Will the grave give up its dead? Will those who died thousands of years ago live again? How will they be raised - as flesh and bone, or in some spirit form? And when?
John Morton: Resurrection is no mystery for those who are prepared to search the Bible for answers. Jesus Christ himself said, "Do not marvel at this: for the hour is coming in which all who are in the grave will hear his voice and come forth" and "For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised" (John 5:28, I Corinthians 15:52).
In the Beginning
When God formed man of the dust of the ground He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being. The word breath, translated from the Hebrew word shamah, simply means spirit. When God created mankind from the physical matter it was the spirit that impart life to the body He created (Genesis 2:7, see also Zechariah 12:1).
In a prophetic vision about the resurrection of the nation of Israel, Ezekiel saw physical bodies being formed that were lifeless until the spirit was added (Ezekiel 37:5 and 10). The Hebrew word ruwach used in this instance also means spirit.
The spirit of man is not an 'immortal soul' as some believe. According to the Bible there is no conscious awareness after death (Ecclesiastes 9:10, Psalm 6:5, 115:17, 146:4). When we die the spirit returns to God in an inert form, as if asleep, where it awaits the resurrection (Ecclesiastes 12:7, I Thessalonians 4:13-14).
Two Spirits
What Ezekiel saw being added to the newly formed physical bodies where the spirits of Israelites who had previously died. They were being brought back to life again. It is interesting to note that in chapter 36, verses 24-27, Ezekiel mentions what God called "my Spirit" is to be given to them so that they will obey God's laws.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul confirmed the existence of two different spirits, the spirit of man and the Spirit of God, when he said: "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God" (I Corinthians 2:11-12).
Spirit of Man
Not only does the spirit of man impart life, as we read earlier, according to Paul it also imparts the intellect that enables man to understand the things of this world. It enables man to process and store knowledge, to reason and make choices, form opinions, attitudes and to experience emotion. The spirit of man is our conscious awareness, our individual persona - the very life and essence of who we are!
Spirit of God
The second spirit that both Paul and Ezekiel mentioned has a different purpose - "Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God" (I Corinthians 2:11). Clearly mankind does not have the capacity to understand the things that God must reveal through His Spirit, things that the "eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those that love him" (I Corinthians 2:9). Things that otherwise seem foolish (v.14, see also chapter 1:18, 21 and 25). This second spirit is given by God to those whom He calls: "Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the Holy Spirit" (John 6:44, Acts 2:38, 5:32).
Receiving God's Spirit begins a transformation of the mind (Romans 12:2) by adding a spiritual perspective that gives us the wisdom, understanding and enlightenment that results in a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7, Ephesians 1:17-19). With the help of God's Spirit we make the transition from a carnal, self-centered way of life, to a better way based on spiritual laws and values, which by application, over a period of time, will lead to an eternal life of peace in the Kingdom of God (Romans 8:6, Titus 3:5). (see also "God's Kingdom" in the July/August 2001 issue of New Horizons).
Paul said this renewal, or transformation, of the mind produces a new person who can, in time, reach the fullness of understanding and character of Christ (II Corinthians 3:18, 5:17, Ephesians 4:13 and Galatians 4:19). Through His Spirit God shares with us the very essence and power of His very own divine nature. It implants within us the very mind that is in both the Father and Christ. Because we have His divine nature He calls us His sons and daughters (II Corinthians 6:18, Romans 8:11,14-17).
God's Plan
It is God's intention to share His power and glory with His sons and daughters. Having the sort of power with which He created the universe means nothing will be impossible for us (Matthew 17:20), so He must be sure that we will not use it for evil. We are exposed to evil in this life for the purpose of overcoming it. We need to be guided by God's spirit to really recognize evil for what it is and to acknowledge its presence in our lives, so we come to abhor, resist and reject it. This is an essential part of our preparation for what God has in mind for us.
Having progressed sufficiently toward developing a sound mind that is free of evil, God will complete His handiwork when He transforms us from our temporary, physical existence into a permanent, immortal spirit (I Corinthians 15:44, 49).
Two Types of Resurrection
Some will rise when Christ returns: "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first", others later: "But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished" (I Thessalonians 4:16, Revelation 20:5).
Many of those who have God's Spirit and are alive when Jesus Christ returns will be transformed into spirit beings instantaneously. Those who had God's Spirit and are now dead will also be resurrected as spirit at that time. This is the resurrection Paul spoke about when he said: "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (I Corinthians 15:51-52).
The majority of people who have lived in this age have not been prepared for eternal life. They have never been given God's Spirit, nor overcome evil - so they must be resurrected back to a physical life for the process to be completed. And this will be done one thousand years after Christ's return. While Ezekiel's vision portrayed this happening to the House of Israel in particular, the Book of Revelation refers in a general sense to all people (Ezekiel 37:10-14, Revelation 20:5, 12-13).
Judgement
John said "the books were opened" meaning those resurrected to physical life will receive understanding of God's word through the Holy Spirit and they will be judged according to what they do with that understanding, just as we who are called now are currently being judged by our actions (I Peter 4:17). They will have the opportunity to have their names written in the "book of life" which is for those who attain eternal life in God's Kingdom.
Everyone gets a chance -"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive" (I Corinthians 15:20-23, Revelation 20:12).
But not everyone will avail themselves of that opportunity for eternal life. Tragically the Bible indicates that there will be those who will be subject to a second death from which there is no resurrection, because they refuse to accept God's way (Revelation 20:14-15). Their very essence and persona, the spirit in man, will be destroyed forever. Hopefully, the majority of mankind will come to see the abhorrent consequences of evil and chose God's way rather than eternal death.
The Dead Will Live Again!
What an incredible time it will be when the grave will give up its dead as the Bible says. When those who died thousands of years ago will live again. Everyone who has ever lived, even those who have never known God, will receive the opportunity to become sons and daughters of God and live forever as spirit beings in God's Kingdom.
There really is no mystery about resurrection if we study what the Bible says. It is an incredible event that will literally transform your life!
To comment on this article or request more information, please contact James McBride by e-mail at the comment form below.
For PDF or mailed copy, see CGOM. Excerpt from New Horizons Issue 34, July/August 2002. Edited by James McBride of the Churches of God, United Kingdom.
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