ABRAHAM AND ISAAC
The call of Abraham is found in Genesis chapter 12 with clarification found in Acts chapter 7. Where one part of Scripture may seem obscured, we can usually find clarification in other parts with careful searching. The story of Abraham is one of faith and true faith results in obedience. God called Abraham away from his home, country and relatives. It was to be a journey trusting upon God has he traveled through a foreign land. The various trials that Abraham encountered were no doubt difficult but the focus of this article will look at probably his most difficult trial he faced and that having to sacrifice his son Isaac.
Genesis 11:31-32 31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.
Genesis 12:4-6 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
Acts 7:2 - 4 2And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ 4“Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living.
The relationship of Abram and Sarai was surely that of a true and deep love for one another. They had no children but for Sarai it seemed as a curse. It was a blessing to bear children but somewhat of an embarrassment not to. Sarari was a respectful wife wanting to please her husband and feel complete as a woman who had children. The Scriptures do not spend time in relating this love affair between these two people but as the story unfolds one can feel the close bond between them. It is revealed in what Sarai does for Abram and what Abram does for Sarai.
Genesis 13:14-16 14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.
Genesis 15:1-6 1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." 2 But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir." 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: "This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir." 5 And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
It must have been confusing for Abram, for God was telling him about his offspring yet Sarai remained barren. The years were passing by and all these things must have weighed heavy upon Abram’s thoughts. How, he may have thought, will I have offspring from Sarai? Sarai also was probably concerned speaking with her husband knowing he would have offspring according to God’s promise.
Genesis 16:1-3 1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife.
It was surely a hard decision for Sarai to make giving an Egyptian servant to her husband so he may have the offspring God promised him. Out of respect, Sarai suffered the pain of having her husband have a child from another woman and a servant at that. It was an honor and blessing for women to have children then but Sarai’s barrenness and Hagar’s success seemed almost too much for Sarai to bear. In addition to the humbling experience, Hagar had an attitude of pride in bearing Abram’s son that added to the insult toward Sarai. The pain and embarrassment was difficult for Sarai but the belittling attitude and insubordination from Hagar was too much for Sarai to take.
Genesis 16:4-6 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!" 6 But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please." Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.
We must give Abram credit for showing the love and respect for Sarai. Throughout their marriage, this was strong and evident. They were a close and loving couple, though without children, God blessed them. It is not revealed what Sarai had done to Hagar yet it seemed bad enough for her to flee from her master. She was desperate and appeared to have run away suddenly. Sarai had felt she had made a mistake in giving Hagar to Abram but now it was done and Abram would have a child.
Genesis 16:7-9 7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai." 9 The angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress and submit to her."
I see by these verses Hagar may have been disobedient not submitting to Sarai. She may have thought she was privileged as a bearer of Abram’s son but her fears drove her away. Then an angel appeared to her in the wilderness telling her to return to her master and submit for she and her son would be blessed. Hagar would again find herself and her son alone in the wilderness visited by an angel later.
Now we have a chronological setting to help put the story in perspective. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran with Sarai, Lot and his many servants. At age 86 Ishmael was born. We can take the events that happened between then as covering some 11 years. Abram was 99 years old when Sodom was destroyed and Abram’s and Sarai’s name was changed. Abram became Abraham and Sarai became Sarah. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. At that time Sarah was 90 years old.
Genesis 17:17-19 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!" 19 God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
I think there had to be some confusion in the mind of Abraham after all he laughed at the idea Sarah would bear him a son yet he believed God that it would happen. Sarah, when hearing it laughed also.
Genesis 18:13-15 13 The Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son." 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."
We see the old couple that had probably spent 50 years or more together. They had encountered various trials and blessing. Abraham now had a son that he no doubt loved and after hearing that Sarah would bear him a son, he probably was concerned about Ishmael and his future.
Genesis 17:18-21 18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!" 19 God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year."
God assured that Abraham’s first son, Ishmael, would be blessed and taken care of. Abraham and Sarah after years of trials and blessing together would now experience the desire that they both had held most dear. They would have a son together and though some confusion was in their minds, there was also a great joy. Abraham was happy for Sarah that now she would bear a son and become a mother. It would be a son that was part of both of them, a son they could both love as their own. Sarah was happy to be blessed with the ability to have a son that would complete her womanhood. Like Abraham, she also thought of her husband and the joy she could bring him in giving him a son. Had there been doubt and disbelief by them there would have been no effort on their part to even try but they believed God. The moment they came together may have meant more than all the other times they had tried.
The joy was unbelievable when it was confirmed that Sarah would have a son. She had probably felt inferior to Hagar over the years but now that was not ashamed. She was the wife of the man she loved and was going to be the mother of his son. They both saw it as a miracle from God. They were too old to have children naturally and it must have felt like an overwhelming blessing from God. The time had come and Sarah gave birth to the son they named Isaac. To think their joy was great before, now that his son was born joy and rejoicing filled the camp for quite a while.
Genesis 21:1-7 1 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me." 7 And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
There may have been some pride on the part of Sarah but not for what she did or her abilities. It was not a haughty pride but humble. It was the fulfillment of many years of desire by two people in love. God had given them a promise and they believed it, they trusted and it was accomplished. Their life had now been turned around but there was some problems brewing. Hagar was upset about Sarah bearing a son and Ishmael was jealous of Isaac because of the attention and favor he received. Ishmael was 14 years old when Isaac was born and when Isaac was weaned at age 3 to 5 years old, there was a feast in his honor.
Genesis 21:8-10 8 And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. 10 So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac."
Other translations say Ishmael was mocking Isaac and Sarah was not pleased about that at all. Yet what turned out to disturb Sarah worked out as a prophecy revealed in the New Testament by Paul.
Galatians 4:22 - 31 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. 27For it is written, “Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear; Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; For more numerous are the children of the desolate Than of the one who has a husband.” 28And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, For the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.” 31So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.
At the time, Abraham was not pleased about the decision by Sarah for he loved Ishmael. It needed divine intervention for peace to prevail.
Genesis 21:11-14 11 And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring." 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
This was hard for Abraham even after God explained the situation. He loved Ishmael for he was after all his son and he did care for Hagar because that was the type of caring man Abraham was. He had to let Ishmael go but at least he was assured that God would care for him and Hagar. Here again we see the faith of Abraham trusting what God said but this was a minor event compared to what would be coming later. As a side note, Ishmael was referred to in Scripture as the son of the slave woman. Isaac was called Abraham’s only son and so it was in the eyes of God.
The hopes had been set on Isaac and life settled down to a calmer routine. For a while, life became normal if there is such a thing. Other events became the focus for a short time but then God came again to Abraham but this time it was with a command that broke his heart. Life was good. There was peace among his neighbors and they were enjoying their son and old age. Abraham was wealthy so life was not a struggle for survival. Over the years, they had their trials and life was not always easy and comfortable but they had no idea that those early trials were preparing them for what was ahead.
Genesis 22:1-3 1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." 2 He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
We are not told how much time had passed or how old Isaac was. The emotional details are left out of this story for a purpose. God wants us to see Abraham’s faith and not the torment he may have felt when told what to do. Though the emotions are left out of the story, we cannot help but think about the feelings Abraham had. Did he tell Sarah what he had to do? It does not say for I think she may have insisted upon going with them or maybe tried to stop him. It is speculation about what they thought and felt but how would you take something like that?
Hebrews 11:17 - 19 17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” 19He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.
This is interesting because Abraham believed God could raise him from the dead. Was his faith so strong that Abraham was confident we would not lose his son?
Genesis 22:5 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you."
Abraham had the faith and trust in God not wavering in his duty. It pictures Abraham moving forward with confidence that it would all work out ok in the end. We can see Abraham’s faith, which does not hesitate or stumble. The story of Abraham is a story of faith for he is the father of all who believe. His example was to be strong that others may follow with assurance but what about Isaac?
Genesis 22:6-8 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" 8 Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.
For Isaac it may have started as an adventure. A young boy taking a trip with his father to perform an offering yet Isaac saw no offering that they were taking. He must have been old enough to question about the missing offering and to carry the wood that was more than just a couple pieces. I doubt he thought of any danger to himself while on the journey but probably taking in the sights and sounds of the countryside while talking with his father. Now the time had come when they had arrived at their destination.
Genesis 22:9-10 9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
The thought of having to do that to my son or having my father do it to me is frightening. Maybe Abraham was not concerned about the outcome but he had to be concerned about the way Isaac was feeling. How was Isaac feeling? As I said earlier, we are not given the emotional background involved in this story but we cannot help but ask the questions or feel some type of emotion ourselves. Did Isaac think his father was delusional or did Abraham take the time to explain to his son what God had told him and that all would be fine? It is not known if human sacrifices were in practice at that time. It may have been totally new to Abraham but it certainly revealed afterward that human sacrifices were not required or accepted by the God of Abraham. There was only one sacrifice God was pleased with.
Genesis 22:11-14 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." 12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."
The moment had come, Isaac stricken with fear as he was tied to the alter. Abraham was about to kill his son in whom all of God’s promises were made. What an awesome story! We can sit in comfort and safety and read what was real at one time. We are far removed by time and culture from the days of Abraham. It takes an effort to see the realism in these stories. This was not something Abraham wanted to do but had to do. When he raised the knife to kill his son a part of him was also dying. To observe Abraham’s life you can see the difficulties of different events. There was joy, there was sorry, and it seemed to be a pattern in this great mans life. It was not constant but similar to what we all go through in our lives, but of course ours is not as drastic as sacrificing our own child.
Genesis 22:11-13 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." 12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
Abraham again experiences a wave of relief and joy. God was true and fully dependable. He may have wiped the tears from his eyes and took a deep breath of relief. Isaac was happy to get untied and climb off the altar. After their hugs of love and tears, Abraham took the ram for the burnt offering. This was another case where God had no intension of having done what He said. I present this as a rough article that may stimulate thought and interest in God’s Word. By no means is it complete or thorough but a start for others to develop thoughts and ideas about this historical story.
Genesis 22:14 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."
“What Abraham was asked to do He’s done, He’s offered His only Son.” (From the song by Michael Card; God Will Provide a Lamb)
Fred Robbins Jan. ‘07
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
RESURRECTION
The Resurrection of the dead.
The resurrection of the dead is not an easy subject as I have found after years of searching for understanding. However, by persistence and the Grace of God I believe one is able to see and understand this remarkable doctrine. Of course, there are many voices out there with conflicting ideas as to what the ‘resurrection of the dead’ means. When we look at the subject of the resurrection in the Bible, we cannot help but notice that it is referred to as Christ’s resurrection or the resurrection of certain people that have died physically. The word resurrection, ‘anastasis’, “means raised to life again, resurrection, rise from the dead, that should rise, rising again.” Simply put it is a bringing back to life that which was dead. There are several issues involved in the subject of resurrection that need close attention. Let us not simply take what we have heard and read from others and call that good. Then our ideas would simply parrot those of others, repeating their errors as we go. Let us learn to take time to do our own study and delve into the Word of God ourselves that we may obtain our own understanding from the Lord. Below I have listed some issues involved in the subject of the resurrection that we must face and deal with in the Scriptures.
1. The resurrection of Jesus Christ
2. The resurrection of those individuals in the Old and New Testaments.
3. The resurrection spoken about in 1 Corinthians 15
4. The resurrection referred to in the Book of Revelation as the first resurrection.
The language used in speaking of the resurrection can be confusing if terms are not defined from the beginning. The idea of a spiritual resurrection will be discussed but what does that really mean? As stated, resurrection in the Bible always refers to the bringing to life those who have died physically and that the resurrection of the dead spoken of in first Corinthians 15 is a resurrection of the dead that come to life as spiritual bodies not flesh and blood. There are those proponents of a spiritual resurrection that claim when we are born again we are spiritually resurrected so they use the terminology of a spiritual resurrection, yet it means something different from what we describe as those raised a spiritual body.
The resurrection in first Corinthians 15 is considered, by the Christian community, as the general resurrection that will take place at the return of Jesus Christ. For the majority of believers this is yet future though for a small but growing group of Christians this is a past event. The different viewpoints portray a very different interpretation and understanding of the Corinthian text. My approach will be from the past fulfillment of the resurrection. Does that mean it has no application for us today? God forbid! Though the Bible was not written to us, it was written for us. Though it speaks to a specific people at a specific time for specific purposes, it still has application for all generations.
Apart from apocalyptic literature, analogy, parable and simile the Scriptures should be taken literally and in their plain sense unless a figurative meaning is required by the text. Exegesis is the drawing out of what is in the Scriptures. Eisexegesis is the reading into the text something that is foreign to it. This we must be aware of and avoid at all cost.
Let us begin with the resurrection spoken of in the 15th chapter of first Corinthians. Paul begins with the resurrection of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received--that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures,
Paul establishes the resurrection of believers by the resurrection of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:12-18 12 Now if Christ is being preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty. 15 Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified against God that he raised Christ from the dead, when in reality he did not raise him, if indeed the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless; you are still in your sins. 18 Furthermore, the dead in Christ have also perished.
This is a logical argument by Paul to show there was no resurrection of those that died if Christ was not resurrected. If Christ was not resurrected then their faith was in vain. Paul points out that all the disciples including more than 500 brothers saw Christ. If Christ did not rise from the dead then they would be considered as false witnesses.
Some among the Corinthian church questioned the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. Let us remember that these were Gentiles for the most part. Their pagan background was quite a bit different that the Christians. Greek philosophy had different ideas about the afterlife and these Gentiles had probably joined the church after Paul had left. Had Paul talked with them in person they would not have had the doubts. Now the issue of the resurrection had to be addressed by Paul through his letters. Let us not forget that the Christians in the church were called babies and immature by the apostle.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 1 So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 for you are still influenced by the flesh. For since there is still jealousy and dissension among you, are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like ordinary people?
This no doubt determined what Paul was able to communicate to them. He was not able to get into deep spiritual doctrines, for that was meat that they were not able to take at the time. His speech was more plain and easy to understand and that carried through the whole letter. Therefore, as we approach chapter 15 with this in mind we should be able to take what Paul says in a plain and simple sense that would not be too deep for the Corinthians.
The chapter compares the resurrection of Christ with that of the dead believers. Christ’s death on the cross was physical so too, those mentioned as dead had physically died. There was a difference though between Christ’s death and those mentioned in the chapter. Christ was raised with the same body as He was buried with yet those Christians were to be raised with spiritual bodies quite different from their flesh and blood bodies. Why is that? Christ had to be manifested to the witnesses in the same manner as He was before His death. They could not think of Him as a ghost but as a real person that came to life again in the flesh. It was to prove He was genuine and overcame death, being the same person as they knew before. Those Christians raised from the dead were to inherit eternal life and Paul revealed that flesh and blood could not inherit the Kingdom of God. Those resurrected Christian were now spiritual, fit for living in heaven as Paul shows in comparison to animals.
1 Corinthians 15:39 39 All flesh is not the same: people have one flesh, animals have another, birds and fish another.
Each is fit for the environment they were created for and given a specific body for that purpose.
1 Corinthians 15:50 50 Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Paul anticipated the question, how are some raised? His answer deals with the fact that different bodies are suited for their different environments. While people live on earth, their bodies are suited for existing in this world. It is a material, physical existence. In heaven, it is and will be a spiritual life. The physical is temporary while the spiritual is eternal. It is not surprising that some may receive more glory than others may. We see this in what Paul described as the sun, moon and stars, each having their own glory. We face corruption, for from dust we were made, and to dust we return. We are mortal and frail, subject to pain, illness and death. To live in heaven we must put on incorruption and immortality. The teaching that Paul as given is rather straightforward and simple to grasp in many ways and the immature Corinthians should not have had a problem understanding what Paul said.
Other things are brought out in this chapter but our focus is on the resurrection of the dead. I will not spend time to divert from the subject. The timing of this resurrection is in dispute but I approach it from the standpoint that it occurred sometime in A.D. 70 when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and the city was sacked and later destroyed.
The Resurrection of Individuals in the Old and New Testaments
The Old Testament gives us a couple stories of children being brought back to life by God’s prophets. In the third reference I have listed, a dead man simply touched the dead body of Elisha and was brought back to life.
1 Kings 17:17-22 17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Elijah, "What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!" 19 And he said to her, "Give me your son." And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?" 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again." 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.
2 Kings 4:32-37 32 When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. 33 So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. 35 Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 Then he summoned Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, "Pick up your son." 37 She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.
2 Kings 13:20-21 20 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
The New Testament had similar stories of people being brought back to life. Here we see Christ performing the miracles and also the Apostle Peter and Paul.
Mark 5:35-43 35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping." 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Luke 7:11-15 11 Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
John 11:38-44 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
Acts 9:36-41 36 Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. 37 In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, "Please come to us without delay." 39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
Acts 20:9-12 9 And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him." 11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.
Each of these stories showed a person died and was brought back to life, they were resurrected. Each one is different in the way the resurrection occurred but they all had in common tenderness about the way it was treated in the story. These were not just miracles to display the power of individuals but they were events to instill faith and show compassion toward those hurting from their loss. With each one of these people that had been resurrected, unlike Christ’s resurrection they would die again. Their resurrection did not bring them eternal life. For the resurrection in first Corinthians 15 was one that brought eternal life to the mortal soul.
Hebrews 11:32-35 32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets. 33 Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight, 35 and women received back their dead raised to life. But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life.
Though these people were raised from the dead, they died again. It was the ‘Hope of Israel’ that the Jewish people looked forward to, that better resurrection spoken in the book of Hebrews. This was part of the preaching of Paul as he traveled the Roman Empire preaching the gospel.
Acts 26:5-8 5 They know, because they have known me from time past, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, 7 a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, Your Majesty! 8 Why do you people think it is unbelievable that God raises the dead?
Acts 28:17, 20 17 After three days Paul called the local Jewish leaders together. When they had assembled, he said to them, "Brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, from Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans… 20 So for this reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for I am bound with this chain because of the hope of Israel."
The resurrection can be traced in the Old Testament in which those New Testament Christians come to learn about it.
1 Samuel 2:6-8 6 The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. 8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them he has set the world.
Isaiah 25:8 8 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.
Isaiah 26:19 19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.
Daniel 12:2 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
These are a few Old Testament references to give an idea of what was taught and believed back then. It was verses such as these that Paul referred to as the Hope of Israel. Not every Jew believed in the resurrection though. The Sadducees were a prominent ruling group in Israel and they did not believe in a resurrection.
Acts 23:8 8 (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)
The Sadducees came to Jesus and told a story to Him in order to trap Him with His answer. It is quite revealing as it relates to the resurrection and much can be learned from it.
Luke 20:27-40 27 Now some Sadducees came to him (who contend there is no resurrection). 28 They asked him a question: "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies leaving a wife but no children, that man must marry the widow and father children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died without children. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died, leaving no children. 32 Afterward the woman died too. 33 In the resurrection therefore whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had all married her." 34 So Jesus said to them, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are regarded as worthy to share in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 In fact, they can no longer die, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised--even Moses revealed this in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.' 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live before him." 39 Then some of the experts in the law answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well!" 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.
It is obvious the Sadducees were talking about the brothers who had died, each having the same wife while alive. The wife dies and they ask whose wife she will be in the resurrection. Jesus does not belittle or insult them for their ignorance but simply states the facts. The resurrection will not be as this life is. There will be no physical bodies and sexual lust or pleasure. Those that attain to the resurrection will be spiritual as the angels and have a new life unlike this world. This goes well with Corinthians. I have briefly shown the hope of Israel from the Old Testament and its application in the New. The better resurrection spoken of in Hebrews was different from the individuals raised from the dead in both testaments. We need to keep in mind that the resurrection of the dead was spiritual. That is the bodies were not flesh and blood but spiritual as the angels.
Miscellaneous References to the Resurrection
I have saved the most difficult for last. So far, an understanding of the resurrection is not that hard to see in the Scriptures. Care in putting together the Scriptures yields knowledge, faith and awe in what God can and has done. Now we look at some Scriptures that for years were a mystery to me. All of Scripture takes a revelation from God for us to truly and properly understand what is being said. There are other verses that seem to require more revelation for understanding or should I say a maturity greater than what the Corinthians had. Here we encounter the meat of the word and though I will give an interpretation, I feel inadequate to explain it. This is not something I am dogmatic in but seems to me to fit what I believe the Scriptures say. In time, I may change my mind but for now, I present this to you for examination and criticism.
Revelation 20:4-6 4 Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
My focus in the above Scripture has to do with the resurrection. Let us start with some observation and see where that leads. I see people who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Christ. This tells me they were New Testament Saints because Jesus was not named in the Old Testament. They reigned with Christ for a thousand years, which I take to be symbolic. Why, because most of this book is symbolic and the first resurrection was at the beginning of the thousand years. We cannot just concentrate on this portion of Scripture as though we can come to understand it by itself. We need to try to interpret this with other portions of Scripture that will throw light on these verses. Where do we find such verses that would relate to this? We have covered most of the New Testament verses concerning the resurrection of the dead but this is not referring to the resurrection of the dead. It simply says resurrection. There is one other reference we have not looked at yet that I believe is in relation to this section.
John 11:23-27 23 Jesus replied, "Your brother will come back to life again." 24 Martha said, "I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, 26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She replied, "Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world."
What did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the resurrection and the life?” Let us consider what comes immediately after that. Jesus said, “The one who believes in me will live even if he dies.” I see this as reference to the resurrection at the last lay. The last day is when Christ returned in A.D. 70. It makes sense and fits. Now he says “and the one who lives and believes in me will never die.” This is a difficult comment to understand. We know people died after that occasion who believed in Christ so how are we to understand this. These two comments seem at first to contradict each other. To try to understand what is being said here we must consider when it was said. Jesus was talking about these things before His resurrection. Before His resurrection, believers died and were buried. The resurrection of the dead would raise them to life at Christ’s return. Therefore, we can understand, ‘the one who believes in me will live even if he dies.’ After Christ’s resurrection, those who died were immediately taken to heaven, which explains, ‘and the one who lives and believes in me will never die.’ As Paul said, Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord-- for we live by faith, not by sight. Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Again Paul says, 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
What relation does this have to the references in the book of Revelation? Christ as the second Adam was representative for all who believed in Him. As a representative His actions were accounted toward those he represented just as the first Adam’s were to all his posterity. The first Adam sinned and because he was our representative, we were guilty of that sin along with him. The result for all was death. Therefore, it is with Christ. His righteous life, suffering and death on the cross, provided righteousness for all his people resulting in eternal life. Christ was raised from the dead and as the book of Hebrews says, 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands--the representation of the true sanctuary--but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God's presence for us. Hebrews 9:24 His resurrection and His ascension were from our standpoint as our representative.
Ephesians 1:20-21 20 This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms 21 far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Here we have Christ raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the father as Lord and Savior and as our representative.
Ephesians 2:4-7 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you are saved!-- 6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Here those first Christians were seated with Christ in the heavenly realm but not actually. It was through their representative for he appears now in God's presence for us. I will admit it is not an easy concept to grasp at first but we can never discount the representation or the substitutionary death of Christ for His people. If we do not find the doctrine here then where do we see it in the Bible explained like this? Now getting to the point, we can see the resurrection in the book of Revelation as Christ’s resurrection, which was the first resurrection. What is said about the first resurrection?
Revelation 20:6 6 Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
All Christians take part in Christ’s resurrection that is why the second death has no power over them. We take part by receiving eternal life as we took part in Adam’s sin that brought death. There is no doubt much more that can be revealed about the resurrection but as a brief study I see a harmony, consistency and understanding I did not have before. Is it correct? I think so but it is not perfect and there is much room for others to build on. I see Christ’s resurrection as the first resurrection and the resurrection spoken on in first Corinthians as being the second. When Paul speaks of the resurrection, he does not mention those unbelievers that will be raised for judgment. It really does not concern the Christian in the context, what God will do with those people.
Fred Robbins Jan. ‘07
The resurrection of the dead is not an easy subject as I have found after years of searching for understanding. However, by persistence and the Grace of God I believe one is able to see and understand this remarkable doctrine. Of course, there are many voices out there with conflicting ideas as to what the ‘resurrection of the dead’ means. When we look at the subject of the resurrection in the Bible, we cannot help but notice that it is referred to as Christ’s resurrection or the resurrection of certain people that have died physically. The word resurrection, ‘anastasis’, “means raised to life again, resurrection, rise from the dead, that should rise, rising again.” Simply put it is a bringing back to life that which was dead. There are several issues involved in the subject of resurrection that need close attention. Let us not simply take what we have heard and read from others and call that good. Then our ideas would simply parrot those of others, repeating their errors as we go. Let us learn to take time to do our own study and delve into the Word of God ourselves that we may obtain our own understanding from the Lord. Below I have listed some issues involved in the subject of the resurrection that we must face and deal with in the Scriptures.
1. The resurrection of Jesus Christ
2. The resurrection of those individuals in the Old and New Testaments.
3. The resurrection spoken about in 1 Corinthians 15
4. The resurrection referred to in the Book of Revelation as the first resurrection.
The language used in speaking of the resurrection can be confusing if terms are not defined from the beginning. The idea of a spiritual resurrection will be discussed but what does that really mean? As stated, resurrection in the Bible always refers to the bringing to life those who have died physically and that the resurrection of the dead spoken of in first Corinthians 15 is a resurrection of the dead that come to life as spiritual bodies not flesh and blood. There are those proponents of a spiritual resurrection that claim when we are born again we are spiritually resurrected so they use the terminology of a spiritual resurrection, yet it means something different from what we describe as those raised a spiritual body.
The resurrection in first Corinthians 15 is considered, by the Christian community, as the general resurrection that will take place at the return of Jesus Christ. For the majority of believers this is yet future though for a small but growing group of Christians this is a past event. The different viewpoints portray a very different interpretation and understanding of the Corinthian text. My approach will be from the past fulfillment of the resurrection. Does that mean it has no application for us today? God forbid! Though the Bible was not written to us, it was written for us. Though it speaks to a specific people at a specific time for specific purposes, it still has application for all generations.
Apart from apocalyptic literature, analogy, parable and simile the Scriptures should be taken literally and in their plain sense unless a figurative meaning is required by the text. Exegesis is the drawing out of what is in the Scriptures. Eisexegesis is the reading into the text something that is foreign to it. This we must be aware of and avoid at all cost.
Let us begin with the resurrection spoken of in the 15th chapter of first Corinthians. Paul begins with the resurrection of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received--that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures,
Paul establishes the resurrection of believers by the resurrection of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:12-18 12 Now if Christ is being preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty. 15 Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified against God that he raised Christ from the dead, when in reality he did not raise him, if indeed the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless; you are still in your sins. 18 Furthermore, the dead in Christ have also perished.
This is a logical argument by Paul to show there was no resurrection of those that died if Christ was not resurrected. If Christ was not resurrected then their faith was in vain. Paul points out that all the disciples including more than 500 brothers saw Christ. If Christ did not rise from the dead then they would be considered as false witnesses.
Some among the Corinthian church questioned the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. Let us remember that these were Gentiles for the most part. Their pagan background was quite a bit different that the Christians. Greek philosophy had different ideas about the afterlife and these Gentiles had probably joined the church after Paul had left. Had Paul talked with them in person they would not have had the doubts. Now the issue of the resurrection had to be addressed by Paul through his letters. Let us not forget that the Christians in the church were called babies and immature by the apostle.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 1 So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 for you are still influenced by the flesh. For since there is still jealousy and dissension among you, are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like ordinary people?
This no doubt determined what Paul was able to communicate to them. He was not able to get into deep spiritual doctrines, for that was meat that they were not able to take at the time. His speech was more plain and easy to understand and that carried through the whole letter. Therefore, as we approach chapter 15 with this in mind we should be able to take what Paul says in a plain and simple sense that would not be too deep for the Corinthians.
The chapter compares the resurrection of Christ with that of the dead believers. Christ’s death on the cross was physical so too, those mentioned as dead had physically died. There was a difference though between Christ’s death and those mentioned in the chapter. Christ was raised with the same body as He was buried with yet those Christians were to be raised with spiritual bodies quite different from their flesh and blood bodies. Why is that? Christ had to be manifested to the witnesses in the same manner as He was before His death. They could not think of Him as a ghost but as a real person that came to life again in the flesh. It was to prove He was genuine and overcame death, being the same person as they knew before. Those Christians raised from the dead were to inherit eternal life and Paul revealed that flesh and blood could not inherit the Kingdom of God. Those resurrected Christian were now spiritual, fit for living in heaven as Paul shows in comparison to animals.
1 Corinthians 15:39 39 All flesh is not the same: people have one flesh, animals have another, birds and fish another.
Each is fit for the environment they were created for and given a specific body for that purpose.
1 Corinthians 15:50 50 Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Paul anticipated the question, how are some raised? His answer deals with the fact that different bodies are suited for their different environments. While people live on earth, their bodies are suited for existing in this world. It is a material, physical existence. In heaven, it is and will be a spiritual life. The physical is temporary while the spiritual is eternal. It is not surprising that some may receive more glory than others may. We see this in what Paul described as the sun, moon and stars, each having their own glory. We face corruption, for from dust we were made, and to dust we return. We are mortal and frail, subject to pain, illness and death. To live in heaven we must put on incorruption and immortality. The teaching that Paul as given is rather straightforward and simple to grasp in many ways and the immature Corinthians should not have had a problem understanding what Paul said.
Other things are brought out in this chapter but our focus is on the resurrection of the dead. I will not spend time to divert from the subject. The timing of this resurrection is in dispute but I approach it from the standpoint that it occurred sometime in A.D. 70 when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and the city was sacked and later destroyed.
The Resurrection of Individuals in the Old and New Testaments
The Old Testament gives us a couple stories of children being brought back to life by God’s prophets. In the third reference I have listed, a dead man simply touched the dead body of Elisha and was brought back to life.
1 Kings 17:17-22 17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Elijah, "What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!" 19 And he said to her, "Give me your son." And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?" 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again." 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.
2 Kings 4:32-37 32 When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. 33 So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. 35 Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 Then he summoned Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, "Pick up your son." 37 She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.
2 Kings 13:20-21 20 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
The New Testament had similar stories of people being brought back to life. Here we see Christ performing the miracles and also the Apostle Peter and Paul.
Mark 5:35-43 35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping." 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Luke 7:11-15 11 Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
John 11:38-44 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
Acts 9:36-41 36 Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. 37 In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, "Please come to us without delay." 39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
Acts 20:9-12 9 And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him." 11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.
Each of these stories showed a person died and was brought back to life, they were resurrected. Each one is different in the way the resurrection occurred but they all had in common tenderness about the way it was treated in the story. These were not just miracles to display the power of individuals but they were events to instill faith and show compassion toward those hurting from their loss. With each one of these people that had been resurrected, unlike Christ’s resurrection they would die again. Their resurrection did not bring them eternal life. For the resurrection in first Corinthians 15 was one that brought eternal life to the mortal soul.
Hebrews 11:32-35 32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets. 33 Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight, 35 and women received back their dead raised to life. But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life.
Though these people were raised from the dead, they died again. It was the ‘Hope of Israel’ that the Jewish people looked forward to, that better resurrection spoken in the book of Hebrews. This was part of the preaching of Paul as he traveled the Roman Empire preaching the gospel.
Acts 26:5-8 5 They know, because they have known me from time past, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, 7 a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, Your Majesty! 8 Why do you people think it is unbelievable that God raises the dead?
Acts 28:17, 20 17 After three days Paul called the local Jewish leaders together. When they had assembled, he said to them, "Brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, from Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans… 20 So for this reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for I am bound with this chain because of the hope of Israel."
The resurrection can be traced in the Old Testament in which those New Testament Christians come to learn about it.
1 Samuel 2:6-8 6 The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. 8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them he has set the world.
Isaiah 25:8 8 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.
Isaiah 26:19 19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.
Daniel 12:2 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
These are a few Old Testament references to give an idea of what was taught and believed back then. It was verses such as these that Paul referred to as the Hope of Israel. Not every Jew believed in the resurrection though. The Sadducees were a prominent ruling group in Israel and they did not believe in a resurrection.
Acts 23:8 8 (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)
The Sadducees came to Jesus and told a story to Him in order to trap Him with His answer. It is quite revealing as it relates to the resurrection and much can be learned from it.
Luke 20:27-40 27 Now some Sadducees came to him (who contend there is no resurrection). 28 They asked him a question: "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies leaving a wife but no children, that man must marry the widow and father children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died without children. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died, leaving no children. 32 Afterward the woman died too. 33 In the resurrection therefore whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had all married her." 34 So Jesus said to them, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are regarded as worthy to share in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 In fact, they can no longer die, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised--even Moses revealed this in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.' 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live before him." 39 Then some of the experts in the law answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well!" 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.
It is obvious the Sadducees were talking about the brothers who had died, each having the same wife while alive. The wife dies and they ask whose wife she will be in the resurrection. Jesus does not belittle or insult them for their ignorance but simply states the facts. The resurrection will not be as this life is. There will be no physical bodies and sexual lust or pleasure. Those that attain to the resurrection will be spiritual as the angels and have a new life unlike this world. This goes well with Corinthians. I have briefly shown the hope of Israel from the Old Testament and its application in the New. The better resurrection spoken of in Hebrews was different from the individuals raised from the dead in both testaments. We need to keep in mind that the resurrection of the dead was spiritual. That is the bodies were not flesh and blood but spiritual as the angels.
Miscellaneous References to the Resurrection
I have saved the most difficult for last. So far, an understanding of the resurrection is not that hard to see in the Scriptures. Care in putting together the Scriptures yields knowledge, faith and awe in what God can and has done. Now we look at some Scriptures that for years were a mystery to me. All of Scripture takes a revelation from God for us to truly and properly understand what is being said. There are other verses that seem to require more revelation for understanding or should I say a maturity greater than what the Corinthians had. Here we encounter the meat of the word and though I will give an interpretation, I feel inadequate to explain it. This is not something I am dogmatic in but seems to me to fit what I believe the Scriptures say. In time, I may change my mind but for now, I present this to you for examination and criticism.
Revelation 20:4-6 4 Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
My focus in the above Scripture has to do with the resurrection. Let us start with some observation and see where that leads. I see people who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Christ. This tells me they were New Testament Saints because Jesus was not named in the Old Testament. They reigned with Christ for a thousand years, which I take to be symbolic. Why, because most of this book is symbolic and the first resurrection was at the beginning of the thousand years. We cannot just concentrate on this portion of Scripture as though we can come to understand it by itself. We need to try to interpret this with other portions of Scripture that will throw light on these verses. Where do we find such verses that would relate to this? We have covered most of the New Testament verses concerning the resurrection of the dead but this is not referring to the resurrection of the dead. It simply says resurrection. There is one other reference we have not looked at yet that I believe is in relation to this section.
John 11:23-27 23 Jesus replied, "Your brother will come back to life again." 24 Martha said, "I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, 26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She replied, "Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world."
What did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the resurrection and the life?” Let us consider what comes immediately after that. Jesus said, “The one who believes in me will live even if he dies.” I see this as reference to the resurrection at the last lay. The last day is when Christ returned in A.D. 70. It makes sense and fits. Now he says “and the one who lives and believes in me will never die.” This is a difficult comment to understand. We know people died after that occasion who believed in Christ so how are we to understand this. These two comments seem at first to contradict each other. To try to understand what is being said here we must consider when it was said. Jesus was talking about these things before His resurrection. Before His resurrection, believers died and were buried. The resurrection of the dead would raise them to life at Christ’s return. Therefore, we can understand, ‘the one who believes in me will live even if he dies.’ After Christ’s resurrection, those who died were immediately taken to heaven, which explains, ‘and the one who lives and believes in me will never die.’ As Paul said, Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord-- for we live by faith, not by sight. Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Again Paul says, 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
What relation does this have to the references in the book of Revelation? Christ as the second Adam was representative for all who believed in Him. As a representative His actions were accounted toward those he represented just as the first Adam’s were to all his posterity. The first Adam sinned and because he was our representative, we were guilty of that sin along with him. The result for all was death. Therefore, it is with Christ. His righteous life, suffering and death on the cross, provided righteousness for all his people resulting in eternal life. Christ was raised from the dead and as the book of Hebrews says, 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands--the representation of the true sanctuary--but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God's presence for us. Hebrews 9:24 His resurrection and His ascension were from our standpoint as our representative.
Ephesians 1:20-21 20 This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms 21 far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Here we have Christ raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the father as Lord and Savior and as our representative.
Ephesians 2:4-7 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you are saved!-- 6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Here those first Christians were seated with Christ in the heavenly realm but not actually. It was through their representative for he appears now in God's presence for us. I will admit it is not an easy concept to grasp at first but we can never discount the representation or the substitutionary death of Christ for His people. If we do not find the doctrine here then where do we see it in the Bible explained like this? Now getting to the point, we can see the resurrection in the book of Revelation as Christ’s resurrection, which was the first resurrection. What is said about the first resurrection?
Revelation 20:6 6 Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
All Christians take part in Christ’s resurrection that is why the second death has no power over them. We take part by receiving eternal life as we took part in Adam’s sin that brought death. There is no doubt much more that can be revealed about the resurrection but as a brief study I see a harmony, consistency and understanding I did not have before. Is it correct? I think so but it is not perfect and there is much room for others to build on. I see Christ’s resurrection as the first resurrection and the resurrection spoken on in first Corinthians as being the second. When Paul speaks of the resurrection, he does not mention those unbelievers that will be raised for judgment. It really does not concern the Christian in the context, what God will do with those people.
Fred Robbins Jan. ‘07
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