There is a verse in the Old Testament about death that would seem strange to many people, even many Christians today.  The reason is because what it says is just the opposite of how most people think about death.

Ecclesiastes 7:1b.  “The day you die is better than the day you are born.” (NLT)  Most people, even most Christians, look at births as happy occasions, but deaths as sad occasions.  Why is death better for the true believer in Jesus Christ?  The Answer—Because of the great promises God has given us.

1.  The Promise of a Better Life.  Revelation 21:4 says that in Heaven there will be “no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.”  God is going to make everything new.  This life cannot be compared to our life for all eternity. 

2.  The Promise of a Better Relationship with the Lord.  2 Corinthians 5:6, 8 says that the moment we die, we are at home with the Lord.  For a Christian, death is like passing through a door into the very presence of our Lord.

3.  The Promise of a Better body.  1 Corinthians 15:51-55 says that when the Lord comes back for both the living and the dead believers, their bodies will be transformed into glorified bodies like the Lord Jesus Christ, never to decay or die again.

4.  The Promise of a Better Home.  In John 14:1-6  Jesus promised to prepare a heavenly home for us and then come back to take us home to be with Him.

A true believer in Christ…

• will have an eternal life of joy.
• will have immediate access to the Lord.
• will have a glorified body.
• will have a new and glorious home.

Now that’s real hope!  No wonder King Solomon said that the day we die is better than the day we were born.