What Judaism Teaches About the Mashiach, Resurrection, and the End of Days

One of the thirteen principles of faith formulated by the Rambam is the absolute belief in the coming of Mashiach. Even today, many Jews are waiting for someone who will come and bring order to the world. What will the Messianic Era look like? Will we continue to work, live, and eventually die? And how long will that era last?

Rabbi Eli Amar explains that the coming of Mashiach is not a single moment but part of an entire system that deals with the rectification of all creation. When the first human was created on the sixth day, he had only one commandment — not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge — and yet he ate. The Ramchal explains that this act brought about a transformation in the entire creation: the six days of creation became six thousand years. Therefore, the Jewish People are responsible for bringing the world to its correction by fulfilling the 613 commandments and uplifting the spiritual state of the entire universe.

Where Does Mashiach Fit In?

Mashiach is destined to bring this process to completion. There are prophecies stating that before Mashiach comes, the Jewish People will gather and return to their land — something that has already happened. No one can point to the exact moment when Mashiach will arrive, but all the signs indicate that it will happen soon.

What Will The World Look Like?

The Rambam says that Mashiach's role will be to bring peace and tranquility to the world. There will be no wars or hostility from other nations, and the Jewish people will be able to fulfill the entire Torah in the Land of Israel — including the rebuilding of the Temple. Through this, the world will reach its correction, which will usher in the seventh millennium, corresponding to the seventh day of creation.

The Seventh Millennium

The verse says, “No eye has seen it, except for God.” We cannot truly understand it. We know only that it will not be a physical, material world like ours. The spiritual dimension will dominate; our “work” will be spiritual, and we will all be involved in Torah and mitzvot.

The prophet says, “Strangers will stand and shepherd your flocks.” Meaning, we will not need to occupy ourselves with physical matters, because others will handle them on our behalf. The Talmud (Shabbat) says that among the nations there will be a great longing to cling to the Jewish people and assist them.

Will Resurrection Cause Overpopulation?

No. Today there are many regions of the world that are unused or uninhabited. In addition, when God brings about the resurrection of the dead, He will create a different kind of system that is supernatural and not according to the concepts we know today.

Will everyone be resurrected?

No. The prophet Daniel says in chapter 12: “And many of those who sleep in the dust will awake.” Meaning: many, but not all. For example, someone who denies the resurrection of the dead, one who lends money with interest, and others who brought this upon themselves, will not rise in the resurrection.

Who will be resurrected?

The righteous will rise in order to fulfill mitzvot here, thereby adding “spiritual savings” for the World to Come. Righteous gentiles will also rise, receive reward, and gain a second opportunity to cling to the Jewish People. On the other hand, the wicked will also rise — and God will resurrect them in order to punish them.

At the end of the 6,000 years, there will be another resurrection. Then the life of the World to Come will begin — where reward will not relate to food, drink, marital relations, or any physical experiences. In the spiritual dimension, the body will not sustain the soul — rather, the soul will sustain the body.

The seventh millennium represents eternal life, for in that era there will be no physical concept of time.

To reach the World to Come in peace, the “price of admission” is spiritual: not money, not a membership card, but Torah, mitzvot, and good deeds.