understand the principles of the Bible. Faith should be based on factual evidence. But if we do not believe it, religion is useless, no matter how good the principle is. So Paul the apostle said, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” (Rom. 10:14-15).

Jesus is the key to achieve eternal life. If you believe in Jesus but do not understand the principles of eternal life, your belief in Jesus would be useless. We believe in Jesus to obtain eternal life. People kept their faith in Jesus even when they were about to be beheaded or burned to death, because they had only one goal in their life. Paul said, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1Cor. 15:19). In other words, if there was not any reward in the spiritual world, there would not be any one more pitiful people than those who were martyred for Jesus.

When Jesus spoke spiritual words, his disciples were grumbling to each other because they could not understand and

believe his words. So Jesus said to his disciples because he was aware of his disciples’ whispering, “Does this offend you?” (John 6:61).

People who believed in God in the Old Testament days also wanted eternal life. So David said, “Because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay” (Ps. 16:10). He also wanted to obtain eternal life.

So did Daniel. When an angel came to Daniel and showed him what was to happen in the future, Daniel asked what the meaning of it was. Then the angel replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end” (Dan. 12:9) and “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance” (Dan. 12:13).

In that period, people had very little idea about what eternal life might look like, but there are some words about the requirements for eternal life in the Old Testament as well. So Jesus also said to his disciples, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess