Background: The State of the Dead

Humans do not go to heaven at death. According to John 3:13:

“No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.”

The following is a brief overview of what happens when a person dies.

At death a person returns to the ground from which they came. This is the Bible’s first description of death:

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [“soul” King James Version (KJV)] (Genesis 2:7).

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return .(Genesis 3:19)

The Hebrew word translated in Genesis 2:7 as “being” or “soul” in the KJV is nephesh 5315: “1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion 1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man 1b) living being 1c) living being (with life in the blood) 1d) the man himself, self, person or individual 1e) seat of the appetites 1f) seat of emotions and passions 1g) activity of mind 1g1) dubious 1h) activity of the will 1h1) dubious 1i) activity of the character 1i1) dubious” (The Online Bible). Nephesh can apply to either man or animal, and it has nothing to do with some sort of immortal spiritual essence inside of a man that departs to heaven or hell at death.

A nephesh or soul can die:

Behold, all souls [nephesh] are Mine; The soul [nephesh] of the father As well as the soul [nephesh] of the son is Mine; The soul [nephesh]who sins shall die.(Ezekiel 18:4)

The soul [nephesh] who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. (Ezekiel 18:20)

Death is like sleep in that the dead are not conscious while in the grave:

Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb? Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse? For now I would have lain still and been quiet, I would have been asleep; Then I would have been at rest with kings and counselors of the earth, Who built ruins for themselves, Or with princes who had gold, Who filled their houses with silver; Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, Like infants who never saw light? There the wicked cease from troubling, And there the weary are at rest. There the prisoners rest together; They do not hear the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there, And the servant is free from his master.(Job 3:11-19)

The dead do not know anything, they do not do anything; they have no emotions or feelings. The dead have no work, knowledge or wisdom. They are in the grave, dead. All our plans perish at the time of death:

For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit [“breath” KJV] departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish.(Psalm 146:3-4)

The dead do not come back from the grave. It is a place of no return:

My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And are spent without hope. Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good. The eye of him who sees me will see me no more; While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be. As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, So he who goes down to the grave does not come up. He shall never return to his house, Nor shall his place know him anymore. (Job 7:6-10)

Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me! I would have been as though I had not been. I would have been carried from the womb to the grave. Are not my days few? Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort, Before I go to the place from which I shall not return, To the land of darkness and the shadow of death, A land as dark as darkness itself, As the shadow of death, without any order, Where even the light is like darkness.(Job 10:18-22)

For when a few years are finished, I shall go the way of no return. My spirit is broken [“breath is corrupt” KJV] , My days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me. (Job 16:22-17:1)

And he said, While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.(2 Samuel 12:22-23)

The dead have no relationship with God. They do not praise God or even know Him:

Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake! For in death there is no remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks? (Psalm 6:4-5)

Adrift among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And who are cut off from Your hand. . . . Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? (Psalm 88:5, 10-12)

The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor any who go down into silence . (Psalm 115:17)

For Sheol [“grave” KJV] cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth. The living, the living man, he shall praise You, As I do this day; The father shall make known Your truth to the children.(Isaiah 38:18-19)

All men good and bad are together in death:

Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, Like infants who never saw light? There the wicked cease from troubling, And there the weary are at rest. There the prisoners rest together; They do not hear the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there, And the servant is free from his master. (Job 3:16-19)

For I know that You will bring me to death, And to the house appointed for all living.(Job 30:23)

The only hope for the dead is the resurrection:

For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease. Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground, Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant. But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he? As water disappears from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dries up, So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep. Oh, that You would hide me in the grave, That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes. You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands. (Job 14:7-15)

For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25-27)

But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged ! (Acts 23:6)

I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.(Acts 24:15)

The Second Coming

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For 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. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words . (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

The resurrection of the dead occurs at Jesus’ second coming.

“For 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”.(1 Thessalonians 4:16)

“The dead in Christ” or “those who sleep in Jesus,” deceased Christians, are resurrected at Jesus’ return.

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. . . . For 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” (1 Thessalonians 4:14, 16).

Christians still living at the time of Jesus’ return will rise into the air to meet Him, along with the resurrected dead in Christ:

“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them [the dead in Christ] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

We will see later in 1 Corinthians 15, that those resurrected at Jesus’ return, and those still living at that time, are both changed and given spiritual bodies.

After their resurrection, Christians will “always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12). When He returns, He will return to the Mount of Olives, and His Saints will be with Him (Zechariah 14:1-5). After the return of Christ, the resurrected Christians will reign as Kings and Priests on earth (Revelation 20:4-6; 5:9-10; Daniel 7:13-14, 18, 22, 27).

The following scriptures are additional references to the resurrection happening at the second coming of Jesus:

But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven .(Mark 13:24-27)

Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. (Luke 21:27-28)

The Trumpet Of God

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:51-57)

For 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. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord . (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 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.(Matthew 24:29-31)

The resurrection takes place when the “last trumpet” sounds:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

This “last trumpet” is referring to the last of the seven trumpets of Revelation (Revelation 8:1-9:21; 11:15-18).

As Jesus Christ returns to earth

“with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. . . . the dead in Christ will rise first.” Then those still living at the time of the second coming are “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

According to Matthew, as Jesus comes with the “clouds of heaven,” 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” (Matthew 24:30-31). After meeting Jesus in the atmosphere above the earth, the Saints will descend to the earth with Jesus, coming to the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4-5).

The First Resurrection

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6)

The battle taking place during the second coming of Jesus is recorded in Revelation 19:11-21. An additional event happening at that time is the binding of Satan for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3). In Revelation 20:4-6 we find another description of the resurrection. Those resurrected at the return of Christ take part in the First Resurrection.

The Greek word translated “first” in Revelation 20, verses 5 and 6 is protos 4413: “1) first in time or place 1a) in any succession of things or persons 2) first in rank 2a) influence, honour 2b) chief 2c) principal 3) first, at the first” (The Online Bible). This word protos means the resurrection taking place at Christ's return is the first in a succession of resurrections. The word also means this resurrection is first in rank, influence and honor, when compared to any resurrection which follows it.

In Hebrews 11:35 we find a reference to the faithful dead obtaining a “better resurrection”:

“Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.”

The Greek word translated “better” is kreitton 2909: “1) more useful, more serviceable, more advantageous 2) more excellent” (The Online Bible). The First Resurrection is a more useful, serviceable and advantageous resurrection.

The Resurrection Chapter

If any section of the Bible provides us with the greatest information on the subject of the resurrection, it is 1 Corinthians 15. This chapter is known as the “resurrection chapter.” By studying 1 Corinthians 15, we will learn several very important facts about the resurrection.

Jesus’ Resurrection

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up--if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.(1 Corinthians 15:12-16)

The resurrection of the dead depends on the fact of Jesus’ resurrection. If He had not risen from the dead, then no one else would ever rise from the dead. These verses also indicate that the future resurrection of the dead will be the same type of resurrection Christ experienced.

Jesus The Firstfruit

And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep .(1 Corinthians 15:17-20)

Jesus as the first person in history to be resurrected from the dead, is the “firstfruits” of many more to come. The apostle Paul expresses the same idea in Acts 26:23:

“that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

As we will see later in 1 Corinthians 15, this was not a resurrection of the physical body to a physical life. There are numerous examples in the Bible of this type of resurrection (1 Kings 17:22; 2 Kings 4:32-35; 13:20-21; Luke 7:11-17; 8:49-56; John 11:38-44; Acts 9:36-41; 20:9-12), thus, Jesus could not be the first. But, Jesus is the first individual resurrected with a spiritual body.

Time Order

For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.(1 Corinthians 15:21-26)

There is a time order to the resurrection of the dead. Jesus is the first person resurrected, followed by the dead in Christ at the second coming (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-56; Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27). As we saw earlier, this resurrection is also called the “first resurrection” (Revelation 20:5-6), because it is the first in a succession of resurrections, as well as first in rank, influence and honor, when compared to any future resurrections.

How Are The Dead Raised

But someone will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain--perhaps wheat or some other grain.(1 Corinthians 15:35-37)

The resurrect body will not be like the body that existed before death. The resurrected body is comparable to a seed sown in the ground which sprouts and grows into a plant. The plant which comes up out of the ground is very different from the seed that went into the ground. The same with the resurrected body, which is as different from the pre-resurrected body as a seed is from the plant that grows from it.

Raised A Spiritual Body

But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial {“heavenly” margin} bodies and terrestrial {“earthly” margin} bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body .(1 Corinthians 15:38-44)

The resurrected Christian we will have a spiritual body. He will no longer be flesh and blood.

The Image Of The Heavenly Man

And so it is written, The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man .(1 Corinthians 15:45-49)

The “last Adam” is Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 15:22 we have a comparison between Adam and Jesus. In Adam all die, in Christ all shall be made alive. Adam is a type of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:14). Human beings now have physical bodies like Adam, but when resurrected they will have spiritual bodies like Jesus.

At the time of the resurrection our lowly physical bodies are transformed to be like Jesus’ glorious spiritual body:

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).

The apostle John writes that when Jesus returns we will be like him. Since Jesus will be spirit, so shall we:

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

We can gain a glimpse of what we will look like in the resurrection by examining a vision of the glorified Jesus Christ:

Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last .(Revelation 1:12-17)

At The Last Trumpet

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory ?(1 Corinthians 15:50-55)

At the sound of the “last trumpet” lifeless Christians rise from the dead and receive incorruptible and immortal bodies. Those Christians still living at the time have their flesh and blood bodies changed into immortal and incorruptible spiritual bodies.

Jesus’ Teachings

The resurrection of the dead in Christ, also known as the First Resurrection, was a part of the Gospel message proclaimed by Jesus. We have already studied a few of Jesus’ teachings about this resurrection. We will now examine what else Jesus has to teach about this subject.

The Resurrection Of The Just

Then He also said to him who invited Him, When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just .(Luke 14:12-14)

Who are the “just” that Jesus is referring to in Luke 14:14? The Greek word translated “just” is dikaios 1342: “1) righteous, observing divine laws 1a) in a wide sense, upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God 1a1) of those who seem to themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves in their virtues, whether real or imagined 1a2) innocent, faultless, guiltless 1a3) used of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God, and who therefore needs no rectification in the heart or life 1a3a) only Christ truly 1a4) approved of or acceptable of God 1b) in a narrower sense, rendering to each his due and that in a judicial sense, passing just judgment on others, whether expressed in words or shown by the manner of dealing with them” (The Online Bible).

The following are two examples of the uses of dikaios in reference to Christians:

[W]hom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just [dikaios] and the justifier [dikaios] of the one who has faith in Jesus . (Romans 3:25-26)

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous . [dikaios] (Romans 5:19)

The “just” are Christians, those who have faith in Jesus.

An alternate translation of “the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14) is the “the resurrection of the righteous” as found in the New International Version (NIV), New American Standard Bible (NASB) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

The phrase “the resurrection of the just” is another term for the First Resurrection. It describes those raised from the dead at the return of Jesus Christ. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Paul calls these people the “dead in Christ.” He refers to those still alive at the time of the resurrection, and are “caught up” with “dead in Christ” as “we,” i.e., Christians. In 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Paul writes of those resurrected or changed at the second coming as “we,” again Christians. In Matthew 24:31 and Mark 13:27 those resurrected are called the “elect.”

In Luke 14:12-14, Jesus teaches us that at the time of the resurrection of the just, He will repay or reward Christians for their works in this life. At the sound of the seventh or last trumpet when the resurrection happens (I Thessalonians 4:14-17), Jesus will return and will reward the servants, prophets and saints of God:

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever! . . .The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth .(Revelation 11:15, 18)

At His return Jesus will bring a reward, which He gives to the Saints based upon their works during this life:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom .(Matthew 16:24-28)

And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work .(Revelation 22:12)

This reward is not eternal or everlasting life, which is a gift of God (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2: 8-10 ). The apostle Paul wrote that

“in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8 NASB).

The apostle Peter wrote that

“when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).

Jesus will reward Christians with authority to rule as kings under Him after His return (Revelation 1:5-6; 5:10; 2:25-27; 3:21; 20:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27).

The Sadducees And The Resurrection

Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying: Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her as wife, and he died childless. Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife. And Jesus answered and said to them, The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him. Then some of the scribes answered and said, Teacher, You have spoken well. But after that they dared not question Him anymore .(Luke 20:27-40)

Luke 20:27-40 has many things to say about the subject of the First Resurrection. We will examine these verses in detail. Matthew 22:23-33 and Mark 12:18-27 provide parallel accounts of these verses.

In Luke 20:35 the Greek word translated “counted worthy” is kataxioo 2661: “1) to account worthy, judge worthy” (The Online Bible). This verse tells us that we have to be counted or judged worthy to be in the resurrection. If we have to be counted worthy to attain the resurrection from the dead, then we could also be judged unworthy to be in this resurrection.

Paul also mentions being “counted worthy.” In this case, he is referring to the “kingdom of God”:

[S]o that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy [kataxioo] of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer .(2 Thessalonians 1:4-5)

Being counted worthy of the resurrection as well as being counted worthy of the kingdom of God are one in the same. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul writes that it is at the time of the resurrection when we will inherit the kingdom of God:

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:50-53)

The following scriptures can help us better understand what it means to be found worth to attain the resurrection from the dead and enter or inheriting the Kingdom of God: We must have a righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20. We must do the will of God, which includes keeping the Law of God (Matthew 7:21-23; 21:28-32). We must have the humble attitude of a little child (Matthew 5:3; 18:1-4; 19:13-14; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17). We must be keeping the commandments of God (Matthew 19:16-17; Mark 10:17-19; Luke 18:18-20). We must not trust in wealth (Mark 10:17-25; Matthew 19:16-24; Luke 18:18-25). We must serve Jesus’ brethren (Matthew 25:31-46). We must resist sin (Mark 9:43-48; Matthew 5:27-30). We must not look back with longing on what we have given up to follow Jesus (Luke 9:61-62). We must suffer many trials and problems in this life (Acts 14:22). We must not be practicing sinners (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-5).

In Luke 20:35-36 the term “that age” means the period or time of the First Resurrection, as opposed to “this age,” the world and society we now live in. Those who attain to the age of the resurrection at the return of Jesus cannot “die anymore” because God has given them immortality (1 Corinthians 15:52-55).

In the resurrection we are not going to be angels, but like angels we will not marry or be able to die (Luke 20:35-36). The Greek word translated ”equal to the angels” is isaggelos 2465: “1) like the angels” (The Online Bible). Spiros Zodhiates in The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament defines isaggelos as: “. . . adj. from isos (2470), similar or equal, and aggelos (32) angel. Angle-like (Luke 20:36, which, if taken in connection with Mark 12:25, would be better translated “like” instead of “equal” [see Matt. 22:30]. According to these passages, neither mortality nor sexual union pertains to either the sons of the resurrection or to the angles.)”

As a result of the resurrection we will be the full or born again sons of God (Luke 20:36). Something similar is said of Jesus. Christ was the Son of God by actual physical birth. The only person to be so conceived and born. This makes Him God’s "only begotten Son" (John 1:18). But, Jesus also became a Son of God by and through the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:3-4). He is the first one to be born from the dead and become a born son of God, the first of many more to come (Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5). Jesus is the captain of our salvation, bringing " many sons to glory" (Hebrews 2:9-13).

In Luke 20:37-38 Jesus refers to the Old Testament account of Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3:5-6, 15) to prove the fact of the resurrection. Everyone knew that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were dead. But, because of the hope of their future resurrection (Acts 23:6), God "is not the God of the dead but of the living."

Born Again At The Resurrection

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him. Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit .(John 3:1-8)

When a person is “born again” they will be born of the spirit, they will be spirit. A person born of the spirit will be like the wind. In verse 8 the Greek word translated “wind” is pneuma 4151: “related to pneo (4154), to breath, blow; primarily denotes the wind. Breath; the spirit which, like the wind, is invisible, immaterial, and powerful” (The Complete Word Study New Testament). In verse 8 the same Greek word pneuma, is translated as “Spirit.”

This description in John 3 of someone who is “born again” or “born of the spirit” is very similar to what Paul says of someone who is resurrected:

But someone will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain--perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial {“heavenly” margin} bodies and terrestrial {“earthly” margin} bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body [The Greek word translated “spiritual” comes from the Greek word pneumatikos 4152: ”fem. pneumatike, neut, pneumatikon, adj. from pneuma (4151), spirit. Spiritual” (The Complete Word Study New Testament)].

And so it is written, The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.(1 Corinthians 15:35-58).

John 3 is a description of the resurrection that occurs at the return of Christ. When those who are physical will be born again of spirit. They will be able to see, and inherit the Kingdom of God.

The Part Played By The Father And Jesus In The Resurrection

But Jesus answered them, My Father has been working until now, and I have been working. Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then Jesus answered and said to them, Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. . . . For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation [“Judgment” NASB]. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me . (John 5:17-22, 26-30)

Both God the Father, and Jesus Christ play a part in the resurrection of the dead. The Father raises the dead:

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you .(Romans 8:10-11)

And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power (1 Corinthians 6:14).

[K]nowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you .(2 Corinthians 4:14)

And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead ? (Acts 26:6-8)

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, I have made you a father of many nations) in the presence of Him whom he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did . (Romans 4:16-17)

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us .(2 Corinthians 1:8)

Jesus also plays a part in the resurrection of the dead:

“For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will” (John 5:21).

Does this mean that the Father will resurrect some people, and Jesus will resurrect another group of people? No, what this is saying is that the Father and Son act in harmony. The Son carries out the will of the Father. Just as the Father created all things through the Son (John 1:1-3, 14; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-2), so the Father resurrects the dead through the Son.

Everlasting Life

[T]hat all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live .(John 5:23-25)

Job eagerly awaited the time when the dead would “hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who” heard would live. Job spoke of this future resurrection:

“If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes. You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands” (Job 14:14-15).

John 5:23-25 have a double meaning. On the one hand they refer to the resurrection, on the other hand, they refer to the Christian life now. Before the forgiveness of our sins we are spiritual dead, but now we are spiritually alive:

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus . (Ephesians 2:1-7)

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses .(Colossians 2:13)

The Resurrection Of Life

For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation [“Judgment” NASB]. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me .(John 5:26-30)

The Resurrection of Life is a reference to the First Resurrection (Revelation 20:4-6) which happens at the second coming of Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Those in this resurrection cannot die again because they have immortality (Luke 20:34-36; 1 Corinthians 15:52-55). The Resurrection of Condemnation or Judgment does not deal with the dead in Christ and is beyond the scope of this study.

I Will Raise Him Up At The Last Day

This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. . . . No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. . . . Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:39-40, 44, 54)

As we saw in the previous verses, God the Father resurrects the dead through Jesus. In other words, Jesus resurrects the dead by the authority and approval of Father. The term “raise him up” is a reference to the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-16, 42-44).

When Jesus’ speaks of raising people up on the “last day,” He is referring to His second coming. We have already seen that the resurrection of dead in Christ happens at this time (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Matthew 24:29-31).

From these verses in John 6, we see that there are some conditions concerning whom Jesus resurrects and gives everlasting life. One condition is believing in, or having faith in the body and blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, and expressing this faith by partaking of the Passover symbols of bread and wine (verses 40, 54; Matthew 26:19-20, 26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 11:23-26). Another condition is that God the Father must draw or call a person to Jesus (verses 44, 65). Humans of their own initiative cannot come to God; He must first draw them.

Jesus Is The Resurrection And The Life

Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha said to Him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 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? She said to Him, Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world .(John 11:23-27)

Those who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God are resurrected at His return. Remember those in this resurrection will never die again (Luke 20:36). Jesus can claim He is “the resurrection and the life” because through him we are resurrected and receive eternal life. Jesus’ resurrection makes possible the future resurrection of Christians at His second coming:

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming .(1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

Written by: Calvin Lashway
(Article originally titled The First Resurrection)