Qiyamah: The Day That Death Will Die, Lesson 10

The Death of Death

"I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction? (Taurat, Hosea 13:14)

This book began with the "birth of death" and now we come to the "death of death". Death will one day cease to exist, because death is unnatural. The main reason that it seems to be a natural part of life to us today is that we have lived all of our lives with death. We know nothing else, and so we think it is normal. But it is not normal.

Death is not a part of Allah's creation. Death is a sentence which Allah imposed on creation as a penalty for sin, as the Scriptures say:

The soul who sins is the one who will die. - Taurat, Dhul-kifl 18:20

The wages of sin is death. - Holy Injil, Romans 6:23

In this way death came to all men, because all sinned. - Holy Injil, Romans 5:12

Death has been with us ever since our forefather Adam ate the forbidden fruit, disobeying Allah's direct command. Eternal life in Paradise had been offered to Adam and Hawa, but by sinning they threw it away. There were two trees in the middle of Paradise which were very significant. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil contained the forbidden fruit which brought death. The other tree was the tree of life which could give them immortality. However, once Adam and Hawa sinned, they lost the right to eat from the tree of life:

And the Lord God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Taurat, Genesis 3:22-24)

Even though our first parents lost the right to eat from the tree of life, Allah has been at work throughout the centuries to restore what was lost. In qiyamah, this work of restoration will be completed. John, one of Isa's companions and a prophet, was given a vision of the future in which he saw the tree of life restored:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of Allah and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. (Holy Injil, Revelation 22:1-3)

To each person a personal invitation goes out to partake of the tree of life, but conditions must be met:

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the congregations. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of Allah. (Holy Injil, Revelation 2:7)

With an obedient heart, we must listen to what Allah's Spirit is saying through his holy word. We must be overcomers by means of our faith in Prophet 'Isa al-Masih. He is the one whom Allah chose to die in our place for our sins. He rose again and is a living Saviour. He will come again to judge and reward us. Do you believe this? If you have accepted 'Isa al-Masih as your Lord and Saviour, then you will have the right to eat from the tree of life in Allah's paradise.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

In the beginning Allah created the heavens and the earth. Allah saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Taurat, Genesis 1:1,31)

The present heaven and earth which were created "very good" and beautiful, have been scarred by sin, decay, and death. You can look in any direction and see a world which though beautiful, is infected with death and decay. Things don't get better and better. Left to themselves, they go from bad to worse. This is because death is everywhere present in our world. But look at what will happen to death in the day of judgment after Isa's kingdom:

The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. (Holy Injil, Revelation 20:13,14)

Death and the grave (or place of dead spirits of people) will be consumed in a fiery lake and never appear again. At the same time that Allah will destroy death, he will also remake his creation. The old heaven and old earth, will give way to a new heaven and new earth. Everything that is tainted by sin and death will be changed:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Allah, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of Allah is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and Allah himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" (Holy Injil, Revelation 21:1-5)

Allah will make all things new. Death will die, and eternal life will be the portion of all those who trust in Prophet Isa Masih as Saviour from sin. But wait! Allah has even now begun his new creation. His new creation exists in the hearts of his people, as it is written:

If anyone is in Masih, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (Holy Injil, 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Would you like all the "old" to be gone? The old sins, the old fears, the old shame, the old guilt? Then look to Prophet Isa the Saviour and intercessor to make your life new. He can take away the shame and guilt of your sins. He can exchange the fear of death with courage and joy about the future. He came to give you eternal life, and is alive to intercede to Allah on your behalf. Invite him into your life today. Isa said,

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me. (Holy Injil, Revelation 3:20)

I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. (Holy Injil, John 10:10)