Beginning with this chapter we will look at what the scriptures teach about the resurrection of the dead. Throughout the previous seventy eight chapters I have made some remarks on the subject by way of anticipation. In the immediate several chapters we looked at the question as to whether the resurrection bodies, especially of the saints, will be male or female, and I have taken the position that the bodies of the resurrected saints will not have any body parts that no longer serve any purpose or use. I also spoke of how saints not having male and female parts, such as genitalia, female breast, ovaries, and wombs, etc., is implied in the words of Christ about them not marrying, which implies that there is no sex and reproduction. I also argued that such reproductive parts would not only be unnecessary but would be a hindrance to the joy of Paradise and therefore would not exist.
I argued against those who say that the genitals remain for beauty or adornment or for some other such reason and that such arguments were untenable. I failed to mention the question of whether those resurrected in the resurrection of the unjust or unrighteous would have genitalia and reproductive organs. Surely they will not either. If they did, what would keep them from using them in Hell and bringing some pleasure to their time in the prison of Gehenna?
I plan to establish the fact of the resurrection from the old testament scriptures first, followed by looking at what the new testament scriptures say about it. Once we have established the fact of the resurrection, we will then first look at the kind of bodies that the resurrected ones will have, both of the righteous and of the wicked.
Resurrection in the Old Testament
We begin by asserting that there is a difference between a temporary resurrection, or bringing back to life, and a permanent resurrection which involves a drastic change in the body. In the old testament there were several persons who were raised from the dead. Here is the short list of them:
1. Elijah raised the son of the Zarephath widow from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-22).
2. Elisha raised the son of the Shunammite woman from the dead (2 Kings 4:32-35).
3. A man was raised from the dead when his body touched Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:20, 21).
The writer of the Hebrews epistle speaks of them when he said that by faith "Women received their dead raised to life again." (Heb. 11: 35 nkjv)
These were indeed resurrections but not of the same kind as will be experienced by those who are resurrected in the end time resurrection of just and unjust. For one thing, they were not permanent as all the ones resurrected by Elijah and Elisha died again. Also, there was no change in the body; what was raised to life was still in every way the same body. There was no glorification of the body in those cases, and no transformation into the kind of body that will be had in the final resurrection, a change that becomes immutable and incapable of dying. In the same context the inspired writer says: "Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection." (vs. 36)
By a "better resurrection" is meant that resurrection of the righteous that will occur when Christ returns and translates the bodies of the righteous who are living and the bodies of the righteous who have died. This final glorious resurrection is far better than those temporary resurrections performed by the prophets named above, or of the several resurrections of individuals by Christ and his apostles in the new testament. How is it better? It is better for the reasons enumerated above. Of that better resurrection Christ says "neither can they die any more" (Luke 20: 36), a thing which is not true of those temporary resurrections of the prophets, apostles, and of Christ. Here are those resurrections in the new testament:
1. Jairus' daughter (Mark 5:21–24)
2. The son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:1–17)
3. Lazarus of Bethany (John 11:17–44)
4. Resurrection of Tabitha/Dorcas (Acts 9:36–42)
5. Resurrection of Eutychus (Acts 20:7–12)
We can also refer to two other resurrections, but a discussion of them will perhaps come later.
1. Resurrection of unknown saints during the crucifixion (Matt 27: 52–53)
2. Resurrection of the Two Witnesses (Rev 11: 7–11)
There is some debate about whether the resurrection of the bodies of the saints in Matthew (above) was a temporary restoration to life or a permanent resurrection of the nature and kind of the end time resurrection of the righteous.
The Fact of the Resurrection
In the oldest book of the Bible, the prophet Job testified of his faith, saying:
"For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" (Job 19: 25-27 nkjv)
This cannot be spiritualized to mean a non physical spiritual resurrection. Job believes in a resurrection of his skin and flesh, that is, of his physical body. It is with his physical eyes that he will see God and his Redeemer who will "stand at last on the earth," which tells us when this resurrection of the righteous will occur. Were it a resurrection of the spirit, and not of the body, denoting rebirth, or a quickening, it would be a continuous resurrection, for people are being quickened into divine life every day when a person is converted. Further, Job was already in possession of a resurrected life in the spirit when he uttered those words and yet the resurrection he "yearns" for has not yet been experienced. Also, it is a resurrection that occurs after he has died and his flesh and skin have been destroyed.
The prophet Daniel also testifies to the resurrection of the dead. He wrote:
"And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt." (Dan. 12: 2 nkjv)
Again, these words cannot be made to be allegorized so as to speak of spiritual resurrection. "Those who sleep in the dust of the earth" refers to dead physical bodies. Notice also how the text speaks of a two-fold resurrection, one of the righteous and one of the unrighteous. As we have before seen, in earlier chapters citing Revelation chapter twenty, these two resurrections do not occur together at the same time. A thousand years separate the two, with the resurrection of the righteous occurring first, and so we hear the words uttered "blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power..." (20: 6); And, "but the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished." (Vs. 5)
There are other arguments to show this truth. For instance, the resurrection of the justified ones is said to be "out from among the dead," which language shows that some of the dead exit not the state of dead, these resurrected being the unjustified, who must wait another thousand years to be raised.
By "resurrection unto everlasting life" is meant the full enjoyment or reception of eternal life in every respect, in body, soul, and spirit, and in state or place. It primarily refers to the body's becoming possessed of eternal life and immortality. On the other hand, by "resurrection to shame and everlasting contempt" denotes not becoming extinct, or annihilated, but to receiving punishment in body as well as in spirit and soul. On this we will have more to say later.
Other old testament texts which speak of the resurrection of the body will now be considered. Isaiah wrote:
"On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up son this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken." (Isa. 25: 6-8 nkjv)
The apostle Paul alludes to this passage in his great discourse on bodily resurrection in the fifteenth chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians, which we will examine in detail in upcoming chapters. Isaiah also records these words of inspiration:
"Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead." (Isa. 26: 19 kjv)
What could be clearer about the fact of the resurrection of the dead? Again, this language cannot be accepted as figurative. No, it is literal and pertains to the physical body. "Dead body" of the dead "who dwell in the dust." So, why did many Jews in the time of Christ deny the resurrection of the body, as did the Sadducees? We will address that question shortly when we discuss these resurrection deniers.
Now let us notice some clear proof texts from the Psalms. Said king David, speaking as a prophet of God:
"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 rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." (Psa. 16: 8-10 kjv)
Again, we notice how this is a clear and easily understood affirmation of the resurrection of the body. "My flesh shall rest in hope." The resurrection of the body, in which it becomes an immortal spiritual body, without defect or possibility of disease or death, is a thing highly anticipated by believers in scripture.
"This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah. Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah." (Psa. 49: 13-15 kjv)
By "in the morning" we are to understand the morning of the last day, the day wherein the righteous dead will be raised, and together with the translated living saints, made immortal and given eternal life in their new bodies. This is when the bodies of the saints will be "redeemed" from "the power of the grave." It will occur in the morning of that day when "the sun of righteousness arises with healing in its wings," the Lord Jesus Christ being that sun. (Mal. 4: 1)
"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." (Psa. 71: 20-21 kjv)
This is another reference to the resurrection of the righteous dead in the old testament. It is also connected with that time when the Lord will "increase" the "greatness" of his people, a thing we will be writing about in upcoming chapters in this subsection. It will also occur in conjunction with the saints being "comforted on every side."
We also see the resurrection of the dead in the story of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones being brought back to life. (Chapter 37) Then there is also a picture of resurrection in Jonah's experience in the belly of the giant sea creature. It is also pictured in Aaron's rod (staff) that budded (Numb. 17). A dead piece of wood living again and bringing forth fruit!
In the next chapter we will begin a look at what the new testament testifies about the resurrection of the dead.
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