How did Y2K contribute to apocalyptic fears near the year 2000?

The Y2K bug, a technical flaw where computer systems abbreviated years as two digits, contributed significantly to apocalyptic fears near the year 2000 by creating a widespread belief that global infrastructure—including banking, utilities, and government records—would collapse when clocks struck midnight on January 1, 2000.1

Within the context of millennialism, this technical concern became a focal point for premillennial preachers, such as Jerry Falwell, Chuck Missler, and Jack Van Impe. These figures integrated the Y2K threat into their apocalyptic prophecies, transforming a secular computer software issue into what was described as the great ecumenical apocalyptic prophecy of the age.23

While traditional millennialism is often rooted in scripture, the Y2K phenomenon was unique because it grounded apocalyptic expectations in the modern, global dependence on computer technology. This convergence of technological anxiety and religious fervor intensified global millennial expectations as the year 2000 approached, illustrating how modern crises can be interpreted through an apocalyptic lens.3