Bible Doctrine 16 THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

BIBLE DOCTRINE 16: THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

God’s Word teaches:

That the Resurrection of the dead is taught in the Bible as clearly as the immortality of the soul. 

Every individual who has ever lived will be resurrected, some to honour and glory and others to everlasting shame and contempt – Job 19:25-27; Psalm 71:20; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2; John 5:28,29; 1 Corinthians 15:12-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16; Hebrews 6:1,2; Philippians 3:8-11; Revelation 20:4,6,12,13.

Daniel  12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

John  5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

The Resurrection of the dead is a cardinal and an important doctrine of the Bible.

 As a matter of fact, all who die in this world will undergo physical resurrection before the Great White Throne Judgment. 

This doctrine shows that there will be a resurrection of body joined with the soul to meet the Lord either in peace and joy, or meet Him as Judge in condemnation, eternal punishment, and torment of hell fire. 

Jesus, the Prophet come from God, declared in John 5:25, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” 

The fact of the Resurrection of the just and unjust rings through the teachings of Jesus Christ (John 6:40; 11:25; Matthew 16:21; 22:23-31). 

John  6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John  11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Job spoke of his eyes and flesh seeing God after worms have destroyed his body (Job 19:25-27).

Job  19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:  19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:  19:27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

 Isaiah spoke of the earth casting out the dead (Isaiah 26:14- 19).

Isaiah  26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

 Daniel spoke of the awakening of many that sleep in the dust, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2).

Daniel  12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

 In like manner spoke David (Psalm16:10; 17:15)

Psalms  16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Psalms  17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

. Old Testament saints (Hebrews 11:35), 

Hebrews  11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

New Testament saints (Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-18; Luke 24:1- 49; John 19-21),

 including Paul (Acts 17:18,32),

Acts  17:18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.  17:32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

 Peter (1 Peter 1:3; 3:21), 

1 Peter  1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

even Herod the wicked king and the generality of the people of his day believed in the resurrection of the dead (Mark 6:14-16 

The form to be associated with the resurrected body of the just is exemplified by the glorified body that Jesus, the first fruit, had after His resurrection (Luke 24:26-43 John 20:11-20,24-31; 1 John 3:2).

 All resurrected bodies will be immortal (Daniel 12:2; Mark 9:42-48).

 The resurrection bodies of saints will possess different degrees of glory. 

“There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:39-54).

In the intervening period between death (when the body and soul are separated) and the resurrection, one may ask: Where is the soul?

 The soul of a saint of God goes immediately to meet God in heaven.

The repentant malefactor on the cross received forgiveness and assurance of Jesus: “Today shall thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 24:39-43).

 Righteous Lazarus died and was “carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom” where he was comforted (Luke 16:19-31). 

Stephen at death said, “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” ready to receive him (Acts 7:54-60). 

Paul was “willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lor

d” (2 Corinthians 5:1- 8)

. Many other references of Scripture confirm that the soul of the saint rejoices in God’s presence at death (Philippians 1:21-23; Ecclesiastes 12:1,7). 

Philippians  1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  1:22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.  1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

On the other hand, when a sinner dies his soul goes immediately to hell. 

In hell fire, he is conscious; he can see, feel and hear (Luke 16:19-31). 

The timing for the resurrection to life of the just and resurrection to judgment of the unjust is well spelt out in the Scripture in accordance with the ordained programme of God. 

The resurrection of the saints of God also variously described in Scriptures as resurrection of life (John 5:28,29), resurrection of the just (Luke 14:13,14), a better resurrection (Hebrews 11:35) and the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4-6), has four phases: i) 

Revelation  20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.  20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

 The resurrection of Christ, the first fruit (1 Corinthians 15:3,4,12,20,23).

1 Corinthians  15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

ii)  The resurrection of the Church age saints at the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-16).

1 Thessalonians  4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

iii)  The resurrection of the tribulation period saints (Revelation 20:3-5).

Revelation  20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.  20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

iv)  The resurrection of Old Testament saints at the second advent of Christ to the earth

(Daniel 12:2; Isaiah 26:19).

Daniel  12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Isaiah  26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

All the saints of God that ever died would resurrect in the first resurrection. Not a soul will be left behind. 

What joy! What triumph!! (Revelation 20:6). “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

The second resurrection is still part of God’s programme but deals with the unsaved dead.

 There is a difference in time of one thousand years between the first and second resurrection

Revelation  20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.  20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.  20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,  20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.  20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.  20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.  20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 (Revelation 20:5- 15). The second resurrection is also described as the resurrection to damnation (John 5:29). 

John  5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

There will be everlasting punishment and torment in the lake of fire for all who partake in the second resurrection who missed the first resurrection and whose names are not found in the Book of Life 

Daniel  12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Revelation  20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

(Daniel 12:2; Revelation 20:11-15).

As in the early church when Hymenaeus and Philetus erred concerning the truth by teaching that the resurrection was past already, thereby making shipwreck of their faith and that of all those who followed their false doctrine,

 there are many false teachers today who “know not the scriptures nor the power of God” and overthrow the faith of many (2 Timothy 2:17,18; Matthew 22:23-32). 

Today many false teachings on the resurrection of the dead abound having the same devastating effects on all who believe them. 

Among such doctrines are

 a) Annihilation and 

b) Purgatory. 

The doubt, unbelief and scoffing of sinners will not prevent the complete resurrection programme of God for both the saved and the unsaved, the same way it did not hinder the resurrection from the dead of our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ 

(Acts 23:8; 2 Timothy 2:15-18; 1 Corinthians 15:12-23; Romans 3:3,4). 

The resurrection of Christ and the future resurrection of the saints of God form the foundation of our Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:16-20). 

“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised; and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

 BUT NOW IS CHRIST RISEN FROM THE DEAD”!

To partake in the first resurrection, the resurrection of the saved, there must of necessity first be a spiritual resurrection while in this present life, whereby the spirit is quickened from death in trespasses and sins, and the whole being renewed in the glorious likeness of God to a life of righteousness and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord 

(1 Thessalonians 4:14,16; 2 Corinthians 5:17-19; Hebrews 12:14).

Let us pray.