RESURRECTIONS 

     There are two main kinds of resurrections:  spiritual and material.  Spiritual resurrection is that of the spirit being quicken from death in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1-6, Col. 2:11-13, Eph. 5:8-14, Rom 6:11).  This occurs when one gets born again (John 3:3-5, I Cor. 12:13, Rom. 8:14-17).  The born again man is given a new nature (Eph. 4:21-24) and becomes a new creature (spiritually) (II Cor. 5:17).  When physical death comes all possibility of a spiritual resurrection has passed (Heb. 9:27).  By material resurrection, we mean that of the body.  It is the material resurrection with which this study is concerned.   

  I.  There are two kinds of material resurrection

             A.  The righteous to life everlasting

             B.  The wicked to eternal damnation

             C.  Dan. 12:2, John 5:28-29, Rev. 20:4-6, 11-15.         

 II. Examples of physical (or material) resurrection

             A.  Temporary - I kings 17:21-22( Elijah - resurrection of

                      the widows son), II kings 4:34( Elisha and

                      the Shunammite boy), Matt. 9:25( daughter of

                      Jarius), II Kings 13:20-21, Luke 7:14,

                      John 11:43.

             B.  Permanent - Christ - I Cor 15:20 (Christ was the first to

                      be resurrected from the dead and enter into

                      an immortal body), Acts 13:33-34

                      Old Testament Saints - Matt. 27:53 

III. Order of resurrections - I Cor. 15:20-58 

A.  I Cor. 15:22 - all will be made alive.  Just as all will suffer physical death because of the fall of Adam, all will be made physically alive because of the obedience of Christ.

            B.  I Cor. 15:23 - first resurrection in order 

1.  I Cor 15:20-23 - Christ and the saints that were resurrected at Christ's resurrection.  (Matt. 27:52-53 - Old testament saints came out of the grave after his resurrection and walked around in Jerusalem; Eph 4:8-10, Ps 68:18)  (Saints were held captive in an upper section of hell.

Luke 16:19-31,John 6:14, Acts 2:27 - David rejoiced because he was assured that God would not leave him in hell forever.  His assurance was founded in the coming resurrection of Christ).  Matt. 12:40 - Jesus spent 3 days and 3 nights in hell. Col. 2:14-17 - Remember Eph 6:12 says that we wrestle against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in the heavens.  While in hell Jesus spoiled these same principalities and powers. This means that Jesus stripped Satan and his cohort of their power to condemn mankind.  He made a public show of them.  Matt. 12:29; Jesus  In Rev. 1:18 says that he has the keys of death and hell.  In other words Jesus has authority over death and hell.  

2.  I Cor 15:23, 51-54 - they that are Christ's at His coming.

a.  Christ promised to come and receive His disciples  (John 8:31) unto Himself (John 14:1-3).

b.  Termed the rapture - II Thess. 2:1 The term  rapture is not found in the Bible.  The term itself means to be carried away, caught or snatched up.  Here Paul refers to our being gathered together unto the Lord.  This gathering together will happen in two parts.

                              1. Dead in Christ first - I Thess 4:13-16

a.  Body is not with the spirit at death (prior to the rapture) - James 2:26 In  order for the body to be dead the spirit and soul must not be in the body.  It is the spirit and soul that are life.  The body is just the house where life abides.

b.  Body returns to the dust - Gen. 3:19

c.  Spirit is in Heaven with Jesus - -II Cor.5:1-8 - If our earthly homes (bodies) were to be dissolved we are to be confident that we have a new home with God.  With that in mind we greatly desire to put on our new bodies.  It is not so much that we desire to be without a body but more that we want to put on our new immortal bodies.  You see, while we are at home in our earthly bodies, we cannot fully be with God.  We are confident and willing to leave this mortal body, so that we may be present with the Lord.

-Phil. 1:21-24 - In living Paul's life was sold out to Christ, but he recognized that death would be to his gain.  Paul was between a rock and a hard place.  He wanted to depart his body and go on home to be with Christ.  But to stay in that body was more needful for the young Christians to whom he ministered.

-Rev. 6:9-11 - These are spirits of tribulation saints who had been killed for their belief in Christ.  Even though their bodies are not resurrected until later,  their spirits are in heaven.

-I Thess 4:14 - The body prior to the rapture is dust and the spirit and soul are in heaven.  When Jesus returns he will bring the spirits and souls of dead saints with him to be reunited with their bodies which will be changed to glorified bodies.

d.  At the rapture, those who were dead in Christ (sown a natural body) will be resurrected a spiritual body.  The corrupt body will put on incorruption.   I Cor. 15:39-44, 51-54  

2.  Those who are alive in Christ - I Thess 4:17 - The dead in Christ shall be raised first.  Then those of us who are alive at his coming will be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air.

a.  Alive - body and spirit still together.  So body will not need to be resurrected; only needs to be changed.

b.  Mortal must put on immortality - I Cor. 15:54-57 - that which can die must  be changed into that which can not die.

-Phil. 3:20-21   

c.  Where does this occur in Revelation?  There are three main views as to the time of the rapture. 

1.  Pretribulation - This teaches that Christ can come to take away His own at any time.  The rapture is preceded by no specific signs.  The rapture will be succeeded by a seven year period during which the Antichrist will make a treaty with Israel, only to break it after 3.5 years.  The last 3.5 years of the Antichrist reign will be the time of the Great Tribulation spoken of by Christ in Matt. 24:21.  The great tribulation will be followed by the return of Christ with His saints to rule the world.

2.  Midtribulation - According to this view believers will be taken away halfway through the seven year period of the covenant made by the Antichrist with Israel.  Christians will go through the beginning of sorrows (Matt. 24:4-14), but not through the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21-31).

3.  Posttribulation - Here the rapture will occur near the end of the Great Tribulation, just prior to the Second Coming of Christ.  The mention of Christ coming as a thief in the night is found after the pouring out of the 6th vial, just prior to the Battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:15). 

-Note:  Remember the expectation of the Jews is that the Messiah would come and reclaim the earth.  They were looking forward to Jesus setting up His kingdom on earth.  This will happen at the second coming.  The Day of the Lord does not begin until the second coming of Christ.  In Matt. 24 they asked when He was coming.  The signs given here must precede the second coming, but have no direct bearing on the rapture.

4.  Rev. 1:1 - God wants us to know what is going to occur.

5.  Rev. 1:19 - John told to write three things. These three things appear to be the divine outline of Revelation.

a.  Things he has seen - What he had  already experienced. (Rev. 1:12:18)

b.  Things which are - present message of Christ to the seven churches.  (Rev. 1:20 - 3:22)

c.  Things hereafter - Future events.  The major portion of the book is dedicated events preceding, and following the second coming of Christ. (Rev. 4 - 22) These are events hereafter.  The question is here after what? -- the church.

 6.  Rev. 4:1-4  After the things concerning the church John was told to come to heaven to see future events.  It is believed that the rapture of the church is symbolized in John being brought to heaven.  Come up hither represents     the rapture of the church.  It is also believed that the church in heaven is represented by the  24 crowned elders.

Facts about Elders -

a. They sit around thrown, clothed in white robes and wearing crowns (4:4).

b. They cast their crowns before the throne  (4:10).  Saints are promised crowns as rewards (righteousness, life, glory, etc.)

c. They continually worship and praise (5:14; 7:11; 11:16; 19:4).

d. They bring to God the prayers of the saints (5:8).

e. One of them encourages John when he is sad (5:1-5).

Who are elders?

The most likely explanation is that the twenty four elders are the symbolic representatives of the faithful people of God.  Their white robes are the robes promised to the faithful (Rev. 3:4), and their crowns are those promised to those who are faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10)  The thrones are those which Jesus promised to those who forsook all and followed him (Matt. 19:27-29). 

Why 24? Because the church is composed of Jews and Gentiles.  It is suggested that the 24 elders stand for the twelve patriarchs and the twelve apostles combined.  In the New Jerusalem the names of the twelve patriarchs are on the 12 gates and the names of the twelve apostles are on the foundation stones of the wall (Rev 21:12-14).  The twenty four elders stand for the Church in its totality.  John is having a vision of not what is , but what will be. Though Israel as a nation has not yet been grafted into the church, one day Israel will also come to Christ and become members of His body.  

As one reads through Revelation one will find the 24 elders, a large group of worshippers (Rev. 5:11), martyred souls under the alter (Rev. 6:11), and  saints from great tribulation (Rev. 7:9-14).  Where are the believers who died before the tribulations if they are not in the large group in Rev. 5:8-11.

3.  The 144000 Jews - Rev. 12:1-5

General agreement is that the woman introduced in verse 1 represents the nation of Israel.  The question then becomes who is the man child that Israel delivers.  There are two theories. 

a. Jesus - This theory says that this is a reference to the birth and ascension of Christ.  This is based mainly on the reference of  the man child ruling all nations with a rod of iron which is a reference to Ps. 2:7-9.  The objection to this theory is based on the fact that John was told to come up to see future events. Birth and resurrection of Christ are historical events.

b.  144000 Jews of Rev. 7:1-8 - These Jews are the birth of Jewish Christians after the resurrection of the church.  This is where the Jews are grafted into the body of  Christ.  They after being sealed in chapter 7 become the missionaries preaching Christianity. They are the first fruit from the Jewish age of the church.  All redeemed saints will share in the rulership of the remaining nations (Rev. 2:26-27, Ps. 149:5-9).

c.  These Jews are caught up in the middle of the 7  year period following the rapture and are presented to God in Rev. 14:1-5.

4.  Tribulation saints

a. These are martyred during the tribulation period (Rev. 6:9-11).

b. They are presented to God in Rev. 15:2-4 (Rev. 7:9-17)

5.  The two witnesses - Rev. 11:3-12

These two witnesses will come after the resurrection of the 144000.  They will preach  Christianity for the last 3.5 years (1260 days, 360 days in year, 30 days/month).  Who are these two witnesses?

    a.  They are symbolized by 2 candlesticks and 2 olive trees standing before God (Rev. 11:4).

 b.  They are seen as two olive trees and call anointed ones before the birth of Christ - Zech. 4:1-3, 11-14.

c.  All agree that one of the witnesses is Elijah Mal. 4:5-6.  Some believe Moses to be the other witness and others believe it to be Enoch. Those who believe it to be Moses do so because of the powers given to the witnesses in verse six.  Those who oppose Moses do so because in order for him to stand before God prior to the coming of Christ he would have had to be resurrected from the dead.  This would have  made him the first born from the dead  (Deut. 32:48-50).  Those who believe it is Enoch do so because he too was translated  without seeing death and therefore can be appointed to death at a later time.  Also since power is to be given to the witnesses, there is no requirement that these powers be evident beforehand.              

C.  All of these will take part in the first resurrection and will be in heaven before the 2nd coming of Christ. 

Rev. 20:4-6 - all who participate in the first resurrection  will have no fear of experiencing the lake of fire which is the second death.  They shall also reign with Jesus during the Millennium.  This is after Armageddon (Rev. 19:11-21). In verse 14 the saints come back with Jesus as his army. Also look at Jude 14-15, Zech 14:1-13.