Yikes.  Man's inhumanity to man can be really  amazing.  

Have you  ever  personally  been terrorized, had a bad experience?  

We should probably remember that the Apocalypse isn't a period in future history, but more-or-less the name for a genre of literature.

Both Daniel and the Apocalypse of John are apocalypses. Sometimes Ezekiel is included too.

But in the Second Temple Period and early Christian era there were a lot of apocalypses, a couple even nearly made it into the Christian Canon.

The Apocalypse of Peter rivaled the popularity of the John's and in some cases was regarded as canonical when John's wasn't.

"We receive only the apocalypses of John and Peter, though some of us are not willing that the latter be read in church." - Muratorian Fragment

The Apocalypse of Paul, an late expansion on the Apocalypse of Peter.

There are two gnostic apocalypses, one of Peter and one of Paul with no relation to the aforementioned apocalypses.

The Shepherd of Hermas also, which was among the disputed books--for some it was scripture and for others not scripture; the Muratorian Fragment describes it as good to be read but not fit to be read publically in the churches since it was too late to be counted among the Prophets or among the Apostles.

The three books of Enoch, of which 1 Enoch (often just called the Book of Enoch) is the most widely known and also which enjoyed much popularity in antiquity (it is quoted verbatim by Jude in his epistle) and is to be found in the traditional Canons of the Ethiopian (Tawahedo) Church.

We also have an apocalypse of Abraham, of Adam, of Elijah, of Sedrach, the Apocalypse of Esdras, ad nauseum.

I would probably argue that a more appropriate term, instead of Apocalypse, to refer to "the End" is to say the Eschaton. Eschaton being the Greek for "last things" and which is the basis of the school of theology known as eschatology.

To that end, I don't believe the Eschaton to be a brutal, ugly or bad thing. I view it with hope, whereby God will make all things right, where real justice reigns and victims and their oppressors may be reconciled in love, peace and authentic mercy. I look forward to the future resurrection of the dead and the restoration of all things. I long for peace, I hope for the day when we have all forgotten war and violence and have turned our swords and spears into plowshares and pruning shears.

As far as a hopeful Apocalypse, this comes from the Apocalypse of Peter and has always fascinated me,

"And my Lord answered me and said to me: 'Hast thou understood that which I said unto thee before? It is permitted unto thee to know that concerning which thou askest: but thou must not tell that which thou hearest unto sinners lest they transgress the more, and sin.' ... 'My Father will give unto them all the life, the glory, and the kingdom that passeth not away,' ... 'It is because of them that have believed in me, that, at their word, I shall have pity on men.'"

In other words, at the request of the saints in heaven Jesus, who has been given all authority by God His Father, will give mercy and grace to all who suffer in Hell.

-Jon