Life After Death in the Bible (9 February, 2014, 9 Adar-1, 5774). Adapted from the Hebrew-Language version of "Rejoice O Youth" by Rabbi Avigdor Miller
Scripture refers to Life after Death as Something that is self-evident. It is a place we go to when we die to receive reward or to be punished and to join our forefathers. The Bible also speaks of a Resurrection of the Dead in the future.
Duration: 15.07 minutes. To Read Text Please Scroll Down!
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. The Expression "Gathered to his People" Refers to the Soul in the Next World!
3. Reward is to be Received in a Life After Death!
4. The Existence of the Personality in Life After Death.
5. The Widespread Belief in Life After Dearth in Biblical Times.
6. Resurrection of the Dead.
7. Why is Life After Death Not Mentioned in Scripture More Expressly?
====
====
1. Introduction
Life After Death is recalled numerous times in Scripture. We however are concerned primarily with matters about the Lost Ten Tribes and their present-day Whereabouts.
Here and there we also discuss Bible Studies in general.
One of the principle of the Bible concerns Life After Death.
Recently we came across a source that made some valid points on this subject and we thought it worthwhile to repeat them.
This is not something we would like to dwell upon overduly.
Those who are interested in more details (beyond what is written below) on this matter should not come to us.
====
====
2. The Expression "Gathered to his People" Refers to the Soul in the Next World!
Genesis 25:
8 Then Abraham expired and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre...
It says that Abraham in his death, "was gathered to his people".
It does not mean that he was buried together with his ancestors. None of them had been buried in the Cave of Machpelah.
The intention is to Life After Death.
Upon dying, his soul joined his forefathers.
====
====
So too, concerning Ishmael it says,
Genesis 25:17 ...and he expired and died, and was gathered unto his people.
The intention must be only to Life After Death, when his soul joined the rest of his people.
It cannot mean the place of his burial for Ishmael was not buried in the Cave of Machpelah where his father was.
====
====
Jacob died in Egypt.
Genesis 49:
33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed and expired, and was gathered unto his people.
The expression "was gathered unto his people" describes what happened immediately after his death.
It cannot mean burial since he was only buried some months later,
Genesis 50:
13 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession as a burying place from Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
====
====
Concerning Aharon it says,
Numbers 20:
24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah.
Aharon was buried ALONE! He was not buried with his people. His soul however joined the souls of his forefathers in Life After Death.
====
====
Of Moses, it says,
Numbers 27:
13 ...thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.
Moses too, was buried ALONE! The only meaning that the expression can have is that his soul, not his body, was gathered unto his forefather in Life After Death.
====
====
3. Reward is to be Received in a Life After Death!
Bilaam said:
Numbers 23:
10 ... Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
These words make no sense unless they are understood to mean that for a righteous life one receives a happy reward in Life After Death.
====
====
4. The Existence of the Personality in Life After Death.
The spirit of Samuel was brought up AFTER HIS DEATH! (1-Samuel 28). This clearly shows that the soul continues to exist after the body dies.
====
====
David said concerning his dead son:
2-Samuel 12:
23 But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
David comforted himself that he would go to meet his son in Life After Death.
====
====
Ecclesiastes 12:
7 then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Here it says expressly that the soul has an existence emanating from God who gave it.
====
====
Joshua the Chief Priest was promised in a vision that if he would be righteous, his soul would exist forever like that of the angles.
Zechariah 3:
7 Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: 'If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My ordinance, then thou shalt also judge My house, and shalt also keep My courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these who stand by.
The verse refers to the angles who stand by God. Joshua was promised to be like them if he would act as required.
====
====
5. The Widespread Belief in Life After Death in Biblical Times.
It is clear that the soul continuing to exist after death was an accepted principle.
There is a prohibition against seeking the dead (Deuteronomy 18), and other commandments of like nature:
Leviticus 19:
31 Regard not those who have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 20:
6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits and after wizards to go a whoring after them, I will even set My face against that soul and will cut him off from among his people.
Leviticus 20:
27 A man also or woman who hath a familiar spirit, or who is a wizard, shall surely be put to death. They shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
Deuteronomy 18:
10 There shall not be found among you any one who maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or who useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
A necromancer is someone who communicates with the dead.
This was forbidden.
The need for these prohibitions and the trouble taken to enforce them shows that believe in life of the soul after death was widely spread, [even if it was abused and misunderstood.]
====
====
6. Resurrection of the Dead
The Resurrection of the Dead is also recalled:
Deuteronomy 32:
39 See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god besides Me. I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; neither is there any that can deliver out of My hand.
In the same way as a wound may be healed so too life can be returned to those who have died.
Isaiah 26:
19 Thy dead men shall live; together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
Daniel 12:
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Daniel 12:
13 But go thou thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
====
====
7. Why is Life After Death Not Mentioned in Scripture More Expressly?
Rabbi Avigdor Miller answers:
One reason is that the Torah is a proof for all generations.
In Scripture we find promises to our forefathers. We also finds threats of punishmentif we sin.
Future generations can see how these Prophecies were fulfilled..
This proves the truth of the Torah.
Impostors who have sought to inculcate our people with false doctrines are exposed as liars.
Their claims to Prophecy are disproved by history.
There is however one field of assertion in which we cannot discount their postulations:
In the area of Life After Death we cannot prove them wrong through empirical evidence.
Enemies of the Torah can promise their adherents a great reward in the After-Life.
They can also threaten their rivals with the greatest of torments in the Next World.
In this life we are unable to refute such protestations.
The Torah therefore does not attempt to compete with them by making promises that cannot be verified by mortal man.
Rewards and Punishment predicated by the Torah were to be seen and experienced in THIS WORLD!
Another reason is that the Almighty so wanted it that Reward and Punishment in Life After Death should be strongly implied but not emphasized in the Written Text.
More Details and Explanation were to be left to the Oral Law as further proof of its intrinsic necessity.
See Also:
Reward in the Next World is the Main Thing!
http://www.britam.org/Proverbs/Proverbs8.html#4