Posted on 06/17/2007 7:26:12 PM PDT by voletti
JERUSALEM: Renowned British scientist Sir Isaac Newton, the father of modern physics and astronomy, predicted the world would end in 2060. He made the prediction in a 1704 letter that went on show in Jerusalem on Sunday.
A famed rationalist, who secured a royal exemption from the ordination in the Church of England that was normally expected of academics of his day so he would not have to follow its teachings, Newton nonetheless based his prediction on a Biblical text.
Working from verses in the Book of Daniel, the elaborator of the classical laws of gravity, motion and optics argued that the world would end 1,260 years after the foundation of the Holy Roman empire in western Europe in 800 AD.
The letter, on show at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University as part of an exhibition called “Newton’s Secrets”, is part of an array of papers of the British scientist bequeathed to the institution by a wealthy collector of scientific manuscripts.
The university said it was the first time the letter had been put on public show since 1969. Newton’s late 17th century work at Cambridge University was the foundation stone of modern science until the discovery of relativity and quantum mechanics in the last century.
But it has long been known that the ground-breaking physicist from Grantham, England, also took a keen interest in superstitions of his day that have long since fallen foul of modern science. Newton spent four years in the 1670s preparing a work on alchemy, the notion that base metals can be turned into gold.
Yes, he was a devout Christian. Cf. Westfall’s biography, Never At Rest, ( I have the abridged version. ) He read the writings of the early church fathers extensively, and took up in favor of the Arian heresy. That is, he rejected the doctrine of the Trinity, and quite obsessively.
Not so! He was convinced that alchemical writings were a transmission of secret knowledge from a former "age of wisdom", and sought to discover their meaning by carrying out various alchemical experiments, mostly involving heating a big pot of mercury on a fire in his room.
The End of the World
Why does the sun go on shining?
Why does the sea rush to shore?
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world,
‘Cause you don’t love me any more?
Why do the birds go on singing?
Why do the stars glow above?
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world.
It ended when I lost your love.
I wake up in the morning and I wonder,
Why everything’s the same as it was.
I can’t understand. No, I can’t understand,
How life goes on the way it does.
Why does my heart go on beating?
Why do these eyes of mine cry?
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world.
It ended when you said goodbye.
Why does my heart go on beating?
Why do these eyes of mine cry?
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world.
It ended when you said goodbye.
Skeeter Davis, 1962
I was explaining to Mrs Bear about how Jesus returns from the sky on horseback with a sword. I was describing how the saints will be with him on horseback and she blurted our “You mean I am going to get a horse!”
I’ve seen 2012 mentioned quite a bit, from many different angles — besides from a Christian standpoint. But, I know that we’re not told exactly when it’s going to be, from the Bible (for the beginning of the Tribulation period, that 7-year period of time, just prior to the 1,000 year reign of the Messiah of Israel). We are shown what things will be like in that time period, but not the exact time. Jesus indicates that we will know the season of the “time of the end” (which is the time period going into the Tribulation and leading into the Millennial reign of Christ on earth). So, we’ll definitely be able to see the time period we’re in, although not the exact time these things will happen.
So, it may be 2012, or earlier, or later. But, I would say it wouldn’t be too much longer than a decade or so from now. Since God won’t allow the destruction of Israel, the closer the Islamic nations come to actually being able to destroy Israel, it’s that much closer to all these things happening right away.
There’s no one who is going to be able to say what year this is all going to come about, other than a lucky guess on their part. It’s simply not given in the Bible, even though it’s apparent, according to what the Bible indicates, that this is the time period that these things are going to happen.
All I can say about it, is to be ready for this to all come about — in an instant, maybe tomorrow or next week — up to a few years from now. It can happen at any instant, from now forward...
Yes and he used a lot of quicksilver(mercury) in his experiments.
LOL...
I’m not sure how or by what method I’ll be returning with Jesus, the Messiah of Israel. I just know that I will.
I’m not quite sure how I’ll “go up” during the Rapture or how I’ll return. It should be an interesting experience, to be sure. There will be a lot of things which will be very interesting during that time. I’m sure it will be an “out of this world” experience... :-)
Why does their calendar end that year? Many possibilities. Some are that the guy who made it;
A: Died
B: Got bored with the whole idea.
C: Got lucky.
D: Got a life.
Newton was a Unitarian, so was Whiston his colleague.
I may be mistaken, but I don’t think Newton believed in the millennial after the return of Christ. An Amillennialist like most in his day.
At least he didn’t say the world ends tomorrow, send me money.
I may be mistaken, but I don’t think Newton believed in the millennial after the return of Christ. An Amillennialist like most in his day.
I wouldn't know about what Newton believed in regards to the Millennial reign of Christ. I would hope, since he has shown himself to be an extremely independent thinker (obviously so), that he would have believed what God says in the Bible about the 1,000 year reign of Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, instead of what a then-current fad of some denomination of the church said. And especially so, since it's very difficult to get rid of what is plainly stated in Revelation about the 1,000 year rule of the Messiah of Israel.
But, if he didn't believe that, then -- if he was a Christian -- well..., he knows it now, for sure.
Regards,
Star Traveler
Imagine the damage those fumes did to the brains of the people working in there! Didn't some people even ingest mercury because they thought it had some medicinal properties?! Anyway, I might be wrong, but I think that even though it was the mercury that was supposed to have the alchemical properties, it was to be used to turn lead into gold. The property they were looking for in mercury was the ability to turn lead into gold. I believe you if you say no. Thanks for the correction, dr_lew.
That was namely Newton! I suppose he had some assistant or other, but this was a chamber on the grounds of Cambridge that is identifiable today, if I'm not mistaken.
Yes, mercury was considered to be some sort of metallic essence in alchemy, and was important in the quest for transmutation. It's just that Newton didn't concern himself with the production of gold from lead, but was interested in the higher principles he presumed to be at work. Of course, nothing came of it, as it was a completely misguided quest, and I take it as a testament to Newton's judgment, if not his genius, that he dropped the matter.
Also, of course, his contemporary Robert Boyle was on the right track of atomism around the same time. A doctrine which remains supported to this day by the Newtonian concept of central force motion.
LOL!! I can see the dolphins floating away now, going to meet Newton.
There are a lot of geniuses around today, but I’m not in a position to know who they are. Hawking is famous, but...
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