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Eschatology
i//
(from the
Greek
ἔσχατος/ἐσχάτη/ἔσχατον, eschatos/eschatē/eschaton meaning
"last" and
-logy
meaning "the study of", first used in English around 1550)[1]
is a part of
theology,
physics[2][dubious
–
discuss], and
futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events
of
history, the
ultimate
destiny of humanity — commonly referred to as the "end of the world"
or "end
time".
The
Oxford English Dictionary defines eschatology as "The department of
theological science concerned with ‘the four last things:
death,
judgment,
heaven
and hell’."[3]
In the context of
mysticism, the phrase refers metaphorically to the end of ordinary
reality and reunion with the Divine. In many
religions it is taught as an existing future event
prophesied in
sacred texts or
folklore. More broadly, eschatology may encompass related concepts
such as the
Messiah
or
Messianic Age, the
end
time, and the end of days.
History is often divided into "ages" (Gk.
aeons), an age being a time period with certain commonalities. One
age comes to an end and a new age, where different realities are
present, begins. When such transitions from one age to another are the
subject of eschatological discussion, the phrase, "end of the world", is
replaced by "end of the age", "end of an era", or "end of life as we
know it". Much
apocalyptic fiction does not deal with the "end of time" but rather
with the end of a certain period of time, the end of life as it is now,
and the beginning of a new period of time. It is usually a crisis that
brings an end to current reality and ushers in a new way of living /
thinking / being. This crisis may take the form of the intervention of a
deity in history, a war, a change in the environment or the reaching of
a new level of consciousness.
Most modern eschatology and
apocalypticism, both religious and secular, involves the violent
disruption or destruction of the world, whereas Christian and Jewish
eschatologies view the end times as the consummation or perfection of
God's creation of the world. For example, according to ancient Hebrew
belief, life takes a linear (and not cyclical) path; the world began
with God and is constantly headed toward God’s final goal for creation,
which is the
world to come.
Eschatologies vary as to their degree of optimism or pessimism about
the future (and in some eschatologies, conditions are better for some
and worse for others, e.g. "heaven and hell").
Futures studies and transhumanism
Researchers in
futures studies and
transhumanism are investigating how the accelerating rate of
scientific progress may lead to a
technological singularity in the 21st century 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.[4][5][6]
Astronomy
A diagram showing the life cycle of the
Sun.
The
Sun at the center of the
Solar System will turn into a
red
giant in about 5 billion years. As a red giant, the Sun will have a
maximum radius beyond the Earth's current orbit. The Sun's expansion
will not lead to the end of the
Universe — its effects will be limited to the Solar System. Life on
Earth will become impossible due to a rise in temperature long before
the planet is actually swallowed up by the Sun.[7]
Eschatology
in religions
Bahá'í
eschatology
In
Bahá'í belief, creation has neither a beginning nor an end.[8]
Instead, the eschatology of other religions is viewed as symbolic. In
Bahá'í belief, human time is marked by a series of
progressive revelations in which successive
messengers or prophets come from God.[9]
The coming of each of these messengers is seen as the day of judgement
to the adherents of the previous religion, who may choose to accept the
new messenger and enter the 'heaven' of belief, or denounce the new
messenger and enter the 'hell' of denial. In this view the terms heaven
and hell are seen as symbolic terms for the person's spiritual progress
and their nearness to or distance from God.[9]
In Bahá'í belief, the coming of
Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, signals the fulfilment
of previous eschatological expectations of
Islam,
Christianity and other major religions.[10]
Buddhist
eschatology
Some forms of Buddhism hold a belief in cycles in which the life span
of human beings changes according to human nature. In the Cakkavati
sutta, the Buddha explained the relationship between life span of human
beings and their behaviour. According to this sutta, unwise behavior was
unknown among the human race in the past. As a result, people lived for
an immensely long time — 80,000 years — endowed with great beauty,
wealth, pleasure, and strength. Over the course of time, though, they
began behaving in various unwise ways. This caused the human life span
gradually to shorten, to the point where it now stands at 100 years,
with human beauty, wealth, pleasure, and strength decreasing
proportionately.[citation
needed]
Ultimately, conditions will deteriorate to the point of a
"sword-interval," in which swords appear in the hands of all human
beings, and they hunt one another like game. A few people, however, will
take shelter in the wilderness to escape the carnage, and when the
slaughter is over, they will come out of hiding and resolve to take up a
life of wise and virtuous action again. With the recovery of virtue, the
human life span will gradually increase again until it reaches 80,000
years, with people attaining sexual maturity at 500.[citation
needed]
According to
Tibetan Buddhist literature, the age of the first Buddha was
1,000,000 years and his height was 100 cubits while the 28th Buddha,
Siddhartha Gautama (563BC–483BC) lived 80 years, and his height was 20
cubits.[citation
needed]
In other traditions, such as Zen, a somewhat utilitarian view is
taken. The notion often exists that within each moment in time, both
birth and death are manifest. As the individual "dies" from moment to
moment, they are equally "reborn" in each successive moment, in what one
perceives as an ongoing cycle. Thus the practitioner's focus is shifted
from considerations regarding an imagined future endpoint, to
mindfulness in the present moment. In this case, the worldview is taken
as a functional tool for awakening the practitioner to reality as it
exists, right now.[citation
needed]
Christian
eschatology
Christian eschatology is concerned with death, an
intermediate state,
Heaven,
hell, the
return of Jesus, the
resurrection of the dead, for several evangelical denominations, a
rapture,
a
great tribulation, the
Millennium,
end of the world, the
last judgment, a new heaven and a
new earth (the
World to Come), and the ultimate consummation of all of God's
purposes. Eschatological passages are found in many places, esp.
Isaiah,
Daniel,
Ezekiel,
Matthew 24,
The Sheep and the Goats, and the
Book of Revelation, but Revelation often occupies a
central place in Christian eschatology.
The
Second Coming of Christ is the central event in Christian
eschatology. 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 is at the core of Christian
eschatology. The study of Revelation is usually divided into four
approaches. In the
Futurist approach, Revelation is chiefly seen as referring to
events which as yet have not come to pass, but which will come to pass
at the end of the age, and the end of the world. This is the approach
which most applies to eschatological studies. In the
Preterist approach, Revelation chiefly refers to the events
of the first century, such as the struggle of Christianity to survive
the persecutions of the Roman Empire, the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD,
and the desecration of the temple in the same year. In the
Historicist approach, Revelation provides a broad view of
history, and passages in Revelation are identified with major
historical people and events. In the
Idealist (or Spiritualist or Symbolic) approach, the events of
Revelation are neither past nor future, but are purely symbolic,
dealing with the ongoing struggle and ultimate triumph of good over
evil.
Hindu eschatology
Contemporary Hindu eschatology is linked in the
Vaishnavite tradition to the figure of
Kalki,
the tenth and last
avatar
of Vishnu
before the age draws to a close who will reincarnate as
Shiva
simultaneously dissolves and regenerates the universe.
Most Hindus believe that the current period is the
Kali
Yuga, the last of four Yuga that make up the current age.
Each period has seen successive degeneration in the moral order, to the
point that in the Kali Yuga quarrel and hypocrisy are the norm. In
Hinduism, time is cyclic, consisting of cycles or "kalpas".
Each kalpa lasts 4.1 - 8.2 billion years, which is a period of one full
day and night for
Brahma,
who in turn will live for 311 trillion, 40 billion Years. The cycle of
birth,
growth,
decay,
and renewal at the individual level finds its echo in the cosmic order,
yet is affected by vagaries of divine intervention in Vaishnavite
belief. Some Shaivites hold the view that Shiva is incessantly
destroying and creating the world.
After this larger cycle, all of creation will contract to a
singularity and then again will expand from that single point, as
the ages
continue in a religious
fractal
pattern.[11]
Islamic
eschatology
Islamic eschatology is documented in the
sayings
of the
Prophet
Muhammad, regarding the Signs of the Day of Judgment. The Prophet's
sayings on the subject have been traditionally divided into Major and
Minor Signs. He spoke about several Minor Signs of the approach of the
Day of Judgment, including:
-
Abu Hurairah reported that
Muhammad said: "If you survive for a time you would certainly
see people who would have whips in their hands like the tail of an
ox. They would get up in the morning under the wrath of God and they
would go into the evening with the anger of God."[12][13]
-
Abu Hurairah narrated that Muhammad said, "When honesty is lost,
then wait for the Day of Judgment." It was asked, "How will honesty
be lost, O Messenger of God?" He said, "When authority is given to
those who do not deserve it, then wait for the Day of Judgment."[14]
- 'Umar
ibn al-Khattāb, in a long narration, relating to the questions
of the angel
Gabriel, reported: "Inform me when the Day of Judgment will be."
He [the Prophet Muhammad] remarked: "The one who is being asked
knows no more than the inquirer." He [the inquirer] said: "Tell me
about its indications." He [the Prophet Muhammad] said: "That the
slave-girl gives birth to her mistress and master, and that you
would find barefooted, destitute shepherds of goats vying with one
another in the construction of magnificent buildings."[12][14]
- "Before the Day of Judgment there will be great liars, so beware
of them."[14]
- "When the most wicked member of a tribe becomes its ruler, and
the most worthless member of a community becomes its leader, and a
man is respected through fear of the evil he may do, and leadership
is given to people who are unworthy of it, expect the Day of
Judgment."[14]
Regarding the Major Signs, a
Companion of the Prophet narrated: "Once we were sitting together
and talking amongst ourselves when the Prophet appeared. He asked us
what it was we were discussing. We said it was the Day of Judgment. He
said: 'It will not be called until ten signs have appeared: Smoke,
Dajjal (the
Antichrist), the creature (that will wound the people), the rising
of the sun in the West, the
Second Coming of
Jesus, the emergence of
Gog and Magog, and three sinkings (or cavings in of the earth): one
in the East, another in the West and a third in the
Arabian Peninsula.'" (note: the previous events were not listed in
the chronological order of appearance)
- One of the most notable Islamic scholars and philosophers is
Sheikh Imran Nazar Hosein[15]
who dedicated his whole life to study this subject and improve the
understanding of Islamic eschatology by taking a different
epistemological approach than the
salafi (who stick to the literal interpretation of the holy
scriptures), unlocking the symbolism behind the major signs.
Jewish eschatology
Judaism addresses the
end
times in the
Book of Daniel and numerous other prophetic passages in the Hebrew
scriptures, and also in the
Talmud,
particularly Tractate
Avodah Zarah.
Zoroastrian
eschatology
See also
References
-
Jump up ^
Dictionary - Definition of Eschatology Webster's Online
Dictionary
-
Jump up ^
Scientific Eschatology, H.Pierre Noyes, James
Lindesay, 2005, Cornell University, SLAC-PUB-11063
-
Jump up ^
"Eschatology, n.", def. a,
Oxford English Dictionary, accessed 2012-01-29.
-
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Sandberg, Anders.
An overview of models of technological singularity
-
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"h+ Magazine | Covering technological, scientific, and cultural
trends that are changing human beings in fundamental ways".
Hplusmagazine.com. Retrieved
2011-09-09.
-
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Yudkowsky, Eliezer.
The Singularity: Three Major Schools
-
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Zeilik,
M.A.; Gregory, S.A. (1998). Introductory Astronomy &
Astrophysics (4th ed.).
Saunders College Publishing. p. 322.
ISBN 0-03-006228-4.
-
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Smith,
Peter (2008).
An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press. p. 112.
ISBN 0-521-86251-5.
- ^
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a
b
Smith, Peter (2000).
"Eschatology". A concise encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith.
Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. 133–134.
ISBN 1-85168-184-1.
-
Jump up ^
Buck,
Christopher (2004).
"The eschatology of Globalization: The multiple-messiahship of
Bahā'u'llāh revisited". In Sharon, Moshe. Studies in
Modern Religions, Religious Movements and the Bābī-Bahā'ī Faiths.
Boston: Brill. pp. 143–178.
ISBN 90-04-13904-4.
-
Jump up ^
Hooper,
Rev. Richard (April 20, 2011).
End of Days: Predictions of the End From Ancient Sources.
Sedona, AZ. p. 156.
- ^
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a
b
Muslim
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Sunan Imam Ahmed
- ^
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a
b
c
d
Bukhari
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http://www.imranhosein.org/
Further reading