The Resurrections - Part 3

“Rabbi Joseph the son of Levi objects that it is written in one place, ‘Behold one like the son of man comes with the clouds of heaven,’ but in another place it is written ‘lowly and riding upon an ass.” The solution is, if they be righteous he shall come with the clouds of heaven, but if they not be righteous he shall come lowly riding upon an ass.” (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a).

Scripture is filled with seemingly contradictory statements that are true, but difficult to reconcile in advance of their fulfillment. Two of those statements were reconciled by the Sages in a manner documented by the Talmud. The believer is faced with similar difficulty when reconciling prophecies surrounding the return of Christ. Believers tend to focus on the resurrection described by Paul when the dead and living in Christ are caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, (1 Thes 4:17). THE END, or so many believers have held for centuries. However, THE END of our understanding does not come until much later in scripture (1Cor 15:24), at the conclusion of the Christ’s earthly reign.

We are told that Jesus will bring “those who have fallen asleep in him,” (1 Thes 4:14). In another place we are told “the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones,” (Jude 14). Believers are said to be gathered “together…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,” (1 Thes 4:17). Yet, Zechariah has written, “The LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two,” (Zech 14:4). So how are believers caught up to meet the Lord in the air, while at the same time, the Lord is coming to stand on the Mount of Olives? Are these events simultaneous or do they speak of separate events like the coming of Jesus on a donkey and his coming in the clouds?

Scripture tell us that the resurrection of the two witnesses will be seen by the entire world, (Rev 11:12). “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him,” (Rev 1:7)(Zech 12:10). Two responses to the appearing of Christ are recorded by John, some “gave glory to the God of heaven,” while “the nations were angry,” (Zech 11:18). The Lord Jesus will appear “to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him,” (Heb 9:28). What about the people who did not believe before, but come to believe in Jesus because of His appearing?

The resurrection of the two witnesses (Rev 11:12), occurs in scripture just prior to the declaration of Christ as King, (Rev 11:15). In the account of Jude, Zechariah, and John (Rev 19:11-15), Jesus will return as King to conquer and judge the inhabitants of the earth. It is possible that all these events are simultaneous. Believers may be resurrected and gathered to meet Jesus in the air and immediately return with Christ and His angels to earth. Paul connects these events in his letter to the Church in Thessalonica.

This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus…on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. (2 Thes 1:7-10)

However, the position that all these events occur simultaneously would seem to preclude the response of the nation to the appearing of Jesus.

“I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great,” (Zech 12:10).

Further, an immediate return by Jesus to earth after the catching up of the saints would allow no time after the removal of the restrainer for the man of lawlessness to display his false miracles to deceive those who are perishing, (2 Thes 2:6-12)(Rev 13:13-18). Finally, the nation of Israel comes to believe when “She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days,” (Rev 12:5-6). The believing nation is not resurrected at this time, only the child (Jesus) is snatched up to the throne of God. The nation is given the responsibility to exist as God’s witness for the last 42 months (1,260 days), after the resurrection of the Church.

The appearance of the nation of Israel and the understanding that the LORD still has a separate plan for the nation apart from grafted in Gentiles can bring great clarity to the understanding of the resurrection accounts. Saints will be resurrected to meet the LORD in the air removing the force that currently restraints the anti-Christ. Men and woman will subsequently become believers from witnessing the appearing of Jesus. Some of these believers will escape into the wilderness, while many will be martyred for their refusal to worship the Beast and receive the mark of his ownership. The Lord will then return again to the earth.

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. (Rev 19:11-15)

The resurrection at the beginning of Christ’s earthly reign is for “the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years,” (Rev 20:4). Since this verse is limited to “those who had been beheaded,” it is reasonable to understand this verse as referring to those who came through the last three and one-half years of the tribulation. Otherwise, the verse must be read symbolically since few believers are literally “beheaded.” Although this resurrection of these saints would be the third distinct resurrection, scripture combines all three, calling them the “first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection,” (Rev 20:5-6). One final resurrection remains.


THE FINAL RESURRECTION: JUDGMENT AND THE END OF THE AGE

“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt,” (Dan 12:2)

“Do not be amazed at this, a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned,” (John 5:28-29).

The Bible is clear, not only will the righteous be resurrected, but also the unrighteous. According to John, one final resurrection will occur after the 1000 year reign of Christ on the earth is ended, (Rev 20:5). We are also told,

“The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.” (Rev 20:13)

The Sages offered the following parable to illustrate the need for a physical resurrection of all men and women.

“A blind man and a lame man both desired to raid a certain orchard, but their physical limitations precluded this. The lame man met the blind man and they formed a partnership. The blind man took the lame man upon his back, and the lame man directed him to the orchard. They then shared the fruits of their ‘labors’.

When they were caught by the owner of the orchard, the lame man protested that he himself could not have plundered the orchard. The blind man defended himself in the same manner. The owner then took the lame man, set him upon the blind man and administered punishment to them together (Sanhedrin 91b).” (Artscroll – Daniel, page 321)

The sins committed in the flesh will be judged in the flesh, otherwise the spirit of men will say to God, “How can you judge me for the sins committed by the flesh when I am not flesh, but spirit.” The flesh of a man will likewise say, “How can I be judged when it was the spirit within me that directed my actions?” Paul said it this way, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad,” (2 Cor 5:10). For this reason, the resurrection precedes the judgment, as John has written,

“I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it…And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books,” (Rev 20:11-12).

In order to subject all created things to Christ (1 Cor 15:25), it is necessary for every man and woman to be resurrected so “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” (Phil 2:10-11). Only in the flesh can the knees of mankind bow and the tongues confess.

At the time of the great white throne judgement, the earth will be destroyed as, “Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them,” (Rev 20:12). “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire,” (Rev 20:14), as it is written, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death,” (1 Cor 15:26). How is death destroyed, by resurrecting all men and women, just as Jesus destroyed death by His resurrection, (2 Tim 1:10)(Rev 1:18).

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory,” (1 Cor 15:54).

“But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” (1 Cor 15:35)

The Sages also wondered if the resurrected body will be clothed or naked? The Sages concluded, “The answer is; ‘As man goes (into the grave) clothed, so he will return clothed. This may be learnt from the example of Samuel whom Saul beheld. He asked the witch of Endor, “What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up and he is covered with a robe,” (1 Sam 28:14)(Gen. R 95.1). In a like manner, those who come out of the great tribulation are seen wearing white robes and holding palm branches, which is what is done during the Feast of Tabernacles.

“One of the elders asked me, ‘These in white robes – who are they, and where did they come from?’ 14 I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, ‘they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’" (Rev 7:13-17)

Scott

The Resurrections - Part 2

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
(1 Thes 4:16-18)

The next resurrection believers anticipate will occur when “the LORD Himself will descend from heaven” for “all who have longed for his appearing,” (2 Tim 4:8), who “eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed,” (1 Cor 1:7)(Phil 3:20)(Titus 2:13), “to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him,” (Heb 9:28). The next resurrection will include all believers, both the dead and living, who have existed up to that time in history, excepting those resurrected along with Christ, (Matt 27:52-53). Maimonides taught that, while belief in the Messiah is essential, a longing desire for His return is also required, as John has written, “Come, Lord Jesus,” (Rev 22:20).

Scholars generally accept that the resurrection of the saints will occur during the seven-year period of end time events identified as the final week of Daniel’s seventy week prophecy. The angel Gabriel told Daniel, “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city…he will make a firm covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate,” (Dan 9:24-27).

The Bible further subdivides this seven year period into separate three and one-half year periods. The first is marked by temple sacrifice and worship of the true God, which is immediately followed by apostasy and the revealing of “the man of lawlessness,” (2 Thes 2:3). The latter three and one-half years is a time of great persecution for Israel, commonly referred to as the “birth pains of the Messiah” (Micah 5:3-4), and the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer 30:5-7). The book of Daniel concludes by saying, “There will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time…From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!” (Dan 12:1&11-12).

Pre-Tribulation Resurrection: There are three traditional positions relating to the resurrection of the saints during this seven year (one week) covenant and I will do great injustice to all three in my brief description. The first school of thought, often referred to as the “pre-tribulation rapture,” holds that believers will be resurrected at the beginning of the seven year period. Believers will remain with Christ and then return with Him to earth at the end of the tribulation period. The pattern for this event is the one week biblical weddings typified by Jacob. In this way, believers will be kept from “the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world,” (Rev 3:10), fulfilling the many similar promises given in scripture, (1 Thes 1:10).

The belief in an early resurrection is attractive because believers will not have to experience any of the judgments in the Book of Revelations. However, the “hour” referred to in the third chapter should be seen as the “the hour of his (God) judgment” (Rev 14:7), the same “one hour” that the ten kings receive their authority to reign with the beast, (Rev 17:12). This hour occurs during the last three and one-half years when the seven bowls of judgment are poured out on the earth. The many promises in scripture to protect believers do not require that believers be removed from the earth. During the days when the LORD poured out His ten plagues on Egypt, He did not remove Israel from the land, but providentially protected them in Goshen. It is not before the coming tribulation, “But immediately after the tribulation of those days…He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEYWILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other,” (Matt 24:29-31).

Post Tribulation Resurrection: Another school of thought, often referred to as the “post tribulation rapture,” holds that believers are destined to endure the tribulations in the Book of Revelations and will be resurrected at the end of these tribulations, (Matt 24:24-31). During the last half of the seven year covenant period, the Beast is given authority to rule over the earth, (Rev 13:5). This final forty-two month period is referred to as “the times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24), who will be given power to “trample on the holy city for 42 months,” (Rev 11:2). The leader of the Gentile nations, the Beast (anti-Christ), will be “given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them,” (Rev 13:7)(Dan 7:21) “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God,” (2 Thes 2:4).

Many saints who refuse to worship the Beast will be persecuted and killed by the sword. “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on…they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them,’” (Rev 14:12-13)(Rev 13:10). As I understand, the Church of Christ holds that the majority of tribulations written about in the gospel accounts, the epistles and the Book of Revelations, have already occurred. However, if they have occurred, who were the two witnesses of Revelations (11th chapter) and why did the resurrection and judgment not immediately follow the tribulation?

The martyring of many saints would seem to run contrary to the promises to keep the saints from “the hour of testing,” (Rev 3:10). Further, Paul tells us that “The mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed,” (2 Thes 2:7-8). In scripture, it is God who protects and delivers the saints from the “evil one,” (John 17:11)(2 Thes 3:3)(Rev 12:6). For this reason, the “he who now restrains” is commonly understood to be either the Holy Spirit or the body of the Church where the Holy Spirit dwells. At some point in God’s plan to judge the world, the Spirit will be removed, following the pattern of Sodom and Gomorrah where the righteous were removed, so that judgment of the world can be completed. The promises relating to the Spirit make it impossible to remove the Spirit without also removing believers who have been sealed by the Spirit. In the parable of the ten virgins (Matt 25:1-13), it is the five who were ready, who have oil (the Spirit), who leave with the bridegroom when he appeared. Those without oil (the Spirit) remain despite their plea to, “Open the door for us!” (Matt 15:11).

Mid-Tribulation Resurrection: The 11th chapter in the Book of Revelations contains many elements of the resurrection found elsewhere in scripture. Central to the 11th chapter are the two witnesses, who prophesy “for 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth,” (Rev 11:3). This time period appears to mark the first half of the seven year covenant foretold by Daniel (Dan 9:27) and will fulfill the words of Jesus, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things,” (Matt 17:11). As in the first coming of Jesus, many will not heed the words of Elijah and in the over the last 42 months (Dan 12:11), the holy city will be trampled upon by the Gentiles (Rev 11:2)(Dan 9:27). The first 42 months and the last 42 months are separated a significant event, the death and resurrection of the two witnesses. The resurrection of the two witnesses contains a number of elements that are also associated with the larger resurrection of the saints.

The Loud Call and The Trumpet Blast:

“Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Come up here.’ And they went up in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. At that very hour there was a severe earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed…Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign for ever and ever.’” (Rev 11:12-15).

The resurrection of the two witnesses is accompanied by “a loud voice from heaven” and the sounding of the seventh angel’s trumpet, reminding us of Paul’s resurrection account, “a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God,” (1 Thes 4:16). Although some believers hold to an earlier resurrection, Paul’s statement that, “the dead in Christ will rise first,” would seem to preclude a resurrection prior to the two witnesses.

The loud voice from heaven is heard to say, “Come up here.” At the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus “called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’” (John 11:43). People have speculated that Jesus used the name of Lazarus to preclude a broader resurrection. Jesus told his disciples, “a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned,” (John 5:28-29). All people will hear the voice of Jesus, but those who hear the voice of Jesus in this life will live, (John 5:25). In scripture, when Jesus calls out to an individual, “Come,” they are compelled to respond, (Matt 4:19-20)(Matt 14:28-29).

The voice from heaven is immediately followed by a trumpet blast (Rev 11:15), which is the seventh and “last trumpet,” identified by Paul as the trumpet of the resurrection, (1 Cor 15:52). The two witnesses are gathered into “the cloud,” just as all the saints “will be caught up together…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,” (1 Thess 4:17). Coming in the clouds is a consistent theme throughout scripture (Dan 7:13)(Matt 24:30)(Mark 13:26-27)(Matt 26:64).

Earthquakes: Two earthquakes are associated with the resurrection of the witnesses in the 13th and 19th verses of the 11th chapter. Earthquakes in scripture are associated with the arriving and departing of the Lord, as the Psalmist has written, “The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped at the presence of God; Sinai itself at the presence of God, the God of Israel,” (Psa 68:8). Sinai was said to shake at the LORD’s descending, (Heb 12:26). The great earthquake in the days of Uzziah (Zech 14:5), is associated in Hebraic tradition with Ezekiel’s vision of the LORD leaving the temple, (Ezek 10:1-22). The earth shook at the time of the crucifixion (Matt 27:54), when the tomb was opened, and when Christ first ascended to the father, (Matt 28:2)(John 20:17). We would expect the return of Jesus to be accompanied by one of more earthquakes of unprecedented magnitude, “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’” (Heb 12:26)(Zech 14:4).

The Elements of the Fall Feasts: Believers who view scripture from a Hebraic perspective generally hold that the return of Christ will occur during the fall Feasts of Trumpets (Rosh HaShannah), The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and Tabernacles (Sukkot). In the 11th chapter of the Book of Revelations, we are given a number of evidences to demonstrate that these events occur during the time of the fall Feasts. The blowing of the seventh trumpet would be appropriate on the Feast of Trumpets. In addition, the Feast of Trumpets marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year (the first day of Tishrei), the date when the kings of Israel were crowned. Immediately following the seventh trumpet, loud voices in heaven proclaim, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” (Rev 11:15). At this time, “You (Jesus) have taken your great power and have begun to reign,” (Rev 11:17).

The ten days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement are referred to as “The Days of Awe,” a time when heaven is open to receive the repentant prayers of the saints. On the Day of Atonement, the books are closed and the judgment of God is rendered. John records “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant,” (Rev 11:19). John’s words indicate the time of year and tell us that even during these future days of tribulation, God will remain open to the repentant prayers of the nations prior to rendering judgment. How do the nations respond? “The nations were angry,” (Rev 11:18), so God will judge the nations “destroying those who destroy the earth…And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm,” (Rev 11:18-19).

The Day of Atonement is the time for “judging the dead, and for rewarding your servant the prophets and your saints and those who reverence you name both small and great,” (Rev 11:18). Believers often forget that there is a time for judging and rewarding the saints. As Peter warned believers, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pet 4:17). After this judgment, we will enter into the eternal rest of God. The writer of Hebrews exhorts believers to, “make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience,” (Heb 4:11).

The Mystery of God Will be Accomplished: When Jesus is revealed to the world, “in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets,” (Rev 10:7). Scripture contains a number of mysteries, but “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and shares together in the promise in Christ Jesus,” (Eph 3:6). The removal of the believing Church results in the removal of the Holy Spirit, which now holds back the secret power of the lawless one, (2 Thess 2:8). The Spirit’s removal allows Satan to display “all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders (to deceive) those who are perishing,” (2 Thess 2:9-10), and the LORD to pour out His judgments.

From this point forward, the Book of Revelations focuses on the final plagues of the great tribulation and the redemption of the nation of Israel, who is depicted as “a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head,” (Rev 12:1). The two earthquakes in the 11th chapter are followed by the flight of the woman (Israel) into the desert (Rev 12:8). The flight of the woman may fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah,

On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. (Zech 14:4-5)

The LORD will deliver and protect the nation of Israel in the wilderness from the increasingly devastating plagues that will come upon the earth and the persecution of the Dragon who has fallen from heaven, (Rev 12:6-9). Beginning with the third plague on Egypt, the magicians of Egypt were unable to reproduce miracles concluding, “This is the finger of God,” (Ex 8:19). Beginning with the forth plague, the LORD made “a distinction between my people (Israel) and your people (Egypt)” (Ex 8:23), so that Israel was protected in Goshen. This pattern will be repeated in Revelations. After the resurrection of the saints, during the 42 months of the anti-Christ, the LORD will providentially protect and provide for the remnant of His people in the wilderness over “1260 days” (Rev 12:6), the last three and one-half years of the final tribulation.

Scott

The Resurrections - Part 1

For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. (1 Cor 15:15-18)

From the Torah flow the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that are foundational to the Christian faith. Yet, the principle of the resurrection is somewhat veiled in the first five books of the Bible. It was the prophets who brought clarity to the resurrection by writing, “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt,” (Dan 12:2), and “But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.” (Isa 20:19)(Isa 26:19). For those people who did not hold the word of the prophets as inspired, there was no resurrection at all in the Pentateuch of Moses. Among these were the Samaritans and the Sadducees “who taught that the soul became extinct when the body died and death was the final end of the human being,” (Everyman’s Talmud, page 357).

The Pharisees saw the prophets as inspired by God and said, “Woe to the guilty one (the Sadducees) who declare that the dead will not live; since those who were not in existence come to life, how much more will they who have lived come to life again!” (Sanh 91a). Since the Pharisees believed that all truth had its origin in the Torah, they searched out the Torah for proof of the resurrection.

“Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD,” (Lev 18:5)(Gal 3:12). The Pharisees reasoned that since it is necessary for a man to be alive in order to obey the commandments, the phrase “live by them” must be referring to eternal life. The Sages then saw the Torah as the source of eternal life, “Great is the Torah for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and the world to come,” (m.Avot 6:7). Building on the concept of the Sages, Jesus said the Jews in Jerusalem during one of the feasts, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me,” (John 5:39).

"See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.” (Deut 32:39). The sequence “put to death and bring to life” goes against the natural order were life is first created and then death follows. Because the order was reversed by the LORD, the Pharisees reasoned that the LORD was telling His people that life can come after death. A similar line of reasoning is employed by the Sages in reference to the writings of Solomon. “What is the connection between ‘the grave’ and ‘the barren womb’? (Psa 30:15-16) The intention is to tell you that as the womb receives and yields up, so the grave receives and yields up,” (Everyman’s Talmud, page 360).

“Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, and so that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your forefathers to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Deut 11:8-9). The Pharisees observed that it was not “their descendants,” but “to them (the forefathers)” that the LORD swore to give the land. Since the promise was perpetual, the Sages reasoned that the Patriarchs must be perpetual. The same reckoning was used by Jesus to demonstrate the resurrection to the Sadducees, “But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” (Matt 22:31-32)

The principle of the resurrection became fundamental to the theology of the Pharisaic Jew by the turn of the first century, “Since a person repudiated belief in the Resurrection of the dead, he will have no share in the Resurrection,” (Sanh. 90a). From the previous statement, we understand why the topic was passionately debated in the apostolic text. Maimonides, the Jewish scholar who wrote 1000 years after Jesus, established thirteen principles of faith. He established these principles to demonstrate that the physical lineage was insufficient by itself, but Jews must also hold certain fundamental beliefs to enter the world to come. Among the principles that Maimonides defined,

“I believe with perfect faith that there will be a revival of the dead at the time when it shall please the Creator, Blessed be His Name, and His mention shall be exalted for ever and ever.”

Without the resurrection, both the faith of the Jew and the faith of the believer in Jesus Christ is useless, (1 Cor 15:14). The resurrection demonstrated that Jesus was the Son of God (Rom 1:4), provided evidence that believers will also be raised (1 Cor 6:14), and provided proof that God has appointed a day when He will judge the world, (Acts 17:31). For if the dead are not raised, then this life alone holds both the rewards and punishments merited for actions.


THE FIRST RESURRECTION: A SIGN OF THE KINGDOM

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. (1 Cor 15:20-24)


The apostle Paul provided this sequence for the resurrections of the dead:

(1) Christ, the firstfruits;
(2) then when he comes, those who belong to him,
(3) Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death,” (1 Cor 15:23-26)

The initial resurrection occurred three days after Passover, when Jesus Christ arose as “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep,” (1 Cor 15:20). The next resurrection will occur at the return of Christ, “when he comes.” The final resurrection is part of “the end,” the “summing up” (Eph 1:1), when all things will be placed in subjection Messiah (1 Cor 15:25-28). This resurrection will not occur until the conclusion of the Messiah’s reign on earth. John spoke of this resurrection when he said, “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed,” (Rev 20:5).

In Rabbinic thought, the Kingdom of God is the transitional period between the present world and “olam haba,” the world to come, (Heb 2:5). As such, signs of the world to come should mark the beginning of the Kingdom and increase in magnitude as the fullness of the Kingdom is manifested. A certain and sure sign of the Kingdom is the resurrection of the dead. After all, how can the Saints who are asleep “reign with him (Christ) for a thousand years” (Rev 20:6), and live in the world to come if they are not first resurrected from the dead? Paul spoke of the coming resurrection in this manner.

“Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body,” (Phil 3:20-21).

According to Paul, the power of the kingdom is “the power that enables him (Christ) to bring everything under his control.” The power of the kingdom “will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Jesus once told his disciples, “"Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power ." (Mark 9:1). Believers often debate when the disciples saw the kingdom. Did the disciples see it at the transfiguration or was it John who saw the kingdom in his Revelation vision?

The answer is much simpler as are many of the truths of God. To not taste death is to experience the kingdom and to see the resurrected Jesus is to witness the power of the kingdom. The power of the kingdom is manifested in the resurrection, as Jesus was “declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead,” (Rom 1:4). I am increasingly convinced that every miracle performed by Jesus during His ministry was given to demonstrate that the Kingdom of God was at hand. The above statement of Jesus to the disciples becomes a type of word association, “some…will…see the kingdom of God” as “not tast(ing) death.” I admit this midrash might be a bit of a stretch. Yet, Jesus came to “preach the good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 4:43), supported by miracles that testified to the kingdom.

"Go and report to John what you hear and see: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.” (Matt 11:4-5).

The resurrection of Lazarus near the end of Christ’s earthly ministry caused many Jews to believe and the Sadducees to seek an opportunity to kill Jesus. Jews held an expectation that the resurrection of the saints would accompany the appearing of the Messiah. For this reason, Matthew wrote to his Jewish audience, “The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.” (Matt 27:52-53).

Rich, thanks for the inspiration. Scott

Myriads of Believers

It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." (Jude 14-15)

Do you ever feel like you were caught looking at the pitch? I did as I got home and reflected on our reading of Jude Wednesday night. I should have taken the opportunity to make a point that David Biven expressed when we saw him over a year ago. Wednesday night was a lost opportunity so I will be content to express myself on the Dusty Disciples.

According to Jude, Enoch tells us that the LORD is coming with “many thousands of His holy ones.” The term “many thousands” comes from the Greek word “murias (myriads),” Just like our numbering system, the Greek numbering system is built on multiples of tens “deka” (Matt 20:24), hundreds “kosioi“ (Acts 23:23), thousands “chilias” (Rev 5:11), and ten thousands “murias, sometimes translated as myriads” (Jude 14)(Rev 5:11). When a specific number is required, a prefix in placed in front such as “dia kosioi,” two hundred (Acts 23:23), “tris chilios” three thousand (Acts 2:41), “eikosi chilios” twenty thousand (Luke 14:31), “pente chilios” fifty thousand (Acts 19:19), etc.

Murios is the largest number in Greek and is understood as a multiple of ten thousand, generally at least twenty thousand. The number is rendered as follows in the various translations of Jude 14?

“The Lord is coming with thousands upon thousand of his holy ones,” (NIV)
“The Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones,” (NASU)
“Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,” (KJV)
“Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones,” (ESV)

The KJV and ESV rendering of murias as “ten thousands” is probably the best translation since murias is a multiple of ten thousand and could also be understood as “tens of thousands.” The implied number is a minimum of twenty thousand, but could be significantly higher, such as fifty to hundred thousand. For example, if a person says that they have a number of tens in their wallet, they usually mean at least four, otherwise they would say, “I have a couple tens or several tens.” The Psalmist provides the following definition of myriad (murias), “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands,” (Psa 68:17, NASB). That definition gives the NIV translation some merit. (Teresa, you can still hang on to your NIV for a while.) In short, some indefinite multiple of ten thousand is being stated by Jude. No matter how high the number, it represents only a very small fraction of the “myriads of myriads” of angels that surround the throne of Lamb in John’s vision, (Rev5:11). So why so much emphasis in this artilce on the specific number of angels?

“They said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands(murias) there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law.” (Acts 21:20, ESV)

Murias is the underlying Greek word used by Luke for James' description of the number of believing Jews in Jerusalem. The ESV and KJV elected to translate the word as “ten thousands” in reference to the angels coming with Jesus, but only “many thousands” in reference to the believing Jews. That may not seem significant to some readers, but it is to me. Ten to twenty thousand could constitute “many thousands,” while “ten thousands” is a minimum of twenty, but is more likely to be forty to fifty thousand or more.

Believers sometimes ask why more Jews did not believe in Jesus. According to James, tens of thousands of Jews believed in Jerusalem alone. In the first century, the population of Jerusalem probably did not exceed 100,000 people. The population probably swelled to twice that number during the feasts and is reported to have reached over 500,000 during the Roman siege. Therefore, there is evidence from the statement of James that a quarter to half of the Jews living in Jerusalem believed in Jesus as the Messiah. This argument flies in the face of conventional wisdom which states that the Jews as a whole rejected Jesus. I think that is one reason why the ESV and KJV play down the number of believers in the statement of James.

If 50,000 believers lived in Jerusalem, it must have been quite a service on the Temple Mount each Shabbat. No wonder James was concerned about the effect Paul would have on the assembly in Jerusalem when he came to the city. What a shock it must have been when all these people were driven from assembling at the Temple Mount after the death of James in 62 AD. Even through this tragic event, many believers still remained in Jerusalem until sometime during the Jewish revolt (66-70 AD).

Yeshua warned believers “when you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city,” (Luke 21:20). According to Eusebius, these Jewish believers did leave Jerusalem when the Roman army temporarily pulled back from the city in 69 AD after the death of Nero, as the LORD provided a way of escape.

Scott

LORD and Master

Often individuals who met Jesus are said to address him as “Lord.” The New Testament Greek word is “Kurios,” and is sometimes translated as “Sir,” such as “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet,” (John 4:19) and “Sir, come down before my child dies,” (John 4:49). Kurios is also translated as "Master," a term frequently used by Peter, “Master, it is good for us to be here,” (Luke 9:33). In ancient Greece, kurios was applied to the master of a woman since women were not considered citizens in Greek society. So why do the English translators most often render the term as “Lord?”

In the Hebrew text, the most holy name of God is spelled YHWH. The Name is translated into English using all capital letters as “LORD.” When the Name was translated into the Greek Septuagint around 130 BC, the Hebrew authors chose the word “Kurios” for “LORD.” Since the New Testament Kurios was not YHVH, the King James translators rendered Kurios as “LORD” in only four passages: Matt 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42, and Acts 2:34. The NASU translators were a little better translating Kurios as LORD when the passage is a direct quotation from the Hebrew text. Unfortunately, the NASU translated every letter of every word of the quotation in capital letters elevating the common words to the level of the most Holy Name and presenting the quotations as superior to New Testament scripture.

Further, the NASU translators failed to render Kurios as LORD where passages allow for this translation, as in “the angel of the Lord,” (Matt 2:19) and ”I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,” (Matt 11:25). The NIV translators were no better. They consistently translated Kurios as “Lord” and I have not found an example in the NIV where the word is rendered as LORD. Even direct quotations from the Old Testament, referring to both the Father and the Son, do not make the appropriate distinction, as in, “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’” (Matt 22:44). This is perplexing since the original passage in the NIV reads, “The LORD says to my Lord,” (Psa 110:1). Why was this passage not rendered in the New Testament as it is written in the Old Testament?

At best, the English translators are inconsistent in their rendering of Kurios. At worst, the translators are deliberately allowing their theological bias to affect their rending of scripture. Translating Kurios as “Lord” for both the Father and Son introduces a level of uncertainly into scripture and violates the pattern of Jesus who made a distinction between the Father and the Son, (Luke 18:19). A better rendering of Matthew 22:44 would be, “The LORD said to my Master…” At least the King James Version made an attempt to distinguish between the Father and Son by translating the passage as, “The LORD said unto my Lord.”

Always translating Kurios as “Lord,” making no distinction in the New Testament between the Father and Son, may be a veiled attempt by the translators to increase the reader’s perception of the diety of Jesus. However, the student of the Bible needs no such validation. He already appreciates that the balance of scripture is sufficient on its own merit to establish the relationship of Jesus and the LORD.

Are you sufficiently confused? It is not surprising and you are not alone. In passages that refer to God the Father, Kurios would be best rendered as “LORD,” while in references to Jesus, Kurios would be better rendered “Master,” as in “ Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets,” (Luke 5:5). Each reader should understand this distinction to show ourselves “approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth,” (2 Tim 2:15).

Scott