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Olam Ha-Ba, The Afterlife And What They Mean For God’s People

Olam Ha-Ba, The Afterlife And What They Mean For God’s People

Last updated on: September 17, 2023 at 6:21 pm by Martin Thomas Johnson

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Olam Ha-Ba, The Afterlife And What They Mean For God’s People 2023-09-17T18:21:02-04:00 Martin Thomas Johnson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It seems like every day the world is getting crazier, although it has been fading for decades. I remember growing up in the 80s and early 90s and hearing about the scientific fears of how the earth will be destroyed.

Pollution

Image by Pixabay.

From a nuclear war destroying everything and civilization living in an apocalypse to climate change and the destruction of the Earth’s ozone scared everyone. Who can’t forget the recycling craze of the late 80s and early 90s?

Everyone has been trying to save the earth most of my life. But over the last month, man’s efforts have been in vain as the world continues to self-destruct.

Wildfires
Earthquakes
Floods
Monster hurricanes

While things may seem bad for most people, from a spiritual viewpoint these occurrences are good. God’s people have known this world is temporary and it isn’t our permanent home. This world will end to make room for the world to come.

The End

Christianity has prepared God’s people for the end of the world since Jesus first called His disciples and gave them the Great Commission (Matthew 4:18-22; 28:16-20).

Jesus warned His followers about how things would be in the last days and how God’s people would be deceived by false teachers (Matthew 24:24-26). The disciples believed Jesus was the promised Messiah who would usher in the kingdom of God.

Jesus

Image by Pixabay.

Like our Jewish stepfathers, they didn’t understand the ways of God and how His kingdom works. Jesus Himself didn’t know when everything ends and He told a parable to warn His disciples to be ready (Matthew 25:1-13).

Still, they wanted signs about the end of the world. Their questions came from their Jewish teachings about the world to come.

Olam Ha-Ba

Judaism believes in the afterlife, Olam Ha-Ba, or the world to come*.* Judaism teaches that death isn’t the end of human existence. However, the focus is more on the here and now and less on the afterlife; because this life is preparation for the afterlife.

The Pharisees and the Sadducees disagreed about the afterlife and where we would spend eternity. However, they both agreed about the signs of the end of this world that must take place. It would be a time of darkness before the dawn with unimaginable suffering.

The Melekh Mashiach (Messiah) comes.
The resurrection of the dead.
Natural disasters
Earthly battles and the Great War.
The final judgment.

The Wold to come

Image by Pixabay.

Jesus warned against looking for signs of the end because He wanted us to be prepared unlike the Pharisees (Matthew 16:4). The Apostle Paul warned the early church many believers would fall away from the faith and their hearts would grow cold to the things of God (2 Timothy 3:1-9)

But, like our Jewish stepfathers, Paul said true believers will be resurrected and raptured before this world finally burns up (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)!

Burning Up

Although this past summer was the hottest one on record, I still cringe when I hear people say, “It is hot as hell.” In the Torah God promised His people He wouldn’t destroy the world by another flood (Genesis 9:11).

However, Judaism does teach that this world will be burnt up like a refiner’s fire (Isaiah 51:6, Malachi 4:1). The Apostles also warned the early church that the earth and the heavens will be burnt up by fire (2 Peter 3:7, Revelation 21:1).

Heaven

Image by Pixabay.

Climate change is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy, not mankind’s stupidity. This world will end to make room for the world to come after judgment. Then we will spend eternity in one of two places.

Heaven
Hell

We will all live forever after this world ends. The lost and the saved will be judged alike (Acts 10:42, 1 Peter 4:5,) this world is a testing ground and preparation for Olam ha-Ba!

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