Death

Beyond Death

How should the believer view death? Daniel looked into the future and saw hope in the midst of death. He described the state of the dead in terms of “those who sleep” (Dan. 12:2), which is a metaphor. The “sleep” of death means that the dead will someday “wake up” from their temporary condition and go on to an eternal state—“some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2).

Other Old Testament writers reflect this same view that death is not the end of existence. Some describe it euphemistically as a reunion with one's ancestors (Gen. 15:15; 35:29; 1 Kin. 2:10). Others refer to it in a way that shows they expected to meet God when they died (Ps. 17:15; 73:23–24). Likewise, in the New Testament, Paul used language similar to Daniel's in describing the sleep of death (Eph. 5:14; 1 Thess. 4:13–14).

God does not let death have the final say over us. He invites us into eternal life with Him through the provision of Christ, who died and came back to life in order to deal with our sin and enable us to escape condemnation and death.

Death Loses Its Power

Are you afraid of death? Many people are. Death seems to be the ultimate enemy, taking away our most cherished possession—life itself. Some people, faced with the inevitability of dying, try to deny what is coming, as if ignoring it would make it go away.

But the Bible faces death head-on. Its pages are filled with accounts of death and dying, of both the good and the bad, the powerful and the weak, kings and paupers, faithful and sinners. Even God confronted the painful reality of death in the crucifixion of His Son, Jesus.

However, the Bible offers hope in the face of death by challenging death's ultimate victory. For example, Hosea promised that God would ransom His faithful people from the power of the grave: “I will redeem them from death”.the Lord vowed (Hos. 13:14). The prophet's declaration is actually a taunt song that ridicules death's power.

A number of other biblical writers affirm God's power over death:

• In recording Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden, which allowed death to enter the world, Moses also recorded God's curse, which included a word of hope: the tempter who brought sin and death into the world would eventually be conquered (Gen. 3:14–15). The implication is that death will not have the final word in this life. God will, through Jesus.
• Isaiah promised that God will “swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces” (Is. 25:8).
• Even as Jeremiah lamented the tragic death of the holy city Jerusalem, he sounded a bright note of hope by reminding his listeners of God's mercies, which are “new every morning.” One can “hope in Him,” because salvation is from the Lord (Lam. 3:22–27).
• Paul echoed Hosea's words when he rhetorically asked, “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” Then he added, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:55–57).
• John foresaw the end of death in his vision of a new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:1, 4).

Because Christ offers everlasting life in His presence to those who believe in Him (John 11:25–26), Christians can sing songs of hope and praise at the funerals of fellow believers. Even as the mourners lament the loss of their loved ones in this life, they can rest in the confidence and hope of being reunited with them in heaven.

Is death the ultimate defeat for you? Or do you have hope in Christ of experiencing the ultimate victory?

Life Is Short

Young people often act like they think they think they are immortal. Likewise, people whose lives are basically going well can be lured into the trap of thinking that the good times will never end. But when sudden difficulties or death confront us, they can shake us into the awareness that life is very short.

Job came to that realization (Job 16:22). The sudden loss of his family, wealth, and health helped him gain perspective on life—and death. For example, he came to see his life as passing more swiftly than a skilled weaver's shuttle as it runs through the loom (Job 7:6). Likewise, he compared his life to the existence of a flower or a passing shadow (Job 14:1–2).

These thoughts may sound morbid, but facing the fact of life's brevity can help us do a better job of living the time that is allotted to us. We don't have to go through the kinds of sufferings that Job did to gain that perspective.

Life is on loan from God. Therefore we do well to understand as much as we can of its length and breadth, its strength and weakness, and its place in human history. By doing so, we can honor the truth of the psalmist who wrote, “My times are in Your hand” (Ps. 31:15).

Death Threats

Sometimes faith in God can be very unpopular. It can even trigger death threats by those who are hostile to the Lord. This kind of violent opposition to the faith still takes place in various countries of the world today, when followers of Christ choose loyalty to their Lord over compromising their convictions.

Jeremiah was threatened with death in reaction to his message of God's impending judgment of Jerusalem and its people (Jer. 26:11). Fortunately, the prophet's influential friends prevented any harm from coming to him (Jer. 26:16, 24). But many others in Scripture (and throughout history) proved their commitment to God with their blood, as the accompanying table shows. Their sacrifice challenges believers today, especially those who live where they are not openly persecuted, to examine their hearts carefully. Would we be as brave and loyal to the Lord if the penalty for following Him were death?