Since the dawn of civilization, humans have been intrigued by the future. It was something mysterious, something enigmatic, something that promised a lot of wonders and great achievements. And it is due to this that the first prophets appeared, people who claimed they could glimpse into this uncertain future and predict events. Throughout the ages, these prophets penned down many unique prophecies, many of them cryptic and mysterious. But today, these prophecies prompt many questions, most importantly - could these foretellings offer insights into our own world and the events that did and will transpire?
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A Striking Glimpse into the Future
From the enigmatic visions of Nostradamus, all the way to the apocalyptic predictions of the ancient Maya, cultures and civilizations across the ages left some truly unique prophecies that could be actually interpreted as warnings for our own time.
The Maya, for example, left one of the most famous predictions, which took the world by storm in recent years. This Central American civilization flourished from around 2000 BC to 1500 AD and was well known for its sophistication in many aspects. They had a significant understanding of mathematics, complex architecture, timekeeping, and astronomy. Their famous Maya Long Count Calendar was closely intertwined with their concept of time cycles. However, this calendar was set to reset at the completion of a 5,125-year cycle, which turned out to be on December 21st, 2012. Many panicked, believing that this was the date that foretold the world’s end.
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A date inscription in the Maya Long Count on the east side of Stela C from Quirigua showing the date for the last Creation, usually correlated as 21 or 23 December 2012 (Public Domain)
Leading up to 2012, the world weighed its options and opinions. Speculation arose that the Mayan calendar actually ends when the world ends - meaning that it predicted the apocalypse. The world was consumed by this idea. Theories flourished, as did books, movies, documentaries, and podcasts. Many tried to decode the secrets of this calendar, trying to deduce what kind of a natural disaster, or cosmic realignment would occur that would end our world. But many scholars stepped up to offer a dose of rational thinking. They stated that the Maya actually did not prophesy the apocalypse, but rather an end of a cycle, and a beginning of a new one, a new era of our world. Translating and decoding their calendar, scholars realized that the end of the calendar was meant to be celebrated and not feared.
And as the world entered 2013 quite normally, people realized that the idea of the apocalypse was pretty much wrong all along. But in many ways, it only renewed interest in the Mayan civilization, and their fascination with the celestial bodies and the cosmic cycles. And even so, we cannot rule out the possibility that we entered a new era as their calendar ended. After all, we are living in a truly modern age, where innovations are in great abundance, and the world changes before our own eyes.
Nostradamus and His Prophetic Writings
Born in 1503, Michel de Nostredame, better known as Nostradamus, was a French apothecary, and an all-round learned man. However, he also claimed to be a seer, able to glimpse into the future. To that end, he penned down a collection of 942 quatrains, all of them allegedly predicting future events. This collection was published by him in 1555 and named aptly - Les Prophéties (Prophecies). The prophecies included were known for their enigma and vague language, and down the centuries they were often interpreted to predict major global events. But was Nostradamus ever correct on any of them?
Nostradamus painted by his son (César de Notre-Dame / Public Domain)
For example, some researchers of Nostradamus and his work claimed that he predicted major events in our own time, such as the rise of global pandemics, climate changes, and even the September 11 attacks in New York. He wrote:
"In the year of the new century and nine months,
From the sky will come a great King of Terror.
The sky will burn at forty-five degrees.
Fire approaches the great new city."
Believers in his work argued that this was a direct description of these devastating attacks. The “King of Terror” and “sky burning” were seen as descriptions of the devastation of the World Trade Center in 2001. But with this work arose a lot of skeptics too. They considered that these lines were open to interpretation and could apply to many similar events in history. In fact, it is the deliberate vague tone of Nostradamus’ writings that allowed every generation to shape them according to their own desires, fitting major contemporary events and concerns.
Besides these possible prophecies of disasters, many claim that Nostradamus also “warned” about environmental catastrophes in his work. There are many unique references in his writings, related to famine, floods, and fire. These were connected to economic disasters, rising sea levels, forest fires, and global climate change. These themes do exist in his work, but we cannot say with certainty that they were meant to predict these events in our own time. After all, they could be simply concerns for humanity as a whole, which could have been applied to many historical eras following Nostradamus.
The Holy Visions of the Future
Certain alleged prophecies appeared in religious texts as well, and many of their adherents believed they reflect on their contemporary time. Most notable such text is the Christian Bible. Here, in the Book of Revelation, which is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, a series of visions are described. The book is dated to 1st century AD, and describes in detail many cataclysmic events, which culminate in the appearance of the Antichrist and the eventual triumph of good over evil. The explicit symbolism in this text has led to many interpretations, some of which claim that these are prophecies related to the current global disasters.
Those who try to interpret the Book of Revelations often focus on the themes of war, disease, natural disasters, and rampant death. Of course, these can be easily connected to many events from our own time, including earthquakes, hunger, pandemics, and war. What is more, another biblical theme, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - who represent famine, war, conquest, and death - can be mirrored to the ongoing issues of our age. Famine, for example, has been greatly worsened by the ongoing climate changes, while war is a persistent problem in humanity.
The Lamb opening the book/scroll with seven seals. The first four seals summon the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. (Public domain)
However, the Book of Revelation also mentions the “mark of the beast”. Many theorists rose up to interpret it as a prophecy of a system of control over commerce. Modern digital currencies, surveillance, and even barcodes have been connected to this theory. For the most part, however, these theories are nothing more than speculation. They are there to simply show how biblical prophecy continues to serve as a mirror for all the modern ailments we witness. And even biblical scholars argue that the Book of Revelation is simply a theological work, and heavily laden with symbolism. According to them, it is meant to instill hope in Christians and is not a prophecy of the future.
World According to the Oracles
Did you know that even the Ancient Romans believed in prophecies and prophets? In their time, however, these were known as oracles and were held in high regard. Of these, the most important were the Sibylline Oracles, featured in a collection of prophetic books which were regularly consulted by the Roman leaders. Considered amongst the Empire’s most important resources for guidance in times of crisis and war, they were compiled over many centuries. Of course, as such they blended numerous cultural influences, including Greek, Roman, Christian, and Jewish beliefs and legends. Due to this, the oracles often addressed the importance of morality and divine wrath, but also the themes of disasters and political changes.
“Beginning with the earliest race of men,
Even to the latest, I will prophesy
Of all things past, and present, and to come
In the world through the wickedness of men,
And first, God bids me utter how the world
Came into being.”
The Sibylline Oracles
Like most other ancient prophecies, these oracles also talk about great cataclysmic events of the future, such as plagues, floods, and fires, all similar to the ecological issues we experience today. However, there is another element here - the oracles speak of catastrophic consequences of decadence, greed, and corruption, all of which we suffer from today. However, the oracles also tell of a “golden age”, a time that follows the period of great suffering around the world. Most scholars liken this to the beliefs of Christians, and the motif itself appears in many cultures across the world. So, in general, the Oracles don’t truly predict the future but raise concerns over matters that can resonate with people in every age of history.
The Native Future-Seers
There were those cultures, however, that had no connection to the mainstream religions, and no complex writing systems to speak of. And still, they bore their own prophets and visions of the future, many of which remain intriguing to this day. Of note are the Hopi Native Americans, who have a series of unique prophecies. One of their sites in Arizona boasts the so-called Prophecy Rock, a series of petroglyphs that are seen as a vision of the future. The images warn of the effects of societal degradation, greed, and the destruction of nature. According to the Hopi natives, several “worlds” before our own were destroyed due to these circumstances, and the prophecy speaks of repetition.
Prophecy Rock is a petroglyph site on the Hopi Reservation in northern Arizona, near the Four Corners region. (wikifandom/CC BY-SA 3.0).
Is it due to this vision of the future that the Hopi natives live in such a harmonious unison with the nature around them? Devoid of the destructive elements of the modern world, they live their lives according to the prophecy, aiming to staunch the flow of the world’s destructive tides.
Perhaps now is the time for us to heed the messages of the American Natives, and to once more interpret their ancient prophecies carved in stone. And it is certainly time to consider if our decadent ways are leading us into a bright or dark future.
A Vision of the Future World
A lot of people across the world are skeptical about prophecies, believing them to be nothing more than ancient musings that are interpreted in various ways. This might be so, but there are nevertheless many believers who consider the symbolic messages of these prophecies to be more significant than their literal meaning. For them, in this world of rapid change and many existential challenges, ancient prophecies provide guidance and a sense of purpose, and the possibility to change the flow of future, on a small scale at least.
And as we navigate the complex 21st century landscape, filled with rapid technological advancements, social degradation, corruption, and war, we once more look back to these ancient prophecies to find a glimpse of our own future days. But at the end of the day, perhaps the prophecies are not needed after all. Perhaps, we can reach a logical conclusion about the direction in which we move.
Top image: Mystic Crystal Ball in a Candlelit Room. Source: Ashalina/Adobe Stock
References
Nissinen, M. 2017. Ancient Prophecy: Near Eastern, Biblical, and Greek Perspectives. Oxford University Press.
Reading, M. 2015. Nostradamus: The Complete Prophecies for the Future. Duncan Baird Publishers.
Stökl, J. 2013. Prophecy in the Ancient Near East: A Philological and Sociological Comparison. BRILL.
