101. “They will be free for seven days,” he answered, “and during that time they will be able to see the things I have told you about. After that they will be brought together with the other souls in their homes.”
102. Then I said, “Sir, please tell me whether the righteous will be able to ask God Most High to show mercy on the unrighteous on Judgement Day.
103. Will fathers be able to pray for their children, children for parents, brothers for brothers, relatives for those near to them, and friends for those dear to them?”
104. “I will be happy to tell you,” he replied. “Judgement Day is final and sets the seal on truth for all to see. You know that in this age a father cannot send his son to be sick for him or sleep or eat or be healed for him. An owner cannot send his slave to do these things for him, nor can a person send his best friend.
105. In the same way, on that day, no one will be able to pray for another person. Each person will receive the punishment or reward for his own sinfulness or righteousness.”
106. “If that is so,” I answered, “how can we explain what we find in the Scriptures? Abraham prayed for the people of Sodom, and Moses for our ancestors who sinned in the desert.
107. Later, Joshua prayed for the people of Israel in the time of Achan,
108. and Samuel prayed for them in the days of Saul. David prayed at the time of the epidemic, and Solomon prayed for those who were going to worship in the Temple.
109. Elijah prayed that the people might have rain and for a dead person to come back to life.
110. Hezekiah prayed for the people during the time of Sennacherib. And there are many other examples.
111. If righteous people prayed for the unrighteous during such times when corruption increased and injustice multiplied, why won't the same thing happen at the Judgement Day?”
112. “The present age is not the end of everything,” the angel answered. “Even in this age, the glorious presence of God is not always seen. That is why the strong have prayed for the weak during this age.
113. But the Judgement Day will be the end of the present age and the beginning of the future age. Then all corruption will end,
114. self-indulgence and disloyalty will be eliminated. Righteousness and truth will reach their full maturity.
115. So on Judgement Day, no one will be able to have mercy on those who have been condemned, and no one will be able to harm those who have been acquitted.”
116. I answered, “I made this point before, and I will make it again. It would have been better if the earth had never produced Adam, or when it had done so, if it had made him so that he could not sin.
117. What good is it for any of us to have life in the present age, when it is full of misery and when all we can look forward to after death is punishment?
118. O Adam, what have you done? Your sin was not only your own downfall; it was also the downfall of all of us who are your descendants.
119. What good is it to us that we have the promise of immortal life, when we have committed sins that condemn us to death?