Eschatological Beliefs of Judaism, Christianity and Islam:
A comparative description of the "End World"
While Judaism, Christianity and Islam perceive numerous ethical and metaphysical issues from markedly divergent standpoints, they share several elements of faith. Aside from the commonalities that these religions share in their various attempts to explain mysteries of the human condition, they also share a concern with the destiny of Man and a belief that time and the world will cease one day, that there will be a consummation of history. In other words, Judaism, Christianity and Islam all share common eschatological beliefs. Among these beliefs are the belief in a final judgment, the belief in the establishment of a new earth, the belief in tribulation before the establishment of this new earth, and the belief in the eternal reign of a Messianic figure. These beliefs find different expression within the three faiths, and in some instances beliefs are diametrically opposed to one another, but in many essentials there is a common thread. Examining the various aspects of eschatological study will reveal these common threads and lead to the conclusion that, if the three religions do not correlate exactly regarding the concept of eternal life and what the "End World" will consist of, at least enough similarities exist to imply that much of humanity shares the general outlines of the end of history in common.
Just as Judaism, Christianity and Islam have disagreements among themselves, all three have internal disagreements as well. Islam has Sunni and Shi'ite traditions, Judaism has Orthodox and Reformed traditions, Christianity has Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions. These traditions are decidedly pluralistic, and despite attempts by various leaders and theologians of these faiths to codify a singular and unwavering interpretation of all aspects of eschatology, the study is fraught with difficulty and resists do...