Table of Contents
Series preface xi
Author's preface xiii
List of abbreviations xv
Introduction 1
1 After death, what? Ultimate questions about death and the afterlife 5
Death and the afterlife in contemporary perspective 5
Death and the afterlife in ancient perspective 7
Death and the afterlife in the ancient Near East 7
Death and the afterlife in the Graeco-Roman world 15
Death and the afterlife in biblical perspective 22
Key issues in contemporary evangelical debate 22
Conclusion 28
2 Death - the ultimate separation? 31
Introduction 31
'What is man?' Biblical anthropology and the question of the soul 33
The state of the dead and the question of post-mortem existence in the Old Testament 38
The Old Testament's depiction of post-mortem existence and the realm of the dead 41
The state of the dead and the question of an 'intermediate state' within intertestamental Judaism 44
The state of the dead and the question of an intermediate state in the New Testament 49
Conclusion 61
3 Resurrection - the ultimate makeover? 63
Introduction 63
How the motif of 'resurrection' was employed and understood in the ancient world 64
The Old Testament's perspective on the doctrine of resurrection 74
The New Testament's perspective on the doctrine of resurrection 83
Conclusion 93
4 Judgment - the ultimate verdict? 95
Introduction 95
Eschatological judgment and divine recompense in the Old Testament 96
Eschatological judgment and divine recompense in the intertestamental literature 101
Eschatological judgment and divine recompense in the New Testament 109
A resolution to the paradox? 122
Conclusion 125
Appendix: The spiritual status of the law-abiding Gentiles in Romans 2:12-16 125
5 Hell - the ultimate holocaust? 129
Introduction 129
The fate of the wicked in the Old Testament 130
The fate of the wicked in the intertestamental literature 138
Books that envisage the prospect of destruction 139
Books that imply post-mortem suffering/torment 141
Later books that may reflect Christian interpolation 146
The fate of the wicked in the New Testament 148
Conclusion 161
6 Heaven - the ultimate destination? 163
Introduction 163
The concept of 'heaven' and future hope in the Old Testament 164
The concept of 'heaven' and 'paradise' in the intertestamental literature 170
The concept of 'heaven' or the future inheritance in the New Testament 175
The new cosmos 181
The new Jerusalem 182
The new Eden 189
Conclusion 191
Conclusion 193
Bibliography 195
Index of authors 205
Index of Scripture references 207
Index of ancient sources 220
