Ancient Prophecies (television series)

Ancient Prophecies is a series of four TV specials that aired on NBC between 1994 and 1997.  Hosted by David McCallum, each special focused on apocalyptic prophecies of doomsday leading up to the year 2000, including interviews and reenactments.

Ancient Prophecies

This special aired on March 1, 1994.[1]  Contents include:

• Pyramidology, including the pyramid inch timeline, described by authors E. Raymond Capt[2] and Richard Noone.[3]
• Saint Malachy’s Prophecy of the Popes, with author John Hogue.
• Nostradamus’ predictions regarding Napoleon, Hitler, the Challenger disaster and the fall of the Berlin Wall, with author Dolores Cannon.[4]
• Our Lady of Fatima and the Three Secrets of Fatima, with authors Dr. Warren Carroll and Ray Stanford.[5]
• The Garabandal apparitions in northern Spain.
• Prophecies of Edgar Cayce.
• Mary Summer Rain and her relationship with the shaman No-Eyes.[6]
• Earth Changes, with psychic Gordon-Michael Scallion.[7]
• Elizabeth Claire Prophet and the Church Universal and Triumphant.
• Prophecies from the Book of Revelation, with Dr. Charles Strozier,[8] Dr. R. L. Hymers and Reverend H. Richard Hall.[9]
• Ecological collapse including excessive greenhouse gases, famine, drought, loss of the ozone layer, pandemics and rainforest destruction.  Includes interviews with Kelly Quirke,[10] Harry Darlington,[11] Dr. Stephen Morse and Dr. Peter Jahrling.

Production and reception

3 years after airing a recut and updated version of The Man Who Saw Tomorrow, NBC aired the first special in its Ancient Prophecies series.   It was produced by Paul Klein’s Coast to Coast productions, in association with Greystone Communications.[1] Per the closing credits, the pyramid model in the opening credits was created by The Chiodo Brothers.

Variety described the acting in the special as “generally earnest but subpar.”  It added “production values are minimal, and the docu is mostly exploitative.”  It continued, “[The series] turns out to be a routine roundup of everything from biblical verses and Nostradamus to Jeanne Dixon, who has troubling ideas about the future.  In fact, just to titillate impressionable viewers, there’s only bad news ahead.”[12]

The Washington Post stated, “The network’s department of program standards “wanted to avoid a War of the Worlds’ panic, the spokeswoman said. “We were afraid that viewers might take the show to heart and wanted to provide as much of a context as possible,” producing the following disclaimer:[13]

"The following is not a news program or a documentary.  The people appearing on camera are not necessarily experts and are expressing personal opinions only.  Although significant opposing viewpoints exist, they are not included.  The information presented represents unsubstantiated anecdotal accounts of events, interpretations of writings, and speculation about the significance of certain predictions.  Some predictions by the same sources, though not mentioned, have been proven inaccurate.  Events are dramatized, simulated and re-created."[13]

And finally: "It is not the intention of the broadcasters to suggest that any prophecies are true, and all conclusions about the future, drawn by persons in this program, are purely conjecture".[13]

Ancient Prophecies II: Countdown to Doomsday

This special aired on November 18, 1994.[14] Contents include:

• Various means of divination including crystal gazing, catoptromancy (mirrors) and haruspex (reading entrails) are described by Raymond Moody.  Practices of the Bassa people of Cameroon are featured.  Dolores Cannon details Nostradamus’ use of mirrors.[4]  Individuals relate experiences with a psychomanteum, popularized by Raymond Moody.
• Marian apparitions as described by author Michael H. Brown.[15]  Includes Our Lady of Zeitoun, Estela Ruiz, and Our Lady of Kibeho.
• Kabbalah, as described by Rabbi Philip Berg and Rabbi Ariel Bar Tzadok.[16]
• Psychic visions of Paul Solomon.
• Earth changes with Lori Toye.
• Thomas Banyacya and Hopi prophecies.

Production and reception

David Bianculli of The Baltimore Sun wrote, “More mumbo-jumbo for morons.  I don’t mean to poke fun at anyone’s fervent beliefs, but the insidious, insulting and insipid way in which these “Ancient Prophecies” are described and re-enacted should make disbelievers out of us all.”[14]

New Visions of the Future: Prophecies III

This special aired on February 28, 1996.[17] Contents include:

• Astrology as presented by Henry Weingarten,[18] Edward Helin,[19] Thomas Seers[20] and Richard Houck.  Houck claimed to have predicted his death by stroke as occurring on September 3, 2031. In reality, he died from cancer on April 1, 2001.[21]
• Bible prophecy, specifically the idea that each Psalm directly correlates to a year in sequence, with each text describing events for that year.  Described by J. R. Church[22] and Gary Stearman.[23]
• Marian apparitions through the experiences of Maria Esperanza.  Presented by Drew Mariani[24] and Michael Brown.[15]
• Visions of Josyp Terelya.[25]
• H. G. Wells’ future predictions through his fiction, presented by Gary Westfahl and George Slusser.
• The Philadelphia Experiment, with Preston Nichols, Andrew Strom[26] and Al Bielek.[27]
• Earth changes caused by the Ring of Fire, with Gordon-Michael Scallion[7] and Jon Davidson.[28]
• Near Death Experiences, with testimonials from Cassandra Musgrave,[29] Elane Durham,[30] Jessica Carde[31] and Diane Morrissey.[32]
• The Native American predictions of Jake Swamp[33] and Martin Gashweseoma,[34] with Paul Hutton and Scott Peterson.[35]
• Bavarian seer Matthias Stormberger, presented by John Hogue.[36]
• The occult figure William John Warner, also known as “Cheiro.”

Prophecies IV: The Final Visions

This special aired on July 26, 1997.[37] Contents include:

• Marian apparitions in Santa Maria, California.  The trances and visions of Barbara Matthias,[38] presented by Jerrie Castro[39] and author Michael Brown.[15]  Warnings from Zdenko “Jim” Singer of Toronto.[40]
• Future prophecies of Jules Verne, as conveyed through his fiction.  Detailed by Walter James Miller and screenwriter Gavin Scott.
• Psychic visions of prophet June Gatlin[41] and conversations with author Joyce Noll.[42]
• Eschatology discussions with Peter Lalonde, Gary Stearman,[23] Johanna Michaelsen,[43] Rabbi Ariel Bar-Tzadok[16] and Salem Kirban.[44]
• Survivalism and fallout shelter techniques with Byron Kirkwood.[45]
• Seeress Regina, an early 20th century German prophetess, presented by John Hogue.[46]
• Earth changes with John “Running Deer” Eleazer.[47]
• Mayan predictions for the year 2012, with Barbara Tedlock.[48]
• Hypnosis and dreams of the future, with Chet B. Snow[49]

Production and reception

On September 15, 1996, the Los Angeles Times noted it as one of many documentary specials scheduled to air.  “The latest installment of this periodic two-hour special explores unexplained visions and occurrences, as well as modern-day prophecies.”[50]

References

1. Lowry, Brian (January 27, 1994). "NBC's "Prophecies" eyes doomsday". Variety.
2. Capt, E. Raymond. (1978). The Great Pyramid decoded (Rev. and enl. ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Artisan Sales. ISBN 0-934666-01-6. OCLC 4003369.
3. Noone, Richard William, 1944- (1995). 5/5/2000 : ice, the ultimate disaster. Noone, Richard William, 1944-. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 9780609800676. OCLC 38091078.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
4. Nostradamus, 1503-1566 (Spirit) (1989). Conversations with Nostradamus. Cannon, Dolores, 1931-2014. (1st ed.). Boulder, CO: America West Publishers. ISBN 0-922356-01-7. OCLC 19516497.
5. Stanford, Ray (1988). Fatima prophecy. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-35510-5. OCLC 18295688.
6. Summer Rain, Mary, 1945- (1994), Spirit song : the introduction of No-Eyes, Bourdo, Carole., Norfolk, VA: Hampton Roads Pub. Co, ISBN 1-878901-48-6, OCLC 32610216CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
7. "Gordon-Michael Scallion". Crystal Links. 2008.
8. Lehmann-Haupt, Christopher (April 4, 1994). "Books of the Times; God, Self and Evil From a Fundamentalist View". The New York Times.
9. Mojtabai, A. G. (August 14, 1988). "On the Road with God". The New York Times.
10. "Kelly Quirke". Source Watch. 2009.
11. "Harry Darlington Dies". The Washington Post. November 8, 1996.
12. Scott, Tony (February 28, 1994). "Ancient Prophecies". Variety.
13. Carmody, John (April 12, 1994). "The TV Column". The Washington Post.
14. Bianculli, David (November 18, 1994). "This week, top shows not to be missed". The Baltimore Sun.
15. Brown, Michael H. (Michael Harold), 1952- (1998). The last secret. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Charis. ISBN 1-56955-023-9. OCLC 38107039.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
16. "About Ariel Bar Tzadok and the KosherTorah School". KosherTorah. 2019.
17. Keveney, Bill (March 3, 1996). "Psychic "Network"". Hartford Courant.
18. "Astrologers Fund Director Henry Weingarten". Astrologers Fund Inc. 2012.
19. "Edward Adoph Helin". Los Angeles Times. 2011.
20. Standley, Loretta (2009). "Love Signs-Cancer". Dr. Standley.
21. Barnes, Bart (April 3, 2001). "Astrologer, Author Richard Allan Houck Dies". The Washington Post.
22. Church, J. R. (1986). Hidden prophecies in the psalms. Jewell, Jack,, Berry, Patricia,, Sanchez, Enid (First ed.). Oklahoma City, OK. ISBN 0-941241-00-9. OCLC 17204376.
23. "About". Prophecy Watchers. 2020.
24. "The Drew Mariani Show". Relevant Radio. 2020.
25. "Witness-Josyp Terelya". Marian Land. 2020.
26. Strom, Howard Andrew. "Philadelphia Experiment; the filament of Armageddon". Google Docs.
27. Andress, Justin (May 10, 2017). "The Incredible Story of Al Bielek, the Man Who Traveled Through Time and Space".
28. "Jon Paul Davidson". The Geological Society. 2016.
29. St. Claire, Martha Anne (2020). "Biography". Martha St. Claire.
30. "Elane Durham's Near-Death Experience". Near-Death. 2016.
31. "Jessica Carde". Near Death. 2016.
32. Washburn, Jim (March 2, 1994). "Life After Near-Death; Changed for Good, Diane Morrissey Leads "Journey into Consciousness" at OCC". Los Angeles Times.
33. "Remembering Jake Tekaronianeken Swamp". The Tracking Project. 2010.
34. David, Gary (February 15, 2016). "Hopi Prophecy and the End of the Fourth World". Road 2 Ruins.
35. Peterson, Scott, 1955- (1999). Native American prophecies (2nd, rev. and expanded ed.). St. Paul, Minn.: Paragon House. ISBN 1-55778-748-4. OCLC 40052041.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
36. "A New Cold War-The Prophecies of Nostradamus, Stormberger and Edgar Cayce". Hogue Prophecy. 2014.
37. Deseret News (July 26, 1997). "Religion in the Media". Deseret News.
38. Fickett, Harold. (2002). The living Christ : the extraordinary lives of today's spiritual heroes (1st ed.). New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-49586-2. OCLC 47238066.
39. "Administration". The Servants and Handmaids. 2020.
40. Brown, Michael. "From the Pope to seers, warnings about the United Nations". Spirit Daily.
41. "About Reverent June". Reverent June Gatlin. 2020.
42. Noll, Joyce Elaine, 1940- (1991). Company of prophets : African American psychics, healers & visionaries (1st ed.). St. Paul, Minn., U.S.A.: Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 0-87542-583-6. OCLC 24142837.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
43. "About Us". Michaelsen Ministries. 2018.
44. Kirban, Salem. (1968). Guide to survival. Huntingdon Valley, Pa. ISBN 0-89957-903-5. OCLC 2883.
45. Robertson, Joe (August 9, 1998). "End of the Earth". Chicago Tribune.
46. Hogue, John. (1999). 1000 for 2000 : predictions for the new millennium (1st ed.). [San Francisco]: HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 0-06-251806-2. OCLC 41400762.
47. "A Christian Case Against Millennium Madness". BeliefNet. July 1999.
48. "About Barbara Tedlock". Mayasites Travel Services. 2009.
49. Snow, Chet (2001). "Mass Dreams of the Future: An Overview from 2001". dwij.org.
50. Matsumoto, Jon (September 15, 1996). "Special Orders". Los Angeles Times.

External links

• Ancient Prophecies (1994) on IMDb
• New Visions of the Future: Prophecies III (1996) on IMDb
• WNBC 4 New York promo ad for Ancient Prophecies (1994)
• Watch Ancient Prophecies (1994) on the Internet Archive
• Watch Ancient Prophecies II: Countdown to Doomsday (1994) on the Internet Archive
• Watch New Visions of the Future: Prophecies III (1996) on the Internet Archive
• Watch Prophecies IV: The Final Visions (1997) on the Internet Archive