Zoroastrian eschatology

Zoroastrianism eschatology is the oldest eschatology in recorded history. By 500 BC, Zoroastrians had fully developed a concept of the end of the world through a divine devouring in fire.

According to Zoroastrian philosophy, redacted in the Zand-i Vohuman Yasht, "at the end of thy tenth hundredth winter [...] the sun is more unseen and more spotted; the year, month, and day are shorter; and the earth is more barren; and the crop will not yield the seed; and men [...] become more deceitful and more given to vile practices. They have no gratitude."

"Honorable wealth will all proceed to those of perverted faith [...] and a dark cloud makes the whole sky night [...] and it will rain more noxious creatures than winter."

Saoshyant, the Man of Peace, battles the forces of evil. A resurrection will then occur, and the righteous will live in peace for eternity while evil will be condemned to an eternal existence within molten metal. The righteous will, "wade through the metal as if warm milk," while the evil are scalded.

At the end of the Battle between the righteous and wicked, a Final Judgement of all souls will commence. Sinners will be punished for three days, but are then forgiven. The world will reach perfection as poverty, old age, disease, thirst, hunger and death are halted. The punishment on sinners will be more similar to the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory than the doctrine of Hell as found in Christian and Muslim traditions.