Jewish believe a time of peace and righteousness will come rather than an ending to the world. This period will come after a period of intense turmoil and chaos in which lawless and a breakdown in society will occur.

The Tanakh says the world will only last 6000 years. The year 2008 equals year 5678 according to the Torah making the final year 2240, although this is much debated.

There are several things, which will occur at the end of the 6000 years, they include:

- The end of the world will see all Jews gathered back to Israel and restored to their ancestral lands and tribes.

- The Messiah, a descendant of David, will come and become King of Israel and defeat Israel’s enemies, they will come to worship the one God of Israel and ask the King of Israel for advice.

- Building of the Third temple in Jerusalem and resumption of services there.

- The resurrection of the dead, death will be swallowed up forever. There will be no more hunger or disease.

- Messiah will become King of Israel and will beat invading armies in a final great battle known as Armageddon, bringing in the start of a new age of peace and holiness, weapons of war will be destroyed and the Jewish people will experience unending joy and happiness.

Though the Qu’ran does not give specifics there are many signs given to show the end times are approaching.

Muslims believe when the day of judgement is near people will fall away from Allah and society will break down, Christianity will begin to rule. Many believe that Armageddon will begin in the Middle East and thus the events of the past 5 years have caused many to say it is near. Such minor signs include:

- When it will be regarded as a shame to act on Quranic injunctions.

- When untrustworthy people will be regarded as trustworthy and the trustworthy will be regarded as untrustworthy.

- When it will be hot in winter (and vice versa).

- When the length of days is stretched, i.e. a journey of a few days is covered in a matter of hours.

- When orators and lecturers lie openly.

- When people dispute over petty issues.

- When women with children come displeased on account of them bearing offspring, and barren women remain happy on account of having no responsibility of offspring.

- When oppression, jealousy, and greed become the order of the day.

- When people blatantly follow their passions and whims.

- When lies prevail over the truth.

- When violence, bloodshed and anarchy become common.

- When immorality overtakes shamelessness and is perpetrated publicly.

- When children are a cause of grief and anger for their parents.

The Major signs will occur near the end of time, then a great leader Imam Mehdi will come and Jesus will appear and urge his follower to become Muslims.

The Dajjal will come and lead a great army against Muslims but Muslims will triumph. In the end a trumpet will be blown and only Muslims will survive.

Hindus believe in four repeating cycles we are currently in the last Kali Yuga which is characterised by lack of virtue but and at the end of this period Kali will judge everyone destroying the wicked and saving the good, starting a new golden age. The other 3 eras are known as Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga.

Satya Yuga is the era of truth or Golden age where people are closest to the Gods and are governed by them, human lifespan is around 4000 years. In Treta Yuga people start to move away from this ideal slightly and even further in Dvapara Yuga, human lifespan lowerd to 1000 years before entering Kali Yuga.

With this gradual movement away from religion during the four Yuga’s so human lifespan decreases, disease, hunger, war and the breakdown of society become more and more prevelent until Satya yuga come round again.

Each Yuga lasts for many thousands of years Satya Yuga lasts 1,728,000 human years (4,800 god years), the Treta Yuga lasts 1,296,000 human years (3,600 god years), the Dwapara Yuga lasts 864,000 human years (2,400 god years), and finally, the Kali Yuga lasts 432,000 years (1,800 god years).

The decline is gradual each Yuga blending into the next rather than a sudden change. Except from Kali Yuga to Satya Yuga. Every thousand such cycles the earth is also destroyed at the end of Kali Yuga and and then renewed.

Global warming and extreme weather events, the world economy in crisis, seemingly unending wars and the threat of nuclear weapons, it really does seem as if we are living in the end days!

Yet I have great faith in the planets natural ability to heal itself. The worst nuclear event in history Chernobyl caused all life in the exclusion zone animal and plant to die but since then and due to the areas abandonment by humans wildlife has flourished.

In the past 20 or so year since the disaster animals such as bear and lynx virtually extinct in much of Europe and not present before the disaster were able to move in and make themselves at home even thriving in the most radioactive areas.

Many bird species nest successfully in the hastily erected and now crumbling protective ‘sarcophagus’ and even fungi grows on the reactor walls.

Life has survived vast changes in the climate from the vast desert of the ancient super continent Pangea to the coldest ice age and will undoubtedly continue to do so.

No matter how out of control the current situation gets life will survive in some form or another. It just remains to be seen whether we are clever enough and can act fast enough to either stop the situation escalating further or if not adaptable enough to survive to the new conditions we find ourselves facing in the near future.

The book of Revelations the last in the bible has long caused controversy and debate as it deals with the second coming of Christ and final end of the World, though often cryptic and difficult to understand and interpret.

Jesus specifically states you may not know the day or hour (Matthew 25) and many denominations do not emphasise the apocalypse and it is rarely preached on in services.

However in Matthew 24 Jesus states specific things, which will happen before the end.

These include War, Famine, Earthquake, Persecution, Lawlessness and False Prophets and a hardening of hearts.

Though he also says his great commission to spread the Gospel to the whole world will be complete by the time the end comes.

Revelation 13 says an antichrist will usher in the last days. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Angels will gather believers from all four corners of the world and will join Christ above.

This is known as the Rapture and according to Revelations 20 this will be the start of Christ’s thousand year reign on Earth.

Matthew 24 says Jesus will come again in Glory and all believers will join Christ in Heaven.

Different denominations often have different ideas of the end of the world but the essential core Christian belief is that those who accept Jesus as their saviour will join God in Heaven either upon death or the ending of the world.

Another core belief is the second coming of Jesus and a reign of Glory before the world ends.

Buddhists believe in a cycle of creation and destruction and so though the earth will end it will be reborn in again in a golden age. Everything is impermanent. Below is a description of the end of the world according to the Buddha.

- The earth will suffer from a severe drought due to lack of rains. All vegetation and life forms will disappear and vanish from the planet.

- A second sun will appear in the horizon, resulting in the evaporation of many streams and ponds.

- A third sun will appear resulting in the evaporation of many great rivers like the Ganges.

- After a long lapse of time, a fourth sun will appear in the sky resulting in the evaporation of great lakes.

- After another long lapse of time, a fifth sun will appear and the oceans will dry up slowly till they will become a finger deep.

- After another long lapse of time, a sixth sun will appear. The earth crust and core will heat up to intense temperatures resulting in many volcanic explosions, scorched earth and smoke filled skies.

- After another vast interval, a seventh sun will appear. The earth will become a fiery ball of flame and expand. Its flames will spread far and wide.

Finally it will explode and disappear altogether.

The only way to save your self from this fate is to follow the eightfold path.