Eschatology in various religions

(Originally written April 23, 2007 in Book 15)

Chapter 7: Eschatology & Hope for the Future

Time plays crucial and different roles in various religions.

A Geometry of Time

The modern secular view of time is entirely linear. Time is a sequence of moments.

Most believe that time had some origin (whatever they claim it to be), but others like the physicist Stephen Hawkins deny that time has a beginning or an end.

Conversely, the Western monotheistic religions believe time has both a beginning and an end. In addition Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Zoroastrianism each have a mid point.

Pre-literate cultures believe that (according to Mircea Eliade) time was not linear, but circular. Time in our world mirrored the "time of the gods".

Eliade makes notice that as cultures move from preliterate to literate they drop the circular conception of, but not wholly. Anniversaries, holidays and birthdays are hold overs from circular time conceptions.

Eliade notes that archaic people (pre-Literates) have no hope or notion of the future. Likewise pure secularists have no hope for the future because they deny any telos (goal/end) for time.

Jainism's conception of time is divided into six ages and moves from best to worst then worst to best again.

Hinduism believes time is cyclical.

Buddhism also has a cyclical conception of time.

The Future in Traditional Religion

In African culture there are two modes of time:
1) Sasa - time of every day events
2) Zamani - Mythological time

People like in sass time. When they are born they are actualized into sass. When they die that actualization is completed and the process of de-actualization begins. As the ones who know them slowly die off the dead move further from the sasa into the zamani. Eventually they are engulfed in Zamani time.

Zamani gives purpose to sasa, but does not extend it.

The Christianization of Africa has taken two forms:
1) A traditional European style
2) A syncretism of traditional African religion and Christianity (independent churches).

The "independent churches" of Africa have adopted an eschatology, thus giving them hope for the future which traditional African conceptions of time denied them.

The Future in Western Religions

The future of Western Religions is tied into their messianic figures.

Judaism

Judaism had several messianic expectations by the time of Christ. Many the Messiah would liberate the Jews from Roman oppression and reestablish Israel.

The Essenes at Qumran expected at least two messiahs: a messianic king and a messianic priest.

The Saducees and the ruling priests might not have anticipated a messiah at all.

The messiah was expected to be human, but equal to God's first created being, the angel Metatron.

Also, the messiah would be the Son of David and heir to the throne.

The messiah would restore Israel politically and spiritually.

The messiah would liberate Jews from oppression.

Judaism has had a history of messianic pretenders. Bar Kokhba in the 2nd century and Sabbatai Zevi in the 17th century are the most notable two.

The Hasidic movement has shied away from claiming messianic status of their leaders and even opposed the creation of the modern state of Israel because they believed it was blasphemous to have Israel without a messianic king.

Reform Jews have given up the search for a Messiah.

Islam

Islam hopes for the Mahdi (the right guided one) as the last messenger of Allah.

The Mahdi is based on the Hadith, not the Qur'an.

The majority of Muslims are Sunni muslims and do not have a specific Mahdi theology.

The Shi'ite Muslims believe the Mahdi has a theological role.

Jesus Christ is the second most important prophet in Islam. Islam believes that Christ will return before the judgment and lead the faithful in prayer. But usually Jesus is not considered the Mahdi.

Shi'ite muslims claimed that the imams had the same spiritual authority as Muhammad. They have a super human standing.

The last imam to have this authority, according to the Shi'ites did not die, but went into hiding. He will return as the Mahdi.

Islam has had a number of Mahdi pretenders.

Umar II, one of the caliphs of the Umayyad dynasty was revered as the Mahdi for a while.

Mohammad Ahmad in the 19th century sought to overthrow the Ottoman Empire from Sudan. He claimed to be the Mahdi. His revolution was put down by the Turks, the British and a counter-Mahdi, Sanusi Al-Mahdi.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian claimed to be the Mahdi, the second coming of Christ and an avatar of Krishna. There are two groups that follow his teaching still.

Baha'i began as an offshoot of Shi'ites.

The Bab claimed to be the Mahdi in 1844.

Baha'ullah declared himself to be the successor of the Bab and established Baha'i.

In the future another manifestation of God will follow if there needs to be one.

Zoroastrianism

Zoroaster is to be succeeded every 1,000 years by his direct descendants.

Three times, a thousand years apart, a virgin will bathe in the lake and become impersonated with his sperm.

Aushetar, Aushetar mah, and Saoshyant will be born as prophets like Zoroaster. Saoshyant will restore true religion and usher in the purification of all human beings.