Was Nostradamus Right About The World Ending?

The idea of the end of the world has fascinated people from time immemorial. Even today, there are those who have attempted to predict the time and the date of the end of the world. One of the most recent of these is eBible Fellowship founder Chris McCann, who predicted that the world would end 7 October 2015. During the 14th century, an astrologer named Nostradamus was said to have predicted the end of the world.

The Origin of Nostradamus

Among those who have made prophecies about when the world would end was a man by the name of Michel de Nostredame, usually known by his Latin name Nostradamus. Nostradamus was born in December of 1503 in Saint-Remy-DE-Provence, Provence, France to Jaume and Reyniere de Nostradamus. He had at least eight siblings whose names were Delphine, Jean, Hector, Pierre, Louise, Bertrand, Antoine and Jean II.

At the age of 15, Nostradamus entered the University of Avignon to study for his bachelor’s degree. After a little over a year, he was forced to leave due to the outbreak of the plague. He traveled the countryside for eight years after he left, studying herbal remedies and later becoming an apothecary. He attempted to study at the University of Montpelier but was expelled when it was discovered that he had been an apothecary (a trade banned by university statutes) and had slandered doctors.

Involvement in the Occult

Nostradamus was married in Agen to a woman whose name is unknown to us. He and his wife had two children. In 1534, Nostradamus’ wife and children died, possibly from the plague. He continued to travel, working both with another doctor and on his own to treat the plague. He remarried a rich widow named Anne Ponsarde while in Salon-DE-Provence and had six children with her. 

Shortly after his marriage to Anna Ponsarde, Nostradamus became involved with the occult. He began writing almanacs which became very popular. He included his prophesies in these almanacs for the benefits of his readers. The almanacs he wrote contained at least 6,338 prophesies and included at least 11 annual calendars. Readers from far and wide began asking him for psychic advice and horoscopes. Shortly thereafter, he began writing a book mainly composed of one thousand French quatrains that constituted the prophesies for which he is famous today. Nostradamus died on 1 July 1566.

Prediction of 9/11

Nostradamus is said to have predicted the tragedy of September 11, 2001. According to the prophecy: 

“The sky will burn at forty-five degrees latitude. Fire approaches the great new city. Immediately a huge, scattered flame leaps up. When they want to have verification from the Normans”

There has been evidence of people manipulating Nostradamus’ writing to make it fit the circumstance. The altered version of the above verse runs as follows: “Two steel birds will fall from the sky on the Metropolis. The sky will burn at forty-five degrees latitude. Fire approaches the great new city (New York City lies between 40-45 degrees). Immediately a huge, scattered flame leaps up. Within months, rivers will flow with blood. The undead will roam earth for little time.” The altered version makes the quatrain fit the circumstances of 9/11 more precisely.

The End of the World?

Many people have made preparations for an economic crisis. These may include the purchase of lightweight, water-resistant Tyvek suits; seed banks for an emergency garden; or meals-ready-to-eat purchased in bulk from an emergency food supplier. Others make plans for the end of the world.

Some people have claimed that Nostradamus predicted the end of the world in 2012. The truth is that he made no such claim. This claim was made based on a Mayan calendar and a so-called “lost book” of Nostradamus that bears no definitive proof of his authorship.

So, was Nostradamus right about the end of the world in 2012? He never made a claim about the end of the world in any of his writings in the first place. The best we can all do is to lead good lives and to make our small part of the world a better place. These actions have always been the only requirement for all human beings and always will be.