Eschatology can refer to the Messiah, a messianic era, the afterlife and soul

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Eschatology and the End Times

 

Eschatology literally means the study of the eschaton, the times of

the end, " last things " , or " end times " . The word is derived from

Greek eskhatos meaning " last, furthest, remote " with the root ex —

" out of " .

 

In Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Rastafari, and in

Norse pagan theology, eschatology is a theology concerning the end

of the world, as said in the prophecies of these faiths, and as

recorded in their sacred texts. It can also be the study of general

afterlife concepts of other religions, especially the western

monotheistic faiths. In this broader sense, eschatology can refer to

the messiah, a messianic era, the afterlife, and the soul in

religions which have such beliefs.

 

The Greek word 'eon' means 'age'; some translations may read " end of

the age " instead of " end of the world " . The distinction also has

theological significance, for the " end times " in many religions may

involve the destruction of the planet (or of all living things), but

with the human race surviving in some new form, ending the

current " age " of existance and beginning a new one.

 

 

Christianity

 

Many Christians currently believe that the End is near, some sects

placing it within their lifetime or shortly thereafter. Their

convictions can sometimes be placed on the prolific tellings of

tragedies all around the world each day on the news, combined with

indirect interpretations of aspects of and scriptures in the Bible.

 

 

Hinduism

 

According to Hindu prophecies redacted in the Sanskrit PurAnas the

world shall fall into chaos and degradation. There would then be a

rapid influx of perversity, greed, conflict etc.: " When deceit

falsehood, lethargy, sleepiness, violence, despondency, grief,

delusion, fear, and poverty prevail ... when men, filled with

conceit, consider themselves equal with the Brahmins...that is the

Kali Yuga. "

 

Later, an avatar will appear. " The Lord shall manifest Himself as

the Kalki Avatar...He will establish righteousness upon the earth

and the minds of the people will become as pure as crystal...As a

result the Sat or Krta Yuga (golden age) will be established. "

 

 

Buddhism

 

According to Buddhist philosophies in the Suttapitaka, the " ten

moral courses of conduct " will disappear, and people will follow ten

amoral concepts instead, i.e. theft, violence, murder, lying, evil

speaking, adultery, abusive and idle talk, covetousness and ill

will, wonton greed, and perverted lust. Poverty will then skyrocket.

The Dharma, or worldly laws, would then disappear from the world.

 

A new Buddha by the name of Maitreya, will arise. This new Buddha

will " replace the counterfeit Dharma of materialism and

selfishness...and give new teachings to solve the social problems of

the world. "

 

 

Judaism

 

It is worth noting that the Talmud, in the tractate Avodah Zarah,

page 9A, states that this world as we know it will only exist for

six thousand years:

 

" ...The Tanna Debey Eliyahu taught: The world is to exist six

thousand years; the first two thousand are to be " void " [of Torah],

the next two thousand are the period of the Torah [from Abraham

until the completion of the Mishna - the first part of the Talmud],

and the following [last] two thousand are the period of the Messiah

[i.e., the Messianic Age could commence during this time]; through

our [the Jews'] sins a number of these [times for the Messiah's

coming] have already passed [and the Messiah has not come yet]. "

The end of the world is called the acharit hayamim (end of days),

when tumultuous events will take place in the world overturning the

old world order and creating a new order where God is recognized by

every single individual as the God who rules over everyone and

everything in the Universe. One of the sages of the Talmud says

that " Let the end of days come, but may I not live to see them " ,

because they will be filled with so much conflict and suffering....

 

One group of Jews from the Chabad Lubavitch, one strand of Hasidic

Judaism, believes that the Messiah has quite possibly arrived and

begun his mission, and that it is their deceased Rebbe Menachem

Mendel Schneerson, actually the Messiah in waiting. The defeat of

Iraq by the United States Army during the Gulf War in 1990 - 1991,

and the fact that Israel was not seriously harmed, was taken as a

sign that the Messiah was at hand. This view was rejected by all

other groups who still await the traditional " End of Days " as

described in the writings of the Prophets of the Tanakh, the classic

Jewish Bible.

 

 

Islam

 

Islamic eschatology is concerned with the Qiyamah (end of the world)

and the final judgement of humanity. Like Christianity and some

sects of modern Judaism, Islam teaches the bodily resurrection of

the dead, the fulfillment of a divine plan for creation, and the

immortality of the human soul; the righteous are rewarded with the

pleasures of Jannah (Paradise), while the unrighteous are punished

in Jahannam (a fiery Hell, from the Hebrew ge-hinnom or " valley of

Hinnom " ; usually rendered in English as Gehenna). A significant

fraction of the Qur'an deals with these beliefs, with many hadith

elaborating on the themes and details.

 

 

Mayan

 

The Mayans believe that earth would be destroyed by several

catastrophes (i.e. earthquakes, volcanoes, floods etc.).

Civilizations would then collapse, and the Indian god Kulkulcan -

the Mayan equivalent to the Aztec Quetzalcoatl - a feathered serpent

deity, who represents forces of good and light, would then appear.

 

According to The Mayan Prophecies " The end of artificial time

signals and the return to natural light, a time in harmony with the

Earth and with the natural cycles [would] hold the potential to

reinstate a balanced, positive love and unity cycle. "

 

The Mayan calendar ends abruptly in 2012, thus this year is

predicted to be the end of the world according to several prophecies

 

 

The Sioux

 

According to an Ogalala - or Sioux medicine man - " darkness would

descend over the tribe...the world would be out of balance. Floods,

fires and earthquakes would then ensue. "

 

A " White Buffalo Calf Woman " will then purify the world. She will

then bring back harmony and spiritual balance.

 

A white buffalo was born in 1994, and another in 1995. Many tribal

leaders thus feel that the prophecy is being fulfilled.

 

 

Zoroastrianism

 

Zoroastrianism is the oldest eschatology known to modern humans. By

500 B.C, it had a fully developed concept of the end of the world as

being devoured by fire.

 

According to Zoroastrian philosophies redacted in the Zand-i Vohuman

Yasht that " [at the] end of thy tenth hundredth winter...the sun is

more unseen and more spotted; the year, month, and day are shorter;

and the earth is more barren; and the crop will not yield the seed;

and men ... become more deceitful and more given to vile practices.

They have no gratitude "

 

" Honorable wealth will all proceed to those of perverted faith...and

a dark cloud makes the whole sky night..and [it will rain] more

noxious creatures than winter. "

 

Saoshyant, the Man of Peace, comes to battle the forces of evil. A

ressurection would then occur, and those loyal to righteousness

would live in peace for eternity while evil would be condemned in

molten metal.

 

The end times are, in one version of Christian eschatology and in

Islam, a time of tribulation that will precede the Second Coming of

Jesus.

 

Eschatology and the End Times

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Guest guest]

, " jagbir singh "

<adishakti_org> wrote:

>

> Eschatology and the End Times

>

> Judaism

>

> It is worth noting that the Talmud, in the tractate Avodah Zarah,

> page 9A, states that this world as we know it will only exist for

> six thousand years:

>

> " ...The Tanna Debey Eliyahu taught: The world is to exist six

> thousand years; the first two thousand are to be " void " [of

> Torah], the next two thousand are the period of the Torah [from

> Abraham until the completion of the Mishna - the first part of the

> Talmud], and the following [last] two thousand are the period of

> the Messiah [i.e., the Messianic Age could commence during this

> time]; through our [the Jews'] sins a number of these [times for

> the Messiah's coming] have already passed [and the Messiah has not

> come yet]. " The end of the world is called the acharit hayamim

> (end of days), when tumultuous events will take place in the world

> overturning the old world order and creating a new order where God

> is recognized by every single individual as the God who rules over

> everyone and everything in the Universe. One of the sages of the

> Talmud says that " Let the end of days come, but may I not live to

> see them " , because they will be filled with so much conflict and

> suffering....

>

> One group of Jews from the Chabad Lubavitch, one strand of Hasidic

> Judaism, believes that the Messiah has quite possibly arrived and

> begun his mission, and that it is their deceased Rebbe Menachem

> Mendel Schneerson, actually the Messiah in waiting. The defeat of

> Iraq by the United States Army during the Gulf War in 1990 - 1991,

> and the fact that Israel was not seriously harmed, was taken as a

> sign that the Messiah was at hand. This view was rejected by all

> other groups who still await the traditional " End of Days " as

> described in the writings of the Prophets of the Tanakh, the

> classic Jewish Bible.

>

 

The Wait Is Over: Jews' Messiah Now Kosher

 

Vatican affirms Jewish position; scholars scramble to decipher new

doctrine.

 

In 1967, during the early thaw of Catholic-Jewish relations, Rabbi

Irving " Yitz " Greenberg addressed a Catholic audience about the

conflicting Messiah beliefs.

 

The Orthodox rabbi noted that one difference between Jews and

Catholics is whether the Messiah is coming for the first or second

time. Christians believe the Messiah — a Jew from Nazareth called

Jesus — came 2,000 years ago, and after dying and being

resurrected, will someday return to redeem the world.

 

Jews say the Messiah has yet to arrive — a belief that led to

centuries of Christian anti-Semitism and killings of Jews who

refused to accept the Christian view. . . .

 

" It's a very important, critical statement, " said Rabbi Jack

Bemporad, head of the Center for Interreligious Understanding.

" Up until now they were saying Jews are completely and absolutely

wrong and we are waiting in vain and blind to the truth. "

 

Others were more cautious, noting continued significant differences

in Messiah beliefs — particularly that Christians believe that

their Messiah is Jesus who is also God, while for Jews the Messiah

is not a divine being and cannot be Jesus because he died before

bringing the redemption.

 

Rabbi James Rudin, senior interreligious adviser to the American

Jewish Committee, raised several concerns.

 

" Does the new book instruct Catholics to fully accept the fact

there is not only theological space in God's universe for

Jews/Judaism, but they must also affirm that the identity of long

awaited Messiah, so ardently prayed for by Jews for centuries, is

unknown and will remain unknown until the Messiah appears? " he

asked.

 

" That is a clear affirmation of Judaism with no theological

strings attached, no Jesus waiting for Jews at the end of the

theological day. If this is the book's message, then it is an

important step forward on the part of the Catholic Church. "

 

Eric J. Greenberg, Debating The Messiah [www.virtualjerusalem.com/]