wake up

“Death Is Swallowed Up Forever”

IMAGINE reading a newspaper with the above headline instead of reading about a young girl who has taken her own life. Of course, no newspaper has ever been able to make such a statement. But the above words do appear in a book that is thousands of years old—the Bible.

In the Scriptures, death is clearly explained. Furthermore, the Bible not only reveals why we die but also explains the condition of the dead and offers hope for our deceased loved ones. Finally, it speaks of a momentous time when it will be possible to report: “Death is swallowed up forever.”—1 Corinthians 15:54.

The Bible explains death in familiar rather than mysterious terms. For example, it repeatedly likens dying to ‘falling asleep,’ and it describes dead people as “sleeping in death.” (Psalm 13:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13; John 11:11-14) Death is also identified as an “enemy.” (1 Corinthians 15:26) More important, the Bible enables us to understand why death is like a sleep, why death afflicts mankind, and how this enemy will finally be defeated.