Failed Prophecy Hall of Fame

Chen Tao is not alone; many people and groups have made failed prophecies.

Branch Davidians: Founder Vernon Houteff prophesied that David's Kingdom would be established on April 22, 1959.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Joseph Smith prophesied that the LDS would build a temple in Independence, MO, within one generation. Early Mormon apostles and prophets understood and taught that this would occur within the lifetime of those living when the prophecy was made. The temple has still not been built. Some LDS now claim that "generation" was a figurative term.

Smith also prophesied that David W. Patten would embark on a successful mission to England in the spring of 1839. Patten was shot and killed before he could leave.

On January 5, 1833, Smith predicted "by the authority of Jesus Christ that not many years shall pass away before ... pestilence [epidemic disease], hail, famine and earthquake will sweep the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land [the US], to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 17-18).

On May 18, 1843, Smith declared, "I prophesy in the name of the Lord God of Israel, unless the United States redress the wrongs committed upon the Saints in the state of Missouri and punish the crimes committed by her officers that in a few years the government will be utterly overthrown and wasted, and there will not be so much as a potsherd [a broken piece of pottery] left..." (Ibid., p. 302; emphases added).

Some Mormons have claimed the last two prophecies, above, were both fulfilled by the Civil War. Given the actual terms of the prophecies, such a hypothesis can only be regarded as born of desperation.

Church of the Living Stone Mission for the Coming Days: Prophesied that Jesus would return on October 28, 1992.

Church Universal and Triumphant: Elizabeth Clare Prophet prophesied that nuclear war would occur in 1990. The group is now suffering a dramatic decline as members tire of waiting for Armageddon.

Harmonic Convergence: Jose Arguelles gathered people to meditate and usher in a new age on August 16-17, 1987.

Jehovah's Witnesses: The Watchtower Society predicted that Armageddon would occur in 1914. They now teach that Jesus Christ returned invisibly in 1914. They also predicted that Abraham and others would be resurrected in 1925, and that Armageddon would occur in 1941 and 1975 (they deny the 1975 prediction). They also predicted that Armageddon would occur with the "generation of 1914." They now say that "generation" is a figurative term for anyone who can understand the significance of 1914.

William Miller: Prophesied that Christ would return in 1843, then 1844. The Seventh-day Adventists Church came from the Millerite movement.

Edgar E. Whisenant: Predicted that the rapture would occur on October 3, 1988. Explaining that his math had been incorrect, he later prophesied that the rapture would occur on either September 1 or 30, 1989.