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The Apocalypse in the 21st Century
The idea of a final judgment has been known even before the time of Christ. All three World Religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - speak of a final judgement. Siegfried Hagl follows the traces of this concept from ancient times to the present.
Siegfried Hagl
Centuries before Christ: the first herald of end of time
In the book of Isaiah (14:12) is a prophecy of a great star falling out of heaven Between 1,500 and 600 BC – archaeologists
and philologists differ in
their dates – the Persian truth-bringer
Zarathustra (Greek: Zoroaster)
proclaimed the highest God Ahura
Mazda, the Creator of all things,
from whom only good proceeds. But
that the human being in the world is
subject to two driving forces:
“spenta” (holy, virtuous), assigned to
Ahura Mazda; and “angra” (bad,
hostile), issuing from Ahriman, the
“malicious spirit”. Good and evil face
each other starkly until at the end of
days Ahura Mazda enforces a final
judgment, in which the good and the
bad receive their just due. That is the
great decision towards which the
course of the world is rushing.
Zarathustra was therefore the first to speak of an apocalypse. Since then adherents of the most diverse religions expect the “Day of Judgment”.
In the course of the centuries the supposed events of the end time were dramatised by prophecies, theologies, visions, futuristic novels in many variants – depending on the basic religious persuasion of the author and flavour of the time. The vast literature basically follows the same pattern.
These apocalypses may seem like medieval conceptions with no resonance in our post-industrial era. That is a mistake. For example, there are in the three Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – fundamentalist groups who are counting on end-time happenings in the near future, are preparing for such and even seek to i n f l u e n c e them. The adherents of modern endtime prophets are very numerous and weave considerable social and political influence.
Jewish Apocalyptic: On the way to world domination by Yahweh
Long before the writings of the New
Testament, there was an Apocalyptic
in the Hebrew Bible, which is a source
to this day for Jews, Christians and
even Muslims. The book of Daniel
speaks of the resurrection of the dead,
the final judgment and eventual
domination of the world by Yahweh
(Jehovah): “And the kingdom and
dominion, and the greatness of the
kingdom under the whole heaven,
shall be given to the people of the
saints of the most High, whose
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and
obey him” (Daniel 7,27).
The book Daniel was probably written in the 2nd century B.C., thus after the so-called Babylonian captivity; but its end-time prophecies, for instance, are of importance for orthodox Jews even in the 21st century.
The Jewish Apocalyptic never quite disappeared over the centuries. Today there are different varieties of Jewish Messiah expectations, which disagree, for instance, on whether the predetermined process must be accelerated by active human intervention – even with force –, or the believer should in humility await the inexorable development – because it is God-willed.
The fundamentalist groups of the Jewish religion are fairly agreed on the following doctrine:
• All the important historical events are more or less stages of a history of salvation (eschatology), at the end of which stands the appearance of the Messiah.
• History follows the primary events described in the Holy Scriptures and other revelations.
Thus also the highlights for the modern Jewish eschatology, for the future of Israel and Judaism in the context of Biblical end-time prophecies are determined as follows:
• the reconquest of the Holy Land;
• the declaration of Jerusalem as capital of an Israeli state and construction of the third temple;
• the establishment of a sacred kingdom in Israel;
• the appearance of the Messiah.
• also after the appearance of the Messiah, the Jews remain the “chosen people of God”. The rest of mankind are not to be forced to accept the Jewish faith. But all people recognise Yahweh as the highest God.
• The Paradise on earth is eternal under the dominion of Yahweh, not – as in Christianity – limited to the “kingdom of a thousand years”. The Jewish end-time expectations are also tied to a certain landscape.
In the Zionist view, the Jews were until 1948, the year the state of Israel was founded, in exile. Yahweh had finally, after two millennia, made good his promise and led his people back to the “Holy Land”. These people, chosen by him, must now make this “Promised Land” their property against all adversity, make Jerusalem the capital of a new Israelite kingdom and rebuild the temple that was destroyed by the Romans.
Christian Apocalyptic: The Fight for Truth
Many of Christ's teachings refer directly to the "Final Judgment" and its warning signs.
For the last two millennia there have
been Christians in every century who
believe the “Day of Judgment” is at
hand and imagine the end-time events
to come. Most of the very diverse
interpretations of the end time have
been based on the Apocalypse of
John in the New Testament. A
modern poetic version is for instance
offered by Vladimir S. Solovyov in
his “ The Tale of Antichrist”.
Until 1991, the end of the Soviet Union, the cold war was at the centre of the apocalyptic exegesis. The Soviets were regarded as the realm of the anti-Christ, and the Great Apocalypse could be seen for example as a description of an atomic war. This hostile image has changed somewhat. Since the 11th September 2001, Christian fundamentalists have come to locate the opponent of “true faith” in Islamic fundamentalism of terror.
The Battle of Armageddon
The Apocalypse in the Bible describes a final struggle of the Light against the Darkness as the “Battle of Armageddon”
The Christian end-time scenario,
likewise variously formed since
centuries, looks, briefly summarised,
something like this:
• Problems are mounting up in many parts of the world: wars, natural disasters, famines, epidemics, poverty, inflation. Those responsible are less and less up to the challenges.
• A charismatic personality appears as leader – with enormous radiance and compelling power. The halfhearted and dishonest believers can be beguiled by the hypocritical words of this personality.
• The goal of this “anti-Christ” is the unification of the world (with Jerusalem as capital) under materialism, whereby Christianity is rejected.
• When the Antichrist thinks he is nearly at his goal, the returned Christ steps forth and with Divine assistance gathers all good people around Him.
• There then follows the great final struggle of the Light against the Darkness, the “Battle of Armageddon”. This fight rages spiritually as well as in the earthly.
• The wicked are destroyed and Satan is bound. The earth is cleansed and the survivors, reformed human beings of all nations (also the Jews), convert to true Christianity and build up a new world under the guidance of Christ.
• There follows the “Kingdom of a Thousand Years”, at the end of which Satan is unbound. But he can no longer tempt the mankind that has matured by then, and he remains deprived of power for ever.
As in past centuries, there also are today believers who expect this end time in the near future and try to prepare themselves by Christian conduct and an inner refinement.
Unfortunately, some are not satisfied with this spiritual preparation. They feel called to speed up this great happening, promised by God Himself, by earthly activism and to anticipate, for example, some of the prophesied events at least partially – even forcibly.
Islamic Apocalyptic: The World Revolution
Muslims also expect the arrival of a
counterpart to the Antichrist, the
“Dajjal”, who precedes the longedfor
redeemer, the Mahdi or Isa.
The basic ideas of revolutionary Islam take their direction from the eschatological apocalyptic pattern which Victor and Victoria Trimondi summarise as follows:
The existing world (especially the West), is for Islamism bad, evil, decadent and godless.
The existing evil, secular world must be destroyed right down to the roots, so that a new, good, sacred world can arise. The basic values of the new sacred world correspond to the basic values of traditional Islam.
The destruction of all present western social conditions is carried out by the Islamic world revolution. The expected path to victory for the Islamic world revolution is “Holy War” (Jihad), which legitimises and demands extreme violence, terror and martyrdom (Shahadat).
After the victory over the present unholy world order and its destruction, a new, complete and holy world order, a global Muslim theocracy (the Kalifat) will be established, which will be dictated by the rules of the true laws of Islam.
The idea of an Islamist world revolution is multi-layered and cannot be described with a few slogans. But the five thesis mentioned summarise the principles and plans for further discussion, which are borne by powerful Islamist groups of the present.
End Time – Turning Point: Where do we really stand today?
Drastic Climate Change is only one of the warning signs of an impending World Judgment
The worldwide growth in population
is unstoppable. A global
warming can hardly be controlled.
Many resources, mainly water, are
becoming scarce. The economic
globalisation brings strong distortions
in world trade, in industry and
in the capital markets. The social
safety nets are getting fragile. A
threatened fight for raw materials
and for habitation could break out
on this overpopulated earth at any
time. More and more people are
worried about the future.
As always in critical times, believers seek solace in their religion. They direct their gaze upward and implore help from the Most High. If rational considerations offer no escape from the expected, felt or prophesied disaster, hope for divine interventions, for the Last Judgement remains.
During the past thousands of years, people found signs in every century that pointed to an approaching end time. They often also believed that they recognised in an important personality the Antichrist. So far always in vain. Will it be any different in the 21st century? Or does our earth remain subject to the laws of nature without any supernatural, wondrous assistance from the outside?
Abd-ru-shin explains in his work “In the Light of Truth” that the Laws of Creation coming from God include the free will of the human spirit. Man has the great freedom, which even makes it possible for him to transgress the Natural Laws. But the greater the trespass, the more drastic must be the reciprocal effect that is set in motion. The people expecting the apocalypse, as well as the unbelievers in this matter should be able to meet on a common ground: on the basis of common sense. We must make an effort with honest endeavour to achieve a peaceful co-existence of all the people on the planet. This task cannot be solved by economists, ecologists and politicians alone. There is also an obligation on the religions. They especially should be conscious of the responsibility they bear in greater measure to the “Creator of the heavens and the earth”, and in Whom all who confess the abrahamic religions believe.
Any hostile, denominationbound, fundamentalist, militant, apocalyptic slogans are to my mind and in no circumstance a contribution that is pleasing to God for the future of the earth, mankind, and all life on earth.
Zarathustra was therefore the first to speak of an apocalypse. Since then adherents of the most diverse religions expect the “Day of Judgment”.
In the course of the centuries the supposed events of the end time were dramatised by prophecies, theologies, visions, futuristic novels in many variants – depending on the basic religious persuasion of the author and flavour of the time. The vast literature basically follows the same pattern.
These apocalypses may seem like medieval conceptions with no resonance in our post-industrial era. That is a mistake. For example, there are in the three Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – fundamentalist groups who are counting on end-time happenings in the near future, are preparing for such and even seek to i n f l u e n c e them. The adherents of modern endtime prophets are very numerous and weave considerable social and political influence.
Jewish Apocalyptic: On the way to world domination by Yahweh
The book Daniel was probably written in the 2nd century B.C., thus after the so-called Babylonian captivity; but its end-time prophecies, for instance, are of importance for orthodox Jews even in the 21st century.
The Jewish Apocalyptic never quite disappeared over the centuries. Today there are different varieties of Jewish Messiah expectations, which disagree, for instance, on whether the predetermined process must be accelerated by active human intervention – even with force –, or the believer should in humility await the inexorable development – because it is God-willed.
The fundamentalist groups of the Jewish religion are fairly agreed on the following doctrine:
• All the important historical events are more or less stages of a history of salvation (eschatology), at the end of which stands the appearance of the Messiah.
• History follows the primary events described in the Holy Scriptures and other revelations.
Thus also the highlights for the modern Jewish eschatology, for the future of Israel and Judaism in the context of Biblical end-time prophecies are determined as follows:
• the reconquest of the Holy Land;
• the declaration of Jerusalem as capital of an Israeli state and construction of the third temple;
• the establishment of a sacred kingdom in Israel;
• the appearance of the Messiah.
• also after the appearance of the Messiah, the Jews remain the “chosen people of God”. The rest of mankind are not to be forced to accept the Jewish faith. But all people recognise Yahweh as the highest God.
• The Paradise on earth is eternal under the dominion of Yahweh, not – as in Christianity – limited to the “kingdom of a thousand years”. The Jewish end-time expectations are also tied to a certain landscape.
In the Zionist view, the Jews were until 1948, the year the state of Israel was founded, in exile. Yahweh had finally, after two millennia, made good his promise and led his people back to the “Holy Land”. These people, chosen by him, must now make this “Promised Land” their property against all adversity, make Jerusalem the capital of a new Israelite kingdom and rebuild the temple that was destroyed by the Romans.
Christian Apocalyptic: The Fight for Truth
Many of Christ's teachings refer directly to the "Final Judgment" and its warning signs.Until 1991, the end of the Soviet Union, the cold war was at the centre of the apocalyptic exegesis. The Soviets were regarded as the realm of the anti-Christ, and the Great Apocalypse could be seen for example as a description of an atomic war. This hostile image has changed somewhat. Since the 11th September 2001, Christian fundamentalists have come to locate the opponent of “true faith” in Islamic fundamentalism of terror.
The Apocalypse in the Bible describes a final struggle of the Light against the Darkness as the “Battle of Armageddon”• Problems are mounting up in many parts of the world: wars, natural disasters, famines, epidemics, poverty, inflation. Those responsible are less and less up to the challenges.
• A charismatic personality appears as leader – with enormous radiance and compelling power. The halfhearted and dishonest believers can be beguiled by the hypocritical words of this personality.
• The goal of this “anti-Christ” is the unification of the world (with Jerusalem as capital) under materialism, whereby Christianity is rejected.
• When the Antichrist thinks he is nearly at his goal, the returned Christ steps forth and with Divine assistance gathers all good people around Him.
• There then follows the great final struggle of the Light against the Darkness, the “Battle of Armageddon”. This fight rages spiritually as well as in the earthly.
• The wicked are destroyed and Satan is bound. The earth is cleansed and the survivors, reformed human beings of all nations (also the Jews), convert to true Christianity and build up a new world under the guidance of Christ.
• There follows the “Kingdom of a Thousand Years”, at the end of which Satan is unbound. But he can no longer tempt the mankind that has matured by then, and he remains deprived of power for ever.
As in past centuries, there also are today believers who expect this end time in the near future and try to prepare themselves by Christian conduct and an inner refinement.
Unfortunately, some are not satisfied with this spiritual preparation. They feel called to speed up this great happening, promised by God Himself, by earthly activism and to anticipate, for example, some of the prophesied events at least partially – even forcibly.
Islamic Apocalyptic: The World Revolution
The basic ideas of revolutionary Islam take their direction from the eschatological apocalyptic pattern which Victor and Victoria Trimondi summarise as follows:
The existing world (especially the West), is for Islamism bad, evil, decadent and godless.
The existing evil, secular world must be destroyed right down to the roots, so that a new, good, sacred world can arise. The basic values of the new sacred world correspond to the basic values of traditional Islam.
The destruction of all present western social conditions is carried out by the Islamic world revolution. The expected path to victory for the Islamic world revolution is “Holy War” (Jihad), which legitimises and demands extreme violence, terror and martyrdom (Shahadat).
After the victory over the present unholy world order and its destruction, a new, complete and holy world order, a global Muslim theocracy (the Kalifat) will be established, which will be dictated by the rules of the true laws of Islam.
The idea of an Islamist world revolution is multi-layered and cannot be described with a few slogans. But the five thesis mentioned summarise the principles and plans for further discussion, which are borne by powerful Islamist groups of the present.
End Time – Turning Point: Where do we really stand today?
Drastic Climate Change is only one of the warning signs of an impending World JudgmentAs always in critical times, believers seek solace in their religion. They direct their gaze upward and implore help from the Most High. If rational considerations offer no escape from the expected, felt or prophesied disaster, hope for divine interventions, for the Last Judgement remains.
During the past thousands of years, people found signs in every century that pointed to an approaching end time. They often also believed that they recognised in an important personality the Antichrist. So far always in vain. Will it be any different in the 21st century? Or does our earth remain subject to the laws of nature without any supernatural, wondrous assistance from the outside?
Abd-ru-shin explains in his work “In the Light of Truth” that the Laws of Creation coming from God include the free will of the human spirit. Man has the great freedom, which even makes it possible for him to transgress the Natural Laws. But the greater the trespass, the more drastic must be the reciprocal effect that is set in motion. The people expecting the apocalypse, as well as the unbelievers in this matter should be able to meet on a common ground: on the basis of common sense. We must make an effort with honest endeavour to achieve a peaceful co-existence of all the people on the planet. This task cannot be solved by economists, ecologists and politicians alone. There is also an obligation on the religions. They especially should be conscious of the responsibility they bear in greater measure to the “Creator of the heavens and the earth”, and in Whom all who confess the abrahamic religions believe.
Any hostile, denominationbound, fundamentalist, militant, apocalyptic slogans are to my mind and in no circumstance a contribution that is pleasing to God for the future of the earth, mankind, and all life on earth.
Literature:
Fallaci Oriana, The Force of Reason, Rizzoli 2006
Solovyov, Vladimir S., The Tale of Antichrist, A Solovyov anthology, Scribner 1950
Trimondi Victor and Victoria, Krieg der Religionen, Wilhelm Fink, Paderborn 2006
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All rights reserved. Reproduction only with permission of 'Stiftung Gralsbotschaft - Ditzingen - Germany'
All rights reserved. Reproduction only with permission of 'Stiftung Gralsbotschaft - Ditzingen - Germany'