Death and the Afterlife

Rating:
Summary: Most Thorough on the subject
Review: As a Bible college graduate and seminary student, I have read literally hundreds of theological books in my life from many different perspectives--including opinions in which I would greatly disagree. Regardless if you agree or disagree with Morey, this book has got to be the most complete and thorough exegetical thesis on the topic of death and the afterlife I have ever read. Where some authors give simple, watered-down insights for those who may not grasp the deeper meanings of things (and this is not said in an offensive way, just an honest way), Morey spends considerable time "teaching" on the rules of Hermenuetics before he even so much as mentions the topic of death in the opening chapters. He then takes time to exegete just about every Scripture in the Bible pertaining to death and the after life. He also goes into a very intense history lesson pertaining to death/afterlife as it related to the philosophical beliefs of the cultures that were contemporary with the Bible's authorship. He also goes into an examination of Jewish and church history, which is very interesting.

I am not sure if what I am about to say is negative or positive, but I must state that this book is not for beginners to sit down and read. It is clearly written as a seminary textbook. Sometimes people have simple questions about death and unless they understand deeper, more complex issues in theology, the book will probably be over their head. Again, this is not a critique--it is just reality. For a beginner to read this book would be like a first grader walking into an advanced calculus class trying to grasp what was being taught.

But, to give Morey the benefit of the doubt, how can one make a subject like this any simpler without taking away the advanced knowledge? For instance, if a first grader were to ask a rocket scientist, "What is Rocket Science?", where would the scientist begin? The questions about afterlife and death demands more than a simple answer. As stated in my opening paragraph, there are other authors who give simpler, watered down insights for those who may not grasp the deeper meanings of death and the afterlife. It may be that one should read them first to build a foundation of eschatological understanding. While other books may state what they perceive as "truth," many do not contain the reasons why the "truth" is what it is. Once one gets a theological foundation built, then this book should be read. Morey not only gives you his belief about death/afterlife, he also gives you a reason why he believes what he believes.

Regardless of how difficult a read the book is due to the depth of the subject matter, I would suggest reading this book. If you feel issues are over your head, sit down and digest it a few pages at a time (as I had to do at times!) even if it takes you a year. I think once you understand Morey's point of view, you will appreciate it more. And, you will walk away with a seminary education in the process!

Rating:
Summary: Errors abound!
Review: Being familiar with some of Mr. Morey's arguments in regard to the Trinity, I wasn't too surprised to see errors and misunderstandings on his part in this book. While his book is much more thorough than some on this subject, Morey still misstates arguments that are contrary to his opinion. The errors start early as we find in the second sentence of the Foreword, written by Walter Martin, another apologist I am not very impressed with, a gross error apparently overlooked by both the reviewers below and Morey himself.

The Foreword reads, "King Solomon asked the question, "If a man die, shall he live again?" This statement, in the context of the book of Ecclesiastes, mirrors the cynical pessimism of the skeptical philosopher." This statement immediately clued me into how this book will attempt to deal with scriptures that flat out contradict the opinion of the book. Often we find immortalist attacking the book of Ecclesiastes and it's author because it shows that the dead are unconscious, having no knowledge nor devising any scheme while they are in sheol. (Ecc 9:10) Unfortunately for Martin and Morey, the 'cynical, pessimistic philosopher named Solomon' didn't say those words. Instead, a righteous man by the name of Job said those words at Job 14:14,15. Wrong book, wrong writer.

There are misconceptions, inaccuracies and straw men built throughout his book, but I will cover what I can in 1000 words the errors found merely in chapter 1.

Morey, apparently painfully aware of the hundreds of scriptures (literally) in the OT that show the soul is mortal and common with both man and beast, begins by trying to undermine the readers faith in what the OT says of the soul and condition of the dead.. He writes, "we cannot base our understanding of death and the afterlife solely upon passages found in the [OT]." He is arguing about the progressive character of God's revelation to man. Thus, what Moses, Solomon and others wrote about the soul, nature of man and death are incorrect. While most persons agree with the idea of progressive revelation, me included, we don't believe that newer revelation overrides older teachings. Otherwise, the older teachings would in fact be false. Jesus didn't come to destroy the older teachings and promises in God's Word, he came to make sure they would be fulfilled. Morey, rather than viewing the Bible as one united book, divides the book into the accurate [NT] and the confused and uniformed [OT], pointing to the fact that 40 different men wrote it over a long period to support his claim

Morey also argues that "annihilationists" must base their doctrine of "soul sleep" nearly entirely on the OT. Of course, this is incorrect. The NT carries this theme along at John 11 with Lazarus and also 1 Thess 4:13-17. See also 1 Cor 15 and Peter's writings. The NT, doesn't change the meaning of the OT view of death, it merely adds to it, showing that the resurrection is the true hope for mankind. And what of the OT and it's accuracy? Is Morey telling us that the angel at Daniel 12:2,13 was in ignorance due to progressive revelation?

Morey also states in regard to whether the wicked are destroyed or tormented forever, "It never seems to occur to [annihilationists] that if the biblical authors wanted to express clearly the idea of extinction...of the wicked, there were words available to them...which they could have been used. But the biblical authors did not use those words." This is a curious position to take. Morey condemns us for saying the wicked will be destroyed, not tormented and says the bible would have used words to that effect if that is what they meant. But tell us this, how many times does the word "destroy" and "destruction" appear in the scriptures verses "torment?" And you say "the biblical authors did not use those words?"

I'm quickly running out of room and I have so much more to say about Morey's book. But for now, keep this in mind. Anytime someone begins to look for ways to discredit what the Bible says in certain areas, a caution flag should immediately arise. Rather than use Morey's approach of showing what the pagans understood about man and then using that to interpret biblical terms, why not simply see how the Bible uses these terms. I suppose if Morey was alive 1000 years from now he would conclude that Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists also believed in an immortal soul because the religions around them did! He would be grossly incorrect about that as well. The best way to know what JW's believed is to read their writings. The same with the Bible. Morey should have studied more what the Bible says about the soul rather than what the pagan's thought of it.

The doctrine of the immortality of the soul runs contrary to the hope of Christians. It makes null the important doctrine of the resurrection. If we simply float off to a "paradise" waiting until our bodies our resurrected and we can be re-united with them, then why did Paul say we are the most to be pitied of all men if there is no resurrection? Why did he say our faith was in vain if there was no resurrection? Is it so bad in Morey's interim "paradise" that if we cannot be re-united with our bodies in the resurrection we might as well have the attitude of "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we shall die?" (Read 1 Cor 15) No, Paul's hope was to be resurrected in the future. And before you start throwing out Phil 1:23, etc., do some research on them. They don't say what Morey reads into them. Christians aren't told to look forward to an interim paradise from which they can joyfully wait until they are re-united with their bodies. For Jesus and Paul, the resurrection out of the grave was the only hope for mankind. (John 5:28, 1 Thess 4:13-17, 1 Cor 15, Rev 20)

Rating:
Summary: An Essential Reference Work in Eschatology
Review: Dr. Morey is well known in Christian apologetic circles and counter-cult ministry, and this book is one of his best works. It is also a contemporary classic in the genre (eschatology). The book is divided into two parts, each with 5 chapters. Part I, Exposition, concentrates on the explanation and application of key principles of biblical interpretation as they relate to the subjects of death and the afterlife. The five chapter titles of Part I are: 1) The Hermeneutics of Death, 2) Body, Soul and Spirit, 3) Sheol, Hades and Gehenna, 4) Immortality, Resurrection, and Everlasting Life, and 5) Punishment: Conscious and Eternal. Chapters 1 - 3 discuss 6 key interpretive principles, the nature of humankind, and the Hebrew & Greek words used in the Bible to refer to human nature and certain places in the afterlife. Chapter 4 is short and acts as a sort of preface to the much longer Chapter 5 which, as the chapter title suggests, argues that hell is conscious and unending punishment for sin. Biblical terminology is analyzed along with the usage of terms in Rabbinic literature, the New Testament Apocrypha, and Patristic writings.

Part II, Defense, takes the conclusions of Part I and strengthens them with an apologetic approach that addresses anti-biblical contemporary belief systems regarding death and the afterlife. The 5 chapter titles of Part II are: 6) The Present Situation, 7) Materialism, 8) Annihilationism, 9) Universalism, and 10) Occultism. According to Dr. Morey, materialism is the reduction of everything to matter. Annihilationism is the theory that the wicked pass into non-existence either at death or at the resurrection. Universalism is the idea that all men will find themselves ultimately in an eternal state of bliss, and Occultism involves communication with the spirits of the dead.

There are two appendices. The first was written by Dr. Alfred Edersheim and is entitled "On Eternal Punishment, According to the Rabbis and the New Testament." The second appendix is a compilation of additional readings from Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (two early Church fathers). Overall, this book is an essential reference work in the study of anthropology and eschatology. It was one of the works that contributed to my personal belief that God alone is "eternal" (without beginning or end) and everything else is either temporal or "everlasting" as He wills. Although "eternal" and "everlasting" are sometimes used synonymously, the uniqueness of God must be preserved and the fact that God can sustain someone in existence forever must not be forgotten.

Rating:
Summary: You can't top this one on the subject!
Review: This book by Dr. Robert Morey is in my opinion the best argument in print on the biblical teaching of the life after death. I did use it extensively when writing a major technical paper at the teological faculty of the University of Aarhus, Denmark. The subject for the paper was an investigation of the arguments used by the socalled "annihilationists" (for example John Stott, Clark Pinnock, John Wenham, Michael Green, Fudge, the Seventh Say Adventists and Jehovas Witnesses). I read nearly every book I could find on this subject in danish, norwegian, swedish, german and english. Many of these books did provide good and strong arguments but no one did outrange this book by Dr. Robert Morey. Morey takes the arguments of the annihilationists one by one and demolishes them totally. By this book NOW - before it goes out of print! Klaus Dahl, Denmark

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books on the Subject
Review: This is a very thorough and in-depth book on the subject of death and the after-life. Dr. Morey sets the book out in a very logical manner and is a very good book to add to any library.