The Day and the Hour: Christianity's Perennial Fascination with Predicting the End of the World

Throughout Christian history, bizarre fringe groups and well-meaning saints alike have been fully convinced that events in their lifetime were fulfilling Bible prophecy.

In The Day and The Hour, Gumerlock spans two thousand years of conjecture on the last days, disclosing the dreams and delusions of those who believed that their sect was the 144,000 of Revelation 7; that the 1290 days of Daniel 12 had expired in their generation; that the "Man of Sin" of II Thessalonians 2 was reigning in their time; that a Rapture of the saints, a Great Tribulation, a Battle of Armageddon were just around the corner; or that a Millennial Kingdom was about to dawn.

By exposing these erroneous predictions made century after century, The Day and The Hour encourages an approach of "cautious ignorance" concerning the date of the final coming of Christ and related events, and magnifies the truth of Christ's words that the day and the hour is indeed unknown. This fascinating chronicle of predictions will rivet the attention of any student of Bible prophecy, regardless of your eschatological position.

About the Author: Francis X. Gumerlock teaches history and Latin and is the author of several books, including The Early Church and the End of the World.

Paperback or PDF, 354 pages