Saturday, May 4, 2013

What Is To Happen At The End Of Days?

  Nadene Goldfoot                                                             

All religions have their own opinion and teachings of what is going to happen at the end of our world.  Judaism does not dwell on it.  The emphasis is in living a rightous life and doing good deeds or mitzvot.  Judaism  started with Abraham as the first monotheist and then with Moses (1391-1271 BCE) codifying Judaism.   Christianity was created from the teachings of Jesus and members of their church before and after the death of Jesus in 29 CE.  Islam came along from the teaching of Mohammad (570-632 CE).

   The idea of the end of days  was introduced in the Torah under Numbers 24:14 where Balaam, a heathen prophet  was asked to curse the Israelites when they came to Balak's (king of Moab) country during their wanderings in the wilderness.  Balaam was talking to Balak and said, "Come, I shall advise you what this people will do to your people in the End of Days.  Balaam was divinely inspired.  Instead of cursing the Israelites, he uttered blessings in place of curses.    It turned out that Balaam was a faithful servant of G-d. The rabbis classed him among the 7 prophets who spoke to heathen nations.  That section started off the thoughts about what will happen to our descendants at the end of days.

  All three religions say the end of days are at hand, soon to come.  
I.   Judaism believes in the coming of the Moshiach (messiah).  It means a savior or a hoped for deliverer, the anointed one.  It will be somebody who is of nobility and greatness.  It will be a mortal man.  He will be of the Davidic dynasty, will rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem and gather Jews from all over the world and bring them back to the Land of Israel.  The ingathering has been already been  happening and is an ongoing thing.

Furthermore, all the nations will recognize Moshiach to be the world leader and will accept his dominion.  There is then to be world peace in the Messianic era.  There will be no more wars or famine and in general people will live with a high standard of living.

All will worship one G-d  and will live a more spiritual and moral way of life.  Israel will be involved with learning Torah and understanding its secrets.  This has been ongoing.  This might even refer to the Bible Code found underlying in the Torah by mathematician and Bible Scholar Eliahu Rips who put his program of the Torah in Hebrew into the computer and discovered information in codes.  The coming of the Moshiach completes G-d's purpose in creation.  This is to reveal the inherent spirituality in the material world.

Judaism is counting on the Moshiach  leading the way for man's ability to change and that people will strive for goodness.  He will be recognized as a man of G-d with greater leadership qualities than Moses had.  Judaism rejects the belief in Armageddon.  The world will not self-destruct by nuclear war or by terrorism.  So we await this  leader of such a magnitude that the world hasn't yet experienced.  His unique example and leadership will inspire mankind to change direction.

To recognize him, the prerequisite is that he is skilled in the written and oral Torah traditions. There is a predestined time when Moshiach will come, depending on how deserving we Jews are.   Torah authorities say we are in the "epoch of the Moshiach" now.  Many people today can trace their lineage back to King David.  If this person actually does build the Temple  and gathers in the exiles, then he is the Moshiach, so who are the exiles not yet gathered in?  We do have 6 million Jews in the USA and about 2 million more still scattered among the nations.  Could this exceptional  Torah scholar cause this type of movement?  To be the Moshiach he must.  Besides them, there is a section in the Torah that tells of the need to find the Lost 10 Tribes of Israel. To the main body of Judah, they were "lost" because of the Assyrians attacking and later the Babylonian attack which resulted in stealing away the population for slavery, etc.  This is already taking place.  Several groups have returned to Israel.

Jealousy, conflicts, hatred, greed and political strife that is destructive will disappear.  That certainly is creating a Utopia and would be welcomed.  Looking at the world's behavior in history, one can see that for Jews, the Moshiach hasn't arrived yet and we are still waiting.

Our book, the Zohar, said that the 7 days of the week were based on the 7 days of creation and this corresponds to the 7 millennia of creation.  The 7th day of the week, Shabbat-a day of rest, corresponds to the 7th millennium, the age of universal rest, or the Messianic Era.  The 7th millennium begins with the year 6000 from creation (Jewish Calendar)  and is the latest time the Moshiach can come which would be 2239 CE. According to this figure, that last day for the Moschiah to arrive is in 226 more years.

The book of Isaiah also describes a time of judgment 2:4.  And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people with the Messianic Age following of global peace and knowledge of our creator.  "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift sword against nation and they will no longer study warfare." The Mishna states that the world will be judged at 4 different periods during the year;  Rosh ha shanah or the New Year has become the day of Judgment  for all mankind, the decrees being finally sealed on the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur, which comes 10 days later.
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II.  For Christians, who came along about 1,300 years after Judaism, they are also awaiting their 2nd coming of the Messiah.  Matthew writes of a great tribulation.  However, how this will happen differs with each group.  Most Catholics, liberal Protestants and orthodox Christians in the USA do not emphasize the end of the world.   Rarely does a minister preach about it.  Evangelical Protestants stress it and believe that the events that are to happen first are happening right now.  They find this in Matthew 24, Paul's epistles, and the Book of Revelation.

 Before the Messiah comes, certain things will take place; wars, rumors of war, famine, earthquakes, persecution, false prophets, lawlessness, and  a hardening of hearts.  Yes, it is the present day situation, but it can also be said of many times in the past, as well.  However, this present day includes the A Bomb and atomic warfare.  That's a little different from bows and arrows.

Jesus' Gospel will spread all over the world before the end of days.  Some believe the Antichrist will usher in the end of times.  The establishment of Israel, which is the reclaiming of the Jewish homeland is seen by many as having been necessary.  Ezekial in 36:24 said, "I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land," and "on G-d's original gift of the land to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 17.

Luke said, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be great earthquakes, and in many places famines and pestilences.  There will be terrors and great signs from heaven.  But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake.  ...You will be hated by all for my name's sake.  But not a hair of your head will perish.  By your endurance you will gain your lives.   But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart.....They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  It sounds to me like this already took place in 70 CE.

Some believe in the Rapture when born-again Christians will be "caught up" into the air and meet Christ in the clouds, like it is described in 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18.  This will happen unexpectedly and people will all of a sudden rise from their cars or kitchen tables into the sky.  After the Rapture, Christ will begin a 1,000 year reign.

Christians are not happy to see chaos and violence in the Middle East and consider them inevitable but regrettable signs of the end of the world.  John Hagee, who wrote "In Defense of Israel," is the Pastor who leads the way  in aiding Israel.

Christians believe that Judgment Day will purportedly take place after the Resurrection of the Dead and the Second Coming of Christ.
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III.  Islam, which came along about 2,000 years after Judaism and 600 years after Christianity, believes in the Day of Judgment at the end of days and says there are 3 eras before this is to happen.  Muhammad will die, all his companions will die and this will end 1,000 years later.

Significant is the King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud, who is 88 years old. He became king in 2005 when his half brother, King Fahd, died.   He is said to be the last king.  The kingship goes from brother to brother, not father to son. Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz,  as second deputy prime minister, a post long viewed as "crown prince is in waiting." As king, Abdullah  is a dictator, so  his country follows the strict Wahhabist interpretation of Sharia law.
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The first thing they will look for is the appearance of the 12th Imam or Mahdi.   The credentials to be the Mahdi are that the father's name has to be similar to the Prophet Muhammad's name.  Mahdi, or the guided one' is a man who is going to follow the true Islam.  He is to be the descendant from Ali and Fatima (daughter of the prophet Muhammad) making him the descendant also of  al-Hasan or al-Husain.  He will be very just and his capital will be Damascus.  The angel Israfil will sound the horn signalling the end of days.  The natural order of the sun, mountains and sea  will become reversed.

Muslims believe that Allah told them that Jews will master the world two times and Mahdi will appear between those 2 periods and will rule through the last one.  Mahdi is not a prophet but the final Rightly guided Caliph.  He will lead the Muslims to a great victory against the Christian Romans (white Europeans and Americans).  This war will be called al-Malhamah al-Kubrah or Armageddon.  It will end up with the Muslims as victors after 6 years of fighting.  They will then take over their capital of Rome (or any city).  In the 7th year, the Antichrist will appear and an even  greater war  will start between the Jews and Muslims for 40 long "days." (not the usual time span).  This will end when Jesus will come and Muslims will kill all the Jews and everyone will convert to Islam.  Then peace will pervade the whole world.

The Mahdi will ride a white horse.  The false messiah will appear as a great beast-like creature with one good eye and one blind eye and the mark of Kafir.  He will claim to hold keys to heaven and hell and lead many astray, but believers (Muslims) will not be deceived.  Jesus (Isa) shall return from the 7th sky to help the Mahdi against Dajjal (antichrist).  There will be 2 tribes, Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj, formerly imprisoned because they are vicious beings, will ravage the earth, drink all its water and destroy all life.  Allah (G-d) will then send worms and insects to destroy them.  Medina, Saudi Arabia, will be deserted as good Muslims will follow the Mahdi and the sinners will follow Dajjal.  A thin, short legged ruler of Ethiopia will attack Mecca and destroy the Kaaba.  The Beast or Dabbat al-ard will populate the entire planet.  A pleasant breeze will blow from Yemen and will cause all believers to die peacefully.  (This sounds like Sarin gas to me).  The sun will rise from the west.  The Quran or Koran will be taken to heaven and many will not recall its verses, even the Huffaz (like people with a PhD in Islam studies).  A trumpet will sound and all humanity left will die.  40 years will go by and then smoke will envelope the world for 40 days.  A 2nd trumpet will sound.  The dead will return to life.  A fire will start from Hadramawt in Hemen that shall gather all people of the world into Mahshar for "The Last Judgment."

The dead will then stand in a grand assembly and wait for the scroll telling of their good deeds, sinful acts and judgement.  Muhammad will be resurrected first.  Punishments include severe pain, embarrassment and shame.

Among the 3 major outlooks are hundreds of slightly different views from the above.  This is a general overview of what our friends or enemies might believe.  Each has a self-preservationist belief in that their group is made up of the winners and the others are to be the losers, so to speak.  Each thinks that the end game is that everyone will comply to their religion.  This is going to wind up being that G-d must choose who  the winner, is,  much like all the TV shows coming out of the USA in choosing the best singer, dancer, clothing designer, etc.  What is everyone doing to find favor in G-d's eyes, then?

Resource: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/108400/jewish/The-End-of-Days.htm
http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/2006/07/FAQ-Christians-And-The-End-Of-The-World.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_time
Friend: Descendant of Mohammad: Sunni- found at: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071229110055AA9C93U
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_6000
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_of_Saudi_Arabia
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/who-will-be-the-next-king-of-saudi-arabia
http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?211857-The-emergence-of-Imam-Mahdi-is-near-Hadith

2 comments:

  1. I just read this post...I think you have captured well the implication of religious belief...I believe the Creator will do what he has always done,,,His thing and not ours!

    I look forward to this event

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with you on this one! Thanks for reading it and giving your opinion. .

    ReplyDelete