Death. While a valley might represent fertility, life, and civilisation, it can also represent a darker meaning in the form of death. This is referred to in the Bible as the walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The prophet Isaiah described this journey into darkness as an experience of loneliness, sadness, despair, and bitterness. The valley represents mortality and earthly life. But God's people are called to look beyond the surface of things to see his hand at work throughout creation. They should trust him even when they can't see any other way out. In the Old Testament, people believed that when you died your spirit went down to the underworld, where it met some evil spirits who would not let it go until it agreed to serve them for all time. It was their job to pull the spirit down into the world of darkness and pain where it could feel the full weight of its fate. But the prophet Isaiah said that God would one day send his Son into the world to bear the punishment due to sin. By his sacrifice, Jesus has taken the place of all those who have gone before him. He has paid the price for our sins so that we do not have to face this judgment ourselves. Instead, we will be given new bodies like his after we die. This means that there is hope for those who believe in him.