Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dyshade Jeezus.... this thread is ancient..... |
Perhaps, ... I just saw it though :-)
(been away for a while)
So I'll answer the first question, "What do you people think happens after you die?":
I can only tell you about my personal beliefs (which are jewish):
After death you first go to Gehinnom.
After this there are a few options: (depending on your souls level of learning/readiness)
* You go back to earth to make repairs (Tikun)
* You go back to earth in a new life (Gilgul/Reincarnation)
* You go to Gan Eden (Olam Ha-Ba (heaven)/it is a place of spiritual perfection)(truely righteous souls may go here immediately, though those are very few as most of us need to go through learning processes).
About Gehinnom:
Only the very righteous go directly to Gan Eden.
The average soul descends to this place of punishment and/or purification.
Every sin we commit creates an angel of destruction (a demon), and after we die we are punished by/learn from the very demons that we created.
It is 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. Spiritual cleansing. This is not a permanent state/place.
About Gan Eden, the spiritual afterlife:
Your place in Gan Eden is determined by a "merit system" based on your actions, not by who you are or what religion you profess.
Judaism definitely believes that humanity is capable of being considered righteous in G'd's eyes, or at least good enough to merit paradise after a suitable period of purification.
The righteous of all nations have a share in Gan Eden.
When the Mashiach (Messiah) comes:
The resurrection of the dead will occur in the Messianic age, a time referred to in Hebrew as the Olam Ha-Ba, the World to Come. (some believe Olam Ha-Ba is Gan Eden, some believe it will be a completely new world on Earth and Gan Eden is only temporarily, I myself I'm not sure yet where I stand on this point)
When the Moshiach comes to initiate the perfect world of peace and prosperity, the righteous dead will be brought back to life and given the opportunity to experience the perfected world that their righteousness helped to create. The wicked dead will not be resurrected.
Olam Ha-Ba will be characterized by the peaceful co-existence of all people. (Isaiah 2:4) Hatred, intolerance and war will cease to exist. Some suggest that the laws of nature will change, so that predatory beasts will no longer seek prey and agriculture will bring forth supernatural abundance (Isaiah 11:6-11:9).
Before the time of the Moshiach, there shall be war and suffering (Ezekiel 38:16)
I'm not afraid of death.
Nothing ends, life (in death) is a continuing cycle.
(the ongoing process of tikkun olam, mending of the world and soul).
