Sagot :
What are the different beliefs about the end of the world?
Since there are many different cultures and religions in the world, everyone has a different take on the meaning or
Buddhist Belief
While Buddhist believe that there is no beginning nor end to things, a branch of the religion has a slightly different take. While they do believe in continuous reincarnation of living things, Mahayana Buddhists believe that a new Buddha will appear in the future and bring about the end of the world.
Hindu Belief
Hindus believe in kalpas, or periods of time that exist one after the other. Each kalpa has a period of creation, preservation, and then decline. Whenever a kalpa reaches decline, the Hindu god Vishnu will take on a different form and will be called Kalki. Kalki and his army will fight to restore righteousness and purify the mind and souls of the people in the current kalpa, thus ending the current world and bringing forth a new kalpa.
Norse Mythology
Ragnarok refers to the last days and the events that will eventually lead to the destruction of the Old Gods, a battle so heavily fought that it led to dire circumstances for the people of the world. The dead have risen from the ground and the sun was blacked out, leaving only darkness while the world sunk to the sea. After this, a new world will rise up and the remaining gods will rule over it.
Global Catastrophic Risk
This one is more modern belief wherein people believe that the end of the world is caused by man's own destructive actions which may either lead to the destruction of Earth or the complete annihilation of the human race. Several theories include unstoppable climate change, biological warfare, hostile takeover of robots with artificial intelligence, a nuclear holocaust, worldwide famine, or extreme terrorism.
On the other hand, there are also some who believe that the cause might not necessarily be man-made. It could be a natural occurrence such as a global storm, a supervolcanic eruption, invasion of extraterrestrial life or extraterrestrial infection, the explosion of the sun or a nearby star, or the concentration of lethal gamma rays on Earth.
There are many other beliefs that are out there besides these that I have mentioned.
What does the bible say about the end of the world?
Let's take a look at what God has to say about the planet that we live in:
Isaiah 4:18
For this is what Jehovah says, the Creator of the heavens, the true God, the One who formed the earth, its Maker who firmly established it, who did not create it simply for nothing, but formed it to be inhabited: “I am Jehovah, and there is no one else.
Psalm 37:9-11
For evil men will be done away with, but those hoping in Jehovah will possess the earth. Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; you will look at where they were, and they will not be there. But the meek will possess the earth, and they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.
Revelations 21:1
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more.
By analyzing what these three bible verses say, we can conclude that God never had any plans to destroy Earth. However, Jehovah God did say that the people who have faith in Him and follow His word will find everlasting life and peace on Earth.
God also promised that the wicked will be gone or eradicated. So from these, we can also say that the "new heaven and new earth" promised in Revelations is figurative, and not a literal take on the phrase.
When the bible says the "end of the world" it refers to the end of this system that we currently have. It refers to the end of all wicked people, the corrupt governance, and the Wicked One who is behind it all.
Thus, a new heaven and a new Earth will take its place. This refers to a new system of things where good people only live, where the Kingdom of Jehovah God rules, and where no wickedness exists.
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