Kingdom Proclaimers Report

The Resurrection Hope

THE resurrection hope is part of the “primary doctrine” of the Bible and gives a person spiritual strength when facing death. (Hebrews 6:1, 2; John 5:28, 29) Jehovah has provided this hope. A student in Japan cultivated this hope and shared it with others.

When this student was first contacted by a Kingdom proclaimer, he refused to take Bible literature because he did not like to read. However, he was invited to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses and was warmly welcomed. He liked what he heard and later invited three of his high school companions to go with him, which all of them did. All four were considered “bad” boys by their schoolteachers.

As they studied the book Your Youth​—Getting the Best out of It, their rebellious attitude changed, and this was noticed by the teacher, who also became interested and began to share in the Bible study. The leader of the “bad” boys was sickly and died at the age of 15. Although he had attended the Christian meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses only a short time, he had built up a wonderful faith. So just before he died he wrote and expressed his strong faith in the resurrection hope. He said:

“My life will end after 15 years because of complications from dwarfism. Compared to an ordinary person, I have lived only one fifth of my life. But in those 15 years, I had entire satisfaction. Especially in the spring of my 15th year have I enjoyed delightfully happy days. . . . Best of all is the knowledge that there is an Almighty God who can cure sickness and do away with death. To know that if one dies there is a hope of a resurrection is delightful.”

This young person loved the scripture that gives hope of ‘new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness is to dwell.’ (2 Peter 3:13) He added: “I will sleep a little while. If it is God’s will, we will meet again in Paradise. . . . Do not cry for me. I will only be sleeping. I will awake soon. Look for me in the thousand-year Kingdom. Wait for me. I’ll be along soon.”

By his strong faith and hope this young person encouraged others. Two of his teachers and three of his friends continued to study the Bible and attend meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The resurrection hope not only sustained this young man but can also sustain all those putting faith in Jehovah God’s promises.

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“I will sleep a little while. If it is God’s will, we will meet again in Paradise.”