Eschatology is theology concerned with the final events of history. The word is derived from the Greek words ἐσχάτος eschatos ("last") and λόγος logos ("word"). Eschatology
is therefore the study of “last things.” The focus of eschatology is usually on reality as a whole rather than on
the individual. The word eschatology first appeared in the English language about 1550.
In most known cultures, including the most primitive, there
has been a belief in some sort of existence of the individual after
death. Some held that the afterlife would be a dull and dreary thing., others
that only the good would survive into an afterlife. Some felt that the afterlife would be largely an extension
of this one, perhaps on a more exalted plane as reward for bravery or great
skill. Many held that the
retribution for an evil life was annihilation.
The Babylonians and Assyrians felt that retribution for evil
came largely in this life as did the divine rewards of long life, strength,
prosperity, and many children. The ghost of the individual existed in the
underworld with the other dead. Demons ran around in the underworld inflicting
punishment for sins committed during life.
In the ancient Egyptian religion, the good individual could
hope for unending life with Osiris, the sun god. The existence was in some ways
physical and this is the reason for mummification of the body. In the afterlife
the actions of the deceased during life are weighed and judged. The dead face
several trials and are subject to a second death if they fail.
Ancient Persian (Persia, modern Iran) religion (Mazdaism, Zoroastrianism, Parseeism, etc) was dualistic with a conflict between equally powerful good (Ahura Mazda) and evil (Ahriman) deities. The two deities were co-creators of the universe. The evil deity will, in the end, be vanquished and a judgement of people based on their life's deeds will occur. Those with evil deeds will be purified by fire, Hell will be purged, and the earth will be renewed by a purifying fire.
The ancient Greeks believed that life on Earth was the highest good for man. After death, the soul survived in a dull attenuated existence with little emphasis on retributive justice for life's misdeeds. A few very evil individuals would receive eternal punishment in Tartarus and a few favorites of the gods
would exist in eternal bliss in the Elysian Fields.
Recently, there was much popular discussion of "2012." This was based on Aztec mythology which predicted the end of our current cycle of time on 21 December 2012. The Aztec mythology describes several cycles ruled by deities who are destroyed at the end of each cycle along with all the humans living during that cycle. The sun is the deity of the current cycle.
The human sacrifices regularly performed by the ancient Aztecs had a specific purpose. The blood and the extracted human hearts were seen as the food or fuel which maintained the ability of the Sun god to function. The stability of the universe depended upon regular human sacrifices.
Norse (Scandinavian) eschatology is presented in the story of Ragnarok, the climactic battle of the cyclical Old Norse mythology. Nearing the end of the cycle, people, and the Gods themselves, will become increasingly corrupt, not honorable, dissipated, apathetic, and nihilistic. The Frost Giants, led by the renegade god Loki, will come and the battle will begin, accompanied by natural disasters. Most of the Norse gods will be killed and the world will eventually be dead and silent, covered with water and in total silence. After a time, fertile land will emerge from the water and the few gods who survived the battle will gather. A new first couple of humans will repopulate the new clean earth and the gods will celebrate.
In some religious/philosophical systems, such as Baha’ism
and Jainism, there is neither a beginning nor an end. Baha’is believe that reality consists of a series of
progressive revelations by prophets. The coming of each new prophet is the
judgement of the previous religion., with the prophet Bahaullah having brought
the ultimate revelation.
The most severe forms of Buddhism deny even this. Within
each moment in time, both birth and death are present. As each moment is born,
the previous moment dies. The only reality is the present moment. There is no
reward or punishment and no God. Individual existence with its cravings and
desires is the ultimate evil.
Salvation is the extinction of every type of desire, even the desire for
existence.
Hinduism sees reality and time as a series of repeating
cycles as Shiva destroys and regenerates the universe repeatedly. The
individual is part of this cyclical nature and ultimately will come to realize
that individuality is an illusion. The individual consciousness is in actuality
part of the Ultimate Reality and its ultimate destiny is absorption back into
the Whole. All reality will contract into a singularity which will then begin
again to expand.
Islamic eschatology points toward a Day of Judgement in
which each persons good deeds will be balanced against their evil deeds. The
sayings of the Prophet Muhammad give many signs which will indicate the
approach of the Day of Judgement.
Judaism is most concerned with life now, in the present time, and is more corporate than individual. The concept is that the important thing is observance of the Law in order to prepare ourselves and the world for the coming of God's kingdom on Earth. The religion is absolutely monotheistic and God is absolute in His control of the universe. Man is intended to live in friendship with God during this life. There is very little discussion of retributive justice in the afterlife.
Jewish eschatology is based on the Nation of Israel as a whole, not on the individual. The promises of the Old Testament are to the nation, the people of the land Am ha'aretz (עם הארץ), not the individual. The hope is for the establishment of a theocratic Messianic kingdom, based in Jerusalem, which will rule the world with justice and peace.
An introduction to Christian eschatology will be presented in the next post.
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