Eschatology

Four horsemen of the apocalypse, as depicted in the Apocalypse work by Albrecht Dürer

Eschatology is the part of theology that is concerned with what are believed to be the last events in history. It also looks at the destiny of humanity as a whole. Believers may call it the "end of the world" or "end times".^[1]

Eschatologies vary in optimism or pessimism about the future. In some eschatologies, conditions are better for some and worse for others, e.g. "heaven and hell". They also vary as to time frames. Groups claiming imminent (soon to come) eschatology are often called doomsday cults.

Eschatology Media

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, woodcut print from the Apocalypse of Albrecht Dürer (1497–1498)
Detailed Eschatological Chart
A scroll of the Book of Isaiah
The Antichrist, by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1521). Here the Antichrist is shown wearing the triple crown of the Roman papacy.
Icon of the Second Coming. Greek, c. 1700 A.D.
William Miller predicted the end of the world in 1843, known as the Great Disappointment.
Former Watchtower headquarters in Brooklyn. The society made a number of emphatic claims of impending last days and ensuing chaos between 1879 and 1924.
Timeline of Islamic eschatology