WHEN our clocks are poised to strike the midnight hour tomorrow, there will then be precisely 400 days left of the 20th century and second millennium AD.

Exactly 2000 years ago, Earth's inhabitants were contemplating the end of November of the year 2 BC, totally unaware of the momentous events which would be taking place in Bethlehem at the end of the following year, events which would not only lead to the numbering of our years but of theirs also, going back into the mists of time BC.

Ever since the birth of Jesus Christ, Earth has continued to orbit the sun as it had done before from time immemorial. During our planet's first orbit following the Nativity, it was the First Year of Our Lord, or 1 AD, in its shorthand version.

During orbit number 1066 the Battle of Hastings was fought and as these words are being written Earth has completed some 90 per cent of orbit number 1999.

At the end of this year therefore Earth will be setting out on orbit number 2000, at the end of which the new millennium and century will commence, while at the same time we will be in a position properly to celebrate two thousands years of the Christian era.

The year 2000 should, therefore, be regarded as an Advent year, in similar fashion to the way the Christian churches look on the season of Advent which terminates with our celebration of Christmas each year. There is no doubt that the vast majority of the world's population have chosen not to question the accuracy of regarding next year as the commencement of the new century and millennium, but it is a recorded fact that at the ends of some previous centuries preparations had also been made to celebrate the wrong date. On each of those occasions, the truth had dawned in good time for the correct date to be observed.

During the 20th century, however, giant strides have been made for the dissemination of information around the whole world. It has led, inevitably, to the easy and rapid manipulation of worldwide thinking and, unfortunately, the commercial world plays an increasing part in influencing our thoughts.

There is no doubt in my mind that big business has played a leading part in ensuring that vast amounts of money will be spent by the unthinking masses on celebrating the wrong date.

They know full well that those same people will not be averse to parting with their money again 12 months later as the century and millennium really do draw to a close.

To their eternal shame, the leaders of the Christian churches closed their ears and eyes on this issue and instead of proclaiming the true position in time to influence events, they went to sleep and left it until it was too late for their words to bring about a correction.

Those church leaders are surely intelligent enough to know that the Christian message should be taking precedence over and above the welfare of commerce and politics.

RICHARD JOHNSON, Leaverholme Close, Cliviger.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.