The common perception is that man will stand up from his grave and continue life from where he left off, this time to no end, pushing on for eternity. The reason Techias HaMeisim is perceived in this manner, is our belief that the physical world is real and independent, existing forever, though its inhabitants pass on. That is, in the absence of any catastrophe, our planet will continue on its present course. Because, as discussed earlier, we hold this world to be substantial and tangible, we cannot see the resurrection in any other way, certain that our present existence is real and self-contained. This too, is a critical mistake.
Man only lives once.
There is no such thing as later. Let us explain. Within a limited framework of time, HaKadosh Baruch Hu has granted man life. Though we sense only the physical side of mortal man, in actuality our existence extends well beyond these confines, and the essential identity of our true selves climbs a ladder to heaven. The elevated side of our nature exists in a dimension that supplants the limitations of time and space, and it is this exalted part of man that reflects the eternal image of G-d.