In Jewish eschatology, the concept of the end of times refers to the conclusion of the world's age and its connection to the final judgment.
Among the Jewish people, this idea emerged during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE.
Before this time, the Israelites, who considered themselves
the chosen people of God, awaited an era where divine promises
would be fulfilled, where God would establish His chosen people
in the "Promised Land," destroy their enemies, and spread His justice and grace across the globe.
In the periods following the reigns of David and Solomon, the nation
experienced social turmoil and division, and religiously and morally, they faced corruption and decline.
There was a growing inclination towards idolatry and disbelief among them.
Their ultimate hope and expectation was to regain the power, unity, and purity of the past.
They looked forward to a time when God would send forth a leader
like Moses, Joshua, David, and Solomon to punish wrongdoers and to "save" the people from their misfortunes and humiliation.
The prophet Amos (8th century BCE), whose messages were mostly
warnings and admonitions, spoke of the arrival of this time, calling it the "Day of the Lord" (Yom Yahweh).
However, this day is characterized as a day of divine vengeance, a time when God would punish
the Israelites for their wickedness and sins: "Woe to you who long for the Day of the Lord! What will that day be for you?
It will be darkness, not light; it will be like a man who flees from a lion only to meet a bear."
Yet not all of Amos's messages were threats and warnings.
He also predicted that after the Israelites experienced punishment
for their sins and betrayals, there would come a day of happiness and goodness: "But the Lord says, I will not entirely destroy the descendants of Jacob.
On that day, I will restore the fallen tent of David; I will repair its broken places and restore its ruins."
In the book of Hosea, contemporary with Amos, and in several
other Old Testament books that generally belong to the pre-exile period (597 BCE), such warnings and prophecies
can likewise be found. In sections of the book of Isaiah, where the authorship by
the prophet Isaiah (8th century BCE) is less disputed, it states that when the "Day of the Lord" arrives,
all sinners and wrongdoers—both Jews and non-Jews—will be destroyed.
At the same time, the group that is righteous and faithful (whom Isaiah
refers to as "the remnant of Israel," "the remnant of Jacob," and "the remnant of the people of God") will ultimately
receive mercy and divine favor and will return to their God. A king from the tribe of Jesse (David’s father),
upon whom "the Spirit of the Lord will rest," who is wise and God-fearing,
will appear and fill the world with justice, goodness, and blessing such that "the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard will lie down with the goat." The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the mute will speak, and the lame will walk.
In the books of Hosea and Micah, both contemporaries of Isaiah,
the arrival of this day and the endless peace and happiness that will follow are also discussed.
They announce the coming of a righteous king whose "comings are from ancient times, from the days of old."
In the writings from this period, such as the book of Ezekiel and sections
of Isaiah known as "Second Isaiah" and "Third Isaiah," as well as the book
of Zechariah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and several others, the suffering and calamities faced by
the Israelites at the hands of the Babylonians and the humiliation and disgrace
they endured during their captivity are all considered divine punishment and the reward for their sins.
The ultimate longing and expectation of the Jews is to return to Jerusalem,
rebuild the temple, see a ruler from the line of David rise, and witness the
fulfillment of God's promise in the Promised Land with "a new heart and a new spirit, cleansed from sin."
Ezekiel prophesies about an attack from "Gog" (a figure associated with the end times)
from the land of Magog upon the Israelites after they settle in Jerusalem, and God will destroy him and his armies.
After that, no other power will ever dominate this nation again.
Among the signs heralding the coming of the "Day of the Lord," besides the massive
cosmic changes such as the darkening of the sun and moon, the falling of stars from the sky,
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