What happens to us when we die? That mystery has intrigued people down through the ages.

Some researchers are cautiously suggesting that they may be close to an answer. They are checking into reports from individuals who claim to have undergone near-death experiences that took them beyond time and space. Some analysts think that further research will eventually solve the mystery of death.

Must we anxiously await their verdict? By no means! God has already revealed in the Bible what happens after death.

If we have trusted God's Son Jesus Christ as our Savior, we know we will be "present with the Lord" when we die (2 Cor. 5:8). Paul said that because Christ died for our sins and rose from the grave, "Death is swallowed up in victory" (1 Cor. 15:54). But those who reject Christ will have to face God's fierce judgment and an eternity in hell (Rev. 20:11-15).

Anyone looking for clues about what happens to us when we die would be wise to research the Bible. It gives us God's answer to the most pressing question of the ages. Christ's empty tomb assures us that it is a mystery already solved.  — Vernon C. Grounds