Eschatology in Abrahamic faith and other religion.

We have come to know the meaning of Eschatology which was described early So, in this

section, we want to expose the elements of eschatology in Abrahamic religion (Judaism,

Christian and Islam) and also other religion such as Hindu and Buddhism.

Eschatology in Judaism.

The Old Testament brings the idea that the universe is rule by Wisdom, Justice, and

Omnipotence of the one, true God. Humanity is created by God in His own image and likeness,

and destined for relations of friendship and fellowship with Him. The Old Testament’s stress the

Divine Justice being exercised in this life has leads many to think that the Old Testament views

religion mainly as an affair of this life, with retributing taking place on Earth.

World prosperity is bestowed by God as reward for obeying His commandments. But, the

current situations in the history that the Israelites were enslaved and persecuted by the Pharaohs.

So, be reminding about God just on Earth has been provocative. The following revelation that

came after the deliverance through Moses and the establishment of their kingdom stress about

the afterlife, the pious will be rewarded and the wicked will be punished. (e.g : the Palms, Job,

Isiah, the Prophets and Daniel). This is because to prevent the Israelites from indulging the

worldly life after the freedom.

The Old Testament contains a national eschatology centered on the hoped of establishing

a theocratic and Messianic kingdom on Earth. However, the Messiah as distinct person is not

always mentioned in connection with kingdom’s inauguration. This leaved room for the

expectation of a theophany of Yahweh (Jehovah) in the character of judge and ruler. Even when

the Messiah’s person and place are distinctly foreshadowed, the fusion together in prophecy of
what we have learned to distinguished as his first and his second coming tends to give an

eschatological character to the whole picture of the Messianic kingdom, when in reality it

belongs only to its final stage.

Eschatology in Christianity.

Jesus tells the parable of the last judgement in chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew. The

son of man is to come and sit on his glorious throne, and all nation will gather before him; he

will ‘separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Those who have acted in

love for their neighbors will receive eternal life; those who have not will be sent away into

eternal punishment.

Though this description of a final judgement is found only in the Gospel of Matthew it is

obvious from other occasional references in the New Testament that the idea was essential in

early Christian preaching. Thus, Acts 17:31, “ God has fixed a day on which he will judge of the

living and the dead” ; in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “ we must all appear before the judgement seat of

Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done to his body.”

The last judgement is thus connected with the second coming of Jesus.

Eschatology in Islam.

The main aspects of Islamic eschatology are similar to the Judaic-Christian tradition.

Since they were derived from the same source and so originate from Divine Revelation, many

common point can be found. For example, the invasion by the Gog and Magog before the end of

time (Ya’juj and Ma’juj), the appearance of Dajjal (the Anti-Christ) and then a Messiah who will

bring justice after global chaos, a global apostacy just before the world’s destruction, Doomsday,

Resurrection, the Supreme Judgement, the Bridge (sirat), and Paradise and Hell as the final
abode of conscious beings. It can be said that except for differences in details or secondary

matters, these basic elements are common to Islam,Christuanity Buddha.

Eschatology in Other religion.

Cultures that view time as an endless succession of repetitive cycles, for example Indian,

develop only “relative eschatology’ since the concept of an ultimate consummation of history is

very weird for them. Individual eschatology means liberation from the endless, weary wheel of

death and rebirth by escaping into an eternal, or rather timeless, transmundane reality that is

referred to as moksa in Hinduism, nirvana in Buddhism. Within the cosmic cycles there are

periods of rise and decline.

According Indian perception of time, our present age is the kaliyuga, which this period

will end in a universal catastrophe. Then, it will be followed by a new beginning inaugurated by

the appearance of a savior figure, avatara, the incarnation of new Buddha. Chinese Buddhism,

on the other hand wait for Buddha Maitreya, who is currently biding his time in the Tusita

heaven. Maitreya will appear and establish a kind of millennial kingdom and inaugurate a new

era of bliss and salvation for all.