SHOULD WE FEAR THE END TIMES?
Heaven's Gate was a notorious cult that believed a spaceship would arrive to transport their souls to a higher plane of existence. In 1997, the group shocked the world when 39 members committed mass suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, California in hopes of rising to the Heavens. While few religions espouse such an extreme view, many do envision the messianic era in apocalyptic terms, when some will be judged worthy and ascend to Heaven, while others will be left behind. From a Jewish perspective, how valid are these doomsday scenarios?
Malachi, Chapter 3: The Source for a Universal Day of Judgment
And I will approach you for judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely; and also against those who withhold the wages of the day laborers, the widow and orphan, and those who pervert the rights of the stranger, and those who fear Me not, says the L-rd of Hosts. ...For behold, the sun comes, glowing like a furnace, and all the audacious sinners and all the perpetrators of wickedness will be stubble. And the sun that comes shall burn them up so that it will leave them neither root nor branch, says the L-rd of Hosts. ...Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the L-rd.
