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OUR EVERLASTING HOPE Life After Death in the Hebrew Scriptures
With so much turmoil in our world, these are days of great apocryphal speculation. One thing is certain—we live in a day in which one of our most important attributes is hope. For it is hope that serves as an excellent indicator of the way we view what happens after we die. For centuries the great hope of the Jewish people was the Messiah—a one-of-a-kind set apart individual who would bring redemption and peace to our world. He was the great hope of Israel for generation after generation. But the most common belief of today's Jewish community is that the Messiah is not a person, but a metaphor for an age of peace and harmony. Now, the great hope is for mankind to become more civilized, to make an ideal world in which to live. At the same time, belief in life after death no longer prevails in contemporary Jewish thought. In its place stands the notion that when we die physically, our inner soul ceases to exist. Beyond this life, then, only stands unending silence. No Messiah. No life after death. No eternal hope. The only hope that remains is in humanity to create heaven on earth. We might ask ourselves, why has there been such a dramatic shift in belief? And what do the Hebrew Scriptures actually say about eternity? The answers are, needless to say, very important to all of us. "A Vanishing Point"—The Hebrew Understanding of Eternity Olam is a Hebrew word usually translated as "everlasting" or "permanent." It is derived from a root meaning "something concealed" or a "vanishing point." Like a road that appears to get smaller and smaller as it approaches a vanishing point on the horizon, this word picture describes a chronological duration that extends indefinitely. And just as we know in our minds that a long highway continues even beyond that point on the horizon, eternity continues beyond time as we know it. In the Hebrew Scriptures olam is used to highlight the continuous existence of specific subjects:
Ancient Jewish Beliefs about Immortality In the Torah (the books of Moses) there is no direct mention of heaven or hell. But there are passages which present a portrait of man's immortality in ha olam haba, the World to Come:
The bottom line is this . . . Life After Death is a Traditional Jewish Belief Believing in an afterlife was originally a key part of the world view of Israel. But rejection of that tradition has become commonplace today. There is a new world view that characterizes much of the modern Jewish community—this present world is all that we can count on, so make it your heaven on earth. We might ask ourselves why is that so? Could it be that there is a connection between anticipating the coming of Messiah and our belief in the afterlife? With so many people rejecting the concept of the Messiah as a literal person, it is not surprising that there is also much rejection of a literal heaven. Yet we can know with great confidence that the Word of God is as valid today as it was when it was first written. The Hebrew Scriptures foretold the coming of a person who would fulfill God's plan for redeeming humanity. The Messiah was God's way for securing life everlasting for all who would believe in Him. And when He came two millennia ago, He gave us this incredible promise:
These promises are the fulfillment of the hope of Israel down through the ages—the Messiah who would bring paradise to humanity. "A Strong Cord"—The Hebrew Understanding of Hope When we think about hope, it describes a way in which we look forward from our present state to something good or better in the future. We need a future focus. Because without hope, our future dies. The Bible has various ways of looking to the future, such as the term vision. Prov 29:18 tells us, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Like eyes looking ahead on the highway, we can see where we are going and thus keep from "perishing." Hope is another term that is related to vision—it too is centered around the future. But unlike vision which derives its meaning from the eyes, in the Hebrew language hope is derived from the hands. Hope is tikvah, from a root meaning "to bind together like a cord." Imagine a long strong cord that you can grasp tightly and will pull you to a place of safety. That is the word picture for hope in the Hebrew culture. What is the hope that we are promised? We have been given a cord that has been bound together and stretches back in one direction to eternity past. It is tied to a real personal Messiah who secured for us our place in heaven by giving His life as atonement for our sins here on earth. And this cord stretches in the other direction to eternity future, where it is tied to this same Messiah who will return again. In that day, He will receive everyone who believes in Him and is alive to meet Him, plus every believer whose life has ended and will be resurrected. All He has to do is to pull on this symbolic cord and pull us in. We can hold on tight and know that our hope is secure. This cord connects to the Father Himself. In John 14:6, we are given these familiar words by Yeshua:
It is important for us to realize that Yeshua has made it clear that He alone is the way to the Father. Because no one else is like Him. He alone is one with the Father. He alone is the hope of Israel. There is no other cord that we can grasp that will reach into heaven and to our Heavenly Father. So when you think of hope in its biblical context, you have this beautiful word picture of olam – "a vanishing point" and tikvah – "a strong cord." Put them together and you have tikvah olam – our "everlasting hope." It is a strong cord tied to you that stretches off past the horizon, and leads us to the Father Himself. The biblical model of hope is one in which our eyes remain fixed on the Lord and expecting His imminent return, yet keeping our hands busy working to aid and comfort all people as He has commanded us. We must recognize one very important point – this world will never become heaven on earth. Ultimately, our hope rests in the one who came and dwelled among humanity, then ascended on high nearly two millennia ago, and will one day soon return to receive His redeemed ones. As it is recorded in Titus 2:13, we are "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Yeshua haMashiach. . . " Meanwhile, as shown in the next verse, our obligation is to be actively working for His kingdom:
Both an upward look and an outward reach are essential for our hope to be genuine and able to give us purpose in life. The ultimate reward for such a hope is eternal life. It is not just our eternal future where hope applies. We need a "strong cord" to get us through the trials of the day. Sooner or later, hope will be very important to you, if it isn't already. Whether some kind of incident with major global implications occurs in our lifetimes, we can't be certain. But there are always things with major personal implications right around the corner. You may face a major health crisis. Someone you love may tell you it's over or do something foolish. You may lose your job or your home. The question is – what will you do when that day comes? Based on the word picture of tikvah, the answer is three simple words: "Hold on tight."
How easy it is to lose track of what is really important. It's like the story of a mother, yes a Jewish mother, who was pushing her baby stroller along the sidewalk. She came upon a neighbor who said how beautiful her baby was. And the mother boasted, "That's nothing, you should see his pictures." You see, we already have the genuine article – the Messiah. We don't have to go looking anywhere else. He is so beautiful. He is so strong when we need Him. Never hesitate to cry out to Yeshua. For He is our Rock, He is our ultimate hope. Grab on to Him and hold on, day by day. He will never let you go. And ultimately He will draw you to His eternal presence. In the meantime, we have been promised one final everlasting trait: Simchat olam – Everlasting joy The prophet Isaiah said it well:
Everlasting joy comes from having a hope in something that is very real. Unlike reality TV or the rumors that spread around our world, we have been given something that stands the test of time and becomes part of who we are. We have an everlasting hope in His return, an everlasting life in His atonement, and an everlasting joy in His many blessings. What more could a person hope for?
Dr. Galen Peterson |