«THE DEAD WILL HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SON OF GOD»
«The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live». John 5:25
THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS, in Egypt, is one of the most famous necropolises in the world. There we find the tombs of many pharaohs who, based on their beliefs, gathered in that «city of the dead» (meaning of «necropolis») to set out on their journey to the afterlife. Today their tombs, treasures, and mummies reveal they did not go anywhere.
In turn, Christians identify with the word «cemetery» to refer to the place where the dead are taken. Why? Because the word «cemetery» comes from the Greek koimetérion, which means «resting place.» The cemetery, death, is not the beginning of a journey to the afterlife, it is simply a period of rest.
When our Lord informed His disciples about Lazarus’s death, He said, «Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up» (John 11:11). The Bible describes death with the metaphor of sleep. When Moses was about to die, God told him, «You are about to lie down with your fathers» (Deuteronomy 31:16, EHV). Referring to his own death, Job said, «l shall sleep in the dust» (Job 7:21, JUB). The psalmist cried out, «Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death» (Psalm 13:3). Daniel mentions the moment when «many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth» (Daniel 12:2) will rise again.
Since we view it as a mere sleep, Christians don’t fall into despair when facing death. As Ellen G. White points out, «to the believer, death is but a small matter. Christ speaks of it as if it were of little moment. . . . To the Christian, death is but a sleep, a moment of silence and darkness.»*
This Bible promise is for us: «When he returns, many who believe in him will have died already. We believe that God will bring them back with Jesus» (I Thessalonians 4:14, NIRV). It’s a wonderful promise that fills us with encouragement. Thank You, Lord Jesus!
Throughout our lives we have taken many of our loved ones to the cemetery. And we have gone there knowing they will soon «hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live» (John 5:25). They will hear that voice whether they are in a necropolis or a cemetery.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Avineyda Hernández