Job 15-19

Job 15

Eliphaz responds to Job. He maintains his point of view for after all are three of them with similar perspectives. He actually lays insults into Job, calling him a windbag and that Job's speeches are nonsense. He also repeats the argument that since God does not trust angels, God would trust humans even less. That may or may not be true but given the source of the idea from the previous chapter, it should be discarded and not thrown in Job's face.

Eliphaz describes what happens to rich men who received their wealth from bribery. They get struck down by God. He does not specifically call Job a thief, but I think the implication is clear.

What great friends he has. They are presumptuous and self-righteous and laying it all into him when he's down on his luck. That said, in their minds, they are probably just trying to help as best they can.

Job 16-17

Job points this out. He calls them miserable comforters and that they should be trying to take away his grief. He then restates that he thinks that God hates him. He also pleads to God to defend his innocence against his mockers.

Job 18

Bildad speaks his reply. Similarly to Elpihaz, he describes how the lives of the wicked are destroyed. They will not have children or grandchildren. (v. 19) Fire comes from the sky and burns their homes. (v. 15). Again, he does not specifically call Job wicked but the implication is clear.

Job 19

Job repeats his defenses. He calls this interrogation "torture" (v. 2) and that his friends have abandoned him (v. 19) along with his family and servants (v. 13-18). He has an interesting perspective towards God. He unequivocally believes that God did this to him. Yet, he refers to God as his "Redeemer". (v. 25). So, he believes he will be redeemed in some future way.

He also indicates that he will actually see God after his body has decayed. (v. 26-27). So, it seems like he may have answered his own question that he posed several chapters before - he does believe in the afterlife. He also states that God will come and physically stand on the earth. (v. 25). From the Christian perspective, it is easy to see what that could be.

An alternative interpretation could be metaophorical and waxing poetic (which happens a lot in this book). He could also believe that he will be "redeemed" in this lifetime and that would be like seeing God. For me, given the context of statement, it seems to fit more into the New Testament prophecies about the second coming of Christ. A decayed body, God standing on the earth, and meeting God face to face all seem to indicate that.

So, does Job believe in an afterlife? At this point, I would say yes.