Is 2027 a portentous year? Peter Sammons considers.
Why Y2K?
Some will remember the excitement around the turn of the last century which was also the turn of the second to third millennium AD – that is ‘Anno Domini’ – the year of our Lord. The turn of the millennium was, quite rightly, a helpful reflection point both for the Christian church – specifically – and the entire world, generally. What was the meaning, if any, in our collective entry into the third millennium? Precisely what were we ‘marking’ in that epoch-making event?
For the computer industry, there was an intriguing question about whether IT systems would cope with the transition from 1999 to 2000. Whilst for the institutional churches there was, appropriately, the opportunity to ask the basic question, why year 2000, or Why Y2K?
Our Western calendar (de facto the international calendar) is marked from the birth of our Lord and history is divided correctly into BC (before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini – or the year, anno, of our Lord, Domini.) Secularists have tried to mask the reality of this profound division by amending nomenclature to ‘BCE’ and ‘CE’ which they claim is ‘before common era’ and ‘common era’. This wheeze rather misfires, as it might quite reasonably be dubbed ‘before Christian era’ and ‘Christian era’, which in reality is much more correct, but definitely not what the Secularists intended!
Correct dating
Without getting too ‘technical’ about this, we know that the Christian calendar is from six to four years adrift of Christ’s actual birth. The monks who calculated the present calendar in the Byzantine period made several mistakes. Jesus was certainly born before Herod The Great died (in 4BC). Most serious commentators posit Messiah’s birth to between 6BC and 4BC. I assume the earlier of the two dates at 6BC.
For reasons that need not divert us here, there is an assumption that our Lord lived between 30 and 33 years. The consensus has been for 33 years. Assuming that Jesus was born in 6BC and lived 33 years, then the crucifixion/resurrection event will reach its 2000th anniversary in AD 2027, just eighteen months from now. Is this propitious? (Calculation: -6 + 33 = 27. -6BC + AD33 = AD27. AD27 + 2000 = AD2027).
Whilst 25 years ago the 2000th anniversary of our Lord’s birth was celebrated, at least by the institutional church, the 2000th anniversary of His Resurrection will be quietly forgotten, perhaps especially by the ‘church’. At this point we must determinedly reject any attempt to second-guess the Lord’s return, and at the same time acknowledge we are perhaps ‘all at sixes and sevens’ about this matter. Mankind’s domination of planet earth has now endured for approximately 6,000 years. Many Christians expect the Millennial Rule of Messiah Jesus to persist for 1,000 years. Does mankind’s present ‘rule’ in some sense reflect the six days of Creation? And does God’s day of rest in the creation narrative presage in some sense the millennial rule of 1,000 years, when God shall ‘tabernacle’ with Mankind, and rule here in righteousness? Big questions indeed!
Just how significant will be the year 2027? And how should we best prepare for it? Before tacking these interlinked questions, let us cast our memory back 100 years. The year 1927 is recognised as representing something of an inflection point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Summer:_America,_1927
1927 – Global Themes
The year was marked by a number of significant social and political developments around the world:
**Rise of authoritarian regimes: the strengthening of fascist and totalitarian movements, particularly in Italy and the Soviet Union.
**Nationalism and anti-colonialism: Movements for independence and civil rights gained momentum, especially in colonized countries like China and India.
**Technological and cultural modernization: Social life was changing rapidly due to the growing influence of mass media, automobiles, and cinema.
United States
**Sacco and Vanzetti executed (23 August): Two Italian anarchists, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, were executed in Massachusetts after a controversial trial that drew global attention and protests. The case highlighted issues of immigration, political radicalism, and judicial fairness.
**Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight (21-22 May): Lindbergh became an international hero after completing the first solo nonstop flight from New York to Paris. This major cultural milestone boosted U.S. pride and the aviation industry.
**Prohibition continued: Social and political tensions remained high due to ongoing enforcement of Prohibition (1920–1933), leading to organized crime and political corruption.
China
**Shanghai Massacre (April 12): Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang (KMT) violently purged Communists from the Nationalist Party, ending the First United Front between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This marked the beginning of the Chinese Civil War.
**Consolidation of KMT rule: Chiang Kai-shek emerged as the dominant political figure and began unifying China under the Nationalist government.
Italy
**Mussolini’s dictatorship intensifies: Mussolini’s fascist regime consolidated control. In 1927, he issued the “Carta del Lavoro” (Charter of Labour), a key Fascist labour law emphasizing corporatism, state control over unions, and anti-socialist policies.
Britain
**Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act passed: In response to the 1926 General Strike, the British government passed legislation restricting union power, especially outlawing general strikes and political strikes.
Germany (Weimar Republic)
**Relative stability: 1927 was a relatively stable year economically and politically, due in part to the Dawes Plan and U.S. financial aid. However, extremist parties like the Nazis and Communists were growing in influence.
**Berlin as a cultural hub: The Weimar cultural renaissance continued, with major developments in film, literature, and art (e.g., Fritz Lang’s Metropolis released this year).
Soviet Union
**Stalin consolidates power: Stalin purged rivals such as Leon Trotsky from the Communist Party. The power struggle after Lenin’s death (1924) was tilting strongly in Stalin’s favour by 1927.
**Trotsky expelled from the Communist Party: This was a major turning point in Soviet politics, signaling Stalin’s near-total control.
India
**Growing nationalist movement: The Indian National Congress was becoming increasingly assertive under leaders like Motilal Nehru and Jawaharlal Nehru. The Simon Commission was announced (though it would arrive in 1928), sparking protests for lacking Indian representation.
Japan
**Showa Financial Crisis, as well as a major earthquake. The financial crisis led to bank runs and the failure of numerous banks. Additionally, the Kita Tango earthquake caused widespread devastation, including loss of life.
Cultural & Social Developments
**The Jazz Age & ‘Roaring Twenties’ were in full swing, particularly in the U.S. and Europe.
**Cinema: The Jazz Singer premiered in 1927 — the first feature-length “talkie” film, revolutionizing cinema by introducing synchronized sound.
**Bauhaus movement: Modernist design and architecture gained prominence in Europe, particularly Germany.
Parallels Today?
As noted elsewhere in this edition, major international ‘players’ India, Russia, and Turkey, presently seek to re-establish ancient hegemonies. Likewise China looks back at 1927 as the start of the Chinese civil war; what might be more ‘natural’ than recognise 2027 as the year it ends with the annexation of Taiwan? Also, some military pundits cite 2027 as the year when waxing Chinese military power intersects with waning USA power. In 2027 a re-stoked Ukraine offensive, and simultaneous Taiwan invasion, possible India-Pakistan war, possible coordinated Iran strike on Israel, could leave the Western world reeling.
Geopolitics aside, the cultural dismemberment of the political (democratic?) West, and the profound confusion of western culture (men supposedly becoming women, the destruction of the nuclear family, hugely increasing drug addiction, apologising for past wrongs such as slavery and colonialism etc, and the opening of borders) suggests that the West is in fact incapable of defending itself. Even that it does not know what it stands for. Economically, the West is profoundly indebted – are we living on financial ‘borrowed time’?
Confusion in Western responses to the Ukraine invasion (surely a black and white test of the international rules-based order) suggests likelihood of equivalent confusion about responses to incipient challenges yet to arise. The European Union cannot even defend its southern/Mediterranean borders from rubber boats! This implies that real geopolitical challenges will either not be met, or (perhaps even more dangerously) will be met with overreach. The day I write these words, Britain enters an ‘agreement’ with the European Union that will tie her into future European military adventures and with no political freedom of action, voluntarily bringing national sovereignty under an unelected power structure.
Throughout the West, ‘abortion’ has become a one-word suicide note. In Britain alone 10.5 million babies have been destroyed in the mother’s womb since ‘abortion’ was legalised in 1967. Since that year approximately the same number moved to Britain from foreign shores. Cause and effect? Most western nations are now introducing euthanasia legalisation, dubbed ‘assisted suicide’ but euthanasia, nevertheless. Our post-Christian society no longer holds life sacred (how could it?!) and soon we shall have industrial scale euthanasia handled with the same lack of accountability as ‘abortion’.
Finally Europe especially, and the Western world in general, is being rapidly Islamised, presaging profound legal and social changes at home, and an alignment especially with the Palestinian agenda.
Lift up your heads
Jesus was very specific about what to expect at the end. See Matthew chapter 24 and Luke chapter 21. Yet He stated clearly to His followers “when you see these things, lift up your heads” (Luke 21:28), and know that our time of rescue draws near. In saying this, Jesus consciously reflected the words of Psalm 24:7. Readers might want to read the whole of Psalm 24. Plainly it has an end time allusion.
Some biblical notes on ‘the second coming’: https://christian-publications-int.com/images/PDF/BibleStudent/44_SECOND_COMING.pdf
Genuinely, we should rejoice that our Lord is coming back, and possibly quite soon. Israel remains the ‘canary in the coal mine’ as regards where the world is going. Watch her carefully.
In AD 2027 (to maximum AD 2033) the 2000th anniversary of the Resurretion will come, and go, ignored by the world at large. Yet more and more Christians are beginning to focus. The absolute and one-time demonstration of the righteousness of the Lord’s plan for Salavation and for eternity is represented in Messiah’s resurrection and in the sending of His Holy Spirit to empower believers whilst we await His return. Praise God indeed!
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Peter Sammons authored “Last Days and End Times – What Jesus says about the Future”, which is relevant to this article: https://christian-publications-int.com/Last_Days_and_End%20Times.html
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