A self-proclaimed knowledge of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is the condition of the dead, knowledge that somehow the rest of the world has missed. Their claim to this knowledge comes from a unique interpretation of the bible. To even entertain this belief, the reader must also trust the bible as a reliable source of information.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses reinforce this “knowledge” of death and resurrection with attractive images of the paradise to come.
How could a sceptic, or even a bible scholar, have any hope of debating this with a Witness? For the sceptic, there is no way to test the theory. The sceptic leaves any possible afterlife must remain firmly in the realm of faith. For the bible scholar, “knowledge” comes down to testing the relative merits of bible interpretation, what I call “hurling scriptures at each other”; as useless as counting the angels on the head of a pin.
The Jehovah’s Witness view, from “Insight to the Scriptures”
The dead are … “conscious of nothing at all” and the death state to be one of complete inactivity. (Eccl. 9:5, 10; Ps. 146:4) In both the Hebrew and the Greek Scriptures death is likened to sleep… (Ps. 13:3; John 11:11-14) The resurrected Jesus is spoken of as “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep in death.” (1 Cor. 15:20, 21)…Thus, those dying go into the “dust of death” (Ps. 22:15), becoming “impotent in death.” (Prov. 2:18; Isa. 26:14) (The rest of the article quotes The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible and Professor Edmond Jacob to dismiss scriptures that speak of the soul and separation of soul from the body as figures of speech.)
Here are some other contemporary views of the afterlife.
Jewish Beliefs on the Afterlife
But Judaism is much more focused on actions than beliefs, so it is actually to be expected that its prophets and sages have not spent as much time on speculations about the world to come as elaborations on the mitzvot to be performed in this life. The Torah and Talmud alike focus on the purpose of earthly life, which is to fulfill one's duties to God and one's fellow man.
The Sadducees, from Wikipedia
According to Josephus, the Sadducees believed that … the soul is not immortal; there is no afterlife, and there are no rewards or penalties after death[.] The Sadducees rejected the belief in resurrection, which was a central tenet of the growing Jesus movement. This often provoked hostility between the two groups…
The Pharisees, from Wikiepdia
According to Josephus, Pharisees were further distinguished from the Sadducees in that Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead. It is likely that Josephus highlighted these differences because he was writing for a Gentile audience, and questions concerning fate and a life after death were important in Hellenic philosophy. In fact, it is difficult, or impossible, to reconstruct a Second Temple Pharisaic theology, because Judaism itself is non-creedal; that is, there is no dogma or set of orthodox beliefs that Jews believed were required of Jews. … The Pharisees believed in a literal resurrection of the body.
…Endiku is sick and near death as he recounts this dream in which he is greeted by a hideous monster with large claws that transports him to the Queen of Darkness to the “house from which none who enters ever returns…” He sees people with dark gray faces, starving for food and looking hopeless. On this same day after he awakens from this dream, Enkidu dies, and Gilgamesh is so consumed with grief…
This Greek view of life after death is not a horrific vision as in Enkidu’s dream, yet Argives tells Ulysses, “’Say not a word’…’in death’s favour; I would rather be a paid servant in a poor man’s house and be above ground than king of kings among the dead.’” Therefore, Argives indicates being dead is not as envious as being alive. The Greek afterlife appears to be a place of neutrality, filled with neither sorrow, nor happiness; just an empty void where souls journey after their physical bodies have expired.
“Your so-called life [on earth] is really death…Unless that God whose temple is the whole visible universe releases you from the prison of the body, you cannot gain entrance here.” Clearly, the Romans viewed life on earth as a Hellish existence and in death a Heavenly afterlife exists for all those deserving.
Most Christians understand the soul as an ontological reality distinct from, yet integrally connected with, the body. Its characteristics are described in moral, spiritual, and philosophical terms. When people die, their souls will be judged by God and determined to spend an eternity in heaven or in hell.
Until the Day of Judgment, deceased souls remain in their graves awaiting the resurrection. However, they begin to feel immediately a taste of their destiny to come. Those bound for hell will suffer in their graves, while those bound for heaven will be in peace until that time.
The resurrection that will take place on the Last Day is physical, and is explained by suggesting that God will re-create the decayed body (17:100: "Could they not see that God who created the heavens and the earth is able to create the like of them"?).
On the Last Day, resurrected humans and jinn will be judged by Allah according to their deeds. One's eternal destination depends on balance of good to bad deeds in life. They are either granted admission to Paradise, where they will enjoy spiritual and physical pleasures forever, or condemned to Hell to suffer spiritual and physical torment for eternity.
See also: Beliefs on the soul
Conclusion
I conclude that the Jehovah’s Witnesses sell their version of the afterlife as a unique brand; attractive and colourful, closely aligned with the Pharisee and Islamic view. The “knowledge” is made-up, but attractive even so. I would not even attempt to dissuade a Witness otherwise. Also note that not all religions demand doctrinal orthodoxy, choosing rather to focus on our duties here on earth.