Beliefs about the Afterlife (ii)

Of Moses, who lived in Egypt in primitive times, the record is -

"And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds." (Acts 7: 22)

Moses was knowledgeable of the beliefs of the Egyptians relative to the afterlife. Though Moses did not write much on the intermediate state, yet one of his expressions respecting death, is seen in this verse wherein Moses describes the death of the patriarch Abraham. 

"Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people." (Gen. 25: 8)

This was a common expression of Moses (See also Gen. 25: 17; 35: 29; 49: 29; 49: 33; Num. 20: 24, 26; 27: 13; 31: 2; Deut. 32: 50; etc.). I have written on its significance in this posting (here). It is an interesting expression and does not, as I affirm, refer to the body being placed in a cemetery plot. It is also ironical in that death would normally be expected to have taken Abraham away from his people (in the "land of the living") and not to take him to his people. On that expression I will have more to say in an upcoming post dealing with the terms used in scripture to describe the death experience, especially of the people of God.

Further, Psalm 90 is ascribed to Moses and in that Psalm he said:

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." (Psa. 90: 10)

The Egyptians picture, in their hieroglyphs, a bird flying away from a corpse to symbolize how the soul or spirit of the body flies away at death. 

The ancient Egyptians believed that when they died their "spiritual body" would continue to exist in an afterlife very similar to their living world, in a "spirit world." In this respect they are like most of the ancient Greeks and other primitive communities. However, entry into this afterlife was not guaranteed to be good for a person. There is no universal salvation at death for the Egyptian. The dead had to negotiate a dangerous underworld journey and face the final judgment before they were granted access to the place of delight. In this respect it is similar to the Greek idea and other primitive societies that believed in the immortality of the soul. Further, nearly all religions today likewise believe in the immortality of the soul, at least for some of the human race. 

Belief in life after death was central to Egyptian religion. The ancient Egyptians had a strong belief in an underworld, in eternal life, and in a rebirth of the soul after death. Further, belief about the gods and the afterlife was an important social belief that bound all Egyptians together, and was no doubt used by the ruling elite to keep the masses under control and working hard for the Pharoah (who was believed to be God incarnate, or a son of God or some god). If you did not please the ruler, king, or dictator, you could lose both your earthly life and also hope of salvation after death (and earn annihilation or punishment after death). This same thing is seen even in professing Christian sects and denominations when their leaders tell their followers that obedience to them (as God's priests and appointed rulers) would determine fate both in the present and after death. 

The elaborate, time-intensive burials of Egyptians, and other primitive peoples, represent one proof that they had beliefs about the afterlife, of gods or god, and of the spirit world, and of spiritual forces. It is the same today in nearly every culture and religion on earth, being tied to religious practices and beliefs, and to philosophy too, or shall we say in metaphysics too. Each religion makes attempts to explain death. 

How to handle the bodies of the dead became governed by norms and laws, specific to each society and all designed to show concern for the well being of the dead in the afterlife. One way to stay connected with the dead was by burying bodies in known spots near where family members lived, in cemeteries and graveyards, or in some cave. Also, funeral rituals were often very important, and which were intended to help the dead find their way in the afterlife, or hinder their well being if not buried properly. 

Said one source in my research for this post (here - emphasis mine throughout):

"Osiris would determine the virtue of the deceased's soul and grant those deemed deserving a peaceful afterlife. The Egyptian concept of 'eternal life' was often seen as being reborn indefinitely. Therefore, the souls who had lived their life elegantly were guided to Osiris to be born again." 

That was a citation from Mojsov, Bojana (2001). "The Ancient Egyptian Underworld in the Tomb of Sety I: Sacred Books of Eternal Life". 

The same source says:

"In order to achieve the ideal afterlife, many practices had to be performed during one's life. This may have included acting justly and following the beliefs of Egyptian creed. Additionally, the Egyptians stressed the rituals completed after an individual's life has ended. In other words, it was the responsibility of the living to carry out the final traditions required so the dead could promptly meet their final fate. Ultimately, maintaining high religious morals by both the living and the dead, as well as complying to a variety of traditions, guaranteed the deceased a smoother transition into the underworld."

The Egyptians, like other cultures, believed that the dead affected living people, and vise versa, living people affected dead people. This is believed today among many far eastern peoples where there is worship of the spirits of dead ancestors. Some of this ideology also was brought into Hebrew and Christian theologies of the afterlife. Mormons, for instance, have baptisms for the dead. Some Catholics pray to and for the dead. However, the bible knows nothing of this. People who have died cannot have any influence with the living and the living can have no influence with the dead to change the state of the dead. Egyptians believed that if the living did not properly mummify and bury the dead then the dead would suffer adverse consequences in the afterlife. 

Necromancy has been a very important part of nearly all religions, though it was forbidden by God in the old testament scriptures, which prohibition was not changed in the new testament. (See Deut. 18: 10-11; Lev. 20: 27) Talking with the spirits of the dead has been a common practice. You see it in New Age disciples. You see it in Voodoo rituals. You see it in far east nations, like Japan, where family members attempt contact with dead family members by lighting candles around pictures of the dead, or around their graves. You see it in disciples of the "Spiritualist" movement, where seances and channeling are the stuff. 

The bible condemns contacting the spirits of the dead, or of demons. It knows nothing of praying to the dead (as in some Catholic communities), of praying to Mary or the apostles or saints, nor of performing rights for the dead (as did the Egyptians and as the Mormons who have their baptisms for the unbaptized dead). 

One good source says (emphasis mine - see here):

"Necromancy, sometimes referred to as a form of "black" magic, is a term used to describe communication and dealings with the dead performed by powerful wizards or sorcerers. Unlike most modern mediums whose goal is simply to communicate with the dead, necromancers generally have a practical goal in mind. Their interactions may be intended to foretell the future, uncover secrets, recover someone from the dead, or even use a deceased body as a soldier or weapon. Necromancy has been practiced from the earliest civilizations and is still practiced today."

Said the same source further:

"Necromancy has existed throughout history. It was practiced in ancient civilizations in Egypt, Babylonia, Rome, Greece, Persia, and Chaldea. It may have been associated with shamanism, though it was also related to ancestor worship. Recorded stories of necromancy in ancient times come from Homer’s Odyssey, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and the Bible."

Said the same source:

"While books and movies such as Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Mummy do not necessarily use the term "necromancy," they all relate to using or interacting with the risen dead. Mediums (people who claim to communicate with dead) are often called upon to ask the dead for secrets or to foretell the future. In addition, popular games and television shows include reanimation of the dead (many focus on zombies, which have a different history). Even books and movies for young people, including the Harry Potter series, have themes related to necromancy."

All religions accept the view that there is a spirit world. They believe that there are beings who are incorporeal, not made of physical matter. They all have ideas about how the physical world is connected to the spiritual world, and whether communication may occur between the two. The bible has much to tell us about the spirit world. When I was a young minister I read Clarence Larkin's book "The Spirit World." It gives us what the bible has to say upon that subject. I don't recall disagreeing with much of what he wrote.

Crossing Death's River

Our previous source says:

"Ancient Egyptians theorized the passage to the afterlife in a series of stages. The first phase was believed to encompass the vehicle of transportation, which would eventually direct their departed souls to immortality." 

The Greeks also envisioned crossing a river as describing the first experience of the soul in death. It was called the river Styx. Passage over the river involved a boat as the vehicle of transportation. 

The Hebrew Christian tradition also envisions crossing the river Jordan and entering the land of promise as an illustration of what happens to the soul of the chosen people upon the death of their bodies. In Greek mythology, Styx is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. In John Bunyan’s "Pilgrim’s Progress," the character "Christian" ends his journey to the Celestial city by coming to a river symbolizing death. He is told “You must pass through this River or else you cannot arrive at the gate of the City.” 

Said another source:

"The Sanzu-no-Kawa (lit. "River of Three Crossings", or the "Sanzu River") is a mythological river in Japanese Buddhist tradition similar to the Hindu concept of the Vaitarna and Greek concept of the Styx." (Citing Walter, Mariko Namba (2008). Death and the afterlife in Japanese Buddhism.

Citing another, the same source says:

"Before reaching the afterlife, the souls of the deceased must cross the river by one of three crossing points: a bridge, a ford, or a stretch of deep, snake-infested waters. The weight of one's offenses while alive determines which path an individual must take. It is believed that a toll of six mon must be paid before a soul can cross the river, a belief reflected in Japanese funerals when the necessary fee is placed in the casket with the dead."

This is what we see in primitive Egyptian beliefs and practices, where the manner of burying the dead affects the well being of the soul or spirit in the afterlife, when it exits the body. 

The source cited first (above) concerning Osiris also says:

"...a great deal of the requirements for the deceased to properly reach the underworld rested on the living. In order for the pharaoh to arrive at his final destination, his people had to construct a variety of boats to ensure his departure."

Of course, the bible does not teach that those who have died can be hurt or benefited by the acts of the living. But, more on this shortly when we mention how the manner of death also plays a determining role in how the dead fair in the afterlife.

That same source continued:

"However, not all who died were presented with the opportunity to travel to the underworld. Since the living were obligated to ensure that the deceased could travel to the afterlife, it was also in their control to eliminate one's chance in achieving eternity. Therefore, the living had an array of options that prevented a second life to an unworthy individual who had died. The most famous included decapitation, which when executed, "killed a person twice". As a result, the second death associated with decapitation was also assumed to have annihilated the chance at another life. As noted in Egyptian texts, this instance was incredibly feared, but happened most often to those who rebelled or disobeyed the king."

That was a citation from 

Picardo, Nicholas S. (2007). ""Semantic Homicide" and the So-called Reserve Heads: The Theme of Decapitation in Egyptian Funerary Religion and Some Implications for the Old Kingdom". Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt. 43: 221–252

Decapitation killed the victim twice? Killed them in the afterlife? Wow! What a powerful weapon this gave to pharaohs and ruling priests in Egypt! By threatening death by decapitation they could guarantee obedience from subjects. Tyrannical leaders often use such ideas for their own ends. They probably invented the idea. Think of all those who were killed by decapitation during the French Revolution! 

Said the same source further:

"The deceased's first task was to correctly address each of the forty-two Assessors of Maat by name, while reciting the sins they did not commit during their lifetime.[22] This process allowed the dead to demonstrate that they knew each of the judges’ names or Ren and established that they were pure, and free of sin. After confirming that they were sinless, the deceased was presented with the balance that was used to weigh their heart against the feather of Maat.[23] Anubis was the god often seen administering this test. If the deceased's heart balanced with the feather of Maat, Thoth would record the result and they would be presented to Osiris, who admitted them into the Sekhet-Aaru. However, if their heart was heavier than the feather, it was to be devoured by the Goddess Ammit, permanently destroying the soul of the deceased."[24]

22-Coogan, Michael D. (2013). A Reader of Ancient Near Eastern Texts: Sources for the Study of the Old Testament,"Negative Confessions". New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 149–150.

23-Budge, Wallis. Egyptian Religion: Egyptian Ideas of the Future Life. New York: Bell Publishing Company. pp. 161–162.

24-Coogan, Michael D. (2013). A Reader of Ancient Near Eastern Texts: Sources for the Study of the Old Testament,"The Weighting of the Heart". New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 150–154.

Note how Egyptian theology believed that eternal punishment was annihilation of the person, as do some Christian sects.

Death & Judgment

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ..." (Heb. 9: 27-28)

The bible is in agreement with certain primitive Egyptian and Greek beliefs about the afterlife. For instance, it and they teach that individual souls are judged after they die and when they enter the afterlife, and also teach that some souls will be judged worthy to paradise and some will be punished and excluded therefrom. But, though there are these basic agreements, there is nevertheless much disagreement on the judgment.

Wrote one (at journeytoEgypt.com - here) under the title "EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY AFTERLIFE AND JUDGMENT STORY" (emphasis mine):

"One of ancient Egypt main ideologies was the afterlife. They believed that the soul is immortal and the earth was only part on a larger journey. They believed that the soul consists of nine-part that was part of one earthly existence and at death, the Akh (Transformed-self), As recorded in the book of the dead, Would be met by the god of death Anubis and guided to their final resting place the hall of truth and wait their turn for judgment. And when the right time comes, Anubis would lead the souls to stand before the scribe of Thoth and Osiris in front of the golden scales where the Goddess of Harmony and balance Ma’at would be present, surrounded by the forty-two judges who would consult with the gods to determine every soul’s fate. The Egyptians chose to preserve their body using mummification if the soul chooses to return from death and visit earth."

I was a teenager when I got my copy of Egypt's "Book of the Dead." Though I never read the whole book, I did read enough of their hieroglyphics to get their general understanding about death and the afterlife. Like the Greeks, the Egyptians saw death as salvation for those who were prepared for it. For those not prepared, they would suffer a horrible annihilation. Their second death would be prolonged and excruciating. Also like Greek thought is the idea of a judgment after death by the gods, and one's good deeds could save from annihilation and grant entrance to eternal bliss. 

Again, the same article says further:

"The process of judgment begins with the heart of the soul, handed to Osiris who place it on a great golden scale balanced against the white feather of Ma’at (the feather of truth). If the soul’s heart was found to be lighter than the feather and the gods and the forty-two judges agreed then the soul was justified, the soul was allowed to move on to heavens called the Field of Reeds (The place of purification and eternal bliss) by boarding the ship of Ra through the dark underworld and If the heart was heavier than the feather, it would be thrown on the ground, then It will be eaten by the monster god Ammut who has the face of crocodile and the back of a rhinoceros Known as “the Gobbler” and the person’s soul would cease to exist."

Thus not every Egyptian was convinced of the certainty of an eternal afterlife of bliss. However, like Socrates, Egyptians believed that no good hearted man had any reason to fear punishment in the afterlife.

Another source of information on ancient Egyptian beliefs regarding the afterlife writes these things (see here - emphasis mine):

"The crimes of those who are condemned to hell consist of nothing more and nothing less than having acted against the divine world order established at the beginning of creation. Hence, they have excluded themselves from ma'at, while at the same time revealing themselves as agents of chaos. After death, they became forever reduced to a state of nonbeing, which was the chaotic state of the cosmos before creation. For them, there is no renewal and no regeneration of life, but only a second, definitive death. Rather than being the followers of Re, they are the "gang of Seth." Seth is the god who brought death into the world by murdering Osiris. They might also be referred to as the "children of Nut." Nut was the mother of Seth, and therefore of the first generation of mankind who rebelled against Re." 

Like the bible and Greek thought, Egyptians believed that some humans will be granted the privilege or right to live forever with the gods in bliss, but others will receive a punishment of annihilation. Though the bible does not teach annihilation, yet some professing bible believers do believe in it.

Said the same source:

"In every respect, the fate of the damned is the opposite of that of the blessed. When the righteous died and were mummified and buried with the proper rites, they could expect to start a new life in the company of Re and Osiris."

Notice one of the conditions for obtaining eternal life was a proper funeral in addition to having a good heart and having enough good works to counter all the evil works. This is the most common view among the ancient peoples. 

Said the same source:

"However, when the damned died, their flesh was torn away by demons and their mummy wrappings were removed so that their bodies were left to decompose. In the underworld that the blessed successfully navigate, their order of things is reversed, even to the extent that the damned have to walk upside down, eat their own excrement and drink their own urine. Their hands are tied behind their backs, often around stakes. Their heads and limbs are severed from their bodies and their flesh is cut off their bones. Their hearts are removed and their ba-souls are separated from their bodies, forever unable to return to them. They even loose their shadows, which were considered an important part of the ancient Egyptian being. They have no air and suffer from hunger and thirst, as they receive no funerary offerings. Worst of all, they are denied the reviving light of the sun god, who ignores them, even as they cry out loud and wail when he passes them in the underworld at night."

Notice again how the destiny of the condemned (bad people) is to kill them twice, so that they do not exist any more, and that they die a second death in a most violent and painful manner, a slow tortuous death. 

Also, notice the reference to disembodied spirits (souls) are called "shadows" that accompany the body. This makes me think of the term "rephaim" in the old testament. On this word Dr. Michael Heiser wrote (see pdf here)

REPHAIM (יםִ אָ פְ ר , repha'im). A Hebrew word often simply transliterated in modern English Bible versions (e.g., Gen 14:5 ESV, LEB). When the term is translated, it is rendered “giants” (1 Chr 20:4 ESV), “shades” (i.e., spirits of the dead; Isa 26:14 ESV), or simply “the dead” (Job 26:5 ESV). These translation choices point to the interpretive problem associated with the term: It is difficult to identify whether the Rephaim were humans (living or dead), quasi-divine figures, or disembodied spirits. Old Testament usage associates the term with all these possibilities, while external Semitic source texts in which the term is found (Ugaritic, Phoenician) do not describe the Rephaim as giants. Identification is further complicated by uncertainty regarding the term’s etymology and how it is translated in the Septuagint. (emphasis mine)

He also wrote:

"Since ancient Israel, along with other surrounding cultures, considered the dead inhabitants of the underworld to still be experiencing some sort of subterrestrial life, the rationale for this root as the basis for repha’im is that the term denotes “weakness or loss of energy” (Johnson The Vitality of the Individual, 89). This would aptly describe the cadaverous existence of life in the underworld; passages like Job 26:5 describe the dead (repha’im) beneath the surface of the cosmic waters under the earth, sinking listlessly in the realm of the dead." 

He also said:

"The common English translation “shades” captures the otherworldly, shadowy nature of the living dead residents of the underworld...Several biblical texts employ repha’im in parallel to other words for the shadowy dead."

He also wrote:

“Do you work wonders for the dead (methim)? Do the departed (repha’im) rise up to praise you? Selah Is your steadfast love declared in the grave (qever), or your faithfulness in Abaddon?” (ESV) Hebrew methim (“dead”) and repha’im also occur in connection with each other in Isa 26:14 (“They are dead [methim], they will not live; they are shades [repha’im], they will not arise”). Proverbs 2:18 admonishes the wise man to avoid the seduction of the adulteress by warning that “her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed” (repha’im; compare Prov 9:18). Job 26:5–6 places the Rephaim in the underworld: “The dead (repha’im) tremble under the waters and their inhabitants. Sheol is naked before God, And Abaddon has no covering” (ESV)."

Said the preceding source about Egyptian afterlife judgment:

"Hence, they are excluded from the eternal cosmic cycle of renewal and are instead assigned to the "outer darkness, the primeval chaotic world before creation, which is situated in the deepest recesses of the underworld, outside the created world. They are continuously punished by demons, who are the representatives of chaos. Indeed, the demons are often recruited from the ranks of the damned themselves, so that they torture and kill one another. They are subjected to knives and swords and to the fire of hell, often kindled by fire spitting snakes."

Said the same source:

"These horrible punishments were carried out in the "slaughtering place" or "place of destruction", and presided over by the fierce goddess Sekhmet, whose butchers hack their victims to pieces and burn them with inextinguishable fire, sometimes in deep pits or in cauldrons in which they are scorched, cooked and reduced to ashes. Demons feed on their entrails and drink their blood."

Again, there is both similarity and difference between Egyptian and Biblical afterlife beliefs respecting those who are destined for punishment in the afterlife as a result of the judgment. Notice these passages concerning the fate of all those who died unsaved.

"The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matt. 24: 50-51)

John the Baptist said that in the last judgment "he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matt. 3: 12; Luke 3: 17) Christ spoke of lost souls who "go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched." (Mark 9: 43-48 several times)

Said the same source:

"Another location was the Lake of Fire, which was first mentioned in the Book of Two Ways in the Coffin Text (Spell 1054/1166) and illustrated in the Book of the Dead (Chapter 126). Like the "outer darkness," it is a place of regeneration for the sun god and his blessed followers, to whom it provides nourishment and cool water, but a place of destruction for the damned. Birds even fly away from it when they experience the burning, bloody water and small the stench of putrefaction which rises from it."

In the bible the "lake of fire" is synonymous with "gehenna" (also translated as "hell" as is "hades" in the KJV). The Lake of Fire is mentioned in the Apocalypse. (Revelation 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15; 21:8). The lake of fire is also called "the second death." 

Said the same source:

"By the end of the 18th Dynasty, a similar demon appears in chapter 125 of the Book of the Dead that depicts the judgment of the deceased before the divine tribunal. This is the better known judgment of the dead in which the heart of the deceased is weighed against the feather of Ma'at on a scale. In many cases, the Lake of Fire in Chapter 126 is also shown in this chapter. A late, Demontic text tells us that if the deceased's "evil deeds outnumber his good deeds he is delivered to the Swallower....; his soul as well as his body are destroyed and never will he breath again." In the vignette this monster is called the "Swallower of the Damned". The demon (Ammit) is represented with the head of a crocodile, the forelegs and body of a lion and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus. The demon might also sometimes be referred to as the "beast of destiny". She usually sits near the balance, ready to devour her victim." 

Again, the idea that men are permitted to attain immortality and eternal life by their good works exceeding their evil works is a common belief among the world's religions. It is not, however, the teaching of the bible. The bible teaches that only the perfect may be allowed entry into paradise and that this perfection is to be found only in Christ and that his perfect righteousness must be imputed (put to the credit or account of) to a person before that person can be judged as perfect. All those who think to be saved by their own works, by their own righteousness, will be lost. There are many in Hell today who trusted in their own works and goodness, men like Socrates and like the ancient Egyptians.