Doctrines of Christ 8

Doctrines of Christ Part 8 As we continue in our study of the Doctrines of Christ, we will look at the resurrection of the dead from the Old and New Testament. There is much to say on this subject, and we will only scratch the surface. Yet, it should be sufficient to give us a basic understanding of the resurrection and what it will mean for those who are saints and those who are sinners, for those who are believers and those who are unbelievers, and those who are saved and those who are lost. First, let’s see some of the first references to the resurrection of the dead in the Old Testament. We will start with one of the oldest books in the Bible, the book of Job. If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time I will wait until my transformation comes. Job 14:14 JUB Here it appears Job was wrestling with the thought of living after dying. He somehow knew there would be a day he would be resurrected and transformed. He carries this thought deeper when he states: For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; Job 19:26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Job 19:27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25 NKJV Job believed in a bodily resurrection. His hope and comfort were in that fact. David the prophet, psalmist and king believed in the resurrection and alluded to it often. As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness. Psalms 17:15 What a powerful declaration! David understood there would be a resurrection, not only of the coming Messiah, but of every person. Isaiah, another great prophet of Israel, spoke of the resurrection. Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead. Isaiah 26:19 Isaiah not only believed in his future resurrection, but the resurrection of all men. Now let’s look at the New Testament to see what the writers understood about the resurrection. Of course, one of the main topics of the New Testament is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 1Corinthians 15:3-8 Jesus spoke much about the resurrection of the dead. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth— those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. John 5:25-29 One of the most compelling cases for the resurrection of the dead, other than by the Lord Himself, is from the apostle Paul when writing to the Church at Corinth. He made a lengthy discourse of the resurrection of Christ, and the coming resurrection of the saints in the 15th chapter of Corinthians. Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 1Corinthians 15:12-13 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 1Corinthians 15:14-15 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 1Corinthians 15:16-18 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1Corinthians 15:19-20 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 1Corinthians 15:21-22 There is a resurrection of the dead. Some to eternal life, and some to eternal damnation. The choice is ours. We must all choose whom we will serve. The Father has given His Son, Jesus Christ, that none should perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16-17). There is much more we could say about the resurrection of the dead, including what type of body we will have, its capabilities, our duties, and privileges in the ages to come. Hopefully, this brief glimpse of the resurrection of the dead will whet your appetite to further study the topic. As you do, you will allow the Holy Spirit to reveal more truths concerning the blessed ‘Hope’ we share as the children of God, and the glorious inheritance that awaits us. Next week we will end our study with our final topic in this series, eternal judgement. Until then may God our Father richly bless and keep you! James Brown CST 04/28/2022