Friday, August 19, 2011

END TIMES

The end time, end times, or end of days is a time period described in the eschatological writings in the three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and in doomsday scenarios in various other non-Abrahamic religions. In Christianity, the End Times are often depicted as a time of tribulation that precedes the Second Coming of the Christian "saviour" or a "hoped-for deliverer", Jesus, the Christian Messiah, who will usher in the fullness of the World to Come and Kingdom of God and bring an end to suffering and evil and all things wrong with the current world. In Islam, Yawm al-Qiyāmah "the Day of Resurrection" or Yawm ad-Din "the Day of Judgement", Allah's final assessment of humanity, is preceded by the end of the world. In Judaism the term "End of Days" is a reference to the Messianic era and the Jewish belief in the coming of Mashiach and the Olam Haba. Various other religions also have eschatological beliefs associated with turning and redemption.
Since the advent of modern science in the 18th century, the discovery of deep time, and the age of the Earth, the concept of an "End of Days" has been replaced in contemporary discourse with questions about the ultimate fate of the universe. Most scientists believe that the "end time" will finally one day occur hundreds of billions of years from now with the heat death of the universe.
HOW RELIGION SEE THE END TIMES

JUDAISM

In Judaism, End Times are usually called The End of Days (aḥarit ha-yamim, אחרית הימים), a phrase that appears several times in the Tanakh. Though the idea of a messianic age has a prominent place in Jewish thought, it is not a pre-ordained event but rather brought about by religious observance and good deeds

CHRISTIANS
Some Christians in the first century believed that Jesus would return during their lifetime, because Jesus had said to his followers to be alert or be ready at all times.

CATHOLICS
Catholicism mainly adheres to the Amillennial school of thought, promoted by Augustine of Hippo in his work "The City of God". Augustine claims a non-literal fulfillment of prophecy. Catholics may also refer to Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 24, Verse 36, in which Christ is quoted as saying:
"But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."

PROTESTANTS
Millennialists concentrate on the issue of whether the true believers will see the tribulation or be removed from it by what is referred to as a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Amillennialists believe that the end times encompass the time from Christ's ascension to the Last day, and maintain that the mention of the "thousand years" in the Book of Revelation is meant to be taken metaphorically (i.e., not literally, or 'spiritually'), a view which continues to cause divisions within evangelical Christianity

MIKOS



The Japanese word miko or fujo "female shaman; shrine maiden" is usually written 巫女, compounding the kanji fu, miko, or kannagi "shaman" and jo, onna, or me "woman; female". In Chinese, wunü 巫女 (or the reverse nüwu 女巫) means "female shaman; witch; sorceress". Miko was archaically written 神子 (lit. "kami/god child") and 巫子 ("shaman child").
Miko are known by many names; Fairchild (1962:119–122) lists 26 terms for "shrine attached miko" and 43 for "non shrine attached miko". Common names are ichiko 市子 (lit. "market/town child") "female medium; fortuneteller", reibai 霊媒 (lit. "spirit go-between") "spirit medium", and
itako いたこ "(usually blind) female shaman".
English has diverse
translation equivalents for Japanese miko. While "shrine maiden" is frequently used, other equivalents are "female shaman" (aka "shamaness" or "shamanka"), "(spirit) medium", "prophet", "priestess", "witch", or "sorceress". Some scholars prefer the transliteration miko over translations, and contrast Japanese "mikoism" with East Asian "shamanism". Fairchild explains:
Women played an important role in a region stretching from Manchuria, China, Korea and Japan to the Ryukyu Islands. In Japan these women were priests, soothsayers, magicians, prophets and shamans in the folk religion, and they were the chief performers in organized Shintoism. These women were called Miko, and the author calls the complex "mikoism" for lack of a suitable English word. (1962:57)