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Hi. I just had a few questions, if someone could point me in the right direction that would be great. I have family members that are Seventh Day Adventist. I have been a Christian for over 10 years. When they converted to Adventisim they came to us with a lot of questions about why I do what I do and how I am wrong for it. I began to read up on Adventism and their beliefs. This made me more intrested in my Our Christian Jewish roots. Anyway, I was wondering what the Jewish belief was on life after death, particularly what happens to us. And on the Gentiles, which I guess is what I would be on keeping the Sabbath. I mean, if I don't go to church on Saturday am I going to recieve the mark of the beast, as Adventist believe? If someone could help with this I would really appreciate it. Thank you and God bless.

Hi samanthagam,

Judaism is a religion of today and now. It concerns itself with this life more then the afterlife. Because of this, the views concerning what happens after people die are varied. Some believe there is no life after death. Others believe that Jewish people automatically go to heaven (unless you have been a particularly sinful Jew), and righteous Gentiles go to heaven. Another belief is that Jewish people go to a place where they are taught and punished for a maximum of one year, then go to heaven unless a person has been extremely sinful. These cease to exist after the one year. During Jesus time, some in Judaism did believe in an eternal punishment and/or eternal reward.

On the Sabbath, Judaism does not teach that Gentiles are obligated to the Sabbath law. These laws were given to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai. (According to the Mosaic law, only those Gentiles who lived in Israel were commanded not to work).

One confusion about the sabbath I have found is the connection some try to make with church attendance. The law of the Sabbath was a Sabbath rest, ceasing from work. Religious services were not a requirement of the Sabbath. In Judaism,  synagogues have a prayer service seven days a week, not on just one day. Observant Jews can perform the prayers at the synagogue or at home. So even with the Mosaic law, failure to attend services on the Sabbath did not carry any  penalty. In Judaism gathering together on the Sabbath is considered a 'good deed'/mitzvah. No where in scripture is it stated anyone would receive the mark of the beast for not attending church service on Saturday.        

In the New Testament, Christians gathered 7 days a week. The New Testament encourages us to gather 'do not forsake the assembly of the brethren', but does not specify a single day to gather. There are NT examples of Christians gathering on the Sabbath and on the Lord's day (Sunday). Gathering for worship can occur anyday.  

It is right to get together with other believers to worship, but a person does not lose their salvation for failing to gather on Saturday. I find my bigger concern is the view of salvation and Jesus death on the cross. Our salvation is not so easily lost because our salvation is not based on our works but on Who we have placed our faith.

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
  

Jewish faith believes from sundown friday to sundown Saturday is the Sabbath
Most Christians have Sunday as the Sabbath

Jesus said the man wasn't made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for the man

Others believe that everyday is the Lord's day.
Whether you celebrate the Lord's day on monday,Saturday or Sunday isn't of any consequence as long as  a day of rest is set aside dedicated to God.
Their is no set day that is the sabbath in scripture except that on the 7th day the Lord rested..tradition of the Hebrews is as above or the Gentiles Sunday but NO ONE Jew or Gentile knows what day the 7th day was after all a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day in the eyes of the Lord.

Hope this helps  

I looked into the subject of soul sleep and I assure you that it's not biblical. I shared the following on another forum and I hope you'll find it helpful.

Soul sleep refers to the idea that when we die, our souls cease to exist or at least "fall asleep" and become totally inert, until the resurrection.

However, in Matthew 17:1-5 NKJV, we read:

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

Now, this was kind of difficult for Moses to do if he was "dead" in his grave, still waiting to come to life again through Christ Jesus, don't you think? Moses died; yet, he showed up at the Mount of Transfiguration. Was he not sleeping? Some may argue that God had resurrected Moses, however, the scriptures tell us that Jesus is the first to have been raised from death – never to die again. All others before him who had been broth back to life died. Thus, Moses showed up with Elijah while he had not yet been resurrected. That in itself proves that the doctrine of soul sleep is false.

Still not convince? Not a problem… The scriptures are rich.

Revelation 6:9-10 NKJV
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

The bible is saying that martyrs go to heaven before the judgment. Note that this takes place before the resurrection, before the end of the world, before the judgment, while life is going on as usual on the earth. Also, the martyrs, despite being "dead", have their own memories, and remember that they have been martyred. So to say that these martyrs "know nothing" (Ecclesiastes 9:5) in the sense of being unconscious, or something like that, would be incorrect. As a matter of fact, Ecclesiastes is simply a book of Hebrew poetry and should not be taken literally. It’s also simply a book of mans lamentations. Some who take this book literally have wondered from the faith and have come to believe that God (The Son) was created.

Moving on…

2 Corinthians 5:8 (New King James Version)
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

In other words, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Now, you would have to admit that those who have passed on are at home with the Lord, and what’s more, that they haven’t simply vanished into nothingness. Thus the word "sleep" in this context is intended to apply to our physical bodies.

Paul also said in Philippians 1:21-23, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;

If Paul died he would "depart." Where would he go? He says he would go to be with Christ. Where is Christ? In heaven. Was Paul only speaking of the resurrection at which time he would be with Christ? No, because there will be no departing to be with Christ at the resurrection.

Revelation 13:6 NKJV
Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.

So those who have fallen asleep (meaning their bodies) are dwelling in heaven, at home with the Lord. Present and completely aware of their surroundings!

Hi Samantha,

I’m new to the forum, so I’ve been hesitant to jump in and answer questions, but since you are still waiting…

The first thing you need to do is to delineate between Biblical Judaism and rabbinic Judaism.  Most Jews, those who believe anything, are followers of the teachings of the rabbis as equal to or even superceding the teachings of the Bible.  Generally speaking, Jews who follow rabbinic Judaism don’t believe in hell and don’t believe in a literal physical heaven.  Salvation, in a rabbinic Jewish sense, is a physical, earthly idea, salvation from an oppressive government, for example.  They believe that good people - both Jews and righteous Gentiles- will be rewarded eternally somehow, that is G-d’s responsibility to determine, and we don’t need to give it much thought.  

Biblical Judaism doesn’t necessarily dispute all rabbinic teachings, but only accepts rabbinic teaching as it agrees with the text of the Bible.  Messianic Jews, of course, include the text of the New Testament (or New Covenant) as an equal part of the Bible.  What we all need to do is study the Bible alone, with prayer for wisdom and understanding, and follow the teachings of G-d above all others.  

The Tanach (what is called the Jewish Bible or the Old Testament) includes references to both an eternal heaven and an eternal punishment.   Daniel 12:2, for example, says,   "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt."  

Other scripture to support a literal heaven is:  Psalm 23:6; Psalm 61:4; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation chapter 21

Other scripture to support a literal hell is :  Isaiah 66:24; Isaiah 33:14; Psalm 73:78; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Matthew 18:8-9; Revelation 14:10-11

As for the Sabbath day, certainly it would be the sixth day of the week, the sixth day from whatever day is your first day of the week.  On the Gregorian calendar that we use, Sunday is the first day, so Saturday would be Sabbath.  We get this from Genesis 2:2.  Notice in the verses preceding how G-d describes each day, “The evening and the morning were the first day… the evening and the morning were the second day… “ and so on.  This is why we believe that the evening comes before the morning when reckoning a day.  Thus, the seventh day would be, for us, Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.  

Sabbath is not primarily a day to worship.  That should be done every day.  Nor is it necessary to meet together, though there is no restriction on this.  Sabbath is primarily a day set apart for rest, allowing for leisurely worship.  A time when putting off worldly concerns allows us to concentrate more fully on G-d and leisurely study His Word.  That is a separate thing from meeting together.

Worshipping on Sunday is not a sign of anti-christ.  No where in the Bible do we see this.  It is proper and good to worship G-d any day, any time.  The reason that many churches meet together on Sunday is not because it is Sabbath (it isn’t).  It’s because the early believers met together on the first day of the week to encourage one another, teach, fellowship and to share monetary offerings  (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2) and because Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week (Mark 16:9), so it is natural to celebrate that day.  This is a different thing from Sabbath.  Sabbath has to do with our relationship with G-d, while Sunday worship, sometimes called “The L-rd’s Day” has to do with our relationship with other people-  encouraging and providing for one another.  

Revelation 14:9 is clear that those who will receive the mark of the beast are those that worship the beast.  If you have been a Christian for over ten years, then you have already been sealed with G-d’s mark, the Holy Spirit of promise, which is your down payment, your assurance that you will never be lost.  

“And you also were included in Messiah (Christ- same word, different language) when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are G-d's possession--to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14

I hope this helps.

Kathy

To the four of you who replyed to my questions, your answers were very helpful and I am so grateful. Not only am I thankful that you all replied, but that you replied using scripture and with a seemingly unjudgemental response,which is what I have dealt with in the past. Thank you all so much and God Bless.