Hebrew Bible Afterlife Essay

The topic of the afterlife can produce a lot of confusion in the Hebrew bible about the meaning of Sheol and who goes there due to the way it has been translated in the English Bibles. As well as the topic of the afterlife can be confusing it can also be a very sensitive topic to debate among people due to different beliefs and it being the fact that it is a major part of every religion. In the Merriam-Webster dictionary the Hebrew word Sheol is defined as “the abode of the dead in early Hebrew Thought”, throughout the Hebrew Bible the word Sheol is mentioned sixty-five times and is referred to as “the pit”, “the grave” and “hell”. Another word that is used that is similar to Sheol is the Hebrew word “Hades” which is also defined in the Merriam-Webster
Although it is not well defined in the Tanakh, the Sheol in this view was an unreachable underworld where the souls of the dead went after the body could no longer sustain life. The Babylonians had a similar view of the underworld as they called it Aralu, as well as the Greeks who had one known as Hades. According to a majority of Jewish sources, the period of punishment or purification is limited to only twelve months except every sabbath which is excluded from the punishment, after this the soul will either ascend to Olam Ha-Ba or will be destroyed if it is severely wicked. This place of spiritual purification and punishment for the wicked in Judaism is not referred to as hell that most people are familiar with but is referred to either as Gehinnom or Sheol. These inhabitants of Sheol are known as the “shades” and under some circumstances they are thought to be able to be contacted by the living which has only happened under one occasion when the Witch of Endor contacted the shade of Samuel for Saul but such practices are forbidden as it is written in Deuteronomy 18:10. While the Hebrew Bible appears to describe the Sheol as the permanent place for the dead, in the Second Temple period there is a more diverse set of beliefs developed, and in some texts the
Biblical scholars believe that The Lake of Fire might be referred to as the future, or final, Hell because it is where all of the wicked from all ages will finally end up. Hell, or the Lake of Fire is a place of never ending fire that was created by God as a place of punishment for Satan and his angels that followed him and betrayed them by rebellion against God. Because, it is referred to as the place of “outer darkness”, Biblical Scholars also believe that it is most probably located at the farthest reaches of the creation. Even though Hell was created for Satan the nonbelievers of humanity from all ages will go with them to this place of evil where “there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth”. Therefore, Biblical scholars believe that while there is no one in the Lake of Fire at this time, it will one day hold many. The first to go to this place of righteous retribution will be the Antichrist and the False Prophet. Also Joining them will be all of the unsaved of the nations who survive the Tribulation. And lastly, the unsaved dead of all ages will be judged at the throne by Jesus Christ and then sent into the Lake of Fire. Satan, the fallen angels, and all of the lost mankind