With the end of the 20th century rapidly approaching, there is an upsurge, fuelled by speculation in the media, of interest in millennial zeal. Individuals posting to religious news-groups on the Internet have been caught up in this upsurge and many messages are predicting the return of Christ in the near future.
Millennial zeal is far from new.
Ever since Christ's ascension, Christians have awaited His return. This text investigates one major upsurge in this zeal and why it happened. I wish to express my gratitude to Carolyn Sparey-Gillies for her permission to precis the outcome of her investigations into the subject.