The Resurrection of the Dead

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. We too will not be raised from the dead and all those that died before us are eternally lost. If Christ has not been raised, then we are still lost in our sins; preaching is useless and so is our faith; Christians would be the most pitiful people on earth. All the apostles would be declared as false witnesses. So declares Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

But the good news is that Christ has indeed been raised from the dead and as The Message translation puts it “the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.” (1 Corinthians 15:20)

What is a Resurrection?

The bible makes it very clear that a human is a triune being in that we consist of a body, soul and a spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

We were created out of the dust of the earth and we became alive through the breath of God (Genesis 2:7).

When we die, the soul and the spirit leave the physical body which returns to the dust from where it came from (Genesis 3:19, Ecclesiastes 3:21, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Psalm 103:14)

A resurrection is a person’s physical body ‘rising from the dead’ and being re-united with their spirit and soul and thus becoming ‘alive’ again.

There are many examples of resurrection in the bible:

Son of Zarephath’s widow – 1 Kings 17:17-24

Son of the Shunammite woman – 2 Kings 4:35

A dead man comes back to life when he touches Elisha’s bones – 2 Kings 13:21

Jesus resurrects the widow’s son at Nain – Luke 7:13-15

Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter from the dead – Matthew 9:25, Mark 5:42, Luke 8:55

Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead – John 11:43-44

Many saints resurrected after Jesus’ resurrection – Matthew 27:52-53

Tabitha raised from the dead – Acts 9:36-42

Eutychus raised from the dead – Acts 20:9-12

Of course the greatest and most significant resurrection from the dead is that of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:1-10,Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-11, John 20:1-10).

The resurrection of the dead that we will be looking at is the resurrection at the end of the age when everyone single person that has ever lived will be raised from the dead, some to receive eternal life and others will be condemned (John 5:28-29, Daniel 12:2). This is also the resurrection that Martha referred to when she told Jesus: “I know he (Lazarus) will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:24).

Where does a person’s spirit and soul go to when they die?

It would appear to me that since the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the situation has changed. Prior to this everyone went to a waiting place called Sheol or Hades; both the righteous (Genesis 37:5) and un-righteous (Psalm 55:15).

There was however, clearly, two separate areas within Sheol; one for the righteous and another for the unrighteous. They could see each other but there was a barrier preventing either from going from one area to another. This is born out by what Jesus told us concerning Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31.

The waiting place for the righteous in Sheol was probably called ‘Paradise’ (maybe an enclosed garden). We know this because when Jesus was on the cross, he said to one of the thieves next to him “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43).

Now, Jesus didn’t go up to heaven immediately after he died on the cross. It is clear from the bible that he went He first went down to Sheol (Ephesians 4:9-10). As Jesus died before the thief, as promised, He would have been waiting for him in Paradise. We also know that later on, Jesus went and spoke to the spirits waiting in the other area of Sheol (1 Peter 3:18-20).

Ephesians 4:8 states that Jesus took many people from Sheol back to heaven with Him. Now, when a believer dies, their spirit and soul goes directly to heaven to be with Jesus (Philippians 1:23).

When an unbeliever dies, they still go to Sheol awaiting their resurrection and final judgement (the subject of the next blog).

Resurrection Promises – Old Testament

Job 19:25-27

Isaiah 26:19

Daniel 12:1-3

Hosea 6:1-3

The words of Handel’s Messiah are taken from the book of Job. You might like to watch and listen to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtU1c5JZf0k

Resurrection Promises in New Testament

John 5:28-29

John 11:24

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Revelation 20:5

Revelation 20:11-15

The Resurrection of Jesus Foretold in the Old Testament

In 1 Corinthians 15:4, Paul states that “He (Jesus) was buried, and that He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.” The ‘Scriptures’ that Paul referred to would have been the Old Testament.

Psalm 16:8-11
I Have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh will also rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Peter quotes these verses in Acts 2:25-28 and Paul quotes one of them in Acts 13:35.

Those words were spoken by David, he was talking about the Messiah, because David’s soul was left in Sheol for many centuries and his physical body definitely saw decay after he eventually died. No, this is one of many Messianic testimonies pointing towards Jesus.

Psalm 21:20-21
You who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness and comfort me on every side.

These verses prophetically show five successive stages that Christ was to pass in making atonement for man’s sin:

One
Great and severe troubles – that is the rejection, suffering and crucifixion of Christ

Two
Christ was to descend into the depths of the earth; that is into Sheol, the place of the departed spirits.

Three
Christ was to be revived again.

Four
Christ was to be brought up again from Sheol.

Five
After the resurrection, Christ was to ascend to Heaven, increase in greatness and be comforted and to be restored to supreme authority at the right hand of God the Father.

Hosea 6:1-3
Come, let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like he latter and former rain to the earth.

Notice, how on the third day He will raise US up (plural). This is the hope that we have thanks to the resurrection of Christ on the third day.

Isaiah 53
This Messianic prophecy predicts that Christ will suffer and die for our sins but His days will be prolonged, He will see His offspring and as after He has suffered, He will see the light of life and be satisfied.

Prophecies & Statements Made by Jesus Himself

“Destroy this temple in three days and I will raise it up.” John 2:19
(After Jesus rose from the dead, the disciples remembered this and believed what Jesus had said – John 2:22)

“I am the resurrection and the life; he that believes in me shall live, even if he dies.” John 11:25

“from that time, Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day”. Matthew 16:21, Mark 8:31

“Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”. Matthew 12:40

Even though the disciples always seemed to be bewildered by statements about His resurrection, Jesus continued to make the claim to them that He would be killed and then resurrected on the third day (Matthew 17:22-23; 20:18-19; 26:31-32; Mark 10:32-34; and Luke 18:31-33)

The Resurrection of Jesus Recorded in the Gospels

Matthew 28: 1-20, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-10, John 20:1-8

The Importance of the Resurrection of Christ

We have already looked at 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, but here are some other important verses to consider:

Romans 1:4 says that Christ was “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Romans 4:25 states that Christ was “delivered up because of our offences, and was raised because of our justification.”

Romans 10:9 states that if we believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.

Hebrews 7:25 states that as a consequence of His resurrection, Jesus is able to save us and He lives to make intercession for us.

This is the supreme importance that Paul had towards the resurrection:

Paul stated that he wanted: “know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am I perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”  Philippians 3:10-12

Proof of the Resurrection of Jesus

The Empty Tomb of Jesus

Sceptics have put forward a number of arguments concerning this:
“Maybe, the women went to the wrong tomb?” Well, if this was the case, why didn’t the Romans reveal the right one and body to allay the rumours about the resurrection. The women had also seen Jesus being placed in the tomb. So, it’s unlikely that they would go back to the wrong one.  Also, they say that “Maybe, someone had stolen the body?”
But, who would have been able to steal the body? It is extremely doubtful that the women would have been able to overcome the guards and then roll away the stone on their own. The disciples were too afraid to venture out and were too fearful for their own lives. It wouldn’t have been in the Roman’s interest to hide and conceal the body.
Two other facts that support the resurrection and empty tomb: 1) Jesus’ clothes were left neatly folded; hardly the act of grave robbers who would have been in a hurry to get away. And 2) An angel said that Jesus had risen from the dead.

The Witness of the Women

In bible times, women were second class citizens and their testimony was not even allowed in court. It seems very unlikely then, because if it was a made-up story, the person or persons who made it up, didn’t think it through very well, as their main ‘witnesses’ wouldn’t even be valid in a court of law. No, this has the very hallmark of God. Just as everyone would have been surprised that the Messiah would be born in a stable. So, they wouldn’t have expected the first witnesses of the empty tomb to be women.

The Changed Life of James

Before Jesus was crucified, his brothers were very sceptical about His claims as to who He was and what He taught (John 7:5). However, after His resurrection, we are told that Jesus appeared to His brother James (1 Corinthians 15:7). This cannot be proved to be James’ conversion moment, but it probably made a huge impact! So much so, that James went on to be a hugely respected and renowned leader in the church at Jerusalem. He also suffered a brutal death for his belief that Jesus was actually alive and who He said He was.

A Large Crowd of Eye Witnesses

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:6, that after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to more than 500 people who then became witnesses to the fact of His resurrection. Paul also wrote that many of those people were still alive when he wrote the letter to the Corinthians in about 55AD. Psychologists state that it would be impossible for so many people to have the same ‘hallucination’ at the same time. Also, some of His disciples watched Him eat food and even touched Him to confirm that He was still alive and was who He said He was.

The Conversion of Paul

Prior to his conversion (Acts 9:5), Paul was actively involved in the persecution of the church and all who believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, even being involved in murdering them (Acts 22:4). Paul preached on and taught that Jesus had risen from the dead. His whole life, from that moment of his conversion was to attain the same resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:10-11). Paul was eventually martyred for his faith, probably beheaded by sword.

The Dramatic Change of Lives

So far, we have only looked at the change in the life of James and Paul. But, just consider the effect the resurrection has had on all of Jesus’s disciples (at the time of His death). After the resurrection, they went on from being a scared demoralised bunch to people who would go on to fearlessly proclaim the Gospel and turn the known world upside down (or more correctly, downside up!). Over 2,000 years later, many, many people have put their faith in the resurrection of Jesus. Many have been and are still are murdered, brutally for this belief.

What Will the Resurrected Body be Like?

Firstly, as we have already seen, there will be two different circumstances for those that will be resurrected; some will be destined for eternal life and others for condemnation (John 5:28-29, Daniel 12:2). There is no description found anywhere in the bible that tells us what the body will be like for those that are condemned (we will discover their outcome in the next blog concerning Eternal Judgement). However, the bible does give us some idea about the believers resurrected body:

1 Corinthians 15:35-58, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 John 3:2, Revelation 21:4

It will be of the same essence or nature.

In 1 Corinthians 15:36-44, Paul uses the analogy of a grain of wheat which looks different from the seed from which it came from. Our resurrection bodies will be of the same nature as our current bodies; in the same way as when you plant an apple seed, you would expect to get an apple tree, not an orange tree. The substance or essence of our resurrected bodies will be the same. Our resurrected bodies will be superior. Consider how an acorn produces a mighty oak or how a tiny little mustard seed can produce a great tree. Here then are some of the superior differences:

It will be a glorious body

In 1 Corinthians 15:40-41, Paul explains that there is a difference between earthly glory and heavenly glory and that our bodies will display the latter.

We do get a glimpse in Scripture of what this ‘heavenly glory’ might be like.
Do you remember how the face of Moses was glorious after speaking to the Lord in Exodus 34:29? Or how Jesus. Moses & Elijah appeared in glorious splendour on the Mount of Transfiguration in Luke 9:28-30? Matthew 13:43 also states that “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father.”

Daniel’s prophecy concerning the promised resurrection also seems to suggest that there may be a greater glory for those that turn many people to righteousness (Daniel 12:2-4).

It will be a spiritual body
(1 Corinthians 15:44-48)

It will be in the image of Christ
(1 Corinthians 15:49, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 John 3:2)

It will be imperishable and Immortal
(1 Corinthians 15:50-57, Revelation 21:4)

There will be no more need for marriage in heaven, for we will be like the angels (Matthew 22:30).

When Will the Resurrection of the Dead Take Place?

The exact timing is not clear, and maybe this is intentional so that we do not become complacent and so that we make sure that we are as ready as possible. It all hinges around three important events; the great tribulation, the second coming of Christ and the millennium rule of Christ.

There are a few theories and I’ve put an image below to show some differences of opinion concerning the millennium rule of Christ and you can also go to this link to get an explanation. Some believe there will be only one resurrection and others more than one (the latter will be for the unrighteous; those that will be condemned at the judgement (see next blog)

Four Views on the Millennium

The really important question is not when this will take place but “am I ready, for when it takes place?”

As far as I see, there are only three possibilities about how our souls will eventually leave these earthly bodies:

1) God will remove us as He did with Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11). In view of the fact that these were the only two cases in recordable history, it is almost certain that this will not be the case for us.

2) We are alive when Jesus comes back again; then we will be caught up in the air with him and changed instantly to be like Him (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)

3) We will die and then be judged (Hebrews 9:27)

You see, what we do here on earth, in our mortal bodies has always been the deciding factor as to what happens to us after the resurrection and it all revolves around Jesus. If a person died prior to Jesus’s death burial and resurrection then they will be judged according to their righteousness and obedience to what God had put in place before the coming of Christ. Anyone dying after this, or still alive when Jesus returns, will be judged by whether they have Christ’s Spirit in them or not (it’s as simple as that).

Let me end this with the words of admonition from Jesus:

“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36

Let’s be ready.

Maranatha! (Come quickly, Lord Jesus!)