What do Jews beleive?

[Wadif I.M. Rong]

Does anyone know what modern Orthodox Jews believe regarding what happens to a person after this life?  Is it the same as first century beleifs?

[jabcat]

Interesting question.  From the little I've seen, a large group of Jews believe that the "righteous dead" will be resurrected to be reunited with their loved ones.  ("Righteous" by being a "quality" person, doing good things - and for a Jew, faithfully practicing their religion).    The "evil" ones are not resurrected, are "cut off", which sounds like ED/annihilation to me.  Many/most look to the next age, the so-called "Messianic Age", when they believe their messiah will finally appear and re-create a perfect/paradise existence.  Several interesting things there to me, including that the Messiah who came and died on the cross, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach, yet was rejected by His own, actually will be the same One finally recognized as Savior and Master when every knee bows (Rm. 14:11) and "all Israel is saved" (Rm. 11:26).  So their belief about a "Messianic Age" seems to have some very interesting parallels to UR's "next ages"/God becoming All in All (1 Cor. 15:20-28).  It's just that it's the same One they missed the first time.   :2c:


More information here  http://www.jewfaq.org/olamhaba.htm, including  "Only the very righteous go directly to Gan Eden. The average person descends to a place of punishment and/or purification, generally referred to as Gehinnom (guh-hee-NOHM) (in Yiddish, Gehenna), but sometimes as She'ol or by other names. According to one mystical view, every sin we commit creates an angel of destruction (a demon), and after we die we are punished by the very demons that we created. Some views see Gehinnom as one of severe punishment, a bit like the Christian Hell of fire and brimstone. Other sources merely see it as a time when we can see the actions of our lives objectively, see the harm that we have done and the opportunities we missed, and experience remorse for our actions. The period of time in Gehinnom does not exceed 12 months, and then ascends to take his place on Olam Ha-Ba.

Only the utterly wicked do not ascend at the end of this period; their souls are punished for the entire 12 months. Sources differ on what happens at the end of those 12 months: some say that the wicked soul is utterly destroyed and ceases to exist while others say that the soul continues to exist in a state of consciousness of remorse.

This 12-month limit is repeated in many places in the Talmud, and it is connected to the mourning cycles and the recitation of Kaddish."

[Cardinal]

According to one mystical view, every sin we commit creates an angel of destruction (a demon), and after we die we are punished by the very demons that we created.

:cloud9: I find this fascinating, and confirmation of something. I had a friend who was attacked by a demon in the very beginning of my walk. I saw it. It's what led me to the Lord, in a hurry! Anyway, once she was established and walking with Him, she asked Him one day where the demon came from. He told her SHE had created it out of the hate and murder in her own heart.

Her ex-husband had beat her throughout their marriage, held a gun to her head one night in front of her then 7 year old daughter, ect., so she had a lot built up.

The soul is a womb that reproduces whatever seed is planted in it, and by the fruit of our own lips we are judged.. My  :2c: Blessings...

[anti_nietzsche]

It's a fascinating question.

I always think, if we take the conservative christian view with hell for unbelievers, then the Jews who got murdered in world war 2 get the stick shift for nothing but not being christians, and Hitler, who was nominally christian, would go to Heaven. Unbelievable, right? Well it's what it comes down to if you follow the hellfire christianity.

[Wadif I.M. Rong]

Thank you for the very interesting replys.

I heard a messianic teacher who used The teachings of Rabbis who lived near the time of Christ. He found similar content in a similar style. They did shed additional light to the meanings in the Jewish mind of our Master.

Was wondering if Jewish teachings or beliefs of his time might illuminate his words, or possibly help eliminate wrong ideas which have been super-imposed on his words. (Relating to eternal life etc).

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: There's a thread on here about Hebrew idioms which sheds a lot of light on various things. Check it out...

[rosered]

 
   I personally do not think    the  days of our flesh    , count for much at all      , this time is just so very brief  and fleeting

   We hold the concept of 1000  years  as a long time in human terms  but  no one ever lives that long  these days   in their flesh   , but in the Spirit  how can one  even begin to grasp that ? 

  And to God a 1000  years is only'' ONE DAY''   so us human beings are here for less  than a nano second !!!!  :eek:

  Why do we think like this still  after reading Gods word and still not  understand    things of the Spirit  that have no beginning or end ?

  I believe alot of folks love playing the blame game     , many wars start by   thinking they are right   and everyone against them are wrong , and we got  1000's of  different    religious beliefs     because of that very thing   

   But what helped me to see how very silly  our carnal minds can be  is to blame the other guy for all the wrong doing !!

  JESUS laid His life down willingly    only to take it back up again  , NO ONE TOOK HIS LIFE   , HE DID THIS  FOR US !!    EVERY LAST ONE , BEFORE AND SINCE AND TO COME STILL ...     

TO SHOW THE POWER OF GOD  TO RAISE UP LIFE FROM THE DEAD     ....

he showed us the temporary realm of being human and suffering   from one another's ways of doing things  instead of obedience   to Gods  way
    and is simple respect  and loving concern , brotherly love       ,   treat one as you would like to  be treated  , just decent ,  that is not to much to ask  is it ?

Abuse of power is  added to the   corruption in my opinion ,,,

[sheila]

  :thumbsup: Rose....the creature was subjected to vanity.......

     :thumbsup: Bex to  seed of the wicked one using our flesh to bring forth it's wicked/fruits/works.  The parable of the wheat and tares

    I believe confirms this...the field our earth..the enemy sowing his seed in the night[darkness]  the good/evil mix that man is in the

  flesh[it is no longer I but the sin that dwells in me]  can two walk togather without agreement? agreeing in our heart with the wicked

  one.....it is what comes out of the heart that defiles.  ever notice that how when someone is asleep it is easy to make them agree with you?

    we must stay awake!!!!

   bind the tares for burning..whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven.....tares.  whatever you loose[set free the oppressed]

on earth is loosed in heaven.

[sheila]

Isaaih 28;18  your covenant with death will be annulled..your agreement with hell will not stand.