Question:
Do you believe that the resurrection taught by Christ, His apostles, or anywhere in the Holy Scriptures refers to a literal resurrection of the material body occurring a long time after death? Do the following Scripture passages refer to such a material, literal, and general resurrection of mankind or of the redeemed: John 11:24-26; John 20:27; Acts 24:14-15; Revelation 1:16, 17 (last part), and the first two sentences of verse 18; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22; Daniel 12:2; Job 14:13-14?
Answer:
Yes, we believe in the resurrection of the body. While the body returns to dust, experiencing death and decay, God will call it back from the dust. As stated in Isaiah 26:19, “Thy dead men shall live; together with my dead body shall they arise.” Additionally, Hosea 13:14 also supports this belief. Jesus rose from the dead, as did Lazarus and others. Do we have any reason to believe that the resurrection of others will be any less literal? Some of the mentioned verses refer to a general resurrection, while others refer to specific instances, but they all point to a literal resurrection. John 20:27 and Revelation 1:18 describe Jesus after He was raised from the dead. The entire hope for future life, as outlined by Paul, is based on the fact of Christ’s literal resurrection and the resurrection that will occur on the last day.
However, not everyone will be raised from the dead at the same time. First, there will be a resurrection of the righteous, followed by the resurrection of the wicked one thousand years later (Revelation 20:4-6). The righteous will not rise from the grave in their corrupt, mortal bodies; instead, they will be given glorious, immortal bodies like Christ’s, as described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 and Philippians 3:21. In contrast, the wicked, who will be resurrected one thousand years later, will rise with the same mortal bodies that all humans possess. The resurrection of the dead is one of the great elements of the Christian hope. Let us take God’s Word as it reads.
