Eschatology

The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (February 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Eschatology (

The word "eschatology" arises from the Ancient Greek term ἔσχατος (éschatos), meaning "last", and -logy, meaning "the study of", and first appeared in English around 1844.^[3] The Oxford English Dictionary defines eschatology as "the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind".^[4]

Linear cosmology

Judaism

The main tenets of modern Jewish eschatology, in no particular order, include:^[5]

• God will redeem Israel from the captivity that began during the
  Babylonian Exile in a new Exodus
  .
• God will return the Jewish people to the Land of Israel.
• God will restore the
  Temple in Jerusalem
  .
• God will raise up a regent from the House of David, the
  Jewish Messiah, to lead the Jewish people and the world and to usher in an age of justice and peace, the Messianic Age
  .
• Non-Jews will recognize that the God of Israel is the only true god.
• God will
  resurrect the dead
  .
• God will create a
  new heaven and earth.^[6]

The idea of a Messianic Age, an era of global peace and knowledge of the Creator, has a prominent place in Jewish thought, and is incorporated as part of the end of days. A well-known passage from the Book of Isaiah describes this future condition of the world: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift sword against nation and they will no longer study warfare" (2:4).^[5] Maimonides (1135–1204) further describes the Messianic Era in the Mishneh Torah: "And at that time there will be no hunger or war, no jealousy or rivalry. For the good will be plentiful, and all delicacies available as dust. The entire occupation of the world will be only to know God; ... the people Israel will be of great wisdom; they will perceive the esoteric truths and comprehend their Creator's wisdom as is the capacity of man. As it is written (Isaiah 11:9): 'For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God, as the waters cover the sea.'"^[7]

Kabbalah

In

Frashokereti is the

1. Good will eventually prevail over evil.
2. Creation, initially perfectly good, was subsequently corrupted by evil.
3. The world will ultimately be restored to the perfection it had at the time of creation.
4. The "salvation for the individual depended on the sum of [that person's] thoughts, words and deeds, and there could be no intervention, whether compassionate or capricious, by any divine being to alter this". Thus each human bears the responsibility for the fate of his own soul, and simultaneously shares in the responsibility for the fate of the world.^[18]

Zoroastrian eschatology is considered one of the oldest in recorded history. The birth of its founder,

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 will have no gratitude. Honorable wealth will proceed to those of perverted faith. And a dark cloud makes the whole sky night, and it will rain more noxious creatures than water.

A battle between the righteous and wicked will be followed by the

The righteous will partake of the parahaoma, which will confer immortality upon them. Humanity will become like the Amesha Spentas, living without food, hunger, thirst, weapons or injury. Bodies will become so light as to cast no shadow. All humanity will speak a single language, and belong to a single nation with no borders. All will share a single purpose and goal, joining with Ahura Mazda for a perpetual and divine exaltation.^[20][18]

Gnosticism

The Gnostic codex On the Origin of the World (possibly dating from near the end of the third century CE) states that during what is called the consummation of the age, the Sun and Moon will become dark as the stars change their ordinary course. Kings will make war with each other, and thunder will cause the world to be shaken. The corrupt Archons will mourn. The sea will be troubled by fighting of the kings who became drunk from the flaming sword. Finally, great thunder will come from Sophia, the woman in the firmament above the forces of Chaos. She will cast the corrupt gods into the abyss where they will fight each other until only their chief Yaldabaoth remains and destroys himself. Next the heavens of the Archons will collapse on each other before the Earth sinks into the abyss. Light will cover the darkness and eliminate it then form into something greater than anything that ever existed before. The source of the darkness will dissolve, and the deficiency will be taken from its root. Those who were not perfected in the unconceived one will receive glories in their realms and kingdoms of the immortals, but those who were will enter a kingless realm. All will be judged according to their deeds and gnosis.^[21]

Christianity

This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Too long; details need to be merged down into Christian eschatology until this is 1-5 paragraphs with no subsections. Please help improve this section if you can. (February 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Christian eschatology is the study concerned with the ultimate destiny of the individual

Eschatological passages occur in many places in the Bible, in both the Old and the New Testaments. In the Old Testament, apocalyptic eschatology can be found notably in Isaiah 24–27, Isaiah 56–66, Joel, Zechariah 9–14 as well as in the closing chapters of Daniel, and in Ezekiel.^[22] In the New Testament, applicable passages include Matthew 24, Mark 13, the parable of "The Sheep and the Goats" and the Book of Revelation—Revelation often occupies a central place in Christian eschatology.

The Second Coming of Christ is the central event in Christian eschatology within the broader context of the fullness of the Kingdom of God. Most Christians believe that death and suffering will continue to exist until Christ's return. There are, however, various views concerning the order and significance of other eschatological events.

The Book of Revelation stands at the core of much of Christian eschatology. The study of Revelation is usually divided into four interpretative methodologies or

• The
  Futurist
  approach treats the Book of Revelation mostly as unfulfilled prophecy taking place in some yet undetermined future.
• The Preterist approach interprets Revelation chiefly as having had prophetic fulfillment in the past, principally in the events of the first century CE.
• The
  early Christian church, then among the predecessors to Protestantism, such as John Wycliffe,^{[23][need quotation to verify]} Joachim of Fiore^[24] and later by the majority of Protestant Reformers, such as Martin Luther,^[25][26] John Calvin,^[27] and John Wesley.^[28] Further supporters of this view included Isaac Newton^[29] (1642–1727), among others.^[30][31]
• The Idealist approach sees the events of Revelation as neither past nor future actualities, but as purely symbolic accounts, dealing with the ongoing struggle and ultimate triumph of good over evil.

Date

While some who believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible insist the prediction of dates or times is futile, others believe Jesus foretold signs of the end of days. The precise time, however, will come like a "thief in the night" (1 Thess. 5:2). They may also refer to Matthew 24:36 in which Jesus is quoted as saying:

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."

Great Tribulation

In the New Testament, Jesus refers to this period preceding the end times as the "Great Tribulation" (Matthew 24:21), "Affliction" (Mark 13:19), and "days of vengeance" (Luke 21:22).

The Book of Matthew describes the devastation:

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand). Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains. Let him which is on the housetop not come down. ...Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes, and woe unto them that are with child. ...For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

— Matthew 24:15–22

The resulting chaos will affect pregnancies, newborns, and a scourge will spread throughout the flesh, save for the elect. The vivid imagery of this section is repeated closely in Mark 13:14–20.

The Gospel of Luke describes a complete unraveling of the social fabric, with widespread calamity and war:

Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.

"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

And he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."

— Luke 21:10–33

In the Book of Revelation, the "great tribulation" (Rev. 7:14b) refers to a time of affliction upon God's people.

Catholicism

The

Protestantism

Contemporary use of the term End Times has evolved from literal belief in Christian millennialism. In this tradition,

Millennialists and Amillennialists

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Eschatology" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Protestants are divided between Millennialists and Amillennialists. Millennialists concentrate on the issue of whether the true believers will see the Great Tribulation or be removed from it by what is referred to as a Pre-Tribulation rapture.

Amillennialists believe the end times encompass the time from Christ's ascension to the last day, and maintain that the mention of the "thousand years" in the Book of Revelation is meant to be taken metaphorically (i.e., not literally), a view which continues to cause divisions within Protestant Christianity.

There is a range of eschatological belief in Protestant Christianity. Christian premillennialists who believe the end times are occurring now, are usually specific about timelines that climax in the end of the world. For some, Israel, the European Union, or the United Nations are seen as major players whose roles were foretold in scripture. Within dispensational premillennialist writing, there is the belief that Christians will be summoned to Heaven by Christ at the rapture, occurring before a Great Tribulation prophesied in Matthew 24–25; Mark 13 and Luke 21. The Tribulation is described in the Book of Revelation.

"End times" may also refer to the passing of an age or long period in the relationship between man and God.^[44] Adherents to this view cite the Second Epistle to Timothy and draw analogies to the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

Post-Exilic Hebrew books of prophecy such as Daniel and Ezekiel are given new interpretations in this Christian tradition, while apocalyptic forecasts appear in the Judeo-Christian Sibylline Oracles which include the Book of Revelation ascribed to John, the apocryphal Apocalypse of Peter, and the Second Book of Esdras.

Adventists and Millerites

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Eschatology" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Millerites

are diverse religious groups which similarly rely upon a special gift of interpretation for predicting the second coming.

The difference between the 19th-century Millerite and adventist movements and contemporary prophecy is that William Miller and his followers, based on biblical interpretation, predicted the time of the Second Coming to have occurred in 1844. Contemporary writing of end time has suggested the timetable will be triggered by future wars and moral catastrophe, and that this time of tribulation is close at hand.

Seventh-day Adventists believe biblical prophecy to foretell an end time scenario in which the United States works in conjunction with the Catholic Church to mandate worship on a day other than the true Sabbath, Saturday, as prescribed in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8–11). This will bring about a situation where one must choose for or against the Bible as the will of God.^[45]

Preterists

Main article: Preterism

Another view of the end times is preterism. It distinguishes the time of the end from the end of time. Preterists believe the term last days (or Time of the End) refers to, neither the last days of the Earth, nor the last days of humankind, but the end of the Old Covenant between God and Israel; which, according to preterism, took place when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 CE.

Preterists believe that

sacked Jerusalem

and completely destroyed its Temple.

Proponents of full preterism do not believe in a coming

partial preterism do believe in a coming resurrection. Full preterists contend that partial preterists are merely futurists, since they believe the Second Coming, the Resurrection, the Rapture

, and the Judgment are yet to come.

Many preterists believe first-century

Christ

.

According with Preterism's

1 Jn.

2:18.

Dispensationalists

Main articles: Dispensationalism and Christian Zionism

Dispensationalism is an

Fundamentalist Christians

in the 1970s that Middle East turmoil may well be leading up to the fulfillment of various Bible prophecies and to the Battle of Armageddon.

Members of the dispensationalist movement such as Hal Lindsey, J. Dwight Pentecost, John Walvoord, all of whom have Dallas Theological Seminary backgrounds, and some other writers, claimed further that the European Economic Community, which preceded the European Union, would become a United States of Europe, which would in turn become a Revived Roman Empire ruled by the Antichrist. The Revived Roman Empire also figured into the New Testament writers' vision of the future. The fact that in the early 1970s, there were (erroneously thought to be) seven nations in the European Economic Community was held to be significant; this aligned the Community with a seven-headed beast mentioned in Revelation. This specific prophecy has required revision, but the idea of a Revived Roman Empire remains.

Dispensationalism, in contrast to the Millerite Adventist movement, had its beginning in the 19th century, when

Cyrus I. Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible

, an annotated Bible that became popular in the United States.

Since the majority of the Biblical prophets were writing at a time when the

Futurists, their destruction in 70 CE put the prophetic timetable on hold. Many such believers therefore anticipated the return of Jews to Israel and the reconstruction of the Temple before the Second Coming could occur.^[47][48]

Post-tribulation pre-millennialism

A view of the Second Coming of Christ as held by post-tribulational pre-millennialists holds that the Church of Christ will have to undergo great persecution by being present during the great tribulation.

Specific prophetic movements

Main article: Great Disappointment

In 1843,

followers of Miller went on to found separate groups, the most successful of which is the Seventh-day Adventist Church

.

Members of the

major holy day—took place on 23 May 1844. It was in October of that year that the Báb embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca, where he openly declared his claims to the Sharif of Mecca.^[51][52] The first news coverage of these events in the West was in 1845 by The Times,^[53] followed by others in 1850 in the United States.^[54] The first Baháʼí to come to America was in 1892.^[51] Several Baháʼí books and pamphlets make mention of the Millerites, the prophecies used by Miller and the Great Disappointment, most notably William Sears's Thief in the Night.^[55][56][57]

Restorationism (Christian primitivism)

End times theology is also significant to

restorationist

Christian religions, which consider themselves distinct from both Catholicism and Protestantism.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Main article: Eschatology of Jehovah's Witnesses

The eschatology of

Jesus Christ has been ruling in heaven as king since 1914 (a date they believe was prophesied in the Bible) and that after that time a period of cleansing occurred, resulting in God's selection of the Bible Students associated with Charles Taze Russell as his people in 1919. They also believe that the destruction of those who reject the Bible's message^[58] and thus willfully refuse to obey God^[59][60] will shortly take place at Armageddon

, ensuring that the beginning of the new earthly society will be composed of willing subjects of that kingdom.

The religion's doctrines surrounding 1914 are the legacy of a series of emphatic claims regarding the years 1799,[61] 1874,^[61] 1878,^[62] 1914,^[63] 1918^[64] and 1925^[65] made in the Watch Tower Society's publications between 1879 and 1924. Claims about the significance of those years, including the presence of Jesus Christ, the beginning of the "last days", the destruction of worldly governments and the earthly resurrection of Jewish patriarchs, were successively abandoned.^[66] In 1922 the society's principal magazine, The Watchtower, described its chronology as "no stronger than its weakest link", but also claimed the chronological relationships to be "of divine origin and divinely corroborated ... in a class by itself, absolutely and unqualifiedly correct"^[67] and "indisputable facts",^[61] and repudiation of Russell's teachings was described as "equivalent to a repudiation of the Lord".^[68]

The Watch Tower Society has acknowledged its early leaders promoted "incomplete, even inaccurate concepts".

God's Kingdom and that they do not call their core beliefs into question.^[73][74][75]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Main articles:

Second Coming (LDS Church) and Apocalyptic beliefs among Latter-day Saints

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) believe there will be a Second Coming of Jesus to the earth at some time in the future. The LDS Church and its leaders do not make any predictions of the date of the Second Coming.

According to church doctrine, the true gospel will be taught in all parts of the world prior to the Second Coming.^[76] They also believe there will be increasing war, earthquakes, hurricanes, and man-made disasters prior to the Second Coming.^[77] Disasters of all kind will happen before Christ comes.^[78] Upon the return of Jesus Christ, all people will be resurrected, the righteous in a first resurrection and the unrighteous in a second, later resurrection. Christ shall reign for a period of 1000 years, after which the Final Judgment will occur.

Realized eschatology

Main article: Realized eschatology

Realized eschatology is a Christian eschatological theory that holds that the eschatological passages in the New Testament do not refer to the future, but instead refer to the ministry of Jesus and his lasting legacy.^[79][80]

Islam

Main article: Islamic eschatology

Further information:

Resurrection in Islam

Islamic eschatology
Figures Isa Mahdi Dajjal Sufyani Yajuj and Majuj Dhul-Suwayqatayn
Events Swallowing in the Land of Bayda Coming of Mahdi
Key terms Day of Resurrection Signs
Islam portal
v t e

Day of Judgment with some debate as to whether the periods could overlap.^[82][83][84]

Sunni

Sunnis believe the dead will then stand in a grand assembly, awaiting a scroll detailing their righteous deeds, sinful acts and ultimate judgment.[note 1]^[85] Muhammad will be the first to be resurrected.^[86] Punishments will include adhab, or severe pain and embarrassment, and khizy or shame.^[87] There will also be a punishment of the grave between death and the resurrection.^[88] Several Sunni scholars explain some of the signs metaphorically.

The signs of the coming end time are divided into major and minor signs: Following the second period, the third is said to be marked by the ten major signs known as alamatu's-sa'ah al- kubra (The major signs of the end).^{[note 2]} They are as follows:

1. A huge black cloud of smoke (dukhan) will cover the earth.^{[note 3]}
2. Three sinkings of the earth, one in the East.^{[note 3]}
3. One sinking of the earth in the West.^{[note 3]}
4. One sinking of the earth in Arabia.^{[note 3]}
5. The false messiah—anti-Christ,
   Masih ad-Dajjal—shall appear with great powers as a one-eyed man with his right eye blind and deformed like a grape. Although believers will not be deceived, he will claim to be God, to hold the keys to heaven and hell, and will lead many astray.^[89] In reality, his heaven is hell, and his hell is heaven. The Dajjal will be followed by seventy thousand Jews of Isfahan wearing Persian shawls.^{[note 4]}
6. The
   return of Isa (Jesus), from the fourth sky, to kill Dajjal.^[90]
7. Lake Tiberias, and kill all believers in their way. Isa, Imam Al-Mahdi, and the believers with them will go to the top of a mountain and pray for the destruction of Gog and Magog. God eventually will send disease and worms to wipe them out.^{[note 5][91]}
8. The sun will rise from the West.[92]^[93][94]
9. The Dabbat al-ard, or Beast of the Earth, will come out of the ground to talk to people.^{[note 6]}
10. The second blow of the trumpet will be sounded, the dead will return to life, and a fire will come out of Yemen that shall gather all to Mahshar Al Qiy'amah (The Gathering for Judgment).^[95]

Shia

Many of the signs shown above are shared by both Sunni and Shia beliefs, with some exceptions, e.g. Imam Al-Mahdi defeating Al-Masih ad-Dajjal.

Concepts and terminology in

Twelver Shia narrations about the last days, the literature largely revolves around Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is considered by many beliefs to be the true twelfth appointed successor to Muhammad. Muhammad al-Mahdi will help mankind against the deception by the Dajjal who will try to get people in to a new world religion which is called "the great deception".^{[96][need quotation to verify}

]

Ahmadiyya

Part of a series on Ahmadiyya
Beliefs and practices Tawhid Five Pillars of Islam Six articles of faith Bay'ah
Distinct views Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Prophethood Jesus Jihad Evolution
Days of remembrance Caliphate Day Eid al-Adha Eid al-Fitr Promised Messiah Day Promised Reformer Day
Foundational texts and sciences Quran Sirah ) Aqidah (creed) Tafsir (exegesis) Fiqh (jurisprudence) Sharia (law)
Key literature Rūhānī Khazā᾽in Malfūzāt Tafsīr-e-Kabīr Haqā'iq al-Furqān Review of Religions Al Fazl (newspaper) The Muslim Sunrise Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth
Organizational structure Caliphs: I II III IV V Majlis al-Shura Lajna Khuddām Ansār Jalsa Salana Mosques Jamia MTA
Key sites Hijaz Kaaba Masjid al-Haram Al-Masjid an-Nabawi United Kingdom Fazl Mosque Baitul Futuh Mosque Mubarak Mosque Qadian Aqsa Mosque Minaret-ul-Masih Mubarak Mosque Rabwah Aqsa Mosque Jamia
Miscellaneous Persecution Ahmadiyya by country Ahmadiyya and other faiths List of Ahmadis Humanity First (NGO Charity) Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement Ahmadiyya translations of the Quran Roza Bal (Tomb of Jesus) Mai Mari da Ashtan (Tomb of Mary)
v t e

promised Messiah and the Mahdi, fulfilling Islamic and Biblical prophecies, as well as scriptures of other religions such as Hinduism. His teaching will establish spiritual reform and establish an age of peace. This will continue for a thousand years, and will unify mankind under one faith.^[98]

Ahmadis believe that despite harsh and strong opposition and discrimination they will eventually be triumphant and their message vindicated both by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Ahmadis also incorporate the eschatological views from other religions into their doctrine and believe Mirza Ghulam Ahmed falls into this sequence.[99]

Baháʼí Faith

See also: Baháʼí Faith on life after death and Baháʼí teachings

In the

Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, was the Second Coming of Christ and also the fulfilment of previous eschatological expectations of Islam and other major religions.^[102]

The inception of the Baháʼí Faith coincides with Great Disappointment of the Millerite prophecy in 1844.

golden age

.

Rastafari

Main article:

Rastafari movement

Haile Selassie I is viewed as god incarnate in Rastafari

.

Rastafari have a unique interpretation of end times, based on the

second coming, and the Second Italo-Ethiopian War as fulfillment of Revelation. There is also the expectation that Selassie will return for a day of judgment and bring home the "lost children of Israel", which in Rastafari refers to those taken from Africa through the slave trade. There will then be an era of peace and harmony at Mount Zion in Africa.^[107]

Cyclic cosmology

Hinduism

Main articles: Hindu eschatology and Kalki

Further information: Hindu units of time

The

Vaishnavite tradition links contemporary Hindu eschatology to the figure of Kalki, the tenth and last avatar of Vishnu. Many Hindus believe that before the age draws to a close, Kalki will reincarnate as Shiva and simultaneously dissolve and regenerate the universe. In contrast, Shaivites hold the view that Shiva is incessantly destroying and creating the world.^[108]

In

kalpas. Each lasts 4.1–8.2 billion years, which is a period of one full day and night for Brahma, who will be alive for 311 trillion, 40 billion years. Within a kalpa there are periods of creation, preservation and decline. After this larger cycle, all of creation will contract to a singularity^{[citation needed]} and then again will expand from that single point, as the ages continue in a religious fractal pattern.^{[84][need quotation to verify}

]

Within the current kalpa, there are four epochs that encompass the cycle. They progress from a beginning of complete purity to a descent into total corruption. The last of the four ages is Kali Yuga (which most Hindus believe is the current time), characterized by quarrel, hypocrisy, impiety, violence and decay. The four pillars of dharma will be reduced to one, with truth being all that remains.^[109] As written in the Gita:^[110]

Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānirbhavati Bhārata
Abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānam sṛjāmyaham

O descendant of Bharata, whenever there is a decline of religion and an increase in irreligion, at that time I manifest My eternally perfect form in this mundane world.

At this time of chaos, the final avatar, Kalki, endowed with eight superhuman faculties will appear on a white horse. Kalki will amass an army to "establish righteousness upon the earth" and leave "the minds of the people as pure as crystal."

At the completion of

Yuga Cycle will begin with a new Satya Yuga, in which all will once again be righteous with the reestablishment of dharma. This, in turn, will be followed by epochs of Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga and again another Kali Yuga. This cycle will then repeat until the larger cycle of existence under Brahma returns to the singularity,^{[citation needed]} and a new universe is born.^[107]

The cycle of birth, growth, decay, and renewal at the individual level finds its echo in the cosmic order, yet is affected by vagueries of divine intervention in Vaishnavite belief.

Buddhism

Main article: Buddhist eschatology

There is no classic account of beginning or end^[111] in Buddhism; Masao Abe attributes this to the absence of God.^[112]

History is embedded in the continuing process of

Sakyamuni Buddha's dharma will also come to an end.^[116]

Maitreya

Main article: Maitreya

The Buddha described his teachings disappearing five thousand years from when he preached them,^[117] corresponding approximately to the year 4300 since he was born in 623 BCE.^[118] At this time, knowledge of dharma will be lost as well. The last of his relics will be gathered in Bodh Gaya and cremated.^{[citation needed]} There will be a new era in which the next Buddha Maitreya will appear, but it will be preceded by the degeneration of human society. This will be a period of greed, lust, poverty, ill will, violence, murder, impiety, physical weakness, sexual depravity and societal collapse, and even the Buddha himself will be forgotten.^[84]

This will be followed by the coming of Maitreya when the teachings of dharma are forgotten. Maitreya was the first Bodhisattva around whom a cult developed, in approximately the third century CE.^[119]

The earliest known mention of Maitreya occurs in the Cakkavatti, or Sihanada Sutta in

Gautama Buddha

predicted his teachings of dharma would be forgotten after 5,000 years.

At that period, brethren, there will arise in the world an Exalted One named Maitreya, Fully Awakened, abounding in wisdom and goodness, happy, with knowledge of the worlds, unsurpassed as a guide to mortals willing to be led, a teacher for gods and men, an Exalted One, a Buddha, even as I am now. He, by himself, will thoroughly know and see, as it were face to face, this universe, with Its worlds of the spirits, Its Brahmas and Its Maras, and Its world of recluses and Brahmins, of princes and peoples, even as I now, by myself, thoroughly know and see them.

— Digha Nikaya, 26

The text then foretells the birth of Maitreya Buddha in the city of

Ketumatī in present-day Benares, whose king will be the Cakkavattī Sankha. Sankha will live in the former palace of King Mahāpanadā, and will become a renunciate who follows Maitreya.^[120][121]

In Mahayana Buddhism, Maitreya will attain

Amitabha presides over Sukhavati, more popularly known as the "Western Paradise".^[122]

A notable teaching he will rediscover is that of the ten non-virtuous deeds—killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, divisive speech, abusive speech, idle speech, covetousness, harmful intent and wrong views. The ten virtuous deeds will replace them with the abandonment of each of these practices. Edward Conze in his Buddhist Scriptures (1959) gives an account of Maitreya:

The Lord replied, 'Maitreya, the best of men, will then leave the Tuṣita heavens and go for his last rebirth. As soon as he is born he will walk seven steps forward, and where he puts down his feet a jewel or a lotus will spring up. He will raise his eyes to the ten directions and will speak these words: "This is my last birth. There will be no rebirth after this one. Never will I come back here, but, all pure, I shall win Nirvana."'

— Buddhist Scriptures^[123]

Maitreya currently resides in

Lama Anagarika Govinda

, is based on the idea of Maitreya.

Maitreya eschatology forms the central canon of the White Lotus Society, a religious and political movement which emerged in Yuan China.^[125] It later branched into the Chinese underground criminal organization known as the Triads, which exist today as an international underground criminal network. ^{[citation needed]}

Note that no description of Maitreya occurs in any other sutta in the canon, casting doubt as to the authenticity of the scripture. In addition, sermons of the Buddha normally are in response to a question, or in a specific context, but this sutta has a beginning and an ending, and its content is quite different from the others. This has led some to conclude that the whole sutta is apocryphal, or tampered with.^[124]

Sermon of the Seven Suns

In his "Sermon of the Seven Suns" in the Pali Canon, the Buddha describes the ultimate fate of the Earth in an apocalypse characterized by the consequent appearance of seven suns in the sky, each causing progressive ruin until the planet is destroyed:

All things are impermanent, all aspects of existence are unstable and non-eternal. Beings will become so weary and disgusted with the constituent things that they will seek emancipation from them more quickly. There will come a season, O monks when, after hundreds of thousands of years, rains will cease. All seedlings, all vegetation, all plants, grasses and trees will dry up and cease to be. ...There comes another season after a great lapse of time when a second sun will appear. Now all brooks and ponds will dry up, vanish, cease to be.

— Aňguttara-Nikăya, VII, 6.2 Pali Canon^[84]

The canon goes on to describe the progressive destruction of each sun. The third sun will dry the

Ganges River

and other rivers, whilst the fourth will cause the lakes to evaporate; the fifth will dry the oceans. Later:

Again after a vast period of time a sixth sun will appear, and it will bake the Earth even as a pot is baked by a potter. All the mountains will reek and send up clouds of smoke. After another great interval a seventh sun will appear and the Earth will blaze with fire until it becomes one mass of flame. The mountains will be consumed, a spark will be carried on the wind and go to the worlds of God. ...Thus, monks, all things will burn, perish and exist no more except those who have seen the path.

— Aňguttara-Nikăya, VII, 6.2 Pali Canon^[84]

The sermon completes with the Earth immersed into an extensive holocaust. The Pali Canon does not indicate when this will happen relative to Maitreya.^[84]

Norse mythology

Main article: Ragnarök

1905 Paintings by Emil Doepler

Odin fighting his old nemesis Fenrir

Ragnarök after Surtr has engulfed the world with fire

Norse mythology depicts the end of days as Ragnarök, an Old Norse term translatable as "twilight of the gods". It will be heralded by a devastation known as Fimbulvetr which will seize Midgard in cold and darkness. The sun and moon will disappear from the sky, and poison will fill the air. The dead will rise from the ground and there will be widespread despair.

There follows a battle between—on the one hand—the Gods with the Æsir, Vanir^[126] and Einherjar, led by Odin, and—on the other hand—forces of Chaos, including the fire giants and jötunn, led by Loki. In the fighting Odin will be swallowed whole by his old nemesis Fenrir.^[127] The god Freyr fights Surtr but loses. Víðarr, son of Odin, will then avenge his father by ripping Fenrir's jaws apart and stabbing the wolf in the heart with his spear. The serpent Jörmungandr will open its gaping maw and be met in combat by Thor. Thor, also a son of Odin, will defeat the serpent, only to take nine steps afterwards before collapsing in his own death.^[128]

After this people will flee their homes as the sun blackens and the earth sinks into the sea. The stars will vanish, steam will rise, and flames will touch the heavens. This conflict will result in the deaths of most of the major Gods and forces of Chaos. Finally, Surtr will fling fire across the nine worlds. The ocean will then completely submerge Midgard.^[129]

After the cataclysm, the world will resurface new and fertile, and the surviving Gods will meet. Baldr, another son of Odin, will be reborn in the new world, according to Völuspá. The two human survivors, Líf and Lífþrasir, will then repopulate this new earth.^[130]

No end times

Taoism

Main article: Taoist eschatology

The Taoist faith is not concerned with what came before or after life, knowing only their own being in the Tao. The philosophy is that people come and go, just like mountains, trees and stars, but Tao will go on for time immemorial.^{[citation needed]}

Analogies in science and philosophy

Main article: Global catastrophic risk

Researchers in

transhumanists investigate how the accelerating rate of scientific progress may lead to a "technological singularity" in the future that would profoundly and unpredictably change the course of human history, and result in Homo sapiens no longer being the dominant life form on Earth.^{[131][132][improper synthesis?}

]

Occasionally the term "physical eschatology" is applied to the long-term predictions of astrophysics about the future of Earth and ultimate fate of the universe.^[133][134] The Sun will turn into a red giant in approximately 6 billion years. Life on Earth will become impossible due to a rise in temperature long before the planet is possibly actually swallowed up by the Sun or left charred.^[135] Even later, the Sun will become a white dwarf.

See also

• Ancient Aztec eschatology
• Cosmogony
• Eschatology (religious movement)
• Four kingdoms of Daniel
• Götterdämmerung
• Immanentize the eschaton
• Last Roman Emperor
• List of conspiracy theories
• List of dates predicted for apocalyptic events
• List of eschatological topics
• Millenarianism
• Messianism
• The Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse
• Ussher chronology
• Whore of Babylon

Notes

1. ^ Quran 74:38
2. ^ Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Hadith 6931
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Sahih Muslim
4. ^ Muslim, Book 41, Hadith 7034
5. ^ Quran 21:96
6. ^ Quran 27:82

References

1. ^ Carroll 2000, p. 420.
2. ^ "BBC – Religions – Christianity: End Times". BBC Online. 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
3. Webster's Online Dictionary
   .
4. ^ "Eschatology, n.", def. a, Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
5. ^ ^{a b} "Jewish Eschatology". Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
6. ISBN 978-965-7146-12-5
   .
7. ^ Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 12:5
8. ^ Zohar, Vayera 119a
9. ^ Ramban on Genesis (2:3)
10. ^ Abarbanel on Genesis 2
11. ^ Ramban quoting Ibn Ezra at Leviticus (25:2)
12. ^ Bachya on Genesis 2:3
13. ^ Safra D'Tzniusa, Ch. 5
14. ^ Sefer HaSichos 5750:254
15. ^ Derech Hashem 4:7:2
16. ISBN 9780899068664
    . Retrieved 2 September 2015.
17. ^ Fleisher, Malkah (27 October 2008). "'It's Erev Shabbos of the World' – Jewish World – News". Israel National News.
18. ^ ^{a b}
    ISBN 978-0-415-23902-8
    ..
19. ISBN 978-0-19-960503-3
    .
20. ^ Taylor, Richard P. (2000). Death and Afterlife: A Cultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 312..
21. ^ Marvin Meyer; Willis Barnstone (2009). "On the Origin of the World". The Gnostic Bible. Shambhala. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
22. ^ Bauckham, R. J. (1996). "Apocalyptic". In D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible Dictionary (3rd ed., p. 53). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
23. ^ Tyndale, William, Parable of the Wicked Mammon, c. 1526, (facsimile copy of later printing, no ISBN, Benediction Classics, 2008), pp. 4–5.
24. ISBN 978-0-19-753375-8
    .
25. ^ Luther, Martin, "Sermon for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity; Matthew 24:15–28", Church Postil, 1525
26. ^ J. H. Merle D'aubigne's History of the Reformation of the Sixteen Century, book vi, chapter xii, p. 215.
27. ^ Calvin, John, "Lecture Fifty-Second", Commentary on Daniel, Volume
28. ^ "Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible: Matthew: Matthew Chapter 24". www.sacred-texts.com.
29. ^ All Roads Lead to Rome, by Michael de Semlyen. Dorchestor House Publications, p. 205. 1991
30. ISBN 978-0840721280
    .
31. ^ Elliott, Edward Bishop (1862). Horae Apocalypticae. Vol. IV (5th ed.). London: Seely, Jackson and Halliday. pp. 562–563.
32. ^ See 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and Son of perdition.
33. ^ Theissen, Gerd and Annette Merz. The historical Jesus: a comprehensive guide. Fortress Press. 1998. translated from German (1996 edition). Chapter 1. The quest of the historical Jesus. pp. 1–15.
34. Ehrman, Bart
    . Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium. Oxford. 1999. p. 127.
35. ^ Meier, John P. (1999). "The Present State of the 'Third Quest' for the Historical Jesus: Loss and Gain". Biblica. 80: 482. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
36. ISBN 978-0-8308-1777-1
    .
37. ^ R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 541–543
38. ^ N. T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1996), pp. 329–365
39. ^ N.T. Wright Hope Deferred? Against the Dogma of Delay. Early Christianity 2018. Oft-cited are examples in the Old Testament where language of cosmic destruction is used for political catastrophes, such as in Ezek. 32:8; Amos 8:9; Zeph. 1:15.
40. ISBN 978-90-04-17177-0
    .
41. ^ Familiar Stranger: An Introduction to Jesus of Nazareth by Michael James McClymond (2004) pp. 77-79
42. ^ Studying the Historical Jesus: Evaluations of the State of Current Research by Bruce Chilton and Craig A. Evans (1998) pp. 255-257
43. ^ An explanation of these beliefs appears on the Holy See's website
44. ISBN 978-1490815947
    .
45. ^ "How Seventh-day Adventists View Roman Catholicism". Archived from the original on 6 December 2006. Retrieved 4 July 2009. – Main Statements of Belief from the official Adventist Church website.
46. John F. Walvoord (1990) [1974]. "Armageddon, Oil and the Middle East Crisis"
    .
47. ^ "Proclamation of the 3rd International Zionist Congress". Christian Action For Israel. 25 February 1996. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
48. ^ "The Untold Story: The Role of Christian Zionists in the Establishment of Modern-day Israel". Rabbi Jamie Cowen. 13 July 2002. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
49. ^ Momen, Moojan (1992). "Fundamentalism and Liberalism: towards an understanding of the dichotomy". Baháʼí Studies Review. 2 (1).
50. ISSN 1177-8547
    . Retrieved 14 April 2012.
51. ^
    ISBN 0-85398-404-2
    – via Bahá'í Library Online.
52. ^ Shoghi Effendi Rabbani. God Passes By. p. 9.
53. ^ Momen, Moojan (1999). "Early Western Accounts of the Babi and Baháʼí Faiths". Encyclopedia articles. Bahá'í Library Online. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
54. ^ "Early mention of Bábís in western newspapers, summer 1850". Historical documents and Newspaper articles. Baháʼí Library Online. 17 September 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
55. ISBN 0-85398-008-X
    .
56. ISBN 1-931847-12-6
    .
57. ISBN 0-937661-01-5
    .
58. ^ "The House-to-House Ministry—Why Important Now?". The Watchtower. 15 July 2008. pp. 5–6.
59. ^ You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1989, p. 155.
60. ^ Revelation—Its Grand Climax at Hand!, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1988, p. 6.
61. ^ ^{a b c} The Watchtower, 1 March 1922, page 73, "The indisputable facts, therefore, show that the 'time of the end' began in 1799; that the Lord's second presence began in 1874."
62. ^ "Our Faith" (PDF). The Herald of the Morning. September 1875. p. 52. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-12.
63. ^ The Watchtower, July 15, 1894, p. 1677 Archived April 1, 2019, at the Wayback Machine: "We see no reason for changing the figures—nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble."
64. ^ 1 September 1916 The Watchtower, pages 264–265 Archived 2009-07-13 at the Wayback Machine
65. ^ Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1920, page 97, "Based upon the argument heretofore set forth, then, that the old order of things, the old world, is ending and is therefore passing away, and that the new order is coming in, and that 1925 shall mark the resurrection of the faithful worthies of old and the beginning of reconstruction, it is reasonable to conclude that millions of people now on the earth will be still on the earth in 1925. Then, based upon the promises set forth in the divine Word, we must reach the positive and indisputable conclusion that millions now living will never die."
66. ISBN 0-415-26609-2
    .
67. ^ "The Strong Cable of Chronology", Watch Tower, 15 July 1922, page 217, "The chronology of present truth is, to begin with, a string of dates ... Thus far it is a chain, and no stronger than its weakest link. There exist, however, well established relationships among the dates of present-truth chronology. These internal connections of the dates impart a much greater strength than can be found in other [secular, archeological] chronologies. Some of them are of so remarkable a character as clearly to indicate this chronology is not of man, but of God. Being of divine origin and divinely corroborated, present-truth chronology stands in a class by itself, absolutely and unqualifiedly correct."
68. ^ The Watchtower, 1 May 1922, page 132, "To abandon or repudiate the Lord's chosen instrument means to abandon or repudiate the Lord himself, upon the principle that he who rejects the servant sent by the Master thereby rejects the Master. ... Brother Russell was the Lord's servant. Then to repudiate him and his work is equivalent to a repudiation of the Lord, upon the principle heretofore announced."
69. ^ Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (Watch Tower Society, 1993), chapter 10.
70. ^ Revelation – Its Grand Climax, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1988, page 9.
71. ^ "False Prophets". Reasoning From the Scriptures. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. p.137:Have not Jehovah's Witnesses made errors in their teachings?.
72. ^ "To Whom Shall We Go but Jesus Christ?". Watchtower. 1 March 1979. p. 23. the "faithful and discreet slave" has alerted all of God's people to the sign of the times indicating the nearness of God's Kingdom rule. In this regard, however, it must be observed that this "faithful and discreet slave" was never inspired, never perfect. Those writings by certain members of the "slave" class that came to form the Christian part of God's Word were inspired and infallible [the bible], but that is not true of other writings since.
73. ^ Why have there been changes over the years in the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses?,"Jehovah's Witnesses", Reasoning From the Scriptures, 1989, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, page 205
74. ^ "Allow No Place for the Devil!", The Watchtower, 15 March 1986, page 19
75. ^ "Keep in Step With Jehovah's Organization", Watchtower, 15 January 2001, page 18.
76. ^ Matthew 24:14 KJV
77. ^ Doctrine and Covenants 45:26
78. ^ doctrine and covenants 45:26
79. ISBN 0802806805. Archived
    from the original on 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-06-03.
80. ISBN 978-1611643862
    . Retrieved April 3, 2017.
81. ISBN 0884022358
    . pp. 229–231.
82. ^ Yahya, Harun (1 January 2008). Clarity Amidst Confusion: Imam Mahdi and the End of Time. Global Publishing. Kindle Edition. p. 64.
83. ISBN 9781414104409
    .
84. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Hooper, Rev. Richard (20 April 2011). End of Days: Predictions of the End From Ancient Sources. Sedona, AZ. p. 156.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)^{[permanent dead link]}
85. JSTOR 1466033
    .
86. ISBN 0-19-512558-4
    , p.264
87. ^ "Reward and Punishment", Encyclopedia of the Qur'an(2005)
88. ^ Leor Halevi, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/04/opinion/04iht-edhalevi.1.5565834.html
89. ISBN 9781605507248.^{[permanent dead link}
    ]
90. ISBN 9780199794133
    .
91. ^ Javed Ahmad Ghamidi (2009). Islam: A Concise Introduction. p. 46.^{[permanent dead link]}
92. ^ طلوع الشمس من مغربها [Rising of the sun from the west] (in Arabic).
93. ISBN 9789792267716
    .
94. ^ طلوع الشمس من مغربها [Rising of the sun from the west] (in Arabic). 26 March 2018.
95. ^ Yahya, Harun (1 January 2008). Clarity Amidst Confusion: Imam Mahdi and the End of Time. Global Publishing. Kindle Edition. p. 64.
96. ^ The Wrath of Yeshua – Page xxxv, Leo Paul Giampietro – 2008
97. ^ "Prophecies of the Promised Messiah -- www.aaiil.org" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
98. ^ The Review of Religions, January 2009, Vol.104, issue 1. pp. 18–22
99. ^ HFaith and Philosophy of Islam – Page 180, Shamim Akhter – 2009
100. ISBN 978-0-521-86251-6
     .
101. ^
     ISBN 1-85168-184-1
     .
102. ISBN 9004139044
     .
103. ^ 'Abdu'l-Baha (1959). Tablets of the Divine Plan (First written Apr 1, 1916 ed.). Wilmette, Illinois: Baha'i Publishing Trust. p. 45 (Western States, Msg #1).
104. ISBN 085398-216-3
     .
105. ISBN 1-85168-184-1
     .
106. ^ Stephen Lambden. "Catastrophe, Armageddon and Millennium: some aspects of the Bábí-Baha'i exegesis of apocalyptic symbolism". Bahai-library.com. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
107. ^
     ISBN 978-1-4406-3141-2
     .
108. ^ BBC. "Shiva". bbc.co.ke. BBC. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
109. ^ "Vishnu Purana". Astrojyoti.com. 5 October 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
110. ^ Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja (2000). Srimad Bhagavad Gita. p. 232.
111. ^ Lopez, Donald S. (2001). The Story of Buddhism. New York: Harper. p. 33. Unlike so many other traditions, the Buddhist scriptures contain no classic account of an end time, an apocalypse, an eschaton. quoted in:
     ISBN 9780830838554
     . Retrieved 7 July 2019.
112. ^
     ISBN 9781349069941
     . Retrieved 7 July 2019. Since there is no God in Buddhism, there is no creation or last judgment, but rather Emptiness. Thus, for Buddhism, history has neither beginning nor end.
113. ISBN 9780830838554
     .
114. ^ Vetter, Tilmann (1988), The Ideas and Meditative Practices of Early Buddhism, Brill.
115. ISBN 9781412941648
     .
116. ISBN 9781412951784
     .
117. ISBN 978-0-8370-6891-6
     .
118. ISBN 978-81-208-0565-1
     .
119. ^ "Maitreya". Britannica Encyclopedia. 20 July 2023.
120. ^ Pitaka, Sutta; Nikaya, Digha; Canon, Pāli. "Cakkavatti Sutta: The Wheel-turning Emperor". Basic Buddhism. p. 26. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012.
121. ^ Vipassana.info, Pali Proper Names Dictionary: Metteyya
122. ^ "《彌勒上生經》與《彌勒下生經》簡介" (PDF). Retrieved 27 November 2012.
123. ISBN 0140440887
     .
124. ^ ^{a b} Richard Gombrich, Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benares to Modern Colombo. Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1988, pages 83–85.
125. ISBN 978-0-674-01212-7
     .
126. ^ Dan. "The Aesir-Vanir War". Norse Mythology for Smart People. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
127. ^ Larrington (1996:266).
128. ISBN 0-19-283946-2
     .
129. ISBN 0-486-43710-8
     .
130. ISBN 0-14-044755-5
     .
131. ^ Sandberg, Anders. An overview of models of technological singularity
132. ^ "h+ Magazine | Covering technological, scientific, and cultural trends that are changing human beings in fundamental ways". Hplusmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2010-12-23. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
133. ^ Ćirković, Milan M. "Resource letter: PEs-1: physical eschatology." American Journal of Physics 71.2 (2003): 122–133.
134. ^ Baum, Seth D. "Is humanity doomed? Insights from astrobiology." Sustainability 2.2 (2010): 591–603.
135. ISBN 0-03-006228-4
     .

Further reading

• Carroll, John T. (2000). "Eschatology". In Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (eds.). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans.
  ISBN 978-9053565032
  .
• Craig C. Hill, In God's Time: The Bible and the Future, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans 2002.
  ISBN 0-8028-6090-7
  .
• ISBN 1-56507-334-7
  .
• Jonathan Menn, Biblical Eschatology, Eugene, Oregon, Wipf & Stock 2013.
  ISBN 978-1-62032-579-7
  .
• ISBN 978-0-8132-1516-7
  .
• Robert Sungenis, Scott Temple, David Allen Lewis, Shock Wave 2000! subtitled The
  ISBN 0-89221-269-1
  .
• Stephen Travis, Christ Will Come Again: Hope for the Second Coming of Jesus, Toronto: Clements Publishing 2004.
  ISBN 1-894667-33-6
  .
• Jerry L. Walls (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Eschatology, New York: Oxford University Press 2008.
  ISBN 978-0-19-973588-4
  .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to End Times.

•  Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1909). "Eschatology". Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Eschatology". The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
• Christian Eschatology Explained (A short primer on the main schools of Christian Eschatology)