The Hoax of 2012?

Widely considered the most important work of Jewish Kabbalah, the Zohar is a collection of books written in medieval Aramaic over seven hundred years ago containing mystical commentary on the Pentateuch (five books of Moses, the Torah). In addition to interpreting Scripture, the “Vaera” section (volume 3, section 34) includes “The signs heralding Mashiach,” or “The coming of the Messiah.” The fascinating date for “his” appearance is set in the Zohar at late 2012. Given the rejection of Jesus by orthodox Jews as Messiah, this coming could herald the unveiling of Antichrist in 2012.

J. R. Church of Prophecy in the News called my office recently and led me through verses 476–483 of this part of the Zohar to point out what nobody, as far as I have been able to find, in the 2012 research community has written before—that the time of Jacob’s trouble (the Great Tribulation) will commence according to this ancient text in the year 2012 when the “kings of the earth” gather in Rome and are killed by meteoric stones from the sky.

Interestingly, among other scholars of the implications of the year 2012, a few have pointed to a prophecy by Malachy O’Morgair, or “St. Malachy” as he is known to Catholics, having to do with “the last pope.” The prophecy, taken from St. Malachy’s “Prophecy of the Popes,” is among a list of verses predicting each of the Roman Catholic popes from Pope Celestine II to the final pope, “Peter the Roman,” whose reign would end in the destruction of Rome. According to Malachy’s prophecy, the next pope (following Benedict XVI) is to be the final pontiff, Petrus Romanus, or “Peter the Roman.” He will assume authority during a time of great tribulation, and then “the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the terrible and fearsome Judge will judge his people.”

DEFENDER PUBLISHING: PART TWENTY-EIGHT: Read It Before It Is [Further] Banned By The US Government

Comments:

Is my underwear in a twist over 2012? Not really. It is what it is, or better yet, it will be what it will be. It is entertaining to hear some astronomer declaring there is no substance to any 2012 prediction or talk, or some physicist, or biologist or congressman. Based on what exactly? It is like the Postmaster declaring 2012 is a hoax because he sees no evidence to support it in the post office. We are unlikely to find direct “evidence” of this future happening in our limited time frames and disciplines.

Things become more interesting when we study the predicting business throughout the ages past. The above is provocative because different and unrelated sources arrive at similar dates. St. Malachy’s prediction of the final pope is especially interesting to those few Christians who know of it.