centuries, from the famed teachings of Nostradamus to a British hen's egg-laying "prophecy."

Take a look at some past predictions from around the world here:

1 of 6

1806

1 of 7

First Slide

Previous Slide

@

As the Christian Science Monitor reports, the "Prophet Hen of Leeds," a domesticated fowl in England, began laying eggs that bore the message "Christ is coming" in 1806, leading locals to believe the end of the world was upon them. Charles Mackay's 1841 book, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, describes it thus:

"Great numbers visited the spot, and examined these wondrous eggs, convinced that the day of judgment was near at hand. Like sailors in a storm, expecting every instant to go to the bottom, the believers suddenly became religious, prayed violently, and flattered themselves that they repented them of their evil courses. But a plain tale soon put them down, and quenched their religion entirely. Some gentlemen, hearing of the matter, went one fine morning, and caught the poor hen in the act of laying one of her miraculous eggs. They soon ascertained beyond doubt that the egg had been inscribed with some corrosive ink, and cruelly forced up again into the bird's body. At this explanation, those who had prayed, now laughed, and the world wagged as merrily as of yore."

Bashar Assad: The Man Without Wrinkles Or Shadows

Syria Rebels: Past And Present

Egyptians Protest Israeli Strikes On Gaza

U.S. Drone Strikes In Afghanistan

Around The World In 10 Photos

Rob Ford's Greatest Gaffes

As the Christian Science Monitor reports, the "Prophet Hen of Leeds," a domesticated fowl in England, began laying eggs that bore the message "Christ is coming" in 1806, leading locals to believe the end of the world was upon them.

Charles Mackay's 1841 book, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, describes it thus:

"Great numbers visited the spot, and examined these wondrous eggs, convinced that the day of judgment was near at hand. Like sailors in a storm, expecting every instant to go to the bottom, the believers suddenly became religious, prayed violently, and flattered themselves that they repented them of their evil courses. But a plain tale soon put them down, and quenched their religion entirely. Some gentlemen, hearing of the matter, went one fine morning, and caught the poor hen in the act of laying one of her miraculous eggs. They soon ascertained beyond doubt that the egg had been inscribed with some corrosive ink, and cruelly forced up again into the bird's body. At this explanation, those who had prayed, now laughed, and the world wagged as merrily as of yore."

comments(522)

Total comments: 522 | Post a Comment

1 of 7

Most Insane

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Plausible Insane!

• 
  1
• 
  2
• 
  3
• 
  4
• 
  5
• 
  6
• 
  7
• 
  8
• 
  9
• 
  10

Doomsday Prediction

loading...

Doomsday Prediction

UserName

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Top User Slides

← Prev|Next →

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Users who voted on this slide

← Prev|Next →

loading...

Comments

[kwyang]

01:23 PM on 05/24/2011

You know, if you look on your wall right now, there's probably a paper calendar with a fuzzy kitten or a shirtless fireman that goes from December of 2010 to like February of 2012. Does that mean the world ends in February? Or does that mean you just haven't gotten around to buying next year's calendar? So why do people think the Mayans have calendars printed (eh, well, carved) out for all of eternity?

[bigdaveh]

10:49 AM on 05/24/2011

Let's see, common Mayan legend has it that 12/21/12 is the end of the world, but now Camping is trying to one-up them with his 10/21/11. I just want to know how sheeple can honestly think these charlatans actually KNOW when the world will end.

But now I wish I had opened that savings account for end-timers. I'd be rolling in the dough, and when any of them came back for the money I'd just have to ask for them to prove their sanity. My first question will be "Did you think the world was REALLY going to end?" And when the answer is "Yes", my next statement is "Next!"

[michelesda]

06:12 AM on 05/24/2011

Looks like another Rapture got Ruptured.

[MikeDu]

04:11 PM on 05/23/2011

Maybe God was telling them this stuff just to mess with them!
Remember, George Bush Junior claimed that God personally told him to invade Iraq. Apparently God is quite the kidder. Lets also recall in the bible  the Jews prayed to be liberated from Pharoah and in response he caused it to raid frogs. He's like a heavenly Carrot Top.

[KarlaElisa]

03:31 PM on 05/23/2011

apparently the only worthy soul i knew was a broody hen i had, that was 'taken up' by an effin' raccoon on may 21st.

[KarlaElisa]

03:27 PM on 05/23/2011

the only one that wasn't xtian was/is the mayan gig next year. and i'm not sure the mayans say the world 'ends'.

[celtcalgal]

01:18 PM on 05/23/2011

phew -- that was close -- now i can be around for the REAL end of the world -- the Mayan calendar on dec.21, 2012, ( wink wink ).

[Roy Ang]

12:21 PM on 05/23/2011

OK...so the guy that predicted this also screwed up back in 1994.
He claims that was a "mathematical error".
Well we are still here (whether this is "hell" or not is another discussion).
Now he is reportedly a "retired Civil Engineer".

The smart thing to do is tear down every project he was involved with...probably built to specification based on a bunch of "mathematical errors" all over the place!


re: the Mayan Calendar...
I bet the poor guy pounding away on the rock calendar asked for help to flip the dang slab over one day and the poor assistant tired of flipping giant slabs said "screw it...do it yourself". So the rock chisler said to himself..."screw this no one is gonna live this long anyway. I don't get paid enough to do this for this long".

,,,And stopped.

[ThinkFree111]

12:47 PM on 05/23/2011

This prediction was based on a mathematical error also. He calculated that all the money he scammed out of people in 1994 would last longer then it did. He needed another pay day.

[KarlaElisa]

03:27 PM on 05/23/2011

well it must have worked. i heard he was worth 80 mil

[ThinkFree111]

12:20 PM on 05/23/2011

This Reverend needs to be investigated. He played this scam in 1994 and collected millions in donations. Then again this year collecting an estimated 100 million. Where did the money from 1994 go? How much was left, when he announced this new rapture. I imagine if you look at his bank account balance you would ses large amount in 1994 gradually shrinking for 15 years, then new date announced and the balance start growing again. This guy is a con man playing on the fears of devoted religious people for personal gain. He should be sharing a cell with Bernie Madoff.

[cobra7]

03:14 PM on 05/23/2011

It has been estimated that he is sitting on approximately 70,000,000 dollars....talking about another payday..Just imagine all the lives that he has ruined with his prediction....nuff said

[Lahonda]

08:31 AM on 05/23/2011

Well, there were no presidential hopefuls raptured this weekend... dang! (wink)

[Roadrun]

08:25 AM on 05/23/2011

Now why would anybody believe the Mayan calendar when it's not even an app? I mean, those guys didn't have Post Its, velcrow, texting or anything so how could they figure when the world would end? I doubt they even had 3D movies.

[Albert Jenkin]

07:48 AM on 05/23/2011

Doesn't the Iceland volcano count? A bit late, but what the heck. It's still a memorable natural event, worthy of notice by the God Fearing. Surely a sign of something, eh?
Truthfully, I haven't checked with my sister's kids to see if any of them fell for the Camping mania. I fear that some may have. They never disappoint. My own kids and grandkids have been innoculated with my personal skepticism, so they're relatively safe.

[mommatiguress]

02:25 AM on 05/23/2011

No Man knows when the exact day of the rapture is going to happen; we Christians just know when it's near. Signs of times is showing; so we always have to be ready, cause no man knows the day. Like people didn't believe when Noah said a flood is coming, and when it was coming people where banging on his doors then wanting to come into the ark and be saved from the flood. Well, when the rapture does happen people, you will see we Christians are right and the Holy Bible is true. It will be a scary time for those left behind. Read the KJV Bible you will see for yourself the rapture is going to happen, but no man knows the exact day, time or hour. It is very soon though, so look up it's going to happen. Don't make in fun of, that the rapture didn't happen, cause it's not a fairy tale. It's by the Grace of God it didn't happened on May 21st for those of you who aren't Christians. Get into a spirit filled Church and get saved turning your hearts over to Jesus Christ. You then won't have to worry when the rapture happens, cause you'd be one of the one's saved.

[panjo]

12:19 PM on 05/23/2011

Question is why didnt Christ convert the zulu in Africa and the mongolians?? Why did he only appear amongst the jews??
Dude keep smoking crack and you will enter the kingdom quicker!

[cobra7]

03:25 PM on 05/23/2011

My brother and I have been at odds about this. He is a fundamentalist Christian and he said to me that if you were not part of his group, you were going to hell. When I asked him to clarify, he said that if you were of any of the eastern faith, Muslim, Hindu, etc..you were going to hell..We got into an argument because I defended my position which was how can he say that about religions that were older than fundamentalist Christianity? The discussion ended with us agreeing to disagree! I thought it was very arrogant and almost made me revert back to being agnostic...nuff said

[KarlaElisa]

03:30 PM on 05/23/2011

i wouldn't get all 'nyah, nyah' just yet. assuming there even IS a JC coming 'back', there isn't a single thing in the bible that says squat about a 'rapture'. y'all been reading too many of those left behind stories.

[Thomas Rowe]

01:16 AM on 05/23/2011

So this does not have anything to do with hernia ruptures? Must be on the wrong thread. Sorry

[Midnight Rider]

11:02 PM on 05/22/2011

The Prophet Hen of Leeds found the whole business of doomsayers a big pain in the rearend. I think we can all relate to her, having all that nonsense shoved up our...