"it is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely, honorably, and justly, and it is impossible to live wisely, honorably and justly without living pleasantly". It is not about sensual pleasure, but rather about gaining the greatest pleasure through friends, knowledge and a temperate life, free from pain and fear.
According to Epicurus, the greatest fear we have is that of death. This is a huge obstacle in living a tranquil life. To remove this fear, Epicurus explained the nature of death. Explaining that the very moment we die, we aren't actually aware of that moment. So death itself is not painful and ergo not something that should be feared. Since it is the end of consciousness it cannot be emotionally painful.
He was pretty much ignored by all but his devoted followers as he was dismissive of the religions of his day.
In the bible we read
Oh death where is your victory? O death where is your sting? This verse from 1 Corinthians 15 talks about how death is NOT a fear for the believer. If we die we are merely sleeping until Christ returns and our bodies are changed in the twinkling of an eye. So we don't need to be afraid of death.