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Dictionary:

eschatology

  (ĕs'kə-tŏl'ə-jē) pronunciation
n.
  1. The branch of theology that is concerned with the end of the world or of humankind.
  2. A belief or a doctrine concerning the ultimate or final things, such as death, the destiny of humanity, the Second Coming, or the Last Judgment.

[Greek eskhatos, last + –LOGY.]

eschatological es·chat'o·log'i·cal (ĭ-skăt'l-ŏj'ĭ-kəl, ĕs'kə-tə-lŏj'-) adj.
eschatologically es·chat'o·log'i·cal·ly adv.
eschatologist es'cha·tol'o·gist n.
 
 
Literary Dictionary: eschatology

eschatology [esk‐ă‐tol‐ŏji], the theological study or artistic representation of the end of the world. Eschatological writing is found chiefly in religious allegories, but also in some science fiction. The term should not be confused with scatology, which is the scientific or humorous consideration of excrement. See also anagogical, apocalyptic.

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: eschatology

Theological doctrine of the "last things," or the end of the world. Mythological eschatologies depict an eternal struggle between order and chaos and celebrate the eternity of order and the repeatability of the origin of the world. The most notable expression of mythological eschatology is in Hinduism, which maintains belief in great cycles of the destruction and creation of the universe. Historical eschatologies are grounded in datable events that are perceived as fundamental to the progress of history. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have historical eschatologies. Eschatology in the Hebrew Scriptures sees the catastrophes that beset the people of Israel as due to their disobedience to the laws and will of God and holds that conformity to God's plan will result in renewal and the fulfillment of God's purpose. In Christianity, the end times are thought to have begun with the life and ministry of Jesus, the messiah who will return to establish the Kingdom of God. Millennialism focuses especially on Christ's second coming and the reign of the righteous on earth. In Shi'ite Islam it is believed that the mahdi, or restorer of the faith, will come to inaugurate the last judgment, in which the good will enter heaven and the evil will fall into hell. In Buddhism, eschatological traditions are associated with the Buddha Maitreya and with Pure Land Buddhism, as well as with individual efforts to achieve nirvana.

For more information on eschatology, visit Britannica.com.

 
Encyclopedia of Judaism: Eschatology

The concept of a perfected world which will arise by Divine design in the future at the end of days (Heb. aḥarit ha-yamim). Eschatology within Judaism deals primarily with the final destiny of the Jewish people and the world, with little emphasis on the future of the individual (see Afterlife). The main thrust of Jewish eschatology revolves around Israel as God's people and the ultimate victory of God's truth and justice. When the eschatological era comes into being, there will be peace among human beings, among all peoples, and among all creatures in the universe. This has been a central aspect of Jewish thought from the biblical period to the modern age. During recent years, certain Ḥasidic groups, especially the Liubavich sect, have claimed that signs are present for the imminent coming of the Messiah. His advent is one of several elements in Jewish eschatology that also include the war between the forces of good and evil (Gog and Magog), the return of the Jewish exiles to their original homeland, and the Day of the Lord or the Day of Judgment. In the Ancient Middle East, where Judaism developed, there were other religions in the Canaanite, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Persian cultures containing eschatological concepts. These other religions primarily associated eschatological occurrences with what they viewed as the order of nature. Jewish eschatology, rooted in the Bible, is directed toward the unique relationship between God and His people. Therefore, while terms from other religious eschatologies may be used in Jewish thought, they have a completely different connotation. In general, eschatology in the biblical period focused on the entire nation, which was to carry forward the Divine promise (Isa. 60:21). One of the key concepts in Jewish eschatology is the Day of the Lord which becomes the Day of Judgment. This special day has a twofold emphasis. First, it will be the time when God demonstrates His wrath against all those who have angered Him, and His people will have their revenge on their foes. Second, it will be the era when the righteous are vindicated. The prophets gave the concept moral content: punishment to the wicked and justice to the righteous. According to Amos, the Day of the Lord will be one of great doom (Amos 5:18-20), and for the prophet Zephaniah, a great era of destruction for all non-believers, followed by the establishment of the glory of the remnant of Israel (Zeph. 3:8-13). The great destruction that will occur will be succeeded, according to Isaiah, by an era of solemnity and peace which will encompass both humankind and the animal world (Isa. 11:6). Then God alone will be King and all nations will come to serve Him. The return of the Jewish people after the Babylonian Exile was a turning point, when it was assumed that the rebuilding of the Temple would be the culmination of the people's hopes for restoration (Hag. 2:6-9, 21-23; Zech. 3:8, 4:6-14, 6:9-15, 8:2-13). When this did not occur, an apocalyptic strain emerged in eschatological thinking (see Apocalypse). The new type of literature, foreshadowed already in the prophecies of Ezekiel and Zechariah, was meant to reveal the future, speculating about the nature of the end of the world. The apocalyptic messages had supposedly been hidden away centuries earlier and only now were being revealed because of the problems of the era. The latter part of the book of Daniel contains apocalyptic visions unique to the Bible, with greater emphasis on transcendence and the employment for the first time in Jewish thought of the concept of history divided into various eras. The Jewish version of this idea involved four periods of history within the natural order, embracing the Babylonian, Median, Persian, and Greek monarchies. This was to be followed by God's reign on earth, with the elevation of His Chosen People, Israel. According to Daniel 3:33 this would be an "everlasting kingdom." Daniel also treats the term "one like the son of man" in symbolic fashion (ch. 7). In time, this "son of man" was transformed into the concept of the Messiah. The idea of the Resurrection of the dead now became prominent. Many diverse concepts of eschatology arose in the wake of the Book of Daniel (2nd cent. BCE). The Pharisees incorporated elements of eschatological thinking into their teachings but the Sadducees basically rejected the doctrine. Groups which brought both apocalyptic and eschatological categories strongly to the fore included the Dead Sea sect, the Essenes, and early Christian groups. The Dead Sea Scrolls make it clear that members of the sect believed that they were living at the end of the "era of wickedness," which was to be followed by "the era of Divine favor." They were convinced that they were living out "the last days" of this world, which would be followed by the coming of God's restored kingdom. One of the best-known scrolls deals with the final battle between the "Sons of Light" and the "Sons of Darkness," in which God would ultimately triumph and at which time the messianic age would begin. The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE brought to a close some aspects of eschatological speculation, but others survived and new ones emerged. Eschatology continued to be a leading force in the cauldron of the Jewish faith and the Jewish people. Some ideas survived in the liturgy, others were incorporated into rabbinic literature. The Bar Kochba revolt (132-135 CE), with its initial successes against the Romans, was seen in an eschatological light, as was the persecution of the Jews in its wake. In his formulation of the Principles of Faith, MAIMONIDES included the belief in the world to come and in the coming of the Messiah, and while other philosophers challenged his enumeration of principles, these two were generally accepted. In contemporary times, the eschatological categories have been reinterpreted as a call for the creation of a better world. reform judaism, which rejected belief in a personal Messiah, has adopted a vision of the world moving toward a final age in which peace and justice reign entirely. A recent statement of principles by the conservative movement entitled Emet ve-Emunah avows in the chapter on eschatology (p.29): "For the world community we dream of an age when warfare will be abolished, when justice and compassion will be the axioms of interpersonal and international relationships ... for our people, we dream of the ingathering of all Jews to Zion where we can again be the masters of our destiny and express our distinctive genius in every area of national life ... for the individual human being, we affirm that death does not mean extinction and oblivion."
 
Bible Guide: Eschatology

A word referring to the doctrine of the “last things”, based on the Greek eschaton (last thing). In some texts its meaning is restricted to the historical arena (horizontal eschatology) while in other texts its use ranges wider still to embrace a concept of eternal salvation (vertical eschatology). Moreover, the eschatological age is pictured as both present and future, for its essential idea was that of divine coming. Even the individual’s participation in the eschaton is understood differently, especially where apocalyptic thinking introduces the idea of a resurrection to renewed life on earth (Is 26:19; Dan 12:2) or for eternity (I Cor chap. 15).Eschatological hope arose from a fundamental conviction about the nature of the deity. God intended good for the covenant people and could be trusted to fulfill every promise (cf Ps 73). As the list of promises grew, so did the consciousness of disparity between promise and fulfillment. Therefore a residue of hope formed a vision for the future, usually understood as the immediate future. Glorious moments in past history became paradigms for anticipated victory in the future (e.g. the Exodus from Egypt and the day of Midian: Is 9:4, referring to Judg chaps. 7-8). Thus belief in a day of the Lord arose, as did the conviction that God would raise up a deliverer (messiah) who would play a prominent role in inaugurating a kingdom of peace. To be sure, Israel’s prophets sometimes questioned such hopes, announcing instead that the day of the Lord would be darkness rather than light (Amos 5:18-20) and calling for military action in place of peace (Joel 3:10). The underlying assumption was that the enemies of God must be destroyed before the deity could take up residence among humankind.A classical eschatological text occurs both in Isaiah and in Micah (Is 2:2-4; Mic 4:1-4), where a vision of universal peace emerges. In the latter days the mountain of God will be established as a center for pilgrimage by nations from afar, and the heavenly judge will bring peace (“They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks”, Is 2:4). The messiah comes to the forefront in several eschatological passages, especially in Isaiah. This wondrous child-prince will remove the yoke of bondage and remove every reminder of war (Is 9:1-7). According to Isaiah 11:1-9, the Spirit of the Lord will rest on the “stump” from Jesse, who will judge wisely and inaugurate an era of tranquillity when the original paradise will be restored. The notion of a surviving REMNANT occurs with considerable frequency in the Bible.These fundamental hopes were altered over the years. A forerunner of the messiah was expected (Mal 3:1), and certain human actions were believed to have actualized the eschaton. For example, the construction of the t in the days of Haggai and Zechariah led to the crowning of Zerubbabel as messianic ruler (Zech 4:6). Ezekiel believed that the spirit would revive a dead nation, and he envisioned a life-giving stream flowing from the restored Temple in Jerusalem. Jeremiah also thought the Lord would renew the human heart, replacing a heart of stone, and instituting a new covenant (Jer 31:31-34). Daniel, the Son of man, would descend from the clouds and exercise dominion over the earth. That sovereignty was bestowed on him by the Ancient of Days (Dan 7:9-14), an expression for deity.By the 1st century A.D. various groups believed they were living in the last days. The Essene community at Qumran and the early Christians expected the end of history at any moment. The former group compiled a text that provided a guide for the final conflict (“Wars of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness”), while the Christians did their best to reconcile the fact that the expected return of Jesus did not in fact take place. Paul and various other believers expected Jesus to return during their lifetime. A confession (or prayer) was even preserved in Aramaic (“Come, Lord Jesus” / Maranatha, Rev 22:20), and a special ethic characterized Christians during the supposed interim between the resurrection of Jesus and his return for the faithful. Opinions differed on whether Christians received eternal life at the moment of death or at a later time when the universal judgment would occur.Ancient Israelite concepts of the eschaton were largely communal. Individuals participated in the blessings of life because of their solidarity with the group. A few exceptions arose in late apocalyptic, which imagined a resurrection. Christians placed the emphasis on individual salvation, but acknowledged that the good life had communal implications which commended voluntary poverty. Jesus was thought to have believed that the of had already dawned, although he also expected further manifestation of heavenly authority.The initial act of deliverance from Egypt supplied the basic vocabulary for an anticipated deliverance from captivity to a human power or to sin’s effect. Occasionally, a foreign ruler is pictured as assisting in this drama of salvation (for example, the Persian ruler, Cyrus). Within certain circles a vision of universal participation in Zion’s benefits offers a partial corrective to the prevailing nationalism within the descriptions of the last things. Other thinkers stressed a terrible day of wrath and a cosmic confrontation (Ezek chaps. 38-39; Zeph chap. 1). Whereas some individuals tried to calculate the date of the end (Dan 12:5-13), Jesus warned his followers that God alone knew that day and hour.

 
Philosophy Dictionary: eschatology

(Greek, eschatos, the last) The formation of ideas about the end of life, or the end of the world, and in Christian theology, the last judgement and resurrection.

 
Asian Mythology: Eschatology

Eschatology is the branch of mythology or religion that is concerned with questions such as death, judgment, and heaven and hell. Resurrection and underworld (see Underworld) myths, for instance, are, therefore eschatological myths.

 
Obscure Words: eschatology


a branch of theology concerned with the end of the world
 
Islamic Dictionary: eschatology

A branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of mankind; a belief concerning death, the end of the world, or the ultimate destiny of mankind; belief about the Last Judgment.

 
Wikipedia: eschatology
For the eschatological beliefs of various religions, see End Times.
For the book by Pope Benedict XVI, see Eschatology (book).
For a scientific assessment, see Risks to civilization, humans and planet Earth, End of planet Earth and Ultimate fate of the universe.
For the religious movement created by William W. Walter, see Eschatology (religious movement).

Eschatology (from the Greek ἔσχατος, Eschatos meaning "last" and -logy meaning "the study of") is a part of theology and philosophy concerned with the final events in the history of the world, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world. While in mysticism the phrase metaphorically refers to the end of ordinary reality and reunion with the Divine, in many traditional religions it is taught as an actual 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.

The Greek word αἰών (aeon), meaning "age", may be translated as "end of the age (or historical period[1])" instead of "end of the world". The time distinction also has theological significance; while the end of time in mystical traditions relates to escaping confinement in the "given" reality, some religions believe and fear it to be the literal destruction of the planet (or of all living things) - with the human race surviving in some new form, ending the current "age" of existence.

Most Western monotheistic religions have doctrines claiming that "chosen" or "worthy" members of the one true religion will be "spared" or "delivered" from the coming judgment and wrath of God. For Judaism, see Isaiah. For Christianity, see the Book of Revelation. They will be ushered into paradise either before, during, or afterwards depending upon the end-time scenario to which they hold.

Philosophy

Eschatology has also been a belief shared, sometimes theorized, by philosophers. Saint Augustine has been one of the most famous eschatological thinkers, followed by Hegel's philosophy of history, and, some have argued Marxists – as a secular religion. Theodicy has gathered together most Enlightenment thinkers, among whom are Kant and Rousseau.

More recently, many involved in futures studies and transhumanism note the accelerating rate of scientific progress and anticipate a technological singularity in the 21st century that would profoundly and unpredictably change the course of human history.[2] Artist/futurist Michael E. Arth, for example, speculates about the emergence of a hive-like distributed being that would be self-conscious, integrated into a future version of the Internet, and also able to exhibit any individualized form, or speak any language. This collective intelligence, UNICE: Universal Network of Intelligent Conscious Entities, would connect everyone on the planet before it spreads outward into space.[3]

For the eschatological beliefs of various religions, see: End Times.

See also


Notes

  1. ^ Achtemeier, P. J., Harper & Row, P., & Society of Biblical Literature, Harper's Bible Dictionary, San Francisco: HarperCollins Publishers, 1985, ISBN, s.v. "eschatology"
  2. ^ "The Law of Accelerating Returns"
  3. ^ Information about UNICE

External links

A Limited Selection of Books

General (Alphabetical by author)

"The Invisible War" by Donald Grey Barnhouse ©1965; Zondervan Publishing House (Ministry Resources Library).

"How to Recognize the Antichrist" by Arthur E. Bloomfield ©"1975; Bethany Fellowship "The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow" by Constance Cumbey ©1983; Huntington House Inc.

"Number in Scripture" by Ethelbert W. Bullinger, D.D.; ©1967; Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501 Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 67-26498; ISBN 0-8254-2204-3

"A Planned Deception: The Staging of A New Age 'Messiah'" by Constance Cumbey ©1985; Pointe Publishers, Inc.

"Hidden Prophecies in the Psalms" by J.R. Church; ©1986; Prophecy Publications, Oklahoma City, OK 73153; ISBN 0-941241-00-9

"Gorbachev: Has the Real Antichrist Come?" by Robert W. Faid ©1988: Victory House Publishers.

"The Man The False Prophet and The Harlot", subtitled "The Name of the Antichrist Finally Revealed" by Dr. Anthony M. Giliberti ©1991; Published by "This Is The Generation" Library of Congress Catalog Number 90-93451 ISBN 0-9628419-0-0.

"Send This Message to My Church: Christ's Words to the Seven Churches of Revelation" by Terence Kelshaw ©1984; Thomas Nelson Publishers.

"The Truth About Armageddon" by William Sanford Lasor ©1982; Harper & Row Publishers.

"A Survey of Bible Prophecy" by R. Ludwigson ©1951; (1973, 1975; The Zondervan Corporation).

'Code'-Type Books

“The Bible Code” by Michael Drosnin; ©1997; Published by Simon & Schuster, 1230 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. ISBN 0-684-81079-4.

“Bible Code II: The Countdown” by Michael Drosnin; ©2002 One Honest Man, Inc. Published by Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0R1, England.

The Book of Daniel compared to the Book of Revelation

"Daniel and Revelation" subtitled "A Study of Two Extraordinary Visions" by James M. Efird ©1978; Judson Press, Valley Forge, PA 19481 ISBN 0-8170-0797-0

"Daniel's Prophecy of the 70 Weeks" by Alva J. McClain 1940, ©1969; Academie Books/Zondervan House.

Dispensationalism School of Thought (listed alphabetically by author)

"A Cup of Trembling" by Dave Hunt ©1995; Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon 97402; ISBN 1-56507-334-7.

"Global Peace and the Rise of Antichrist" by Dave Hunt ©1990; Harvest House Publishers Library of Congress Cataloging in Publishing Data; ISBN 0-89081-831-2.

"How Close Are We?" by Dave Hunt ©1993 Harvest House Publishers. (NOTE: The author has a new, updated book titled "When will Jesus Come?".

"Peace, Prosperity, and the Coming Holocaust" by Dave Hunt ©1983; Harvest House Publishers.

"Whatever Happened to Heaven?" by Dave Hunt ©1988; Harvest House Publishers. ISBN 0-89081-698-0 (pbk.)

"Not Wrath but Rapture!" by H.A. Ironside; NO DATE; published by Loizeaux Brothers, Inc.

"Armageddon, Oil and the Middle East Crisis" Revised, by John F. Walvoord ©1974, 1976, 1990; Zondervan Publishing House, 1415 Lake Drive, S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506; ISBN 0-310-53921-8

"Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsey with C.C. Carlson ©1972; Zondervan House.

"The Late Great Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsey with C.C. Carlson ©1970; Zondervan House.

"The Liberation of Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsey ©1974; The Zondervan Corporation.

"There's a New World Coming" by Hal Lindsey ©1973; Vision House.

"The Rapture" by Hal Lindsey ©1983; The Aorist Corporation Bantam Books.

"The Terminal Generation" by Hal Lindsey with C.C. Carlson ©1976; Fleming Revell.

"The Revelation Record" by Henry M. Morris ©1985; Tyndale House Inc. and Creation Life Publishers.

"Things to Come" by J. Dwight Pentecost ©1958; Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506.

"Dispensationalism Today" by Charles C. Ryrie ©1965; The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.

"Israel In Prophecy" by John F. Walvoord ©1962; Zondervan Publishing House.

"The Church in Prophecy" by John F. Walvoord ©1964; Zondervan Publishing House.

"The Millennial Kingdom" by John F. Walvoord ©1959; by Dunham Publishing Co. Academie Books published by Zondervan Publishing House, 1415 Lake Drive. S.E., Grand Rapids Michigan 49506. (NOTE: See Millennium on Wikipedia).

"The Nations in Prophecy" by John F. Walvoord ©1967; Zondervan Publishing House. (NOTE: this book may have been combined with other similar titles by Walvoord into one new volume).

"The Return of the Lord" by John F. Walvoord ©1955; Zondervan Publishing House Library of Congress Cat. #77-106423.

"The Rapture Question" by John F. Walvoord (Revised & Enlarged) ©1974; The Zondervan Corporation.

Post-Tribulation School of Thought

"The Church and the Tribulation" (subtitled: "A Biblical Examination of Post-tribulationism") by Robert H. Gundry ©1973; Zondervan Corporation.

"The Tribulation People" by Arthur Katterjohn with Mark Faculer ©1975; Publisher - Creation House.

"Lord, When?" by Arthur Katterjohn with Mark Faculer ©1976; Publisher - Creation House (Can be used independently or in conjunction with "The Tribulation People" by the same authors.

"The Incredible Cover-Up" by Dave MacPherson ©1975; by Logos Internation.

"Christians Will Go Through the Tribulation" by Jim McKeever ©1978; Alpha Omega Publishing Company.

"Now You Can Understand the Book of Revelation" by Jim McKeever ©1980; Omega Publications.

"City of Revelation" subtitled "A Book of Forgotten Wisdom" by John Michell ©1972; Ballantine Books (first printing: 11/73 Library of Congress Cat. No. 72-88116 SBN 345-23607-6-150. (NOTE: this book contains information on Gematria, a mathematical science).

"The Secret Book of Revelation" (subtitled: "The Last Book of the Bible") ©1979; by Gilles Quispel Collins St. James Place, Comdon, 1979.

"The Pre-Wrath Rapture of The Church" by Marvin Rosenthal ©1990; Thomas Nelson, Inc. ISBN 0-8407-3160-4.

Amillenial School of Thought

"1994?" by Harold Camping; ©1992; Published by Vantage Press, Inc., 516 West 34th Street, NY, NY 10001. ISBN 0-533-10368-1; Library of Congress Cat. Number is Unknown.

"Shock Wave 2000!" subtitled "The Harold Camping 1994 Debacle"; by Robert Sungenis, Scott Temple, and David Allen Lewis; ©1994 New Leaf Press, Inc., P.O. Box 311, Green Forest AR 72638; ISBN 0-89221-269-1; Library of Congress: 94-67493.

See also

  • [1] Rapture Ready website
  • [2] The Berean Call, a web-ministry of Dave Hunt
  • [3] Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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