Have You Ever Wondered—

Is There Life After Death?

UNDOUBTEDLY the saddest experience in anyone’s life is his attending the funeral of a loved one. A father, a mother, a husband, a wife or a child​—the nearer the relationship the greater the feeling of loss and emptiness.

During a grievous time like that the questions are often asked: “Is there life after death?” or, “Will I meet my loved one again?”

WHAT IS DEATH?

Perhaps it would be easier to consider life first. What is it? Life is existence. We can see, hear, talk and move. We can feel warmth or cold. We can be happy or sad. Yes, with life we are able to experience the full spectrum of emotions or feelings.

Now death is the direct opposite of life. One cannot see, hear, talk or move. One cannot feel warmth or cold, be happy or sad. It is unconsciousness, nonexistence.

But someone may ask . . .

DOESN’T THE SOUL KEEP ON LIVING?

By checking the oldest human language, the Hebrew found in the Bible, we can find the word that today is rendered in English as “soul.” It is interesting to know that this word, “neʹphesh,” does not refer to something that is separate or separable from the body. Rather, its use shows that it refers to the creature itself, whether human or animal. (Gen. 2:7; Num. 31:28) Literally it means “a breather.” If the creature stops breathing it dies, that is, the soul dies.​—Ezek. 18:4, 20.

For people saddened by the death of a loved one, this can be a difficult thing to believe. As a result, a vast number of beliefs and customs have developed that are not in harmony with the facts about death.

WHERE DID THE TEACHING OF LIFE AFTER DEATH ORIGINATE?

We must go back some 6,000 years to when life began for the first human couple. Adam and Eve had a beautiful environment in which to enjoy perfect human life. But the right to continue to live was dependent on obedience. “As for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.” (Gen. 2:17) These are the words of the Creator of man, Jehovah God. Plainly the opposite of life would be death.

But sometime later another voice was heard claiming: “You positively will not die.” (Gen. 3:4) That was a lie, but regrettably Eve heeded the voice that said ‘You will not die,’ and ate from the forbidden tree. At her instance Adam also ate. As a result, they were expelled from their paradise home and all their children were born under the curse of sin and death. (Rom. 5:12) The expounder of the lie became known as Satan the Devil.

It soon became obvious that humans do die. Now what? Under Satan’s influence, there developed the teaching of immortality of an invisible human soul, and this has been handed down from one generation to the next.

HOW ARE THESE TEACHINGS KEPT ALIVE?

By religious traditions. People saddened by the death of a loved one are told that such a one is alive in the spirit world. They have been taught that bad persons who die go to a place of torment in hell; good ones, to bliss in heaven. Some religions teach a halfway place called purgatory. Religious teachers call on the people to pay for Masses, prayers and other forms of intercession to guarantee that the deceased will eventually get to heaven or nirvana.

Days are set aside for special activity. There is “All Saints’ Day” around November 1. In Japan it is called “Obon”; this comes in the middle of August, or in the middle of July in some areas. Buddhist temples keep records of the anniversaries of the death of those in families belonging to the temple. These are called on by the priests to offer prayers at the family altars.

If there is a misfortune, then pressure is brought to bear by the priest’s saying that it is because the deceased ancestors have been neglected and not worshiped as they should have been. Thus, the falsehood that the soul does not die is kept alive by compulsion and obligation.

WHAT IS THE HOPE FOR THE DEAD?

Prayers? Chanting? Candles? Or incense offered to the dead? No, it is the promise of Jehovah God to resurrect the dead through his Son, Jesus Christ. By means of his sacrificial death, Jesus Christ has provided the basis to wipe out the sin and death inherited from Adam. So the dead can be expected to be restored to life here on the earth, just as Jesus demonstrated when he was a man.​—John 5:28, 29; 11:23, 39-44.

WHAT IS THE RESURRECTION?

It means that God re-creates the same person, with the same personality. He will bring a new body forth from the earthly elements, and in that body he will place the same characteristics, the same distinctive qualities, the same memory, the same life pattern that the person had built up until the time of his death. Is it really possible?

Can you remember some of the people with whom you went to school, even though it was 10, 15 or 20 years ago? Even with imperfect memories we can recall certain former associates.

Surely, then, God, the Originator of memory, can re-create men whom he has kept in his memory because he loves them. In God’s due time he will bring the dead to life again, just as he created the first man. Only, in the resurrection he will do it many times over.​—Acts 24:15.

Yes, there is life after death​—by means of the resurrection! Do you want to be on hand to welcome back those close to you? Then study the Bible to learn what God requires of you to share in that privilege. Jehovah’s Witnesses will be glad to assist you.