[music playing] NARRATOR: The number seven-- it may be the unluckiest
number ever because seven is the number that counts
down to the end times. Seven angels usher in
unimaginable calamity. And seven vials hold the poisons
that will destroy us all. Each is triggered over a
seven-year period that begins at the precise moment
when a savior breaks the first of seven seals. For thousands of years,
prophets around the world have predicted the end of days. More than one suggest the
apocalypse is fast approaching. We call this theoretical
convergence between doomsday prophecies and today's events
the Nostradamus effect. MAN: How will the end begin? [music playing] NARRATOR: Revelation, the final
book of the New Testament, exposes a chilling timeline. Many accept it as a countdown
chronicling God's master plan to end the world. The markers of this timeline-- the seven seals. Some say these seals
are being broken today. Biblical experts suggest
Revelation is a blueprint of the future outlining a
deadly and destructive sequence culminating in our demise. Disaster will follow disaster
until finally the forces of God and Satan face off in
the ultimate battle between good and evil. There are a specific set
of events which lead up to the final battle. And these events are a great
and widespread pestilence, war, destruction, plagues. They call it the
day of God's vengeance against the population
of planet Earth. NARRATOR: Some believe we are
now entering a decisive period known as the tribulation,
a time of extreme turmoil that precedes God's
final judgment. Is it possible that current
events caused by both nature and man are converging with
biblical predictions of the end of the world? We will neither refute nor
endorse these theories, merely present the evidence. [music playing] Today, believers are seeking
connections between the book of Revelation and
science to determine if any of the biblical seven
seals have already been broken. But even among those who
believe that they have, debate still rages. Many disagree about where our
own age fits into the timeline said to be marked by the seals. Are we in the middle of the
sequence as some suggest? If so, when will the final
seal be broken, supposedly igniting the end of everything? JONATHAN KIRSCH: The
most religious people in the world read the Bible
as the literal word of God. And the most secular people in
the world, scientists who study the phenomenon of
the natural world, agree completely that the
world will end catastrophically and finally at some
point in the future. NARRATOR: Believers
search for a way to determine whether
Revelation's prophecies may be converging with both
religion and today's unrest to herald the end of days. In the New Testament, the author
of Revelation's divine prophecy is referred to simply as John. Like other biblical
authors, John makes frequent use of
one particular number in his writing. The number seven figures
very importantly in the book of Revelation almost
obsessively or compulsively. The author resorts again and
again to the number seven. The number seven is very
significant in the Bible going all the way back to
the beginning of the world when God made the Earth in six
days and rested on the seventh. NARRATOR: According to
John, the number seven plays an equally crucial
role in the world's end. He writes that mankind will
receive the warning of its fate in the form of a scroll
that is sealed seven times. But John writes of
one critical caveat. ACTOR AS JOHN: And I saw in
the right hand of him who sat on the throne a
book written inside and on the back, sealed
up with seven seals. And a question goes out who's
worthy to open this scroll and break the seals
and see what's in it. [music playing] NARRATOR: According
to the prophecy, the only one worthy
to break the seal is Jesus referred to in the
Bible as the slain lamb of God. He comes up and takes
a seven-sealed scroll out of the hand of the
father on the throne. This appears to be a title
deed to the universe and God's prophetic plan for
all of eternity. NARRATOR: Some scholars say
the prophecy of Revelation is triggered and the tribulation
begins when Jesus breaks open the first of the seven seals. This releases the first of
the dreaded four horsemen of the apocalypse. According to Revelation,
these dark figures will elicit an extended period
of misery and destruction which some say
has already begun. BRETT PETERSON: Many
reasons we believe we're living in the last days. One is famine, diseases
that are out of control, severe natural disasters. Because of these things,
most Bible scholars believe that we are indeed
living in the last days. NARRATOR: The Revelation
of the first seal says-- ACTOR AS JOHN: And I looked,
and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on it had a bow. And a crown was given to him. And he went out
conquering and to conquer. NARRATOR: It is believed
that the white horseman could falsely present himself as
a benevolent world leader. But in reality, he is among
the most sinister figures in the Bible, the antichrist. JOYE JEFFRIES PUGH:
He is emulating Jesus. The interesting facet of it all
is the bow without the arrow, the bow meaning that he
has the power over the air. He's going to use
the power of the air to be able to control people. But it's a silent,
deceptive way of control. NARRATOR: According to the
prophecy's supposed timeline, the antichrist could be at work
today using diplomatic skills and powers of persuasion
in an apparent effort to bring nations
together in peace. But his goal is
the exact opposite. He will lead humanity
directly into Armageddon. There will be individuals that
will come and will lead people astray in mass. Some modern scholars suggest
that one of the great deceivers was Hitler who was
followed by masses and committed great atrocities. The antichrist will come. And there will be armies led
that will create devastation and destruction. NARRATOR: After the first seal
breaks, a domino effect begins. According to Revelation, the
second seal of the scroll is broken immediately
after the first. This will reveal a red horseman. JOYE JEFFRIES PUGH:
Now, the red horse is quite interesting in the
fact that he's carrying a sword. The red horse has always been
thought to mean a World War. NARRATOR: Today,
the red horseman could be a military leader
capable of launching modern wars resulting in
the deaths of millions throughout the world. Could the breaking
of the second seal trigger the use of weapons
of mass destruction between nations of
opposing ideologies? Some interpreters believe a
rogue nuclear power, possibly North Korea, could
be the red horseman. They fear it could launch
an attack that would ignite a nuclear holocaust. JONATHAN KIRSCH: There are
people, and not a few people, who use the book of Revelation
as a source of inspiration to do good on Earth today. And they would argue if you
think the battle of Armageddon will be a nuclear war,
then let's do something about nuclear disarmament. NARRATOR: As the
prophecy unfolds, breaking open the third sealed
summons the black horseman. ACTOR AS JOHN: Scales in his
hand and I heard as it were a voice in the center of the
four living creatures saying a quart of wheat for a
denarius and three quarts of barley for a denarius. NARRATOR: At the time
John authored Revelation, a denarius was a Roman silver
coin, often the equivalent of a laborer's daily payment. Some biblical experts
see a connection between the passage's
black horsemen and today's volatile global economy. JOYE JEFFRIES PUGH: There
is going to be devastation economically. The Bible tells us that it
will take a man's total wages for a day just to feed himself,
to buy a day's food supply. DAVID JOHN MARLEY: I believe
that the market crash of 2008 was the worst since the
Great Depression in terms of the foreclosures
on people's homes. I think that's why
people can see this as the breaking of the third
seal the collapse of banks, the bankruptcy of some
major American corporations, and the worldwide nature
of the economic collapse. It wasn't just one country. It was most of the
industrialized world. NARRATOR: Some believe the
black horsemen could symbolize a crisis ignited over the
unbalanced distribution of global wealth. Today, just 2% of the world's
population owns more than half of all wealth. And the poorest control just 1%. Some fear this inequality could
be a recipe for revolution. Finally, the fourth seal
is broken and according to the Bible unleashes
the most frightening of the four horsemen. DAVID HOCKING: This is where
it says power was given under the fourth
part of the Earth to kill with sword,
hunger, death, and the beasts of the Earth. Let's suppose that
there's 8 billion. That means 2 billion people
are going to be killed. And we're just starting
the tribulation. NARRATOR: Some link the fourth
horseman to famine and food shortages currently sweeping
the globe worsening according to some by the acceleration
of global warming and the worldwide
economic collapse of 2008. Is the prophecy of Revelation
truly unfolding today? Have the first four seals
already been broken? If this is accepted as
true, much worse suffering is to come. Could explosive forces beneath
one of America's most popular national parks
unleash a catastrophe beyond our imagination? [music playing] Dramatic upheavals are occurring
around the world today. Some believe that Revelation,
the final book of the New Testament, reflects
this extreme period in the form of a timeline
portending a global apocalypse. The timeline is measured by
the breaking of seven seals. And for believers, the
breaking of the seals is irrefutably linked to
today's escalating turmoil. We live in a time
where we have witnessed horrible, tragic,
catastrophic events, the most obvious of which is the
terror attacks on 9/11. That event agitated a fresh
upwelling of prophetic gloom. Surely, these are events that
were predicted in Revelation. NARRATOR: But are divine
forces actually beginning to break the seals? Is there any evidence that
supports this hypothesis? Clues may be found in the text
of Revelation authored by John. STEVE GREGG: John sees the
Christian martyrs in heaven crying out, God, how
long before we're vindicated for the blood
that was shed on our part? NARRATOR: This speaks to a
fundamental belief underlying not only the timeline
in Revelation, but also Christian faith, which
states believers will be saved by the grace of God. The rest will suffer God's wrath
as unfathomable mayhem comes to destroy everything we know. According to
Revelation, that mayhem intensifies as the
sixth seal is broken. Many link it to the onset
of unprecedented natural disasters. John writes-- ACTOR AS JOHN: When he
broke the sixth seal, and there was a
great earthquake, and the sky was split
apart like a scroll, every mountain and island were
moved out of their places. NARRATOR: On July 15, 2009,
a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off New
Zealand's Western coast, twisting the south island's tip
12 inches closer to Australia. It was one in a series of recent
powerful and seemingly more frequent templars. New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan,
and the Western edge of North and South America all
precariously surround the Pacific tectonic plate. This circle makes what is
known as the Ring of Fire. This vast rim is a
seismic danger zone that may be poised for a
catastrophic earthquake of unparalleled magnitude. THOMAS HEATON: The
largest earthquake that we're aware of
happened in Chile in 1960. In May of that year, they had a
magnitude 9 and 1/2 earthquake. And that magnitude
9 and 1/2 earthquake shook a 600-mile long stretch
of Chile for five minutes. In the days following
the earthquake, several of the local
volcanoes began erupting. And they were undoubtedly
triggered by the earthquake. NARRATOR: Volcanoes may
also place the Pacific Rim and Western United
States in grave danger. The Ring of Fire
has 452 volcanoes. One of them, Mount St.
Helens in Washington state, erupted in 1980. HUGH ROSS: The Mount St.
Helens eruption in 1980 was the most destructive volcano
in the history of the United States. One reason why it
caused so much damage is stuff built up underneath it. And you had a
cataclysmic eruption. It was an explosion. NARRATOR: The powerful
eruption killed 57 people. It also destroyed 200 homes, 27
bridges, 15 miles of railways, and 185 miles of highway. Does Revelation describe
a massive eruption as the consequence of
breaking the sixth seal? Believers say yes. But which are the most
powerful volcanoes on Earth? A so-called super volcano
under Yellowstone Park last erupted 640,000 years ago. Scientists have deduced that a
new eruption is long overdue. HUGH ROSS: Super volcanoes-- these are eruption events
that are thousands of times greater than what happened
at Mount St. Helens. That last event
640,000 years ago deposited thick ash
over about half the area of the 48, the United
States, wound up creating a dust cloud that
enveloped the whole Earth and changed the
climate of the Earth. NARRATOR: If the Yellowstone
super volcano erupts, the resulting ash could block
out the sun for 40 years. THOMAS HEATON: A volcano
the size of Yellowstone would put tremendous
amount of dust in the atmosphere,
aerosols in the atmosphere. Hydrogen sulfide
would go into the air, change the reflectivity of
the sunlight on the Earth's surface. We'd expect decades of
major global cooling in that case because
of those aerosols. In addition, tremendous
amounts of ash would be spewed out
across the United States. NARRATOR: Other cultures
have also prophesied alarming geologic catastrophes. BRETT PETERSON: The Indians,
Cherokee and Hopi and others, saw the world eventually coming
to the point where it would break apart with a
mighty earthquake. NARRATOR: If the sixth seal
actually does correspond to today's natural
disasters, Revelation emphasizes that the
calamities will become so powerful and widespread that
no place on Earth will be safe. STEVE WOHLBERG: Will it matter
if we live in Europe or Asia or Australia or North Idaho? The bible's very
clear that it's going to happen all over the world,
that humanity just can't hide from the final events. I believe that those
that live in the country will have it a little bit
easier than those that live in the city. But ultimately, it's
coming wherever we are. NARRATOR: Believers
in Revelation accept that no
horrors in history will compare to those coinciding
with the first six seals. But they also believe
that these horrors will be dwarfed by
those corresponding to the seventh and final seal. John writes that when
the seventh seal cracks, it is followed by
an ominous silence. STEVE GREGG: The silence in
heaven is due to everybody being in awe of what's
about to take place. NARRATOR: According
to Revelation, God will offer humanity
a merciful respite, but it will not last. Some believe the text warns
that an extraterrestrial body is on a collision course with
Earth and that it will cause a cataclysm the magnitude
of which mankind has never experienced. Revelation-- long considered
the most controversial book in the Bible. In its cryptic language, many
see a timeline for destruction on an unprecedented level. Some argue the timeline will
end suddenly, violently, in this century. We live in a world that
is changing profoundly and fast and that is facing
threats that seem apocalyptic to us. We worry about global
warming, overpopulation. It's necessary only
to open the newspaper or turn on CNN to
see headlines which in the eyes of some
readers of Revelation will be sure proof that the
biblical prophecies are coming true at last. JOYE JEFFRIES PUGH: Just
think about in the last couple of years. We have seen
devastating hurricanes. We have seen
devastating tornadoes. We've encountered earthquakes
very high on the Richter scale. If you look at how
fast they are happening and how much closer together
they are coming, as we get closer to the end
of days, they almost will come right on
top of each other. NARRATOR: The prophecy
within Revelation suggests that as the seven
seals of the apocalypse are broken one by
one, we move closer to the end of the timeline. [explosion blasts] Some biblical experts contend
that the seals have already begun to break, setting the
stage for a final cataclysm. If this is true, what
could happen and when? Exactly where are
we on the timeline? JONATHAN KIRSCH: There will
be terrible suffering, wars, illness, a series of
disasters, catastrophes, that will be visited on
Earth on human beings living on Earth as the end of
the world approaches. And in the end, we will
witness the final destruction of the Earth on which
mortal human beings live. NARRATOR: But what
forces will bring about this final destruction? How would we know that the
most important seal of all, the seventh, has been broken? Revelation says the final
punishment for mankind's evil will be heralded by the
peals of celestial trumpets. You see seven angels
each having a trumpet. And they come forth and
then begins the series of the trumpet judgments. NARRATOR: Some believe
that these judgments will be natural disasters of
unprecedented magnitude. They look to science for
answers as they theorize that the cryptic
text in Revelation may allude to physical
forces on or beyond Earth. Some New Testament scholars
say that this and biblical references to fire
falling from the sky could be interpreted
as asteroids. A collision between an
asteroid and the Earth may be the catastrophic event
predicted in another verse from Revelation. ACTOR AS JOHN: The third
angel sounded his trumpet. And a great star blazing like
a torch fell from the sky. The name of the
star is Wormwood. NARRATOR: Some believe that
Revelations author John is not specifying a star
in this passage but a comet or asteroid. It is widely accepted that
ancient observers could not have understood the difference
between various types of celestial bodies. And while no stars
are named Wormwood, there is strong
scientific evidence that an asteroid
strike could play a major role in the mass
extinction of life on Earth. HUGH ROSS: Astronomers
now believe that all three generations of
dinosaurs, triassic, jurassic, and cretaceous, were brought
to extinction at least in part by extraterrestrial
collision events, giant comets and asteroids
striking the Earth. If something that
big were to happen, humanity wouldn't survive. NARRATOR: Today, a
collision between Earth and an asteroid just a
few miles in diameter may release as much energy
as a thousand nuclear weapons detonated simultaneously. [explosion blasts] HUGH ROSS: Winslow,
Arizona, a crater that's almost a mile in diameter-- that was caused by a rock that
was only a hundred feet across. If one of the larger
ones like say something a thousand feet across were to
hit a populated area like New York City or Los Angeles,
the energy release would be such that
it would wipe out the entire metropolitan area
of any one of those cities. NARRATOR: Destructive
power of this magnitude was evident in an historic
impact event in 1908. An extraterrestrial body
likely a comet or asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere and
exploded over central Siberia, flattening over 700 square
miles of the Tunguska forest. The region was so remote that
only one death was reported. As recently as 2006, a
half-mile-wide asteroid large enough to cause
catastrophic climate change and disrupt the world's
agricultural production came within just 24 hours
of smashing into Earth. In space terms, a near miss. Astronomers today are tracking
hundreds if not thousands of asteroids and comets
out there that could make a close pass of the Earth. About as large as they get
is about a kilometer across. And so yes, there is a
serious effort to track those. Because if they were
to strike the Earth, it could cause a lot of damage. [music playing] NARRATOR: But even astronomers
using advanced tracking instruments say it would be
all but impossible to prevent a collision. Even if they could
calculate years in advance that a large object was
destined to strike the Earth, no technology currently exists
to deflect it or protect us from its impact. Some believe that the horrific
aftermath of such an impact is described in this
passage from Revelation. ACTOR AS JOHN: And the third
part of the sun was smitten and the third part of the moon
and the third part of the stars so as the third part
of them was darkened. NARRATOR: If a large asteroid
or comet were to strike Earth in our lifetime, it would send
millions of tons of debris into our atmosphere for years. This would virtually imprison
us in a cloud of dust, cut off from the life-giving sun. Is this the scenario
described in Revelation? In any case, its author writes
that more trumpets will blast, and even greater
anarchy will unfold. And so this starts
tremendous calamity. Says now came out of the
smoke locusts upon the Earth. NARRATOR: According
to Revelations, when yet another trumpet
sounds, a giant army will pillage the Earth. Its mission-- ACTOR AS JOHN: To slay
the third part of men and the number of the
army of the horsemen, two hundred thousand thousand. NARRATOR: Many
experts interpret this to mean that an army 200
million strong will wage war against its enemies,
slaughtering populations across the globe. But who could summon
such a massive force? [music playing] STEVE GREGG: Mao Zedong
had gone on record saying that China could field an
army of 200 million men, which happened to be an interesting
correlation to the number in the Book of Revelation. NARRATOR: Even fringe
believers do not suggest that the Chinese
militia is an army of Satan, only that an army of 200
million is actually possible. Whatever the allegiance
of this formidable force, Revelation states it
will destroy one third of the Earth's population. But according to the text,
even greater tribulations will follow. What will happen when
the antichrist finally reveals himself to the world? [music playing] Many biblical experts believe
our current age coincides with a doomsday timeline. Some fear we may be
swiftly approaching its end and are trying to decipher
exactly where in this countdown we supposedly find
ourselves today. For them, a clue that the
seventh and final seal may be broken perhaps lies
in another book of the Bible. Daniel chapter 12 verse
4 talks about in the time of the end. It says knowledge
shall be increased. We've seen an
escalation of knowledge that is unprecedented in
the history of the world. We have satellites. We have internet, fiber
optics, all the technology of these days. And to me, it's very clear
when I look at world events that we're definitely
getting close to the big day. NARRATOR: The dark prophecies
in the Book of Daniel are also reflected
in Revelation, that the tribulation will build
in intensity as seven angels one after another sound
trumpets that signal distinct catastrophic events. When the seventh
trumpet sounds, it heralds the most horrific events
of all orchestrated by Satan and two earthly allies. JONATHAN KIRSCH: One of
the most striking features of the book of
Revelation is that it's filled with Satanic villains. The principal villain
is Satan himself who is depicted in Revelation
as a dragon with many heads and many horns. But he has two
helpers on Earth who are referred to as the beast
from the sea and the beast from the land. All of them are understood
to be symbolic references to human beings who will put
themselves in service to Satan, who will hold positions of
earthly power, who will lead earthly armies into battle. NARRATOR: Biblical experts
believe the beasts from the sea is Satan's chief
emissary, the antichrist. The beast from the land is
another figure, Satan's aide, known as the false prophet. JOSEPH ROBERT CHAMBERS: You
have an unholy Trinity-- the devil, the antichrist,
and the false prophet. And the devil is trying to make
the world believe he's God. And the antichrist
is trying to make the world believe he's Jesus. And the false prophet is trying
to make the world believe he's the Holy Spirit. So you have an anti-Trinity
that operates really powerful during those
last 3 and 1/2 years. NARRATOR: Experts
of biblical prophecy suggest that this unholy Trinity
builds a world of followers by deception while conspiring
to seize control of heaven and Earth. But who are these
two allies of Satan? The identity of the
antichrist has been debated for nearly 2,000 years. JONATHAN KIRSCH: Muhammad
was seen as the antichrist. Martin Luther thought that
the pope was the antichrist. The pope thought that Martin
Luther was the antichrist. The English thought that
Napoleon was the antichrist. In the 20th century, we've
had many, many candidates-- Hitler and Mussolini,
Lenin and Stalin. NARRATOR: The famed 16th
century seer Nostradamus also wrote of the antichrist. But there is no consensus
among his interpreters about whom he may
have identified. Some biblical scholars suggest
the antichrist described in the Bible as a
beast from the sea may indicate that he will
rise from a country bordering antiquity's principal body of
water, the Mediterranean Sea. Revelation states he
is destined to confront Jesus Christ but not before
a critical series of events takes place. MICHAEL BAIGENT:
Christian fundamentalists see three definite signs
before Jesus will return. The first was the gathering
of all the Jews in Israel. And that, of course,
has happened 1948 when the state was declared. The second was the taking
by the Jews of Jerusalem. And that, of course, happened
during the war of 1967. The third is the
rebuilding of the temple. NARRATOR: The
temple of Jerusalem was destroyed by the
Roman army in 70 AD. For nearly 2,000
years, devout Jews have prayed for
its reconstruction on the sacred Temple Mount. But this location is now home to
one of Islam's holiest shrines, the Dome of the Rock,
completed in 691 AD. The Dome of the Rock
was a barren location. And the Muslims
located what they believe to be the spot of
Muhammad's ascension to heaven. I find it highly
unlikely that Israel would destroy the
Dome of the Rock and build a temple in its place. The international community I
don't think would permit that. NARRATOR: Despite the
formidable realities, many still believe the temple
will rise again as prophesied. BRETT PETERSON: According to the
Bible, when the antichrist goes into the temple rebuilt by the
Jews and proclaims himself God, this will be the last
human event on this planet. [music playing] NARRATOR: Revelation describes
that as the antichrist and the rest of the unholy
Trinity seduce mankind, a final horrific series
of disasters strikes. The biblical text describes
them as seven vials containing the poison of God's
further wrath. STEVE GREGG: And they are
similar to the trumpets. In fact, they follow pretty much
sequentially the same pattern of hitting land and ocean
and rivers and the air. But instead of doing
about a third part damage, they do total damage. NARRATOR: Revelation depicts
this wave of disasters as the final sweep to
exterminate all those who refuse to follow God. The scenario
described is gruesome. When the angels release the
contents of their vials, pestilence and disease run wild. The outbreak
Revelation describes is on such a magnified
scale that it would dwarf the greatest pandemic crises
global health organizations have ever faced. JAIME SHAMONKI: We are in the
midst of a pandemic right now. The H1N1 or the swine flu virus
is in a pandemic alert state of six by the WHO. This is a flu which
has crossed species. When a flu is able
to cross species, it not only can access far
greater people who have never been exposed to it before and
so don't have any immunity. We've never seen this before. So far it still is
producing mild symptoms. But if this particular flu virus
undergoes the antigenic drift, it could increase in severity. It could establish
greater virulence. And that would be a major
public health problem. NARRATOR: H1N1 swine flu may
strike up to 40% of Americans by 2012 and kill several
hundred thousand. US health officials hope
to provide inoculations for 200 million Americans. But resistant viruses much
more potent than swine flu could push mortality rates
up into the 80th and 90th percentile, taxing
health organizations beyond their ability to cope. This may mean we would
be virtually defenseless against a plague of such
extreme proportions. A global medical crisis
could be amplified by yet another catastrophe
chronicled in Revelation where seas become blood and the blood
of animals and humans mingle. Some interpreters say this
part of Revelation's prophecy suggests the world's water
supply will be rendered undrinkable possibly by the
rotting, plague-ridden bodies of millions of victims. The biblical text states
that other poisons follow from each vial until
the world is nearly desolate. Some suggest this may
already have begun in the form of a
naturally-occurring process called algal bloom
also known as red tide. It is a phenomenon that
can turn water crimson. A high concentration
of microscopic algae produces harmful neurotoxins
that can kill fish, birds, and marine mammals. Spread globally,
millions would die. Some suggest this will be the
punishment for our failures as environmental
stewards of the planet. When Jesus comes,
he will destroy those who destroy the Earth. And I see that phrase destroy
the Earth as predictive of a global environmental
crisis where humanity through its pollution
and deforestation contributing to the destruction
of the resources of the planet. NARRATOR: If Revelation is
a blueprint of mankind's end as many believe, billions
will lie dead at the climax of the tribulation. The Book of Revelation is like
a lens or a magnifying glass or a telescope through
which we can peer and ponder this great mystery of endings. Revelation is full of monsters. It's full of catastrophe. It's full of villains
and evil figures. And surely, the
author of Revelation was a great creative
genius who understood how to stand in a room
and address an audience and provoke that kind of
anxiety and fascination that we also feel when we
sit in a movie theater. NARRATOR: But the apocalyptic
scenario in Revelation does not end with the
climax of the tribulation. The devastated Earth will be
the stage for one final battle. The forces of the
antichrist will face off with the army of Jesus,
but this son of God is not the prince of peace
millions of us think we know. [music playing] Have all seven seals of
the apocalypse forecast in Revelation been broken? Is it possible we have counted
down to a supposed Armageddon? Some say today's world events
prove this biblical timeline may be deadly accurate as
is the prophesied location for the epic battle. The world's three
major religions, Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam, converge in the
nation of Israel. Given the region's long
violent past and present, some interpreters believe
it is a likely flashpoint for a pivotal conflict,
the battle of Armageddon. DAVID HOCKING: Some people
think that the plain called the plain of Esdraelon,
a big agricultural area between Samaria and Galilee
and Israel, some people believe that's the valley of Megiddo,
the valley of Armageddon. NARRATOR: Megiddo's
location at the crossroads of a vital ancient
trade route made it a coveted prize among warring
factions in antiquity. Biblical scholars believe
that its long history as a key battleground inspired
Revelations author John to designate it as the site
of the ultimate showdown between God and Satan. According to
Revelation, Jesus will emerge from the heavens
on a white horse to lead God's assembled forces. But the text portrays
him as anything but the benevolent Savior
known to his followers. ACTOR AS JOHN: His eyes
are a flame of fire. And he is clothed with
a robe dipped in blood. From his mouth comes
a sharp sword so that with it he may
smite the nations. And he will rule them
with a rod of iron. MICHAEL BAIGENT: Now,
it's utterly impossible to reconcile the Jesus
of the Book of Revelation and his bloodstained robes
and his leaving blood for hundreds of miles
around the battle site, with the gentle Jesus, the
loving Jesus of the sermon on the mount. The two are not the same figure. NARRATOR: Revelation describes
how the warrior Jesus advances with his army against the
antichrist and his forces, culled from the nations he has
deceived into worshipping him. The forces of good ultimately
prevail over the unholy Trinity after their years of deception. They'll be cast
in the lake of fire. The devil will be cast in that,
false prophet, the antichrist, and all those who took
the mark of the beast. NARRATOR: So ends
Revelation's description of the Battle of Armageddon. Drawing any correlation
between this biblical prophecy and current events
is problematic as it speaks of supernatural
figures clashing in a supernatural context. But in one profound sense,
the prophecy and the present may be converging. MICHAEL BAIGENT: Something
like 60% of Americans believe the events in
the book of Revelation will come to pass. Now, this is extremely dangerous
because how can we not say that if we believe something
that we don't act in such a way as to make it happen? If we believe that there's going
to be a big war in the Middle East, and Jesus is going to
come back and save the world, then we might just
let our behavior be affected by that belief
and allow it to occur. NARRATOR: It is an
intriguing possibility. At its heart is what
can be considered a curious fatal attraction
to Revelation's prophecy. The great tradition of
Revelation over 20 centuries is that every new generation
comes to the text, reads it, and is convinced
that it describes events that will take place in
their own lifetime. It is a habit of our
mind in Western tradition to look for signs of the end. And I believe it's a habit
that was formed literally by what we read in Revelation. NARRATOR: But surprisingly,
this inclination among millions may not stem from a morbid
fascination with mayhem. Instead, it might be
rooted in the perception that Revelation ultimately
is a story of hope. STEVE GREGG: Inevitably,
there'll be a general judgment of the world and all that. But at least if it happens in
our day, the end of all evil will be seen in our lifetime. MICHAEL BAIGENT:
This leading period is one of great
pestilence, plague, wars, economic collapse, destruction. It's a period of great
suffering to all the people who have to live through it. But at the end Jesus comes. The final battle is fought. Satan was defeated. It all becomes worthwhile. The fact remains that
we have this idea of the final
destruction of evil. NARRATOR: But if the horrors of
Revelation truly come to pass, will evil's demise be
of any satisfaction to the few who survive? According to the biblical
text, they will find comfort in a remade world. ACTOR AS JOHN: And God
himself shall be among them. And he shall wipe away
every tears from their eyes and any mourning
or crying or pain. [music playing] All those things seem to
be pointing at that there is a time that is going to come
that something very bad, very catastrophic is going to happen. And I don't think that there's
a way for us to escape that. I really think that this is
going to happen just as it's been prophesied to happen. NARRATOR: Only time will tell. Based on human behavior
over the past 100 years, it seems likely that
millions in this generation will look to
Revelation for clues about the apocalypse wondering
when and how the end will begin.
