| Home | Our Hope | |
| Bible Study |
|
March 17, 2019 |
| The Afterlife According To Job | ||
The book of Job is among the oddest books in the Bible. It begins with a straightforward story about a wealthy man. Then the scene changes to the Heavenly realm where God and Satan plan to prove him. Everything he had is lost and with his body covered in sores, the last 40 of the 42 chapters become a poetic theological discussion. The discussion comes to a head when a previously unmentioned character decides to correct his elders and it concludes when God decides to speak.
In the process of this theological discussion the topic turns repeatedly to death and the afterlife. This is largely driven by Job who is wishing he was never born or died young.
What makes this discussion interesting is that the speaker's words show a surprising grasp of the afterlife. The authorship of Job is in doubt and therefore so is the date of writing. For any plausible period in history when the book could have been written the level of understanding is surprising.
The author's understanding of the afterlife couldn't have come entirely from the Old Testament. Some of what they discuss was not known, or at least not written, until New Testament times. This is especially a problem for those people who believe that Job was authored prior to the Mosaic Covenant. Whoever the author was, he is speaking prophetically.
In this study we will focus on what Job and his friends say about the afterlife. We'll also note some other topical oddities.
[Job's] sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom. (Job 1:4-5 NIV)
[Job's] sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually. (Job 1:4-5 NASB)
There is a problem here and Job is concerned about it. He is not involved in the feasts but instead offers sacrifices for sin for the participants. He does this periodically, probably annually.
Is there something wrong with having a feast with your brothers and sisters? No. So what's the problem here. The only detail we have about it comes from the seemingly extraneous information "on his day" (NASB) or "on their birthdays" (NIV). Most translations make this appear like Job's children were just assigning days for the feasts to each person. A few translations refer to it as their birthdays, as the NIV does above.
If each son was assigned a day to hold his feast, we might think there was no reason for Job to be concerned. The passage only provides a reason for concern that makes sense when "his day" means "his birthday." Then we can see that the purpose of each person's feast was to glorify himself and be glorified by his brothers and sisters. Again we notice that Job does not attend. He obviously believes it is wrong.
This also makes sense with Job's practice of sacrifices for them and his statement about the concern - "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." He is concerned that, in the process of glorifying themselves, they have said something to diminish God or place themselves above God.
A birthday is almost never referred to in the Bible. This is the only place where a birthday party is mentioned.
The Hebrew word used here is only used 8 times in the Bible. It's interesting that 5 of those usages occur in Job. In most places it refers to the day of one's death.
In Job 3:1 this Hebrew word is used again. This time Job is cursing his own birthday. This juxtaposition of his sons praising their birthdays and Job cursing his birthday can't be a coincidence.
Job feels that he hasn't been treated fairly by God and he wants to be able to plead his case before God. He talks about it frequently. In one place he offers an interesting solution to the problem.
He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. 33 If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, 34 someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. 35 Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot. (Job 9:32-35 NIV)
Job is prefiguring the Messiah as mediator between God and man.
Others have been with those who rebel against the light; They do not want to know its ways nor abide in its paths. […] 16 In the dark they dig into houses, they shut themselves up by day; they do not know the light. (Job 24:13,16 NASB)
These words could easily have come from the apostle John as a reference to God and walking in the light. It is uncommon, though, in the Old Testament to see a reference like that. They only appear in poetic works like Psalm 36:9 "In Your light we see light."
Job has a large number of references to "the light" compared to other books. Verses 33:28 and 33:30 are another two that specifically refer to God and there are others that may be veiled references.
If He should determine to do so, if He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, 15 All flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. (Job 34:14-15 NASB)
Job is saying that the existence of mankind depends on these two things. Without them it's over for us.
It was clear from creation that God had breathed the breath of life into mankind and all living creatures. In many places, the Old Testament repeats that idea. Far less clear is the idea that man has a spirit. From some of the references by the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus' time, we see that they were not clear on that. Even in our own time there are Christian groups who do not accept that man has a spirit.
When God intervenes in their conversation his purpose is to challenge Job's idea that Job should be able to question God. To this, God's response is essentially "you don't know anything." In proving his point God describes two animals that we have no match for in our time. He calls one Behemoth and the other Leviathan (depending on your translation).
Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. 16 What strength it has in its loins, what power in the muscles of its belly! 17 Its tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are close-knit. […] 23 A raging river does not alarm it; it is secure, though the Jordan should surge against its mouth. 24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes, or trap it and pierce its nose? (Job 40:15-17,23-24 NIV)
Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook or tie down its tongue with a rope? 2 Can you put a cord through its nose or pierce its jaw with a hook? […] 8 If you lay a hand on it, you will remember the struggle and never do it again! 9 Any hope of subduing it is false; the mere sight of it is overpowering. (Job 41:1-2,8-9 NIV)
In the following video Dr. Tommy Mitchel discusses Behemoth.
Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb? 12 Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed? 13 For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest 14 with kings and rulers of the earth, who built for themselves places now lying in ruins, 15 with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. (Job 3:13-15 NIV)
Most Christians do not understand the concept of the intermediate state at death. People do not go to Heaven or Hell upon dying. The Bible never says that. Jesus, however, does refer to this state in the same way as Job does, as sleep.
If people went to Heaven or Hell upon death it would be a severe problem for theology. If Moses' spirit, for example, went to Heaven when he died (surely he never went to Hell) then there is no need for Jesus. Like Moses, all believers would be able go to Heaven without Jesus.
Job understands this though there are very few Old Testament references that speak of it.
But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more. 11 As the water of a lake dries up or a riverbed becomes parched and dry, 12 so he lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, people will not awake or be roused from their sleep. (Job 14:12 NIV)
Where is Job getting this. The only references to this I know of are from the New Testament. For example, Peter refers to the heavens being folded up like a cloak.
If someone dies, will they live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. 15 You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made. 16 Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin. 17 My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin. (Job 14:14-17 NIV)
From these verses we see Job knows about:
Notice carefully what he says about covering over sin, "you will cover over my sin". It's subtle but he understands that God will be the sacrifice that will cover over the sins, not the sacrifices of animals.
What are mortals, that they could be pure, or those born of woman, that they could be righteous? 15 If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes, 16 how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt, who drink up evil like water! (Job 15:14-16 NIV)
The angels in Heaven have free will, just as we do. Therefore God does not trust even them. We know that many have turned away from him and so are called demons.
Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. 20 My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; 21 on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend. (Job 16:19-21 NIV)
While the Jews currently claim that God is one and only one, there was an earlier time when they understood the many Old Testament references that indicate God is a plurality, even specifically a trinity. Here Job indicates there is someone in Heaven who advocates for mankind to God - two separate people.
If I look for Sheol as my home, [if] I make my bed in the darkness; 14 If I call to the pit, 'You are my father'; To the worm, 'my mother and my sister'; 15 Where now is my hope? And who regards my hope? 16 Will it go down with me to Sheol? Shall we together go down into the dust? (Job 17:13-16 NASB)
Job is wondering what happens if he welcomes death. He asks what will happen to the hope he has in God when his body is gone and who will look after that hope. It's actually a profound thought but outside the scope of this study1.
The word "Sheol" can mean either the grave or the intermediate place and sometimes means both.
Psalm 139:8 is very similar "If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there." Here, the meaning of Sheol is clearly the intermediate place.
As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. 26 Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; 27 Whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me! 28 If you say, 'How shall we persecute him?' and 'What pretext for a case against him can we find?' 29 Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves, for wrath brings the punishment of the sword, so that you may know there is judgment. (Job 19:25-27 NASB)
Job has previously shown that he understands the coming resurrection. Here he shows he understands:
Job could have understood some of this from the feast days. The Jewish scholars of our time have a good understanding of the feasts, but not this good. It isn't clear where he would have learned of a redeemer.
Job warns his friends about persecuting him and the consequences of that. These words can also be seen to have a second meaning. In this context of "Redeemer" it's hard to miss that his questions "How shall we persecute him?" and "What pretext for a case against him can we find?" are also the words of Jesus' persecutors.
Though the pride of the godless person reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds, 7 he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?' (Job 20:6-7 NIV)
Total darkness lies in wait for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent. 27 The heavens will expose his guilt; the earth will rise up against him. 28 A flood will carry off his house, rushing waters on the day of God's wrath. (Job 20:26-28 NIV)
The verses above express the same idea that is expressed in Isaiah 2. Job is also talking about the Second Coming and the effect it will have on the ungodly of that time. By definition, the ungodly are arrogant.
When Job says "the godless person" and "he will perish forever", he is not referring to death. As in Isaiah 2, Job is referring to the end of the arrogant ungodly person. He will be humbled, becoming a humble godly person. Job says people will say of that arrogant ungodly man, "Where is he?", but he will not be found again.
Isaiah 2 speaks of these people symbolically, describing them as throwing away their idols to the bats (who come out in darkness) and the moles (who live underground in darkness). Job presents the same idea but as darkness waiting for his treasures. Job also describes this transformation of the ungodly man's thinking as a flood carrying away everything that was once important to him.
Job ties all of this to "the day of God's wrath," which comes with the Second Coming. Job understands this as well.
"The departed spirits tremble under the waters and their inhabitants. 6 Naked is Sheol before Him, and Abaddon has no covering. (Job 26:5-6 NASB)
Job's point here is that God is not only aware of what happens on the earth but also in Sheol, figuratively deeper than the deep. Of course Sheol is a spiritual realm, not a physical realm, but the Bible repeatedly refers to it as down from where we are or below the earth. In contrast, the Bible refers to Heaven as being up from us, even though "up" is a different direction depending on where on the surface you are.
The word "Abaddon" means "(place of) destruction or ruin" and is a synonym for Sheol. Job will use it twice more.
The wording here is very similar to Proverbs 15:11, "Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD", and Proverbs 27:20, "Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied." For this reason and others I suspect the book of Job was written by Solomon, at least beginning with chapter 3.
What will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? (Job 31:14 NIV)
Job recognizes that everyone must give an account of themselves in judgment, not only the godless but also the godly.
He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing over into Sheol. […] 22 Then his soul draws near to the pit, and his life to those who bring death. […] 23 If there is an angel as mediator for him, one out of a thousand, to remind a man what is right for him, 24 then let him be gracious to him, and say, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom'; […] 27 "He will sing to men and say, 'I have sinned and perverted what is right, and it is not proper for me. 28 'He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, and my life shall see the light.' […] 29 Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men, 30 to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life. (Job 33:18,22-24,27-30 NASB)
This is a collection of verses, spoken by Elihu now, discussing how God endeavors to bring men back from the destination to where they are headed. In them we see repeated the idea of Sheol, or the pit, as the destination at death. All men die and that is their destination. In this case though, the man is a sinner and God is endeavoring to keep the man from Sheol, to give him time to realize the error of his ways.
Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? (Job 38:17 NASB)
This time God is speaking, making it clear to Job that Job knows nothing and so cannot plead his case before God. Of the many things God asks Job, these two stand out. When he asks about "gates", his meaning would be clearer to us as "entrance" or "doorway."
Job's understanding of the afterlife is very good, or maybe it's the understanding of the author of the book. In some cases we have no idea how he came to that understanding. The only reason we know more than him is through New Testament writings, which Job would not have had.
Job understood:
These events don't follow immediately after each other. This is just an ordered list of them and some are simultaneous.
1 "What Are We" http://ourhope.site/2018-05-29%20WhatAreWe/WAW.html