In the early 1950's, evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong asked artist Basil Wolverton to create a series of horrifying scenes of the end of the world as we know it. Wolverton's work in horror and science fiction comics had prepared him well to execute this assignment in a unique and frightening way. These sixteen pieces represent some of Basil Wolverton's best work, done at the peak of his skill--contemporary with his finest horror/science fiction comic book work, and his early work for MAD magazine.

The following fifteen pieces (all sixteen will be posted eventually) are not for sensitive viewers. They are disturbing, grotesque scenes of horror and destruction. Yet tens of thousands of people believe this artwork to be a prophetic vision of the future. Judge for yourself.

Scriptures from which Wolverton derived the images are quoted with the enlarged versions.

The original images were rendered in black and white, because of reproduction limitations of the time. These revised images have been colored by Monte Wolverton, his son, to elicit the originally-intended reaction.

Hydrogen Bomb Over City

"Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword."
Revelation 6:4

Bomb Crater

"I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth."
Revelation 6:8

Famine

"When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come!' I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, 'A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!'"
Revelation 6:5,6

Terrified Faces

"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. . . . Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken."
Luke 21:25,26

Meteor Shower
with Eclipse and Earthquake

"I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig-tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place."
Revelation 6:12-14


Giant Tsunami

"On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea."
Luke 21:25

Volcano and Waterspouts

"The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed."
Revelation 8:8-9

Giant Hailstones

"From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible."
Revelation 16:21

Mass Burial

"A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulphur that came out of their
mouths."


Heat

"The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with
fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these
plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him."
Revelation 16:8-9

Fire from the Sky

"The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up."
Revelation 8:7

Boils and Darkness

"The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done."
Revelation 16:10-11

Earthquake and Volcanos

"The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'It is done!' Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake."
Revelation 16:17-18

Utter Destruction

"For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now ­ and never to be equalled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened."
Matthew 24:21-22