Just as the promise of a coming prophet like unto Moses is set aside by the Torah itself, so also is the expectation of an apocalyptic final judgment ruled out by its testimony.
Hope dashed, but fear allayed.
Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.
-- Genesis 8:20ff.
Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be
cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood
to destroy the earth.
And God said: This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: ...
the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
-- Genesis 9:11ff.
