“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
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