Resurrection of the Dead

Much of this material adapted from Derek Prince’s, “Spirit-Filled Believer’s Handbook”

What is the Resurrection of the Dead?

1 Corinthians 15:21-22

  • Resurrection = living again after you die
  • As many people as die will also resurrect
  • Exceptions: Enoch (Gen. 5:24), Elijah (2 Kings 2:11), those who are alive when Christ returns (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

Importance of Studying Resurrection from the Dead:

  • Hebrews 6:1-2 – “resurrection of dead” = foundational teaching
  • 1 Corinthians 15:14 – Christian preaching and faith is meaningless without resurrection of dead
  • 1 Corinthians 15:17 – Sins are not atoned without resurrection of dead
  • Philippians 3:10-4:1
  • 3:10 – Paul wants to know the power of Christ’s resurrection
  • 3:11-14 – Paul strives after resurrection from the dead
  • 3:20-4:1 – Understanding resurrection of our body helps us “stand fast in the Lord” (4:1)

What is Man Made of?

Genesis 2:7

  1. Body (physical part) came from below, from the dust of the ground
  2. Spirit and soul (invisible part) came from above; God-breathed
  3. Man has invisible parts (spirit/soul) and visible parts (body)

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

  1. Outward Man (v.16) – Visible (v.18) – Temporary (v.18)
  2. Inward Man (v.16) – Invisible (v.18) – Eternal (v.18)

Ecclesiastes

  • Ecclesiastes concerns the temporary, visible things (“under the sun,” 1:3, 9, 14, etc.)
  • Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 – man’s body goes below, spirit/soul goes upward
  • Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 – If you remember your Creator (v.1), your body will go into the earth and your spirit will go up to God.

What Happened to People Who Died Before Christ’s Death and Resurrection?

Isaiah 14:3-11

  • 14:4 – Subject: “the king of Babylon”
  • 14:9 – “Sheol” = place where spirits go after death
    • All people who die go to Sheol – 1 Samuel 2:6; Job 7:9; 21:13; Psalm 89:48
    • Those who have sinned go to Sheol – Job 24:19; Psalm 9:17
    • Israel (who will be part of the righteous in heaven, see Matthew 8:11) understood himself to go to Sheol – Genesis 37:35; 42:38; 44:29,31
    • Unrighteous Korah, Dathan, Abiram, Joab, Shimei went to Sheol – Numbers 16:30,33; 1 Kings 2:6,9
    • Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol”
    • According to Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word (#7585) for Sheol means, “Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), incl. its accessories and inmates: – grave, hell, pit.” (Strong, 1996, Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament, p. 135)
  • 14:10 – The spirits of the kings of the nations will speak to the king of Babylon when he dies
    • “Have you also become…” – shows that they have a memory of their lives and a recognition of the life of the king of Babylon, even though they are disembodied spirits.

Ezekiel 32:17-32

  • 32:21 – Mighty chiefs and helpers IN SHEOL will speak about the Egyptians who die, remembering who they were (“the uncircumcised”) and recognizing what they have become (“they lie still…slain by the sword”).

Luke 16:19-31

  • Note: This does not appear to be a parable.
    • It is never announced as a parable (compare Luke 18:1,9)
    • In all the parables there is never a mention of a formal name (i.e. “Lazarus”)
    • There is no symbolism in this story.
  • Note: This story reveals afterlife for those who died before Jesus’ death and resurrection.
  • Luke 16:22-26
    • 16:22 – Lazarus died and carried by angels to “Abraham’s bosom”
      • Abraham is called the father of all who believe (see Romans 4)
    • 16:22 – Rich man died and was buried
    • 16:23 – Rich man went to Hades (same as “Sheol”)
      • He was tormented
      • He could see (and recognize) Abraham and Lazarus
    • 16:24 – Rich man spoke with Abraham
      • Rich man was tormented by flames, wanted Lazarus to refresh him with water
    • 16:25 – Abraham spoke back to Rich man
      • Abraham had understanding of the rich man’s life on earth
      • Lazarus had comfort in the afterlife, rich man had anguish
    • 16:26 – “great chasm” between the afterlife of the righteous and unrighteous
      • Cannot be crossed by either side
    • Body goes to earth, spirit goes up (v. 22)

What Happened at Christ’s Death and Resurrection?

  • Psalm 16:8-11 (see Acts 2:25-28; Acts 13:35) – Prophetic picture of Christ’s death and resurrection
    • Body laid in tomb, but did not decay (rose again after 3 days)
    • Soul was not left/abandoned in Sheol (rose after 3 days)
  • Luke 23:26-53 – Three days of Christ’s death
    • Luke 23:43 – “paradise”
      • 2 Corinthians 12:2-3 – “paradise” = “third heaven”
      • Paradise = being in God’s immediate presence, implies the place where righteous saints go (same as Abraham’s Bosom?)
    • Luke 23:46 – His spirit went to God, where God sentenced its destiny
      • First, Jesus went to “Paradise” where he could welcome the thief (Luke 23:43)
      • 1 Peter 3:13-20 (see also Ephesians 4:9-10) – Next, Jesus went to place reserved for wicked spirits
        • 1 Peter 3:13-17 – Believers: (1) Do good (v.13), (2) Suffer for doing good (v.14), (3) Testify of their hope with gentleness, respect, and a good conscience toward the disobedient (vv.15-16)
        • 1 Peter 3:18-22 – Christ: (1) Did good and suffered for it (v.18), (2) Proclaimed his hope (while His body was put away, see 3:18) to the disobedient spirits in bondage (vv.19-20), (3) Ascended to heaven with authority and power (v.22)
    • Luke 23:52-53 – His body laid in a tomb in the earth
  • Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 – Christ’s resurrection
    • Christ died (1 Cor. 15:3)
    • Christ’s body was buried (1 Cor. 15:4)
    • Christ’s body was resurrected when His Spirit returned to it (compare 1 Cor. 15:4 with James 2:26)
  • Luke 24; John 20-21 – Christ’s glorified body
    • Luke 24:15-30; John 20:13-14 – at times, unrecognizable
    • Luke 24:31 – ability to vanish
    • Luke 24:36 – ability to instantly appear
    • Luke 24:39-40 – had hands and feet that could be touched and seen
    • Luke 24:41-43; John 21:12-13 – could eat broiled fish
    • John 20:19,26 – appeared through closed doors
    • John 20:20,27 – still retained scars and wounds; same body as before resurrection, only in a glorified state

Christ the Firstfruits

  • John 12:23-26
    • 12:24 – Death and resurrection of Christ brings resurrection to many

1 Corinthians 15:22-24

15:23 – The Greek word used for “order” relates to a troop of soldiers (see Strong’s Concordanceand Derek Prince’s, Spirit-Filled Believer’s Handbook)

Shows the order of resurrection:

  1. 1 Corinthians 15:23 (and 15:20) – “Christ the firstfruits” – Christ = “grain of wheat” (John 12:24)
    1. Leviticus 23:9-14 – Feast of Firstfruits
      1. 23:10 – “the land that I give you” – God provides the land
      2. 23:10 – “bring the sheaf of the firstfruits…to the priest”
      3. 23:11b – “On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it” – firstfruits was waved the day after the Sabbath following the Passover (compare Leviticus 23:5-6 with 23:11) = the same day Christ resurrected (see John 20:1).
      4. 23:11a – “he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, so that you may be accepted” – fulfilled in resurrection (see Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:17)
    2. 1 Corinthians 15:23 – “firstfruits” (plural) – Firstfruits = “much fruit” (John 12:24) = resurrected believers (Romans 8:23; James 1:18; Revelation 14:4)
      1. Matthew 27:50-53 – Old Testament saints were resurrected after Christ was resurrected.
        1. “many,” not ALL were resurrected (see Acts 2:29, for instance)
        2. These resurrected saints probably ascended to heaven when Christ ascended (compare Acts 1:9-11 with Jude 14)
  2. 1 Corinthians 15:23 – “Those who are Christ’s at His coming”
    1. Those who are Christ’s = Galatians 5:24; 2 Timothy 2:19 – those who have crucified the flesh and depart from iniquity (compare with Titus 1:16)
    2. John 5:24-29
      1. 5:24-25 – first, spiritual resurrection (“the hour is coming, AND NOW IS,” v. 25)
      2. 5:28-29 – later, physical/bodily resurrection (“the hour is coming [does not say, “AND NOW IS”],” v.28)
        1. Both good and evil will be resurrected (see also 1 Corinthians 5:22)
        2. 5:29 – Eternal judgment follows resurrection
    3. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – dead in Christ and those who are still alive at His coming will be “caught up”
      1. 4:16 – “the dead in Christ will rise first”
    4. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 – All believers will have supernatural change in body
  3. 1 Corinthians 15:24 – “Then comes the end”
    1. Resurrection of those who are not Christ’s (Daniel 12:2; John 5:29)
    2. Revelation 20:11-15; Hebrews 6:2 – Eternal Judgment

Where do Christians Go When They Die?

Acts 7:54-60 – Stoning of Stephen

  • 7:55-56 – Stephen sees Jesus in God’s immediate presence
  • 7:59 – Stephen’s spirit went to Jesus
  • 7:60 – death for Christians = “sleeping,” because it is temporary

2 Corinthians 5:4-8; Philippians 1:21-24

  • In our “lowly body” (Philippians 3:21), we can’t be in God’s immediate presence
  • After death of body, spirit is released to be in God’s presence

How Will our Bodies be Resurrected?

Resurrection means “to live again”. Therefore, to have a resurrected body means that our same body lives again (though in a different form). If we received a body that was made of a completely different material than our current body, we could not call this a “resurrection of our body,” but rather, “a giving of a brand new body”.

Luke 21:16-18

  • 21:16 – some will die
  • 21:18 – not a hair of your head will be lost, though you die

Luke 24:39; John 20:27

  • Jesus, our example, had a resurrected body that was made of the same substance as His earthly body

1 Corinthians 15:35-38

  • Direct continuity between seed planted and crop produced (same material used in both)
  • The crop is very different than the seed in form and appearance
  • The nature of the seed determines the nature of the plant (wheat produces wheat, barley produces barley, etc.)
  • This is a picture of our resurrected bodies

1 Corinthians 15:39-57

  • 15:40 – Heavenly bodies are better than earthly bodies
  • 15:41-42 – differences in brightness = differences in glories of bodies (see also Daniel 12:2-3; Philippians 3:11)
    • Relates to eternal judgment and rewards of believers (see 1 Corinthians 3:10-15)
  • Glorious bodies
    • 15:53 – Incorruptible – no sickness, decay, old age
    • 15:53 – Immortal – incapable of dying
    • 15:48-49 – Beautiful and glorious – free from limitations of sin and curse (see also Philippians 3:21)
    • 15:43 – Testimony to God’s power (see also Philippians 3:21)
      • Grave show man’s weakness, Resurrection shows God’s power
    • 15:44 – Spiritual body
      • No longer “soulish;” subjected to man’s sinful state of being(1 Corinthians 15:45)
        • Fellowship with God unhindered and unashamed (Genesis 2:25)
    • 15:49 – Our bodies will be similar to Christ’s glorified body (see also Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2)