# Jews and the Apocalypse **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872 "2015-02-17T00:05:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/1 "2015-02-17T00:05:29Z")
In the End Times (according to Revelation) the Saved (born-again christians) will be Raptured…snatched up directly to Heaven, bypassing bodily death and Judgement. Apparently, in the Qur’an, Muslims will undergo something similar called the Qiyamah. Do Jews believe in something similar? Is there anything in Hebrew Eschatology analogous to a rature-like event for the Children of Israel? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/2 "2015-02-17T00:22:49Z")
As posed, this is a General Question with a factual answer, (even if different Jewish groups would give different answers). Off to GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/3 "2015-02-17T00:38:57Z")
There’s no rapture-like event in the sense of some living people being snatched up to heaven or anything like that, but there is Jewish eschatology, which involves the coming of Messiah, universal peace, and the resurrection of the dead. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/4 "2015-02-17T01:36:13Z")
The Rapture is a result of selective reading by evangelical Protestant audiences. It is not part of the theology of Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Methodism, et al. for many other churches. The world may end, but it won’t involve a thousand year period of fighting Satan on earth. [Jewish eschatology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_eschatology). ---
**Author:** ![EdwardLost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@EdwardLost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwardLost)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/5 "2015-02-17T19:42:29Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > There’s no rapture-like event in the sense of some living people being snatched up to heaven or anything like that, but there is Jewish eschatology, which involves the coming of Messiah, universal peace, and the resurrection of the dead. Will there be provisions for the resurrected dead? Housing? Language classes? Job-retraining? Programs to introduce them to modern technology and mores? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/6 "2015-02-17T21:38:19Z")
> [@EdwardLost](#): > > Will there be provisions for the resurrected dead? Housing? Language classes? Job-retraining? Programs to introduce them to modern technology and mores? Any place to get a good brisket? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/7 "2015-02-18T00:43:04Z")
The question becomes how wide spread is the Resurrection concept in Jewish belief. As a Jew raised in a Reform congregation and as a participant in a Conservative one for most of my adult life, my only exposure to the concept has been in vague allusions … and in some explanations about some historically older death rite traditions. The emphasis in general has been 99 to 100% on this world here and living on through the impact of our acts, and less than 1% to zero on concepts of resurrection or afterlife. Is the Resurrection concept more widely held in a literal sense among Orthodox communities? (Checks … not Friday night!) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/8 "2015-02-18T01:46:44Z")
It is, as is the waiting for the Messiah. But it’s not surprising, if you look at the origins of the Reform movement. Reform was influenced pretty heavily by the German Enlightenment and similar trends going on in German Christianity, especially a downplaying of the “mythic” and “supernatural” aspects of the religion. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/9 "2015-02-18T03:02:05Z")
Yes, the belief is present, and quite strong, including a brief mention in every prayer service (last line in 2nd blessing of Amidah). But the details are almost nonexistent. I can see how even moderate cynics would say that the omission of details is a very convenient way to hedge one’s bets, but my feeling is that the whole idea of resurrection is so incredible that the presence or absence of details pales in comparison. I’m plenty curious, but not in any rush. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/10 "2015-02-18T03:19:09Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > There’s no rapture-like event in the sense of some living people being snatched up to heaven or anything like that, but there is Jewish eschatology, which involves the coming of Messiah, universal peace, and the resurrection of the dead. Please forgive my incredible ignorance. Does that mean all dead? Or, just the “good” dead. Hitler’s not coming back, right? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/11 "2015-02-18T11:51:30Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > Please forgive my incredible ignorance. Does that mean all dead? Or, just the “good” dead. Hitler’s not coming back, right? Just the righteous dead. No Hitler. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/12 "2015-02-18T14:44:39Z")
From a Christian perspective, Judaism (taken as a whole) is amazingly unconcerned about the afterlife in general, and the raising of the dead with the comming of the Messiah in particular. These are important issues for the Orthodox, but for other denominations - not so much. What is constant is the notion of a future messianic age - the more liberal denominations do not, necessarily, interpret this as an event in which the dead literally rise from their graves. More a time of universal peace. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/13 "2015-02-18T15:15:18Z")
My understanding is that Jewish post-death concepts like Sheol derived from Zoroastrian beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/14 "2015-02-18T17:31:19Z")
> [@EdwardLost](#): > > Will there be provisions for the resurrected dead? Housing? Language classes? Job-retraining? Programs to introduce them to modern technology and mores? According to Jewish eschatology the resurrected will eat [Leviathan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan#In_later_Jewish_literature) ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/15 "2015-02-18T18:04:38Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > From a Christian perspective, Judaism (taken as a whole) is amazingly unconcerned about the afterlife in general, and the raising of the dead with the comming of the Messiah in particular. These are important issues for the Orthodox, but for other denominations - not so much. > > What is constant is the notion of a future messianic age - the more liberal denominations do not, necessarily, interpret this as an event in which the dead literally rise from their graves. More a time of universal peace. I am unclear though on what the emphasis was when historically. From what I can read there was a split in emphasis even in ancient Israel times, let alone into the Middle Ages and Maimonides take. I don’t think resurrection and/or afterlife was ever as key of a concept as it was for Christianity, but, if I understand the points made in this thread correctly, the current non-Orthodox take of being pretty much completely unconcerned with the afterlife in general (we’ll have time to find that out then or not as the case may be when it happens; doing right in this life is enough to handle for now), is more an outgrowth of the Reform movement’s being influenced by the German Enlightenment. (See Captain Amazing’s post.) How far off is that? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/16 "2015-02-18T18:25:18Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > I am unclear though on what the emphasis was when historically. > > From what I can read there was a split in emphasis even in ancient Israel times, let alone into the Middle Ages and Maimonides take. I don’t think resurrection and/or afterlife was ever as key of a concept as it was for Christianity, but, if I understand the points made in this thread correctly, the current non-Orthodox take of being pretty much completely unconcerned with the afterlife in general (we’ll have time to find that out then or not as the case may be when it happens; doing right in this life is enough to handle for now), is more an outgrowth of the Reform movement’s being influenced by the German Enlightenment. (See Captain Amazing’s post.) > > How far off is that? I’m not sure, to be honest. I know that the Conservative Jews’ take on the afterlife is, well, kinda agnostic; not sure about the historical roots of this. From the “Statement of Principles of Conservative Judaism”: > [@](#): > > For the individual human being, we affirm that death does not mean extinction and oblivion. This conviction is articulated in our tradition in the two doctrines of the bodily resurrection of the dead and the continuing existence, after death and through eternity, of the individual soul. > > In the course of our history, both of these doctrines have been understood in widely varying ways. For some of us, they are literal truths which enable us to confront death and the death of our loved ones with courage and equanimity. Others understand these teachings in a more figurative way. The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, omnipresent in our liturgy, affirms in a striking way the value Judaism accords to our bodily existence in our concrete historical and social setting. Beyond this, we know that our genetic make-up will persist through our progeny, long after our deaths and as long as humankind survives. In short, an aknowledgement that these doctrines exist; a statement that they have, “In the course of our history” been “… understood in widely varying ways”; and a statement that some folks take them literally and others figuratively - and perhaps “literally” means ‘through your genetic survival’. Similarly, they affirm a “gradualist” approach to messianism: > [@](#): > > Revolutionary messianists are impatient. They despair about humanity’s ability to deal with its intrinsic problems in the normal course of affairs. They view themselves as responsible — even required — to take radical action to effect this transformation, to force God’s hand. They are less likely to be satisfied with the baby steps that their contemporaries are taking, with the small partial redemptions that they witness. They thus become militant activists and resort to aggressive political activity and even, in the extreme, military action and violence to bring about their desired goals. They see the age to come as emerging out of a cosmic upheaval (which they will attempt to precipitate) that will destroy the familiar world of nature and history. > > In contrast, messianic gradualists see the age to come as emerging slowly and imperceptibly out of the world as we know it today, restoring a pre-existing harmony. Theirs is a more patient and humanistic voice. With a basic confidence that human beings can and will work on the infinite details of their social, political and interpersonal lives, they are prepared to accept these practical redemptions as foretastes of the ultimate redemption to come. They see the eschatological scenario not as an immediate demand but as a vision which yields hope for the future and infuses all of their day-to-day activities with infinite import. The dominant eschatological voice today is clearly revolutionary — in Islam, in American fundamentalist and evangelical Christianity and among certain groups of Jews in Israel and throughout the world. We understand the concerns that impel communities to resort to such programs. We are also convinced of their dangers: exclusivism, triumphalism, radical political action and in the extreme, militarism and even terrorism. > > We therefore affirm a gradualist or evolutionary eschatological approach. We are aware that it, too, has its inherent dangers: inertia, quietism and a generalized sense that since God will send the Messiah in His good time, what we human beings do has little significance. We strive, therefore, to remind ourselves of the classical Jewish teaching that God and humanity are partners, not only in creation and revelation, but in redemption as well. We do not know when the Messiah will come, nor whether he will be a charismatic human figure or is a symbol of the redemption of humankind from the evils of the world. Through the doctrine of a messianic figure, Judaism teaches us that every individual human being must live as if he or she, individually, has the responsibility to bring about the messianic age. Beyond that, we echo the words of Maimonides based on the prophet Habakkuk (2:3) that though he may tarry, yet do we wait for him each day. > **[Redirect Notice](http://www.google.com/url?url=http:%2F%2Fmasortiolami.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F03%2FEmet-VEmunah-Statement-of-Principles-of-Conservative-Judaism.pdf&rct=j&frm=1&q=&esrc=s&sa=U&ei=I9bkVKX6Dse0yAS5jIKwBQ&ved=0CCUQFjAD&usg=AFQjCNGCmTvZOrT2A9--DNKyg5sNOjs6Cw)** As for history - well, the impression I get is that the Torah itself isn’t very focussed on such matters; and that Judaism may have developed a greater interest in such things - for a time - in part as a reaction to the fact that both Christianity and Islam find them very important. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/17 "2015-02-18T19:01:28Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > According to Jewish eschatology the resurrected will eat [Leviathan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan#In_later_Jewish_literature) Only if it is smoked and Nova. I was raised Conservative (reform side of Conservative, men and women could sit together in shul) and it never came up. As mentioned, the only influence is in burial rituals which try to preserve the body as much as possible for the resurrection, though I’d hope that God could put people right no matter what we do to them. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/18 "2015-02-19T02:28:58Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > According to Jewish eschatology the resurrected will eat [Leviathan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan#In_later_Jewish_literature) Will we eat the Cenobites too? Back To The OP IIRC After moshiach comes- He will get the Promised Land back. All Jews will move to live in the Promised Land. All humans will acknowledge the G-d of Judaism and follow the Seven Laws Of Noah. The righteous shall be resurrected bodily. Humanity shall go back to vegetarianism. (According to the Torah, humans were not allowed to eat animal flesh til Noah and clan survived the Flood). The lion shall lay down with the lamb. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. I can’t remember what order these are supposed to happen in. Re Righteous Gentiles OTTOMH Some Jews agree to buy a certain gemstone, for the breastplate of the High Priest, from a non-Jewish man. They agree on a price. The man goes off to get the stone from the chest he keeps it in. He finds his old dad is taking a nap and is resting his feet on the chest. The man goes back to the Jews, to explain that he’ll have to give them the stone later. “I can’t get it right now.” “Okay, okay. We get it. We’ll give you double what we agreed on.” “No. I can’t get it right now cause I don’t want to wake my dad. And I refuse to take extra money just for doing right by my dad.” So, we have a gentile honoring his father (just as per the commandment) and being scrupulously honest. The general thing the sages take away from this is that a person of any religion can be righteous. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/19 "2015-02-19T20:44:56Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Humanity shall go back to vegetarianism. (According to the Torah, humans were not allowed to eat animal flesh til Noah and clan survived the Flood). The Flood, or the expulsion from Eden? What was Abel doing with his flocks? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872/20 "2015-02-19T20:51:22Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > What was Abel doing with his flocks? Considering the only women alive were his mom and sisters … better not to enquire. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-and-the-apocalypse/712872.md?page=2)