Matthew 22: 29 Jesus answered and said to them, You err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
This is what I want you to notice. Jesus just taught them that those who had died in the past were already resurrected, as per verse 31. That was HIS DOCTRINE. That was the reason the multitudes were astonished. They believed the resurrection was a one or two time event in the future. That was an error; thinking the Bible's teaching on resurrection was a one or two time event out in the future where dead bodies turned to dirt rise up out of the graves or some other such misconceptions. No different than many Christians today. They could hardly be blamed back then because the OT had so little to say on the next life. Jesus was correcting that view. Somehow much of Christianity is missing HIS DOCTRINE on the subject. Here are some examples of the already resurrected.
Luke 9: 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment white and glistering. 30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elijah: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spoke of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem..... 33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah: not knowing what he said. Moses was dead and buried, turned to dust, Elijah was raptured. Yet here both men in bodies, already resurrected are standing with Jesus talking to him.
The next example is in Luke 16: 19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and see's Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that you your lifetime received good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from there. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, No, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said to him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Verse one says "there was," this is not a parable. Notice one is resurrected and living where Abraham lives and the other is in hell. They all have bodies. They recognize each other. The rich man is tormented, he lifts up his eyes and ask for water to on his tongue relieve his torment. These people are already resurrected in Jesus's day. What you are seeing in all these proof texts is that the Bible's general doctrine about the resurrection is that it is a teaching about immediate life after death in a physical body. Just not physical like we know physical in a flesh and bone body. When your flesh and blood body dies you will step out of it on two feet, look around with your two eyes, speak in amazement or horror out of your mouth and proceed to your eternal density in heaven or hell. What this is known as is: 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. I'm not ignoring the previous verses John 5. We will get to that. First we need to cover proof texts about the general doctrine of the resurrection being about immediate life after death in a physical body.
Jesus stated: Matthew 22: 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. Luke 20: 36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. Angels are spirit beings. Spirit beings are not clouds or mists. they are physical beings, they have bodily form. Hebrews 1:7 And of the angels he says, Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire....14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Matthew 28:. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it..... 5 And the angel answered and said to the women, Fear not: for I know that you seek Jesus, which was crucified. God is a spiritual being: Jesus speaking: John 4: 24 God is a Spirit: Yet has physical form: Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened... 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. In this passage we see the apostle John mistakes a resurrected man for an angel. Revelation 22: 8... And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. 9 Then said he to me, See you do it not: for I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
The apostle Paul's doctrine on the resurrection accords perfectly with all this in one of the most misread chapters of the Bible. 1st Corinthians 15: 35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? 36 You fool, that which you sow is not made alive, except it die: 37 And that which you sow, is not that body that shall be,..... ....40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another........ 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in in-corruption: 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. Remember Jesus said we shall be like the angels. That means we will live out our lives in the next life in our spiritual body. this flesh and blood body is just a shell meant for pro-creation. That is why we will not be getting married in heaven. No more pro-creation after we leave this world. That is why God made us. To fill heaven with people. But what about the next verse? 51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Now many think this is talking about a mass resurrection or a mass rapture at the end of the world. It is not. the last Trump is YOUR last trump. Not a last trump at the end of the world. Those prophecies thought to be speaking about the end of the world as we know it are what are screwing folks up on the doctrine of the resurrection. In an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, the second you die, you will step right out of the body in your eternal spiritual body. "So this is not talking about rapture at all?" No, people get raptured. Enoch and Elijah got raptured to heaven. Phillip the Evangelist got raptured out into the desert. We have no idea outside of that how many others have been raptured or caught away. Being caught away to heaven or other places on earth is a real thing. Just not a mass event at the end of the world. Now we'll look at the prophecy that messes people up on the doctrine of the resurrection.
I need to mention that the Greek words, like the English words for resurrection, rise and risen are all used interchangeably and the context determines the exact meaning of the words. Jesus's flesh and blood body was physically brought back to life. As was Lazarus's body and many others in the Bible. When the Bible uses the word resurrection to describe dead body's being restored to life that is what it is talking about. When it uses those words to describe immediate life after death of the body then it is referring to the doctrine of resurrection. The other way the words resurrection, rise and risen are used is to describe or illustrate getting saved, finding new life in Christ. Getting right with God. Here are the proof texts that in fact, are what the prophecies about "the resurrection" are actually referring too. First, look how Jesus uses this terminology to illustrate those who are not right with God, (yet.). Matthew 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 22 But Jesus said to him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. Now look how the apostle takes up the same line of thinking. Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead..... 3: 1 If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Now Jesus does the same thing here: John 11:23 Jesus says to her, Your brother shall rise again. 24 Martha said to him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Notice she answers him with her "orthodox" understanding of a future resurrection of dead bodies in the ground? 25 Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? Jesus again repeated his doctrine; that if a person who puts their trust in him dies physically he shall live, in the same way the patriarchs and the poor man are alive. They are all in heaven. That is the resurrection of life, of eternal life, verses, the resurrection of damnation like the rich man in hell.
Now lets take a few steps back to the verse I'm sure some people thought I ignored. John 5:. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death to life. 25 Verily, verily, I say to 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. 26 For as the Father has life in himself; so has he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 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 dead he is referring to are not the dead and buried in graves because they are already resurrected and in heaven or hell according to Jesus's doctrine. He is speaking about those walking the earth, those in Ancient Israel walking the earth, "the dead" now hearing Jesus preaching his gospel that will soon go the rest of the world. Jesus uses a lot of illustrative language in John's Gospel. Another proof text of this is John 6:36-59 which I'm not going to paste here in interest of keeping the article short. In that exchange Jesus keeps saying the same thing John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which see the Son, and believe on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. What he is doing in that passage is quoting prophecy about his coming as the messiah at the end of the 1st covenant age. Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of your people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 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. Look up John 6:36-59 and read it in that context yourself. Jesus is referring to those who will get saved in Ancient Israel by his and his apostles ministry verses those in Ancient Israel who will refuse him at the end of that particular age. The "raising up in the last day" is not referring to dead bodies being raised up from the ground or some last days event called "the resurrection." It is using "raised up" the way the rest of the NT does illustratively for those who put their trust in him in the last days of Ancient Israel. What about this passage? Matthew 27: 50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many. I don't have the greatest answer in the world on this passage. There are no corresponding passages or explanations of this event anywhere else in the Bible. What I assume is that the earthquake tore up the tombs and the power that raised up Jesus raised up some of the saints buried near him who had recently died. The passage says many bodies not all the bodies and it happened after he was resurrected. But it could also mean many of the saints from days gone by appeared to many in the city in their spiritual bodies as a sign and wonder testifying of the messiah. The word "appeared" in verse 53 is used that way if the passage warrants it.
This leads us to the passages in Revelation 20 that really throw people off because of the erroneous end time narratives they read it through. Revelation 20-22 are highly illustrative and condensed repeats of the dozens and dozens of chapters Bible prophecy of billions coming to Christ and a growing free world pioneer by Christians for them to live in after the Roman Empire fell in 1453 AD. Of course along with the great warfare that tries to stop it but fails. Just exactly as we have seen the last 570 years. You can read a bit more about this in my other articles or book that I'll link at the end of this. Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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....... 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. 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.1 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 19 is the end of the age of oppression of all saints who had been living mostly underground as measured by the four empires named in the Bibles prophecy. It illustrates the coming of the Lord to end the despotic rule of men on earth as a process, not an event. This is occurring because at the end of the Roman Empire, 1453 AD is exactly when the Bible first began to make it into the hands of the general public. The thousand years illustrates God's invisible kingdom of influence beginning to fill the earth as a process at the end of the age of the four empires as prophesied in Daniel 2 & 7. Satan being bound is an illustration of nations accepting the truth and rejecting the lies and darkness they had always lived under due to the Gospel and the Bible being taught to them. The book of life is the Bible that the nations are being judged by. The sea is a illustration of the nations that death and hell ruled over due to them not hearing the word of God. The resurrection of life or the first resurrection are those billions hearing the gospel and getting saved, The resurrection of damnation are those rejecting the message. The second death is an illustration of those who die and go to hell. The lake of fire is not hell but an illustration of the end, often in horrible wars of the worlds despotic nations. In other worlds the end, as a process not an event of death and hell ruling over the nations; as promised. As far as resurrection is concerned in this passage; it is a prophecy of the billions being raised to new life in Christ in this present age we are living out. It has nothing to do with the supposed end of the world event called "the resurrection" where dead bodies turned to dust are reunited with the disembodied spirits of men. Which by the way must seem a bit heretical now that the doctrine of resurrection Jesus taught has been pointed out to you.
My book goes over all this in great detail with an emphasis on the prophecies about this free world. The Bible's Prophecy About The Free World - WestBow Press. If you want you can read the first four chapters by clicking on read sample or look inside. If you like it an e-book is the cost of a cup of coffee.
© Daniel Martinovich 2023-2024
