Eschatology addresses the ultimate destiny of humanity and the cosmos through varied apocalyptic visions found in global traditions. While some faiths anticipate a linear culmination with divine judgment, others envision cyclical renewal or dissolution without a singular final event. This survey outlines how different scriptures conceptualize the end of days, the resurrection of the dead, and the establishment of eternal peace.
In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, eschatology often centers on a linear timeline culminating in divine intervention and universal judgment. Jewish texts like Daniel anticipate a messianic age following tribulation, while Christian theology emphasizes the Second Coming of Christ and the resurrection for final accountability. Islamic tradition details the signs of Qiyamah, including the return of Jesus (Isa) and the Day of Resurrection where deeds are weighed, leading to eternal paradise or hellfire.
Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism generally reject a singular end of history, instead viewing time as cyclical through vast ages known as yugas or kalpas. Hindu cosmology describes the periodic dissolution (pralaya) and recreation of the universe by Vishnu, Shiva, or Brahma, where moral decline leads to destruction before renewal. Buddhism focuses on the impermanence of all conditioned existence rather than a cosmic finale, teaching that liberation comes through escaping the cycle of rebirth (samsara) via enlightenment.
Zoroastrianism profoundly influenced later apocalyptic literature by introducing a dualistic struggle between good and evil that concludes with a final renovation of the world. This tradition envisions a savior figure (Saoshyant) who will defeat the forces of darkness, resurrect the dead, and purify creation through fire. Similarly, Gnostic texts often depict the material world as a flawed creation requiring liberation from archonic powers to return to a divine pleroma, reflecting a spiritual rather than physical end.
Many indigenous traditions frame the end of days not as a universal catastrophe but as a transformation or a shift in the relationship between humans, ancestors, and the natural world. Some Native American prophecies speak of a time when the earth will heal if humanity returns to sacred balance, while others describe specific cycles of cultural decline preceding renewal. These narratives often emphasize ecological stewardship and communal responsibility rather than individual salvation or damnation.