When we look into a human being’s inner world, we see that they are not limited to meeting only material needs. Beyond basic requirements like food, shelter, and safety, there lies a much deeper and more abstract dimension. This is the sense of “eternity.” No matter how many worldly blessings a person enjoys, no matter how prosperous their life may be, there always burns a flame of everlasting yearning in a corner of the heart. This longing is embedded in our very nature.
If we were to assume that death is a sharp end point—an abyss that brings all existence to a close—then this quest for eternity would become a meaningless struggle. Think about it: a person spends decades in this world, experiences both joys and sorrows, accumulates knowledge, loves, and hopes. If in the end all these efforts, all the beauty and effort spent, were to end in absolute nothingness, wouldn’t human existence feel like a pointless flailing? A heart inclined toward eternity, forced to live in a transient world only to vanish completely, would suffer a deep inner torment. The need for eternity is too vast to be contained within a finite realm. Thus, when a person contemplates life and death, they cannot help but ask, “After all this effort, these blessings, and these feelings, is there really nothing but emptiness at the end?”
The state of the world reinforces this question. We see countless instances of injustice, oppression, and the violation of rights. Many an oppressed individual goes to their grave without ever being heard. Some escape justice at the very moment they should be held accountable; others bend the law to their advantage; still others inflict cruelty that leaves many souls wounded. By virtue of our conscience and innate sense of justice, we long for these wrongs not to remain unanswered. If all these injustices, oppressions, deceptions, and lies were to vanish into oblivion with death, justice would remain forever incomplete, unsatisfied. Deep within our conscience, we yearn for a Day of Reckoning, a great court of ultimate judgment. A heart oriented toward eternity also seeks an eternal justice.
When we observe creation, we see that every creature is brought into existence with wisdom, as if the universe is a vast, meaningful book to be read. Within this grand volume, the gift of a profound sense like “eternity” granted to a conscious being such as the human cannot be purposeless. Surely it must have a corresponding fulfillment—an opportunity, a realm, a span of existence that can meet it. The cramped and limited stage of earthly life cannot satisfy this longing for eternity. This is why, deep down, people anticipate another realm, an everlasting abode, and a definitive justice that will be carried out there. This anticipation stands as one of the strongest evidences pointing to the existence of an afterlife.
Consider this: a person who has been wronged might die without ever having their rights restored. The oppressor who trampled on those rights might evade punishment in worldly courts, might never face the consequences of their actions. Doesn’t this undermine our sense of justice? Yet, the human heart and mind know that there must be a realm where true justice will prevail. Without it, the intricate order of the universe, the astonishing subtleties we observe, the lofty human qualities like intellect, conscience, and virtue—why would they all exist if it all ended in nonsensical emptiness?
The existence of an afterlife soothes our conscience. There, every rightful owner will receive their due; true justice will be established. This reality refreshes and reassures the human soul.
Consider another example: Think of a fruit tree that produces delicious, fragrant fruit. People enjoy these blessings, savoring the sweet taste. But if everything ends with death, where is the lasting meaning behind these gifts? Such questions tug at the mind, urging it toward greater depths. Or consider a beautifully crafted painting: it certainly has a painter. If the painter created this work for a meaningful purpose, can we look at the grand painting of the cosmos—its magnificent colors, order, and harmony—and suggest that the Master Artist who arranged it all would instill an eternal longing in the human heart only to abandon it to nothingness? Absolutely not. That Artist must have prepared a realm where the eternal yearning instilled in humanity will find its fulfillment.
In conclusion, the human longing for eternity, ingrained in our nature, compels the necessity of a life beyond death. The injustices, cruelties, and wrongs witnessed in the world likewise lead us to seek an eternal courtroom where all accounts are settled. This pursuit resonates deeply within every person. That eternal life not only fulfills our yearning for everlasting existence but also provides the ultimate venue for true justice, thereby rescuing our lives from meaninglessness, meeting the demands of our eternal longing, and bringing genuine peace to our souls.
