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THE EARTHLY INHERITANCE SERIES of BIBLE SUBJECTS
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Various Bible study guides in subjects pertaining to
New Earth prophecy, as taught by Paul Phelps.
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD,
they shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:9
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THE RESURRECTION OF THE RIGHTEOUS
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Bible quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version
except for my own translations or as otherwise indicated.
A Bible study thesis that expounds God’s plan
for mankind to gain entry into His Kingdom on earth.
A Bible study project by Paul Phelps.
After several years of study this writing was completed in 2000.
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The Bible
has promise of future resurrections both in heaven and earth. Paul
taught the heavenly resurrection hope of the Church, which was his calling, but
he also acknowledged the earthly resurrection hope of the Jews.
Acts 23:6,
When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees
and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council,
‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees.
I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead.’
Acts 24:14-15,
But this I admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect,
I worship the God of our ancestors, believing everything laid down
according to the law or written in the prophets. I have a hope in God—
a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be
a resurrection of the dead, both of the righteous and the unrighteous.
As we
study the Law and the Prophets (Old Testament Writings), we find that
Jews have always believed in a resurrection of the dead for the world, and that
the righteous will rise in earthly bodies—at the start of the
Messianic Kingdom.
When
Abraham obeyed God to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22; Heb. 11:17-19),
he had resurrection hope. The Bible’s first hint of resurrection is in Deut.
32:39;
God says “I kill and I make alive.” Hannah’s prayer reveals that God intends to
raise people from the grave. “The LORD
kills and brings to life; he brings down
to Sheol and raises up.” (1 Sam. 2:6). In this text, the word is SHEÒL, meaning
‘the realm of dead souls’ or ‘underworld.’ This means that at death, men’s
souls
descend into
Sheol,
and that God will someday raise them up. Psalm 49:15 says
“But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will
receive me.”
This hope is taught in Job 14:10-13,
But mortals die, and are laid low; humans expire, and where are they?
As waters fail from a lake, and a river wastes away and dries up, so
mortals lie down and do not rise again; until the heavens are no more,
they will not awake or be roused out of their sleep. Oh that you would
hide me in Sheol, that you would conceal me until your wrath is past,
that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
Therefore
the concealment of Sheol is a sleep from which we are not raised
until the appointed time; Jesus said death is a sleep (Luke 8:52-55; Jn.
11:11-14).
The soul is sleeping (not the body). Each human soul asleep in Sheol
is waiting
for the appointed time to rise to life. Isaiah 26:19,
Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise. O dwellers in the dust,
awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a radiant dew,
and the earth will give birth to those long dead.
The
resurrection of the righteous dead to new life in earth will be the dawn of
a new day! The souls of the sleeping dead will awaken with new bodies
that are
compared to drops of morning dew. This resurrection will be at Christ’s return
for his earthly kingdom. Jesus is like the sunrise of earth’s new day. He
returns
in power with his glorified saints, and then the ‘resurrection dewdrops’
appear.
Psalm 110:3,
Your people will offer themselves willingly
on the day you lead your forces in holy splendour.
From the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will come to you.
Early
morning is the start of God’s Kingdom. The womb is
the earth
because
this resurrection is in earth. Job 19:25-27,
For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and
after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God,
whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
God is a
Spirit and not usually seen by earthmen (Jn. 4:24; 1 Jn. 4:12), but in a
renewed flesh body Job will see God, because Jesus will be God on earth in the
Kingdom. Job represents those of upright conscience, “Let me die the death of
the upright, and let my end be like his!” (Num. 23:10). King David is with
those
who will awaken on earth for David did not go to heaven nor will he (Acts
2:34).
David will return as King of Israel (Jer. 30:9; 33:17-22; Eze. 34:23-24; Hosea
3:5).
The
upright and meek will
inherit the
earth
when Jesus Prince of Peace returns.
Psalm 37:11, Matt. 5:5,
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Jesus’
sermon on righteousness (Matt. 5-7) was to the public masses; he gave
the public parables but he later explained the hidden meanings to his disciples
privately, telling them plainly about the call for heaven. Mark 4:10-11,
33-34,
v 10… When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve
asked him about the parables. And he said to them, ‘To you
has been given to know the secret mystery of the kingdom of God,
but for those outside, everything comes in parables’…
v 33… With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were
able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables,
but he explained everything to his disciples.
Therefore
the New covenant has two kinds of life inheritance. Why else did
Jesus preach to the crowds? His ministry to the public had purpose because he
continued speaking to them, and he forgave their sins. Righteousness is for the
public and promises
earthly
resurrection for the world’s
masses. But the call to
follow Jesus by faith in a ‘new and living way’ promises resurrection to
heaven.
This
world is passing (1
Cor. 7:31; 1
John 2:17), but the new world is coming.
Isaiah 65:17,
“I am about to create a new heavens and a new earth…”
Isaiah 66:22,
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make,
shall remain before me, says the LORD,
so shall your descendants and your name remain.
Paul did not
say much about earthly inheritance because his work was for the
the Church call. But an earthly hope is seen other places in the New
Testament.
2 Peter 3:13,
But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens
and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
Rev. 21:1,
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…
God has a
plan for “the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things
in heaven and things
on earth”
(Eph. 1:10). Jesus prayed for both (Matt. 6:10):
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Eph. 3:14-15,
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.
Jesus
paid the price to redeem mankind, and salvation is now available to all.
The time from Jesus’ first advent till his return is called ‘the Church age’
—when
people are being called to heaven. It is the “fullness of time” for choosing
the
special few that follow him in faith. ...“We have our hope set on
the living God,
who is the Saviour of all people, especially of those who believe.” (1
Tim. 4:10).
At his return it will be the “fullness of time” to fulfil earthly kingdom
prophecies
(Isaiah 11:1-10; 35:1-10; 65:17-25), and to draw all people to himself (Jn.
12:32).
The Bible has hope for those that do not yet follow Christ but have good works.
He gave resurrection hope to an unbelieving Pharisee. Luke 14:12-14,
He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a
luncheon or a supper, do not invite your friends or your brothers
or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you
in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.
And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you,
for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’
The
Pharisee host of this Sabbath banquet was not a believer. But Jesus says
that all such good works will be rewarded at the resurrection of the
righteous.
This is the righteousness of good works, as Jesus promised in Matt. 10:40-42,
"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me
welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet
in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever
welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person
will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives
even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of
a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."
Christians in the heavenly call have the righteousness of Christ
(Rom. 3:22),
but the world of unbelievers depend on conscience as their guide. Conscience
leads toward faith because people need to believe that God is their judge—and
the rewarder of all who seek righteousness (Acts 10:35; Heb. 11:6). That is how
the people of conscience live righteously by faith (Habakkuk. 2:4).
The words of Jesus never end (Matt. 24:35) and he is the Judge; Matt. 25:31…
v 31… When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him,
then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations* will be
gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are
blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger
and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing,
I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
vv 37-40,
Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw
you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to
drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you,
or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick
or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them,
“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of
these my brothers, you did it to me.”
*races or nationalities (the whole world)
This
judgment immediately follows Jesus’ return to earth as King, and
all who
are judged righteous will partake in the Kingdom that leads to eternal life (v
46)
because
of their good works.
All earthly people, alive or dead, are then judged.
2 Tim. 4:1 (WEB),
I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will judge the living and the dead
at his appearing and his Kingdom…
Christian
saints are not in this judgment for they are in glory and coming with
Jesus at his return. “Jesus’ brethren” are
his followers
who do the Father’s will,
(Matt. 12:48-50; Mk. 3:33-35); who are called to the covenant of sacrifice.
These
will all be around the throne of Jesus at his return. The people in judgment
are
the world public, the masses of mankind. Christian saints are not being judged
for they are separated from the world and are already assured of salvation
now
(John 5:24; Romans 8:1-2).
Judgment-day divides the world in two parts: the
‘righteous’
and
‘unrighteous’
(the sheep and goats of Matthew 25:31-46). Resurrection follows this judgment.
Jn. 5:25-29,
Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here,
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted
the Son also to have life in himself; and he has given him
authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when
all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out—
those who have done good, to the resurrection of life,
and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
This
judgment and resurrection is the same as Matthew 25:31-46. Christians
are not included here for Christians are saved by grace, not works (Eph.
2:8-9).
But “those who have done good” (yet unsaved) are like the Pharisee of Luke 14.
Those who have good works to their credit will hear Jesus’ voice and rise in the
resurrection of life (on earth), to inherit life in God’s
earthly kingdom.
All of this
is at the start of Christ’s earthly rule. The sheep-and-goat
analogy
contains hope because Asian mixed herds usually have more sheep than goats.
The judgment-day contains mercy because Jesus will be accepting good works
as tokens of a right heart and will receive people to his kingdom based on
that.
The meek
and righteous people of earth will inherit the earth (Psalm 37:9,11)
but the wicked will be cursed and killed. Psalm 37:22,29,
v 22, …for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land;
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
v 29, The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever.
Isaiah 60:21,
Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever.
The wicked be cursed and cast into the lake of eternal fire; Matthew 25:41,46,
v 41, Then he will say to those at his left hand,
‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels’…
v 46, And these will go away into eternal punishment,
but the righteous into eternal life.
Although
imperfect now, people of conscience will be accepted as righteous.
Good works will be repaid when God resurrects the righteous into his kingdom
because works determine the reward. Psalm 62:12,
For you repay to all according to their work.
Prov. 20:11,
Even children make themselves known by their acts,
by whether what they do is pure and right.
Prov. 24:12,
If you say, ‘Look, we did not know this’—
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it?
And will he not repay all according to their deeds?
Jer. 17:10,
I the LORD test the mind and search the heart, to give all
according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.
Matt. 16:27,
For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father,
and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.
Acts 10:35,
…anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Rev. 22:12,
‘See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me,
to repay according to everyone’s work.’
For
anyone to be judged righteous God expects some evidence of goodness:
childlike innocence, wisdom of goodness, godly fear and repentance from sins,
a conscience of meekness and a love of righteousness. This is pleasing to God.
Isaiah 56:1,
Thus says the LORD: “Maintain justice, and do what is right,
for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed.”
This
world is not perfect; the good deeds or innocence of this lifetime cannot
fulfil all righteousness—but there is promise of resurrection into God’s
kingdom.
God is a judge of this world (Ps. 9:7-8) but he is also a teacher of
righteousness
for his earthly children in the next world (Ps. 25:4,8; 32:8; Isa. 30:20-21;
54:13).
Good deeds are ‘seeds of righteousness’ that grow to maturity in the New
Earth,
just as faith in Jesus is ‘seed faith’ for Christian saints in
preparation for heaven.
God will not judge his earthly people by written law only but also by the
spirit.
He has promised to fulfil the desire for righteousness; Matthew 5:6,
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.’
In God’s
sight no one has perfect righteousness (for even angels are not fully
righteous; Job 4:18; 15:14-16; 25:4-6). But Christ’s death is payment for
all sins.
1 John 2:1-2,
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may
not sin. But if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,
and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
In John
3:36, the wrath on unbelievers is the curse of this world—this lifetime,
that Job wanted to hide from while asleep in the grave. Job 14:13-17,
O that you would hide me in the Sheol, that you would conceal me
until your wrath is past, that you would appoint me a set time,
and remember me! If mortals die, will they live again?
All the days of my service I would wait until my release should come.
You would call, and I would answer you; you would long for the work
of your hands. For then you would not number my steps, you would not
keep watch over my sin; my transgression would be sealed up in a bag,
and you would cover over my iniquity.
The wrath
of this lifetime will not continue to the next world; it is God’s mercy
that endures forever (Psalm 136). Micah 7:18,
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity, and passing over the
transgression of the remnant of his possession? He does not retain
his anger for ever, because he delights in showing clemency. He will
again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot.
You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Isaiah 64:9,
Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD, and do not remember iniquity
for ever. Now consider, we are all your people.
Isaiah 12:1,
You will say on that day: I will give thanks to you, O LORD; though you
were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me.
Jesus
comforted people in their loss and forgave sin freely with no condition.
Jesus is the sacrifice lamb for all sin; he gave assurance to everyone that all
sins
and blasphemies shall be forgiven (Matt. 12:31). Mark 3:28,
Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins
and whatever blasphemies they utter…
This says
that men will be entirely free of sin when they enter the next world
because Jesus’ death on the cross cancels the sin debt for everyone. Therefore
everyone has resurrection rights, and everyone will be resurrected sometime.
But in Matthew 25:31-46 we see that men will need good deeds to be
in the first
resurrection of the righteous. Good deeds serve as tokens of a righteous
heart.
Judgment-day elects who is accepted for the first resurrection
(the righteous),
and who is rejected and left to wait for the last resurrection
(the unrighteous).
Resurrection is the hope of the righteous. Psalm 17:15,
As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
It is
well for us to consider “the rich man in torment” as an illustration, as told
in Luke 16:19-31. No sins of any kind were accounted either for
the rich man
or the poor man (Lazarus), and no question was raised about religious
belief.
Yet the poor man went into paradise but the rich man went into torment of soul.
This is a view of the righteous and wicked asleep in Sheol (Gr. HÁDES) waiting
for the judgment and resurrection. The Bible speaks of God’s love and regard
for poor people; God regards patient endurance of suffering and poverty to be
a good deed. In this story the rich man did not give the poor man help—so this
opportunity of doing good deeds was lost. The lesson here is that the rich man
(a person in position to help) did not help; he had no good
deed to his credit.
This then is why his soul was in torment instead of resting in paradise.
This
story is fully Jewish in character. Jesus gives the example of a rich man,
of Jewish culture in Israel, and puts the moral obligation upon his obedience to
Jewish Law, Moses and the Prophets; Luke 16:29-31. These
Scriptures obligate
the rich to help poor and disinherited people in need—and the fulfilment of this
is a good deed. In regard to this the whole world is in
obligation to conscience
(Romans 2:14-16,26-27). Jesus requires nothing else; he did not make religious
belief a requirement. For men to be upright or wicked, in paradise or torment,
depends upon good deeds. Even simple friendship gestures will be
rewarded.
Mark 9:38-41,
John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in
your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’
But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him, for no one who does a deed of power
in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me.
Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever
gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ
will by no means lose the reward.’
We can
all learn a lesson from considering John’s attitude—so that we do not
fall into the same error. John thought that anyone who does not follow Jesus
will
not have reward (as some think today)
but Jesus did
not agree!
Jesus promised
reward for every person who has good deeds.
The
expectation of righteous people is for normal human life in earth but that
is never realised in this world. Fulfilment waits for the new world.
Prov. 2:20-22,
Therefore walk in the way of the good, and keep to the
paths of the just. For the upright will abide in the land, and
the innocent will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off
from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.
Prov. 10:30,
The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked
will not remain in the land.
Prov. 12:28,
In the path of righteousness there is life, in walking its path
there is no death.
Jesus instructed righteousness to all, including non-believers. Lk. 10:25-28,
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus, ‘Teacher,’ he said,
‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is
written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered,
‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind;
and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him,
‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’
Jesus
continued about good deeds in the Good Samaritan story (Lk. 10:29-37)
told as an example to someone not his follower, teaching that good deeds have
promise of eternal life! Jesus is “the way, and the truth, and the life”
(John 14:6)
not only for the Church but also for his earthly children.
A preview of the world resurrection is in Matthew 27:52-53,
The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had
fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the
tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.
That
resurrection was a preview for the world resurrection at Christ’s return.
Those saints were resurrected in earthly physical bodies—like they had
before.
This is an example of the world resurrection that Jesus will perform at his
return
to earth and it is evidence that his death on the cross provides life for the world.
Nations long dead will be restored in the Kingdom; Ezekiel 16:55,
As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their
former state, Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former
state, and you and your daughters shall return to your former state.
Matt. 11:24,
But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom than for you.
Luke 11:31,32,
v 31, The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with
the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came
from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon…
v 32, The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah…
God’s law
written in the heart includes knowledge that God is our Redeemer
(Job 19:25; 14:17). All have conscience, righteousness by nature; Rom.
2:14-16,
When Gentiles*, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the
law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves.
They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which
their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts
will accuse or perhaps excuse them on the day when, according to my
gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all.
Romans 2:26-27, *races or nationalities (the whole world)
So, if those who are uncircumcised keep the requirements of the law,
will not their uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then those
who are physically uncircumcised* but keep the law will condemn you
that have the written code and circumcision but break the law.
*(uncircumcised: non-Jewish)
Jews
always had resurrection hope. Martha said to him (Jesus), “I know that
he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” (Jn. 11:24) Jesus
affirmed
her hope when he raised Lazarus to life! This fulfilled her expectation because
Jews believed in physical earthly resurrection. (There was then
no teaching
from Apostle Paul about a resurrection to heaven.) The resurrection of Lazarus
restored his earthly life as a man in the flesh (11:42-44). All
resurrections done
by Jesus restored flesh bodies. This affirmed the
earthly
resurrection
doctrine
for the resurrection examples that Jesus did teach truth the same
as his words.
This resurrection is foreseen in Ezekiel’s Chapter 37 vision (vv 7-10 quoted),
So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied,
suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together,
bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh
had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no
breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy,
mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the
four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’
I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them,
and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
(the Hebrew word RÙAKH can be wind, spirit, or breath)
The rule
of literal Bible interpretation when possible means that this vision is
teaching an earthly resurrection of the whole house of Israel from their
graves.
In fact this vision is for all the dead everyplace in
earth; the
vision is universal.
Paul said the world’s resurrection will be when God
accepts the Israeli people;
Rom. 11:15 (talking about Israelis),
For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world,
what will their acceptance be but life from the dead!
Paul did
not refer to the resurrection of Christians for they will already be in
heaven sometime previous to Israel’s national repentance and will be
returning
with Jesus at his return (Zech. 14:5). Thus Paul is referring to the
resurrection of
the
whole world.
Each person will meet Jesus in the resurrection (Psalm 17:15),
which is the main reason why all will know him then (Jer. 31:34).
Eze.
37:13,
And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves,
and bring you up from your graves, O my people.
Jesus
will accept Israel at his return, when they accept him (Zech. 12:10-14).
This
acceptance is for both living and dead—which
brings the resurrection for
all the
world.
Then all of Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:26) including the
dead!
Full national restoration must include
all
the generations, which is resurrection.
Ezekiel 36 describes Israel’s present national regathering, Jews coming to their
ancestral country from many lands (v 24). Then Ezekiel Chapter 37 is about the
larger work yet future,
the
resurrection of the dead.
This fantastic regathering
will bring back the whole house of Israel from their graves.
The world
resurrection will restore tribe distinctions including Israel’s tribes.
God will resurrect Israel’s tribes (Isaiah 49:6), which is why the world will
have
territory divisions (Eze. 47:21-23; 48:1-29). The nationalism splitting the
ancient
kingdoms of Judea and Israel will return, which further indicates that Ezekiel
is
prophesying resurrection of peoples from ancient times (37:15-22). This vision
is clearly prophetic of resurrection because
King David
is mentioned as part of
the return (vv 24-25). The return of King David can only be from the dead.
Resurrection is one of the
‘basic
elements’
of Bible teaching (Heb. 5:11–6:2).
Because we are teaching about resurrection, we have become that
‘someone’
to
teach again this foundation doctrine. Resurrection is central for understanding
God’s plan for mankind; Heb. 5:12,
For though by this time you ought to be teachers,
you need someone to teach you again the basic elements
of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food…
The
Sadducees did not believe in resurrection; they tried to entrap Jesus and
nullify the resurrection doctrine (Matt. 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; Luke
20:27-38.)
Jewish Law gives a release from marriage contracts if one partner dies (as Paul
explained in Rom. 7:1-3). The Sadducees did not know this (for Jesus said they
did not know the Scriptures); if they had known the law they would have known
that existing marriage contracts do not reach to the new world. The New Earth
will have new marriages (Ezekiel 44:22). This topic is further
considered in the
essays “Heaven and earth,” “Gender is forever” and “The earthly
inheritance.”
Spirit-realm dignitaries are not flesh and blood; 1
Cor.
15:50. The lifestyle of
the spiritual realm therefore cannot be based on sex or be in any sense
earthly.
The Bible has no mention of sex among angels, nor any mention of marriage
or
begettal
of children. Humans however were created with sex, and marriage is
normal for humans—male with female; Gen. 1:27; 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6. Family life
will endure forever in the New Earth; Isaiah 54:3; 59:21; 60:22; 65:23; Eze.
37:25.
Deuteronomy 7:9,
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God
who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and
keep his commandments, to a thousand generations…
Psalm 102:28,
The children of your servants shall live secure;
their offspring shall be established in your presence.
Psalm 103:17-18,
But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on
those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to
those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
Resurrection
is promised for both kinds of people: the earthly and heavenly.
1 Cor. 15:48,
As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust;
and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven.
Christian
saints are promised spiritual resurrection; their new bodies will be
made for heaven, like Jesus after his resurrection. The world’s resurrection
will
be in earthly bodies but the Church will awaken in bodies like the risen
Christ.
The heavenly body of Christian saints is part of the new birth Church covenant.
1 Cor. 15:44,
It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.
The
Church call is separate from the world and the Church resurrection also
is separate from the world resurrection. Paul’s main focus was the Church, and
their heavenly resurrection (Jn. 6:40,44,47,54; 1
Cor.
15:50-55; 1 Thes. 4:14-18).
God will provide a body that best fits each person’s true place in the Kingdom.
1 Cor. 15:37-42,
And as for what you sow, you do not sow that body that is to be, but a
bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it
a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.
Not all flesh is alike, but there is one flesh for human beings,
another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.
There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory
of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another.
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon,
and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory.
Paul
speaks of glory in reference to earthly and heavenly bodies
because he
is teaching on resurrection bodies; he refers to heavenly bodies
for the Church
in vv 42-58, —saying that flesh and blood bodies will not be in heaven because
they are perishable (1
Cor.
15:49-50). Nevertheless, in the world to come, God
will provide an earthly environment for flesh bodies just as he did in this
world.
Although at this time earthly bodies are perishable, the New Earth flesh bodies
will endure forever. Isaiah 25:8,
… he will swallow up death for ever. Then the Lord GOD will
wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people
he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.
We humans
are amazing for we are concurrently both spiritual and material.
Our souls exist in the spirit world but are coupled to the physical world
through
our bodies. As humans, we are made differently from angels—earthly instead
of heavenly. Mankind was “very good” at the start (Gen. 1:31)—and shall again
be restored in the Kingdom together with all creation (Rom. 8:20-21). Earth
will
be refreshed and restored after Jesus Christ
returns! Acts 3:19-21,
Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may
be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send
the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must
remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration
that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.
In this age
our bodies are from the genetics of our parents, not of our choice,
but our deeds can decide our future bodies; the resurrection is a new
creation.
Resurrection bodies can have varied degrees of honour according to the deeds
of goodness done in this life. 2 Tim. 2:20-21,
In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver
but also of wood and clay; some for special use, some for ordinary.
All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned
will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the
owner of the house, ready for every good work.
We await
the new world to know more about this but our new bodies can be
servile or elegant by degree, according to the measure of righteousness we set
for ourselves in this life. In this present life our bodies do not reveal our
true
soul identity—but in the new world we shall know and be known (1
Cor.
13:12).
The “large house” is God’s kingdom. Each level of rank from Prince to servant
will be determined by righteous standards. Our new bodies may be compared
to utensils of clay, wood, silver or gold, determined by deeds of goodness now.
Suffering for righteousness merits a better resurrection body. Heb. 11:35,
Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured,
refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection.
Our human
life contract places us in the physical world unless it is changed.
The Church call to heaven provides new birth in the Spirit, which
exchanges or
sacrifices earthly life for an heavenly life. Earthly minded
people prefer earth.
That is the reason God provides earthly resurrection: to provide for earthly
life.
Humanity is not an experiment, gamble, or game. Man is made in God’s image
with the intent that humanity shall continue as created—forever.
The House
of Israel (the ten tribes) was led by Ephraim, chief tribe of Joseph;
(Eze. 37:16). The Prophetic Books tell of this nation’s descent into idolatry
and
captivity. The tribes were put at the side east of Assyria and dispersed in
Asia
where their descendants have remained unknown until now. Their restoration
can be fully accomplished only after the resurrection.
Hosea 13:12-14,
v 12, Ephraim’s iniquity is bound up; his sin is kept in store.
v 13, The pangs of childbirth come for him, but he is an unwise son; for at
the proper time he does not present himself at the mouth of the womb.
v 14, Shall I ransom them the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them
from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol,
where is your destruction? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
Paul
applies verse 14 to the resurrection of the Christians (quoting the Greek
Septuagint Version). Many Old Testament texts have a spiritual application for
the Church while at the same time retaining their evident purpose and meaning
for earthly covenants. The Hosea 13:12-14 text is an earthly covenant promise
that Israel’s ten northern tribes represented by Ephraim will all be
resurrected.
This is why the ten tribes are not lost as far as God is concerned. He does not
discriminate against generations fallen in death. They shall not be denied
their
participation in national regathering together with the last generation.
Equality
of all generations is the standard for the heavenly resurrection (1
Thes.
4:15-17)
and this same rule shall also apply in the earthly resurrection.
Resurrection comes with judgment; it all happens at the start of
the Kingdom.
Rev. 11:15…
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet; and there were loud voices
in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.’
v 17, ‘We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty, who are and who were,
for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.
v 18, The nations raged, but your wrath has come,
and the time for judging the dead, for rewarding your servants,
the prophets and saints and all who fear your name,
both small and great, and for destroying those who destroy the earth.’
Daniel 12:2-3,
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and
those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
As God’s
reign begins different kinds of rewards are given out; the prophets
and the saints are God’s servants. They that fear
God’s name, small and great,
are reckoned as righteous, but the people destroying the earth are
the
wicked,
whom God will destroy at his coming (Isaiah 66:14-15; 2 Thes. 2:8). The wicked
will be cut off from the earth (Prov. 2:22; 10:30). The first earthly
resurrection is
the resurrection of the
righteous;
Rev. 20:4-6. The
second earthly resurrection
will be a thousand years later—the resurrection of the
wicked (Rev. 20:5,7-10).
The world
judgment is also for the living when Jesus returns. He is
Lord of
both the dead and the living (Rom. 14:9) and is Judge of the
living and the dead
(Acts 10:42; 1 Pet. 4:5). The day he
comes to start his kingdom is judgment-day.
“I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge
the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom…” (2 Tim.
4:1, WEB)
The saved
elect of the last generation alive when Christ returns will enter
the
Kingdom without dying. God has promised to save some ‘flesh’
(earth people)
to remain alive, those elected to survive. Matt. 24:22,
And if those days had not been cut short, no flesh* would be saved;
but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
*(literal translation)
In the
end time the resurrection of the righteous should be preached. This is
the hope of martyrs (Rev. 14:13; 20:4,6) and all the generations of the
righteous.
After resurrection, mankind’s heritage will be eternal life in earth—with access
to the tree of life (Rev. 22:1-2). Everybody will know the LORD
then (Jer. 31:34).
The Kingdom requirement then will be obedience to God’s law.
Micah 4:2,
… and many nations shall come and say: ‘Come, let us go up
to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’
Zeph. 2:3,
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his commands;
seek righteousness, seek humility;
perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the LORD’s wrath.
Children in
their innocence are with the righteous. They inherit life, “for it is
to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs” (Matt. 19:14; Mark 10:14-16).
Jesus is saying that, as babies, all of us are born to the kingdom, and those
that
retain innocence are with the righteous. But if someone does not know Christ,
resurrection can only be earthly because faith in Christ is needed for heavenly
salvation. The resurrection of the righteous is how nations shall
be restored,
and the Messianic millennial kingdom is how they can find earthly
salvation.
Zech. 2:10-11,
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in
your midst, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the
LORD on that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your
midst. And you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
Rev. 21:3-4,
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God
is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them and be their God; he will wipe every
tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and
pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’
The heavens and earth that now exist will pass away when Jesus returns.
2 Peter 3:7,10,
v 7, But by the same word the present heavens and earth
have been reserved for fire, being kept until
the day of judgment and destruction of the godless.
v 10, But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will
pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with
fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.
The fires
of destruction at the end of this age will not destroy the planet Earth
for humanity will survive into the Kingdom. This earth will become a New Earth
under the rule of the New Heaven. Renewal of the earth will happen as often as
necessary but the context of Isaiah 65:17 indicates that earth’s renewal
starts at
Christ’s return. The fire is God’s vengeance upon his enemies, and for burning
the present world system and destroying the unjust from the earth, like Sodom.
Luke 17:29-30,
… but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur
from heaven and destroyed all of them—it will be like that
on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.
We see in
this analogy that planet Earth is not what is destroyed. Rather, it is
wicked people that are destroyed. The life ecology of Earth will
have damage,
as in any war (Is. 24:17-21), but damage is mainly sent on the antichrist
empire.
God does not want to damage earth more than what is necessary to destroy the
forces of Satan. God will then restore the earth’s ecology and make earth more
liveable than ever, for then will be the renewal time of all
things (Acts 3:19-21).
This is a
prophetic view of restored humanity in the soon-coming New Earth,
as described by Isaiah and the other prophets. The former generations that are
fallen in death will enter this inheritance by world resurrection; this is the
hope
that should be preached until Christ returns. World resurrection is a doctrine
that offers hope and upholds righteousness. It gives glory to God as the loving
Father of mankind, who is fair and just, and provides for all.