Signs of Qiyamah (the Day of Judgment) in Islam are events as warnings for the revival of our world. Major signs include the arrival of the Mahdi, Dajjal (Antichrist), descent of Isa (Jesus), Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj (Gog and Magog), wars, and the cultural challenge of the sun rising from Western countries.

A human rights group says it has gathered information on 2,090 Iranian members of the security forces killed in the first two weeks of war; and two nurses detained in Tehran after treating wounded anti-government protesters were tortured and repeatedly raped by Iranian security forces according to an exclusive report by Iran International. The women were among medical staff at Tehran’s Rajaei Cardiovascular, Medical and Research Center who treated injured demonstrators during nationwide protests in late December and early January.

Although it might seem impossible now, I believe that within a decade or two Muslims will visit Jerusalem and pray together with Jews as Prophet Zechariah predicts: “Then everyone who survives from all the nations that came against Jerusalem; shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.” (Zechariah 14:16) That is Mahdi hope.

The word Armageddon does not appear in the Hebrew Bible, and appears only once in the Greek New Testament, in Revelation 16:16 which makes no mention of armies being predicted to one day gather on or near Mount Megiddo; but instead seems to predict only that “they (will gather) the kings together to Armageddon”. The text does seem to imply, that the purpose of this gathering of kings in the “place called Armageddon” is “for the war of the great day of God Almighty” which is the old battle against national warfare which Prophet Mahdi will oppose.

Christianity, Judaism and Islam teach their followers to take care of the earth. Christians, Muslims and Jews also believe that humans should act as guardians and trustees (stewardship and khalifah) on our planet, and that they will be held accountable by God for their actions.

Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam has a powerful eschatological strand. Islam anticipates the end to the world as we know it, a final historical confrontation between the forces of good and evil; after which human life will be transformed in a positive way.

As a Reform Rabbi who believes that the world wide upheavals we see, are part of the birth pains of the Messianic Age, I offer Christians and Muslims some positive insights from the Jewish Prophets and the Rabbinic Sages.

Many Jews, Christians and Muslims believe the war of Gog and Magog (Gog u-Magog in Hebrew and “Yajuj and Majuj” in Arabic) is coming in the 21st century. Prophet Muhammad warned us of a group of extremists who would emerge, claiming to be more religious than all others but causing great harm to the Muslim Ummah: “They will recite the Quran but it will not go beyond their throats. They will pass through Islam as an arrow passes through its target.” (Sahih Bukhari 5057)

It is true that human society changed more rapidly, violently and fundamentally in the last 250 years than ever before in history. Doctors saved the lives of millions. Dictators sacrificed the lives of millions. Populations are exploding in Africa and populations are declining in Europe. Technology produces both worldwide prosperity and worldwide pollution at the same time.

Should we look upon the future with optimistic hope or with fatalistic trepidation?  Is the world and our society heading towards a wonder-filled new age, or........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)