Examples of specific interpretations of 'the end of the world' (from http://www.abhota.info/end1.htm):
634 BC Many Romans thought the world would end...
389 BC More Roman fear of the end of the world...
1st Century Many early Christians expected to see the end of the world in their lifetime.
ca. 70 The Essenes may have thought the war in 70 AD was the end.
2nd Century The Montanists believed that Christ would come again within their lifetimes and establish a new Jerusalem at Pepuza,
in the land of Phrygia. Montanism was perhaps the first bona fide Christian doomsday cult. It was founded ca. 156 AD by the
tongues-speaking prophet Montanus and two followers, Priscilla and Maximilla. Despite the failure of Jesus to return,
the cult lasted for several centuries. Tertullian, who once said "I believe it just because it is unbelievable"
(a true skeptic if ever there was one!), was perhaps the most renowned Montanist. (Gould p.43-44)
247 Rome celebrated its thousandth anniversary this year. At the same time, the Roman government dramatically increased
its persecution of Christians, so much so that many Christians believed that the End had arrived. (Source: PBS Frontline special Apocalypse!)
365 Hilary of Poitiers predicted the world would end in 365. (Source: Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance)
380 The Donatists, a North African Christian sect headed by Tyconius, looked forward to the world ending in 380. (Source: American Atheists)
Late 4th Century St. Martin of Tours (ca. 316-397) wrote, "There is no doubt that the Antichrist has already been born.
Firmly established already in his early years, he will, after reaching maturity, achieve supreme power." (Abanes p.119)
500
* Roman theologian Sextus Julius Africanus (ca. 160-240) claimed that the End would occur 6000 years after the Creation.
He assumed that there were 5531 years between the Creation and the Resurrection, and thus expected the Second Coming to
take place no later than 500 AD. (Kyle p.37, McIver #21)
* Hippolytus (died ca. 236), believing that Christ would return 6000 years after the Creation, anticipated the Parousia in 500 AD. (Abanes p.283)
* The theologian Irenaeus, influenced by Hippolytus's writings, also saw 500 as the year of the Second Coming. (Abanes p.283, McIver #15)
Apr 6, 793 Elipandus, bishop of Toledo, described a brief bout of end-time panic that happened on Easter Eve, 793.
According to Elipandus, the Spanish monk Beatus of Liébana prophesied the end of the world that day in the presence a crowd of
people. The people, thinking that the world would end that night, became frightened, panicked, and fasted through the night
until dawn. Seeing that the world had not ended and feeling hungry, Hordonius, one of the fasters, quipped, "Let's eat
and drink, so that if we die at least we'll be fed." (Abanes p. 168-169, Weber p.50)
800
* Sextus Julius Africanus revised the date of Doomsday to 800 AD. (Kyle p.37)
* Beatus of Liébana wrote in his Commentary on the Apocalypse, which he finished in 786, that there were only 14 years left
until the end of the world. Thus, the world would end by 800 at the latest. (Abanes p.168)
806 Bishop Gregory of Tours calculated the End occurring between 799 and 806. (Weber p.48)
848 The prophetess Thiota declared that the world would end this year. (Abanes p.337)
Mar 25, 970 Lotharingian computists foresaw the End on Friday, March 25, 970, when the Annunciation and Good Friday fell
on the same day. They believed that it was on this day that Adam was created, Isaac was sacrificed, the Red Sea was parted,
Jesus was conceived, and Jesus was crucified. Therefore, it naturally followed that the End must occur on this day! (Source: Center for Millennial Studies)
992 Bernard of Thuringia calculated that the end would come in 992. (Randi p.236)
995 The Feast of the Annunciation and Good Friday also coincided in 992, prompting some mystics to conclude that the world would end within
3 years of that date. (Weber p.50-51)
recently...we've got :
Hal Lindsey, whose 1988 prediction failed, suggests the end in his recently published book, entitled Planet Earth - 2000 A.D.
However, he leaves himself a face-saving outlet: "Could I be wrong? Of course. The Rapture may not occur between now and the year 2000." (Lindsey p.306)
he's still finding the end however; the convening of a jewish group who is calling themselves the 'sanhedrin' is evidence that 'we are very near the
climactic events that end with the 2nd coming of christ"
Jerry Falwell foresaw God pouring out his judgement on the world on New Year's Day. According to Falwell, God "may be
preparing to confound our language, to jam our communications, scatter our efforts, and judge us for our sin and rebellion
against his lordship. We are hearing from many sources that January 1, 2000, will be a fateful day in the history of
the world." Happy New Year! (Christianity Today, Jan. 11, 1999)
Timothy LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, authors of the bestselling Left Behind series of apocalyptic fiction, expected the Y2K bug
to trigger global economic chaos, which the Antichrist would use to rise to power. As the big day approached, they,
like other doomsayers, backpedalled. (Source: Washington Post)
and so many more...