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Resurrections Bible Study

These are my personal Bible study notes on the topic of resurrections. They are mostly a list of scriptures.

Note that my beliefs on the fate of unbelievers in this life may differ from traditional Christian teachings. For more about that, see Heaven and Hell—Christian Doctrine Reexamined.

Are Good People in Heaven Now?

Ecclesiastes 9:5,10 The living know they will die, but the dead know nothing.
Daniel 12:2 "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt."
Acts 2:29-36 David is dead and buried; he did not ascend to the heavens. So when David said in the psalm about his flesh not seeing corruption, and being at the right hand of God (Psalm 16:10), that refers to Jesus Christ.

Puzzling scriptures:

Genesis 5:21-24 "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."

Sleep a Metaphor for Death

Matthew 27:52
1 Corinthians 15:6,51
1 Thessalonians 4:13-15

God Will Resurrect People

Job 14:13-15 Job hoped for God's resurrection.
Job 19:25-27 "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth..." Job yearned for that day.
Psalm 16:10-11 "You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 17:15 "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness."
Psalm 22:29 "All the prosperous of the earth shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust shall bow before Him; Even he who cannot keep himself alive."
Psalm 49:15 "But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me."
Psalm 115:17-18 "The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord From this time forth and forevermore."
Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of the saints.
Proverbs 14:32 "The wicked is banished in his wickedness, But the righteous has a refuge in his death."
Isaiah 26:19 "Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead."
Isaiah 57:1-2 The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, while no one considers; That the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprighteness.
Daniel 12:2 "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt."
Hosea 13:14 (quoted by 1 Cor 15:55) "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes."
Matthew 22:23-32; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-38 The Saducees challenge Jesus Christ on the resurrection, with a story about a woman who had 7 husbands.
John 6:39 The will of the Father is for Jesus Christ to raise everyone up at the last day.
John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
Acts 23:6-9 Paul used the topic of the resurrection to divide those against him, between Saducees and Pharisees.
Romans 8:18-23
1 Corinthians 15 is known as the "resurrection chapter".
2 Corinthians 5:1-8 We know if our earthly "tent" is destroyed, we have a building from God, eternal in the heavens.
Philippians 1:21-23 To "depart" this earthly life means to be with God (in the appointed time). So to die is really a blessing.
Philippians 3:10-11 Paul talks about hoping to attain to the resurrection.
Philippians 3:21 Jesus Christ will transform our lowly bodies into a glorious body.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Don't sorrow as others who have no hope.
2 Timothy 4:6-8 Paul knew the end of his life was near, and was confident he ran his race well, and looked forward to the "crown of righteousness".
2 Peter 1:4 We have a promise to partake of the divine nature, after escaping the corruption in this world.
Revelation 14:13 Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.

Jesus Resurrected People

But only to physical life.

Luke 7:11-16 Widow's son.
Luke 8:40-56 Jairus' daughter.
John 11 Lazarus. In v.25 Jesus proclaimed "I am the resurrection and the life."

Other Resurrections

But only to physical life.

2 Kings 4:30-37 Elisha and the Shunammite's son.
Matthew 27:51-53 When Jesus died, a number of saints came to life and appeared in Jerusalem.
Acts 9:36-42 Apostle Peter resurrected Dorcas.

Nature of Resurrected Body

Psalm 16:10-11 "In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 17:15 "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness."
John 14:1-6 The Father's house has many dwellings. Jesus goes to prepare a place for us. He will come again and receive us to Himself, so that we can be where He is. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
1 Corinthians 15:35-49 We shall have a different body than what we have now. Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption. We shall bear the image of the heavenly Man (Jesus).
2 Corinthians 5:1-8 We will have a building from God, eternal in the heavens.
Philippians 3:21 Jesus Christ will transform our lowly bodies into a glorious body.
2 Peter 1:4 Partake of the divine nature.
1 John 3:2 We don't yet know what we will be, but we know we will see God as He is.

Resurrection of Jesus

Jesus was resurrected to spiritual life, and is the first and only human to have been so far.

Matthew 28:1-20
Mark 16:1-20
Luke 24:1-53
John 20:1-31; 21:1-25
Acts 1:1-11 Jesus was seen after his crucifixion, and eventually ascended to heaven.
Acts 5:30-32 God raised Jesus after he was crucified. Peter and the apostles witness to it.
Romans 8:11 God's Spirit, who raised Jesus, will also raise us--if God's Spirit truly lives in us.
Romans 8:29 Jesus is the "firstborn among many brethren".
Romans 8:34 Christ died, and now is risen, so that we may be saved.
1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Many witnesses of Jesus' resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 The resurrection of Christ is key to our hope for eternal life.
1 Corinthians 15:20,23 Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleeep.

Jesus' Resurrection a Forerunner for Humanity

Romans 6:3-11
Philippians 3:7-11

First and Second Resurrections

John 5:28-29 Jesus talks about a "resurrection of life" and a "resurrection of condemnation".
Acts 24:15 resurrection of just and unjust.
1 Corinthians 15:22-24 Each one in their order.

Note symbolism of holy day festivals, related to harvests: firstfruits harvest of Pentecost, and then latter harvest of Feast of Tabernacles. But before that is the wave sheaf offering during Unleavened Bread. That coincides with the "each in their order" described in 1 Corinthians 15:22-24.

First Resurrection

Revelation 20:4-6 First resurrection.
Luke 14:14 Jesus talks about "the resurrection of the just".
1 Corinthians 15:23
Hebrews 11:35 Mentions "a better resurrection", for which God's people were tortured not accepting deliverance.
Hebrews 12:23 "Firstborn"
James 1:18 "Firstfruits"
Revelation 14:4 The 144,000 sealed called "firstfruits".

Last Trumpet

Revelation 8:1-6 Seven trumpets with seven last plagues.
Revelation 11:15-19 Start of the seventh trumpet. But a lot of things happen at the seventh trumpet.
Matthew 24:31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
1 Corinthians 15:52 Resurrection and glorification of God's saints at the last trumpet.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Saints to Rule for One Thousand Years

Daniel 7:27
Romans 8:17
2 Timothy 2:12
Revelation 3:21; 2:26

Second Resurrection

Challenging scriptures:

Matthew 7:13-14 Many follow the wide path to destruction. Few find the narrow path that leads to life.
Luke 13:23-30 Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" Jesus talks about the wide path that leads to destruction. He then gives a parable about the Master of the house rising and shutting the door.
Hebrews 9:27 "It is appointed for men to die once, and after this the judgement." Many take this to mean our fate is sealed when we die.
Jude 1:7 Sodom and Gomorrah... suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. However, contrast with Matthew 10:14-15; 11:23-24.

But the Bible tells of hope for those who are presently unbelievers.

Revelation 20:5 Parenthetical reference to the second resurrection. "But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished."
Revelation 20:11-15 Great White Throne Judgement, aka second resurrection.
Ezekiel 37:1-14 Dry bones live.
Matthew 10:15; 11:20-24; 12:41-42 A "day of judgement" in which Sodom and Gomorrah, Tyre and Sidon, Ninevah, Queen of Sheba will receive a lesser judgement than Chorazin and Bethsaida. This day of judgement is about judging people, not just condemning them. Judgement with hope.
John 5:29 When Jesus talks about a "resurrection of condemnation" (NKJV), it's better to translate "resurrection of judgement". Not merely condemnation.
Romans 9 and 10 speak of Israel's failure to believe in God. But Romans 11 speaks of a future hope for Israel. Romans 11:11-12, 23-32.
1 Corinthians 15:24
1 Peter 2:12 Gentiles' future "day of visitation".
1 Peter 4:5-6 Gentiles will have to give an account to the Judge of the living and the dead. Hope of life by God in the Spirit.
1 Peter 4:17-19 Now is the Church's day of judgement.

Final Destruction of Wicked

Malachi 4:1 The final fate of the wicked is to be burned up.
Matthew 12:31-32
Hebrews 6:4-8
Hebrews 10:26-29
Revelation 20:13-15 After Great White Throne Judgement, second death is destiny for anyone not found in the book of life.
Revelation 21:8 Second death for cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, liars.

Challenging scriptures:

Matthew 25:46 Everlasting punishment.
Revelation 19:20; 20:10 Beast and false prophet cast into lake of fire and brimstone. Later, the Devil is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and false prophet are/were. "They" (who?) will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

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