Death Swallowed Up in Victory
“And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever” (Isa. 25:7-8).
This is an Old Testament prophecy about the Resurrection that was fulfilled in the first century. We can be sure of this for many reasons.
Mt. Zion
To start with, notice the reference to “this mountain.” This refers to Mt. Zion (see Isa. 24:23), which was the goal of Scripture. It was what all the Old Testament prophets longed for because death would finally be swallowed up/overcome.
And we can be sure it was fulfilled in the first century because the writer of Hebrews said:
“But you [Christians] have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel” (Heb. 12:22-24).
Mt. Zion had arrived—which meant death was being swallowed up! This is why the apostle Paul said:
” [Jesus] “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10).
This is also why Jesus said:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24)…“Whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:26).
These passages show two things: First, the Resurrection prophesied about in the Old Testament finally happened in the first century. Second, Resurrection is spiritual, not physical. The reason we can be sure Resurrection is spiritual is that these passages clearly say Jesus overcame death…yet Christians still die physically. Therefore, Jesus overcame spiritual death, not physical death.[1]
1 Corinthians 15
Paul also quoted Isaiah 25:8 in his letter to the Corinthians. Why? Because it was finally being fulfilled!
“51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 55 ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’ 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:51-57).
The reason Paul quoted Isaiah 25:8 is because it was finally being fulfilled. In fact, notice how Paul specifically linked the Resurrection to Jesus’ victory over the Law (see vv. 56-57). The reason Paul did this is because the Law inevitably led to spiritual death—because all have sinned. Yet Jesus overcame the Law, which brought life (aka Resurrection). Jesus restored man’s broken relationship with the Father by overcoming the Law. This is what Resurrection is all about!
Notice, also, how Paul told the Corinthians, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed” (see vv. 51-52). Paul clearly believed that the Resurrection would happen within the lifetimes of the Corinthians.
And the Resurrection did happen (in fulness) in AD 70 when the when the temple was destroyed. The destruction of the temple was the sign that the Old Covenant—aka the Law—had officially passed away (Heb. 9:8-9; Matt. 24:3).
Some Christians believe the Law passed away at the cross, but that’s just not true. In fact, the Law still had not passed away when Hebrews was written in the 60’s…although it would soon:
AD 63 “In that He [God] says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first [covenant] obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away” (Heb. 8:13).
The Law officially passed away when the temple—which symbolized the Old Covenant Age—was destroyed in AD 70. And since the end of the Law is linked to Resurrection, then this is when the Resurrection officially happened too.
By Alex Polyak, director of The Bible Fulfilled, 11/29/25
[1] I’m not denying Jesus’ physical resurrection. Jesus’ physical resurrection was an immensely important sign—proof—which confirmed that the spiritual resurrection spoken about in these passages really happened. In fact, Jesus’ physical resurrection is specifically called a sign (Matt. 12:38–40; John 20:30–31). Signs point to spiritual realities (Mark 2:9-12), and this is what Jesus’ physical resurrection was, a sign he had overcame spiritual death, a sign confirming that Jesus had restored man’s broken relationship with the Father, which had begun on the day Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (sinned) in the Garden of Eden.
