Resurrection of the Dead
The 5th Principle is Resurrection of the Dead. In this principle and the 6th Principle, Eternal Judgment, God’s uncompromising love is expressed in His overall plan for mankind.
Resurrection of the Dead is a cornerstone of Messianic teaching, 1 Corinthians 15:1-6.
1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Messiah died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
This is the Gospel. This is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions. Our Messiah rose, our God lives and this was all done so that we could have forgiveness of our sin. Because of this, we can once again have fellowship with the Father. Even greater, we can have resurrection life in this lifetime.
Paul writes of the importance of this in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.
12Now if Messiah be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Messiah not risen: 14And if Messiah be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Messiah: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16For if the dead rise not, then is not Messiah raised: 17And if Messiah be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Messiah are perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Messiah, we are of all men most miserable.
Without the resurrection, we are eternally lost. Think about this, if there is no Resurrection from the Dead, Christians would be no different from the heathens. All we do and say would be for nought. Yet Paul clearly declares in 1 Corinthians 15:20 that we are not the same.
20But now is Messiah risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Resurrection of the Dead makes Christianity different from every other religion. One cannot honestly be a Christian and deny the resurrection of Yeshua or the future resurrection of the dead.
Peter declared in Acts 10:39-40
39And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: 40Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
It was the basis of the faith in the 1st Century and still is today. Peter further declares in 2 Peter 1:12-16:
12Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. 13Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 14Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Yeshua Messiah hath shewed me. 15Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. 16For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Yeshua Messiah, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
The resurrection of the Messiah is not some cunningly devised fables. Peter sealed his testimony with his life. A question we need ask ourselves is, do I really believe in the resurrection? Am I willing to stake my life on it? If you do, it ought to change the way you approach the Bible. It should change the way you conduct your life. Hopefully, you have not let not your intellect or that of the world fool you.
Isaiah scoffed at the intellect of the world in Isaiah 29:14.
14Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
For those that believe, Yeshua told us in Matthew 11:25:
25At that time Yeshua answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
You must decide for yourself if you believe in the past resurrection and the future one to come. The true disciple seals their faith by walking as He walked. Not as the world or by the doctrine of men, but as the Bible declares in all 66 books. Then and only then, will you be a light to the nations.
The subsequent pages discuss Resurrection Of The Dead.
First Resurrection an Old Testament Teaching
Then the 7 resurrections:
Resurrection of Firstfruit – Yeshua
Resurrection from Spiritual Death – Salvation
Resurrection from Water Baptism – Sanctification
First Resurrection – Believers
Resurrection of the Just and the Unjust
Return to First Principles