Spirituality

Why did Isaac Newton believe that the world would end in 2060 ?

By T.K. Randall
May 22, 2023

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) Newton, whose laws of motion and gravitation would go on to dominate our understanding of the physical universe for several centuries, is also known to have kept extensive notes on several 'alternative' subjects including alchemy - the precursor to modern chemistry - and biblical apocalypse theory - which concerned predictions of the end of the world.

Many of his writings concerning the latter were never meant to be seen by anyone else, but they provide an intriguing window into some of his personal spiritual beliefs and thought processes.

They, among other things, reflected his attempts to predict when the world would end based on his Protestant understanding of the Bible.

In one series of notes, he concluded that 2060 was a possible date for the apocalypse, or more specifically, the end of an era of Earth's history."Prop. 1. The 2300 prophetick days did not commence before the rise of the little horn of the He Goat.

2 Those day [sic] did not commence a[f]ter the destruction of Jerusalem & ye Temple by the Romans A.[D.] 70.
3 The time times & half a time did not commence before the year 800 in wch the Popes supremacy commenced
4 They did not commence after the re[ig]ne of Gregory the 7th. 1084
5 The 1290 days did not commence b[e]fore the year 842.
6 They did not commence after the reigne of Pope Greg. 7th. 1084
7 The diffence [sic] between the 1290 & 1335 days are a parts of the seven weeks.

Therefore the 2300 years do not end before ye year 2132 nor after 2370. The time times & half time do n[o]t end before 2060 nor after [2344] The 1290 days do not [end] before 2090 nor after [2374]."

"Newton was convinced that Christ would return around this date and establish a global Kingdom of peace," wrote Prof Stephen D. Snobelen of the University of King's College in Halifax.

"Babylon' (the corrupt Trinitarian Church) would also fall and the true Gospel would be preached openly."

Source: IFL Science

Tags: Isaac Newton