The Resurrection Process
Did the Resurrection Process Start with Christ and Then Paused? 
Can Some aspect of Resurrection of the Dead have started in the 1st Century with Christ's Resurrection?
I have been of the view that the general resurrection of the dead, was always a future event.
I spoke also of my initial consideration of an evolving change of view on this important issue at When was the Resurrection From the Dead?
The traditional view is that:
- Christ certainly resurrected around AD 30
- There was an initial sighting of saints rising when Christ rose/ ascended, but it was of no consequence.
- Since we all die, resurrection is clearly in the future.
- Christ has not come back yet, so there is no Resurrection.
Consequences of this View though are:
- No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. (John 3:13). No Exception.
- Not only has no one has ascended into heaven, but He told his disciples that they could not go to where He is going UNTIL He comes and receive them into Himself. (John 14:1-3).
- So according to Christ, no one will be in Heaven (or more accurately with the Father) until He comes back.
- This means when we die NOW, if Christ did not come, NO ONE can legitimately say we have gone to Father who is in Heaven.
- Even though Jesus resurrected, in truth, not much as changed in the area of death, as all men will still die and be placed in Sheol or (Paradise/Abraham's Bosom), waiting for the resurrection.
- If Jesus did not come in some fashion, We don't have entrance into the Holy Place as yet.
- Perhaps as a compromise, we have disembodied spirits somewhere waiting for the full promise, because the DAY has not yet occurred.
Then there is that Interesting Dialog Jesus had with Martha:
- Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
- Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
- Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
- She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” [John 11:23-27]
Allow me to play Angel's advocate with this, since I know many still hold onto ye tradition view.
So What Exactly was His point? What did Jesus teach Martha?
Let me rephrase it if I may-> - "You once knew and heard that the Resurrection is to be On a Day, specifically on the LAST DAST. Yes it is in the Scriptures. But, let me change your thinking on that. I am telling you the Resurrection is a Person. I am the Resurrection"
(Do you see that it was discussed in the same approach and in the same way He taught the Beattitudes? That is... "You once heard abc...But I say unto you...xyz". This was one of those moments when Christ divinely blew your mind.)
"I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in me, though He were Dead, YET SHALL HE LIVE. And whoever believes in me shall never die. Believest THOU THIS?"
WHAT A CULTURE SHOCK.
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Ok. So where Did Martha get the idea that Resurrection was on the Last Day?
Well from Daniel of course. Let's reference it.
Resurrection on the Last Day
Dan 9: 24; Dan 12:1-2; 8-13
"Seventy weeks[a] are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy."
[Comment: So 490 Years was given to do a bunch of stuff. This was the time of the end. No where does scripture speaks of the end of time, but instead, it was the time of the end, the end of an age, the Old Testament Age. See my note Daniel 9 - A full Explanation of Daniel's 70 weeks. Clue-It has Passed. on this. ]
So what will take place exactly At that time of the End:
"At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt."
[Comment: Notice the subject audience here is "YOUR PEOPLE", that is Daniel's people, the nation of Israel. They were not only give 490 years to get their stories straight, but at the time of the end, there was a promise of deliverance via resurrection. This is where Martha got the idea, of a Resurrection on the Last Day. ]
Daniel asks: "How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” ... “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the time of the end...(the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up)... But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.”
So it seems
- Daniel was told that his people (that's the key - his people, Israel ) would be raised, with the book of life referenced, some to life, some to condemnation.
- That He was to seal this up till the time of the end and to rest until the time of the end and then he will stand (rise again).
- Resurrection then was bounded to the time when the daily sacrifice was taken away, and when the desolation occurred.
- We know that Jesus ended daily sacrifice (Heb 10:24)
- From Jesus' own mouth, Jerusalem was about to be desolate (Matt 23:38)
- While Daniel sealed the book, Jesus broke the seal [Rev. 5:2]
- John was told to DO NOT Seal for the time was at hand: Rev 22:10 “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand."
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BIG QUESTION:
- Was Daniel then disappointed when the time of the end occurred and he did not stand? Was he misled? Was he told it would take 490 years, but wait, you really need to wait at least 2000 more to stand with your lot (which incidentally is much longer than the original 490 years given)?
- Was Abraham rejoicing to see Christ's day somewhat misplaced since he did not see the promise of resurrection then in Christ's time, and in AD 70 with the coming of Christ in the clouds? Is Abraham still waiting? Where is He? He did die in faith without receiving the promise. Now the Promise is here, but still out of reach.
I think if Daniel or Abraham did not see the promise within a generation of Jesus coming, and had to wait MUCH LONGER that when they were told in the first place, to the time of the first advent of Christ, that would be a massive disappointment and I daresay deception compounded.
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Back to Jesus' Words to Martha.
KEY Thought.
The Shock of what Jesus was saying, was intended to convey that, To the Old testament saints (Dan 12 was addressed only to Daniel's people), and to those in transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, Martha was right, Resurrection was on a Day, the Last Day, the Last Day of the Old Covenant, the Last Day of the Age.
However with Christ on the scene, to us in the New Covenant, Resurrection is a Person.
Jesus was saying, to prove it, I will resurrect Lazarus NOW, even though a day is set aside for this.
I am greater than a designated day. I am greater than your charts, or your understanding of events.
When we die, we live. Isn't that MORE CLEAR?
The resurrection for us is NOT a Date or EVENT but a PERSON in the New Covenant. Did you get that?
When Christ came in the clouds, bringing desolation to Jerusalem, and completely doing away with the Old Covenant, the seals were broken, all sacrifices ended, and Daniel did rise from his rest. There was a judgment given and a resurrection of the dead, some to life and some to condemnation.
We who are on the other side, in the New Covenant, we who believe, when we die, will receive our resurrection immediately and join all those who have already did.
THIS IS THE POWER OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION. The Entire process from Death to Life was FOREVER Changed.
Since then "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: "
When we die from now on, we TRULY live. The resurrection for us is NOT a Date or EVENT but a PERSON in the New Covenant.
"I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in me, though He were Dead, YET SHALL HE LIVE. Believest THOU THIS?"
I think that makes sense. Is this a worth considering, or should we discard it?
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WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE
Understanding that in Dan 12, the target of resurrection at the time of the End was "YOUR PEOPLE", that is Daniel's people, and that Jesus elevate a Person above a Day, we can conclude:
- The resurrection was an event or a Day in the Old Covenant, but Christ corrected us and said that with His arrival the Resurrection was a Person (just like the Sabbath).
- So Resurrection started with Him first, and proceeds without gaps or delays as He is the Day of Resurrection.
- Resurrection is a process WITH NO GAPS, that started in the end of that Age with Christ's own resurrection, (He does not die again) followed by a firstfruits (of the elect, the "144,000" of Israel) (They do Not die again), followed by a full awakening of everyone in Sheol in AD 70 and some to life (they do not die again), and some to condemnation (well they die again - second death).
- This is certainly in line with the Three Harvests shadow in the OT. See Harvest and Resurrection OT shadows taught us that three times men must appear before God, corresponding to the three harvests.
- So after Christ's resurrection the three harvesting of the earth was underway (Rev 14; 1 Cor 15:22-24), each in his own order-
- Firstfruits were Daniel and OT saints, as Daniel was promised to stand at this time of the end. Abraham also gleefully anticipated this day. I would hate to think Daniel and Abraham are still waiting, else Michael should have read the fine print to Daniel. This fulfills the DAY of Resurrection pertaining to the Old Covenant and Daniel. Queue: Daniel and Abraham rejoicing.
- The Wheat Harvest (Rev 14: 14-16), where the Son of Man Himself harvested, all the 1st century saints who died, or as 1 Cor 15:23 says, those at His Parousia/Presence and then
- The ongoing Grape Harvest which started with throwing all the unbelieving Jews into His winepress (Rev 14:17+). This is why his robe was dipped in blood (Rev 19:13), when He came in the clouds to destroy the city. This fulfills Dan 12:1-3, the resurrection verses which dealt with natural Israel ONLY or Daniel's people.
- Since then those who died in Christ never see death. (They live as soon as they physically died).
- In the New Covenant, we who are in Christ, we experience our resurrection when we Die. Those who are not in Christ, they get their judgment and condemnation when they die (queue :"It is appoint unto man....etc.").
- So we can say without dissonance, at funerals, when someone dies in Christ, they are truly with Him, you are not truly dead. Those who died without believing wait for the general resurrection of the dead at Christ Final return. They die. We don't. Those who are alive at His Final return are harpazo and changed also.
- Same with a Judgment. When Christ died, that was the Supreme court judgment on the world. Then as Rev 20:4 suggested, at the resurrection of the firstfruits, there was a judgment (lower court), based on works. This was in AD 70. He gave out rewards then to 1st century folks. All those Jews thrown into the winepress were also judged. Then again after a undetermined length of time, which we are in now (or some called the 1000 year rule), there will be the general resurrection of the dead (unbelievers) and another judgment based on works again. No more need or Hades and death again.
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Objections:
Counter 1:
If the Resurrection had already happened and death was defeated, no one would be dying any more.
Answer:
The premise "If Resurrection has already happened, no one would be dying any more" can be easily disproven by the following:
- When Lazarus was resurrected/ resuscitated, he died again. Well you may say that is not the resurrection you are referring to.
- When Christ Resurrected, men still died. Well you may say that is not the resurrection you are referring to. Let's try again.
- Logically, even if you believe in a first resurrection before the millennium, during the millennium, men would still die... (because there is a second resurrection). Well you may say that is not the resurrection you are referring to. Let's try again.
- Logically if you believe in a general resurrection of the dead, some to life, some to condemnation, well even AFTER that resurrection, men died, didn't they, into the second death?
What you may have meant to say is that, if the Resurrection has happened to an INDIVIDUAL then that INDIVIDUAL does not die again. CORRECT.
So if Resurrection happened in AD 70, David, Abraham et. all DO Not Die again.
We who are after AD 70, when we die, and we believe in Christ DO NOT DIE (AGAIN) But LIVE, since HE is the Resurrection.
I guess this is why He asked "Do you believe this?"
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Counter 2:
BUT we are still physically dying, and the goal is a world with no death, which clearly has not yet arrived. My understanding is that the resurrection happens at the end of this age, and I think it's pretty clear this age hadn't ended yet.
Answer:
Once again, to the Jews there were only two ages:
- This Age (that is the age they were living in, Moses Age) and
- the Age to Come (whenever Moses' Age ended).
My point is that Jesus' Resurrection started a Process, a complete reconfiguration of the Death to Life process, without gaps.
There had to be a resurrection to take place there at least of some kind. It began with Jesus and is presently underway, else Daniel hasn't received anything and no one is truly in Heaven, yet. Furthermore as I said in When was the Resurrection of the Dead"
- "He did abolish Death, if he emptied out Hades, and no righteous person who believes dies anymore -> That is, they go straight to Him instead of going to Sheol/ Hades." Something changed. The Gates of Hades do not prevail again. They were busted open.
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Counter 3:
You are guilty of the Hymenaeus and Philetus Heresy, full stop.
Answer:
They were accused of such before AD 70. Full stop. If I was stating this before the end of the age, in AD 70, I will also be guilty. But we are beyond AD 70, the Last Day of Moses' law. But I am surely open to the idea that there may yet be some future occurrence;
As Dr. Lynn Hiles said "just like the harvest paradigm there is seedtime and harvest and it continues".
The important thing is that, It began with Jesus and is presently underway, because HE IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.
See also a great discussion I just found here at http://searchinsany.hubpages.com/hub/TheHymenaeusandPhiletusHeresy
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Summary:
- I mention in See Harvest and Resurrection that the Harvesting of the Earth was not afar off when Jesus spoke in AD 30.
- If Jesus did not come in some manner to receive them unto Himself, no one is where He is right now.
- According to Daniel, Resurrection was on the Last Day, the Last day of the Age, Moses Age. Martha understood that.
- Jesus adjusted and gave greater understanding. Resurrection Began with Christ for He is the Resurrection and the Life.
- In the Old Covenant, Resurrection was a Day, or mainly on the Last Day, that is the Last Day of the Old Covenant Age.
- In the New Testament, Resurrection is a Person, Jesus Christ.
- By the time of the End of Moses' Age, with the Destruction of Jerusalem, Daniel and Abraham finally received their promise. They are not waiting anymore. They could have been part of the elect, to receive it before at Christ's resurrection.
- Since then, we who die, since we believe in Christ we TRULY Live, not partially live, no partial fulfillment. We Live. We Never Die. We Never go through the death -> Sheol/ Hades process.
I Believe Christ's words and welcome His adjustment to my understanding, like Martha did.
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