Jews, Eschatology, and Contemporary Visions of a World Order

Like a modern dream of building the Tower of Babel, it is assumed that Jewish eschatological teachings hold a messianic promise of a globalized culture in an ideal world order. To understand the Jewish conception of the contemporary world order, this article deconstructs the concept of eschatology and offers three different meanings of the term: an ultimate end of days and absolute destruction of this world and human history; a radical transformation within history out of which a new world order will emerge; and, a point of transformation in history in which the Hebraic image of a peaceful compact of nations once again emerges. It concludes that although Jewish eschatology is subject to apocalyptic scenarios with respect to the end of days and utopian visions about the emergence of a new world order, increasingly Jews, especially Jewish intellectuals, are moving away from that position to embrace a more pragmatic view.