Do you know what an “out-of-the-body” or “near-death” experience is? People who claim to have experienced this phenomenon describe themselves either floating above the room watching doctors work on their bodies or seeing a bright light shining at the end of what seemed like a long hall.

The question that comes to mind is: Can people really die and come back to tell about it? We can’t answer that for sure, but it does raise another question: What will the Christian see in death?

The Lord will be with us

We certainly wouldn’t call it an out-of-body experience, but the apostle Paul wrote a letter to the young pastor Timothy when the hour of death was near for him. In that letter, Paul describes some of the things he was experiencing. What he writes helps us understand what every Christian will see in the hour of death. Paul wrote, “I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. . . . But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. . . . The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:6-8; 2 Timothy 4:16-18).

Paul wrote these words while in prison facing death. Many of his friends and coworkers had deserted him. But he was not alone. The Lord was with him. That’s exactly what every Christian will experience in the hour of death too—the Lord’s abiding presence. So when death comes, don’t be afraid of being alone. Don’t be upset if you were not at a loved one’s side when he or she died. For no Christian will ever die alone. The Lord will be there.

We can tell others about Jesus

Facing his own death Paul also saw an opportunity to share God’s Word. Apparently, while on trial, Paul had opportunity to give witness to the good news about Jesus being the only way to heaven. When he realized his time was short, he used his final moments to write this beautiful letter to Timothy and share the gospel truth.