10 ways world could meet its end are whispered by obscure faiths as nuclear treaties fray, superpowers clash, and ecological collapse looms.
10 ways world: A Glimpse Into Hidden Eschatologies
10 The Invisible Village of Ancestors
African ancestral faiths generally do not feature a classic apocalypse narrative. Instead, they present an alternative worldview that treats existence as an endless rhythm. Seasons cycle in a perpetual loop—rain, planting, harvest, dry spell, then back again—mirroring the waxing and waning of the moon. Time, for them, is a timeless infinity where humanity persists indefinitely.
When a person dies, they are not erased completely. The “righteous dead” are believed to join an unseen realm known as the “village of ancestors.” One’s moral standing is judged by how well they honor ancestral customs and keep the memory of the departed alive, emphasizing continuity over finality.
This vision does not promise a future golden age like many apocalyptic traditions. Rather, the golden age is anchored in the past; each passing year merely adds to that past. In this timeless model, eternity is already present, residing in the ever‑growing archive of history.
9 Oblivion
The Kurdish faith of Yarsanism belongs to the broader Cult of Angels and operates without a written scripture. Its teachings and prophecies travel orally through generations. Like its sister branches, Yarsanism asserts that souls migrate through a series of reincarnations, beginning as inanimate matter, then plants, then non‑human animals, ultimately seeking purification that culminates in a human vessel capable of uniting with the Universal Spirit.
This soul‑journey, called dun ba dun—literally “oblivion to oblivion”—may span up to a thousand lives or fifty thousand years. Should a soul, after its 1,001st incarnation, remain non‑human, it must await the Final Judgment, known as Pardivari, the “bridge crossing.”
Unlike most entries on this list, Yarsanism places the timing of an individual’s personal apocalypse squarely in the hands of the soul’s own conduct. One’s deeds directly determine when—and if—the ultimate reckoning arrives.
8 The End of the Era of Beasts
At the heart of the Korean movement Daesoonjinrihoe (the Fellowship of Daesoon Truth) lies a dual‑era cosmology: the Former World (seoncheon), riddled with transgressions, and the Later World (hucheon), suffused with goodness. The current Former World is subdivided into the “Six Stages of Waning Proximity from the Dao,” each representing a progressively corrupt epoch: Divine Thearchs, Sagely Emperors, Heavenly‑Mandated Kings, Cunning Tyrants, Uncivilized Rulers, and finally, Beasts.
We now inhabit the last stage, the Era of Beasts, marked by maximal misalignment with the Dao. Yet this very misalignment signals the imminent arrival of the Later World. Those who qualify will enjoy eternal youth, endless abundance, and a reality where opening a chest always yields clothing and food—no war, no jealousy, only peace for the “noble populace.”
Even in this utopia, rulers will exist: twelve‑thousand‑nine‑hundred and sixty individuals empowered by the Dao, tasked with benevolent governance. Their status is earned, not inherited, and they may even hail from outside the faith if they demonstrate sufficient spiritual cultivation. Daesoonjinrihoe boasts over two million adherents, all aspiring toward this promised future.
7 The Dawning of the New Age
Founded in 1955 by London cab driver Dr. George King, the Aetherius Society posits that extraterrestrials have long guided humanity, manifesting as figures like Jesus, Buddha, and Gandhi. Their central alien, Master Aetherius, proclaimed that the New Age is “being born this moment,” and humanity’s fate hinges on whether it will be pleasant or “a little unpleasant.” In either case, “the wheat will be sorted from the chaff.”
The Society predicts that before this New Age fully blossoms, a cascade of catastrophic events will unfold: a surge in natural disasters, a gradual decline of the ionosphere, and a consequent rise in cosmic rays and UV radiation reaching Earth’s surface. In our present state, humanity is deemed insufficiently spiritually evolved to survive these changes; they will be lethal. Yet a new Master is on the horizon, and Earth itself will shift its position in space, heralding the dawning of the Age of Aquarius—a golden era for humankind.
This vision diverges sharply from that of Raëlism, another extraterrestrial‑centric faith. Raëlists view nuclear weapons as the “sixth seal of the Apocalypse,” with a seventh seal—global nuclear war—triggering a divine intervention in which the Elohim will clone humanity on the Planet of the Eternals for those whose “cellular plan” was pre‑transmitted.
6 Ragnarok
Modern Asatru revives the ancient Norse pantheon, embracing the belief in an ultimate cataclysm known as Ragnarok—literally “Doom of the Gods.” In this mythic finale, the world of men (Midgard) and the realm of the gods (Asgard) are torn asunder. The ash‑tree Yggdrasil, the cosmic axis, will die, signaling the end of all existence.
Our sources—the 13th‑century Prose Edda and the 10th‑century poem Voluspa—describe a sequence of horrors: moral chaos, murder, and the three‑year-long Fimbulwinter, a sunless, bone‑chilling winter. The wolves Skoll and Hati devour the sun and moon, while Fenrir, the monstrous wolf, breaks free alongside Loki and the Midgard Wyrm. Giants, demons, and spectral forces assault Asgard, and the gods meet heroic deaths: Thor slays the Wyrm then dies from its venom; Loki and Heimdall kill each other; Tyr duels Garm; Odin is swallowed by Fenrir; and Surtr, wielding a flaming sword, incinerates the earth.
Yet from this devastation, renewal emerges. The children of the gods—Odin’s sons Víðarr and Váli, Thor’s sons Móði and Magni—inherit Asgard. A new shoot from Yggdrasil, called “Treasure‑Mimir’s Holt,” gives rise to Lif (Life) and Lifthrasir (Stubborn Will to Live), who will repopulate the earth, ushering a new cycle.
5 Apocalyptic War
Yezidism, a branch of the ancient Cult of Angels, is a minority faith centered in Iraq that venerates the Peacock Angel (Malak Ta‘ūsh). Despite misconceptions branding its followers as devil‑worshippers, the religion maintains a rich oral tradition, supplemented by two written texts: the Book of Revelation and the Black Book.
Prophecies in Yezidism flow from an ethereal “book” called the defter, which has no physical form. When seers enter trance, they “fall into the book,” receiving visions that often focus on the end of the world. A recurring theme is an apocalyptic war between forces of good (the xas) and evil (the bastiné), featuring battles involving holy beings and supernatural entities.
Recent prophecies, dated to 2020, claim that 200 xas are preparing for war in Iran, while a figure named Miryam (Mary) is constructing planes in London to transport angels. The visions detail specific conflicts across America, Holland, Britain, Lebanon, and more, predicting a twelve‑year war that will leave only six million people in Iraq. Ultimately, the forces of good triumph, ushering a peaceful era marked by golden‑eyed beings, a great deluge that turns Earth into a sea, and a renewed, pleasant world.
4 The Fourth Destruction
Mandaeanism, emerging in first‑century Persia, reveres a non‑personified deity known as the Great Life, symbolized by living water. The faith rejects hierarchical structures and views earthly rulers—called Archons—as obstacles to spiritual ascent. While John the Baptist is respected as a practitioner of healing magic (a Nasurai), Jesus is considered a Nasurai who misled humanity by using “dead” water for baptism and imposing celibacy.
Our knowledge of Mandaean cosmology is fragmentary, drawn from the lost Haran Gauaita, which supposedly chronicled the entire world history from creation to apocalypse. Surviving excerpts reveal a prophetic timeline culminating in chaos among Arabs, the rise of a false Messiah, the return of the angel Anush Uthra from the World of Light, and a final cataclysm under the dominion of Amatit, daughter of Qin.
This apocalyptic episode is labeled the “fourth destruction,” occurring 480,000 years after Adam. Earlier destructions unfolded as follows: the first—sword and plague—ended Adam and Eve’s lineage 216,000 years after creation; the second—an era of Ram and Rud—lasted 156,000 years; the third—flood—wiped out the race of Shurbai and Sharhabi’il after 100,000 years. Humanity’s current epoch, according to the prophecy, lasts a mere 8,000 years, with its demise slated for the 791st year of the fish sign (Nuna), delivered by wind or air.
3 The End of White Yang
Once deemed a threat by the Chinese Communist Party, Yiguandao resurfaced in Taiwan during the 1980s and eventually gained legal status on the mainland. The religion blends Daoist and Buddhist concepts, organizing history into three Yang (or Sun) eras, each overseen by a Buddha. The first, the Blue Yang Era, spanned 1,886 years (3086‑1200 BCE) under Dipamkara Buddha. The second, the Red Yang Era, lasted 3,114 years (1200 BCE‑1912 CE) under Sakyamuni Buddha.
The current epoch, the White Yang Era, is projected to endure 10,800 years under Maitreya Buddha. According to Yiguandao, this era will conclude in the 127th century—specifically the year 12,712 CE—marking the end of humanity. This event will complete the ninth “mega‑month” of a 129,000‑year “mega‑year” allotted to the universe by the Supreme Goddess Wuji Laomu.
The Earth itself will persist longer, entering a tenth “mega‑month” of gradual decay before ultimately vanishing without a trace during the twelfth mega‑month, taking Heaven with it. Thus, Yiguandao forecasts a cosmic timeline that stretches far beyond human history, culminating in the quiet disappearance of all creation.
2 Return to Ilyuwn
The Nuwaubian Nation of Moors began in the 1970s‑80s as the Ansaaru Allah Community, a black‑separatist movement based in Brooklyn. Founded by Dr. Malachi (also known as Dwight York), the group rebranded in the 1990s with Afro‑futurist, extraterrestrial overtones. Their doctrine declares black people superior, claiming whites evolved from apes while blacks were created by alien beings. They also assert that ancient Egyptians, as well as prophets like Jesus, Buddha, and Muhammad, were dark‑skinned and wooly‑haired.
In 1993, Malachi established a purpose‑built compound called Tama‑Re in Georgia, featuring replicas of Egyptian pyramids, the Sphinx, and other monumental architecture. The community proclaimed itself a sovereign nation and began amassing firearms, preparing for an eschatological event.
According to Nuwaubian scripture, extraterrestrials will return to “pick up their children,” annihilating all Caucasians in the process. The alien fleet will then transport the Nuwaubians—up to 144,000 individuals—back to their home galaxy Ilyuwn, specifically to Dr. Malachi’s planet Rizq, provided the faithful increase their numbers to meet the quota.
1 Project Lucifer
The Pana‑Wave Laboratory, a Japanese sect known for its white‑clad members and convoy of white vans designed to deflect radiation, has issued a series of apocalyptic prophecies. They maintain that Earth originated 365 million years ago around a star named Veh‑erde, with extraterrestrials guiding humanity ever since, primarily through founder Yuko Chino.
Chino claimed that “communist guerrillas” were gradually assassinating her via gamma rays, microwaves, X‑rays, and other radiation. She also warned of an impending apocalypse: on May 15, 2003, an undiscovered tenth planet would swing close to Earth, flip its poles, and trigger massive earthquakes and tsunamis that could eradicate most of humanity. The group traveled across Japan seeking a safe haven, but the date passed without incident. They subsequently shifted the predicted date to May 22, 2003—again, no catastrophe occurred.
Undeterred, the Laboratory announced in July 2004 that cracks were forming on Japan’s sea floor, predicting that the nation would sink to the ocean’s bottom by spring 2005. Their response was to construct a spacecraft to escape Earth, though they failed to acquire the necessary steel‑titanium alloy. Instead, they devised Project Circle P—”pick‑up”—promising that UFOs would rescue them from forthcoming disasters.
The most alarming of their schemes, dubbed Project Lucifer, alleged that the U.S. government planned to transform Jupiter into a new sun by firing a plutonium‑filled probe at it. This act would pulverize Mars into an asteroid belt, allowing Jupiter’s unmediated gravity to drag Earth through it, killing 99 percent of the population. While this scenario has yet to unfold, Chino’s death in 2006 left the movement without further updates.