GabyResearchers found a prophecy about the end of the world among the notes of Sir Isaac Newton (1643–1727), known for his revolutionary work in physics, mathematics, and astronomy.
More than 300 years ago, the scientist who formulated the law of universal gravitation calculated when, in his opinion, the apocalypse would occur. In 1704 he wrote that the world as we know it would cease to exist in the year 2060. Newton left this ominous warning alongside a series of mathematical calculations on a sheet of letter paper.
Why did the scientist choose this particular year?
Isaac Newton based his prediction on a Protestant interpretation of the Bible. The scholar was interested in descriptions of the end times and the battle of Armageddon between the forces of good and evil. According to the Scriptures, that battle will mark the end of the world and usher in a new era, the Daily Mail reported.
To determine the date of the apocalypse, Newton turned to mathematics and analyzed dates from biblical history. He chose the year 800 AD as a reference point for his calculations, when Charlemagne was crowned emperor of the restored Holy Roman Empire. He calculated that 1,260 years should pass between that event and the end of the world. Therefore, according to Newton, the apocalypse should be expected in 2060.
Researchers who study Newton’s writings also found written evidence that he doubted the accuracy of this prediction. The scholar remarked: “It may end later, but I see no reason for it to end sooner.”
What does modern science say?
Stephen D. Snobelen, a professor of the history of science and technology at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Canada, noted that Newton’s prophecy didn’t involve complex mathematical calculations. According to the professor, it was more a matter of simple arithmetic that “a child could perform.”
Snobelen also said that although Newton tried to predict the future, he was reluctant to name prophetic dates and worried that “the failure of false human prophecies based on divine prophecies would disgrace the Bible.” It may seem strange today that the renowned scholar was so concerned with biblical prophecy. But, according to Snobelen, “Newton was not a scientist in the modern sense. He was a natural philosopher.”
“Natural philosophy, practiced from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, involved the study of not only nature but also of God’s intervention in nature,” the researcher added. “For Newton, there was no insurmountable barrier between religion and what we now call science. Throughout his long life he worked on uncovering God’s truth — whether in nature or in Scripture.”
