Identical Bodily Resurrection

But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

I Corinthians 15:35

This term used in the title is not meant to be confusing, but seems to have become so in the last few decades. The resurrection of the dead is one of the most blessed and beloved of doctrines in the bible upon which the very foundation of our hope is built; hope that we shall live again as has been promised throughout the bible. It is our only hope of a bodily reunion with all those of the family of God who have lived upon this earth.

 

It is of my opinion that the greatest problem with understanding identical bodily resurrection lies within the terminology itself. When we use this term to define our belief in the resurrection of the dead, we are not stating that the body, which comes forth from the grave, will be exactly as it was when it lived on earth. It will not have the birthmarks, the wrinkles or any other evidences of age, or in the case of the infant, will not be small and fragile but it will be “changed” (not exchanged) to a glorified body like unto the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, this does not mean that we will be identical to Him in every feature to the extreme that we will not be able to identify the child of God apart from our Blessed Lord, but simply means that we will have a glorified incorruptible body, as does He. We will have an identity or, to use another term, individuality. It will be the same body with which we were cloaked on earth, yet changed or glorified as the scriptures teach.

 

          Most everyone who has been through science classes at school understands that a diamond is only a piece of coal, a piece of coal that has been changed (again, notice it was not exchanged) from its original state to its new form. As a piece of coal, it is dirty with a pungent odor, and can be easily destroyed. Its main purpose is to be burned. However, after being changed into the diamond, it is a beautiful, valuable precious stone to be admired by all who look upon it, and is virtually indestructible. Yet, amazingly, it is still a piece of coal, only changed! So it is with the caterpillar, after it spends its time in the cocoon, it is changed into the butterfly. It is the same caterpillar but now its body has been changed to a totally different creature. Its substance remains the same; the qualities of that substance have been changed.

           

I find it sad that so many today profess a belief in the resurrection, but continue to conclude that the grave is the eternal destiny of the body.  I have heard it said many times, “I don’t know what’s coming out of that grave, but I know something’s coming out!” Well, I do know what’s coming out of the graves. The scriptures teach us that it will be the bodies of those who once lived upon this earth. If we accept anything short of this, then we do not truly believe in “the” resurrection, and if this is the case, where is our hope? Can we honestly consider that God has no power over death? The actual definition of “resurrection” itself refutes this misunderstanding; “A rising again; chiefly, the revival of the dead of the human race, or their return from the grave, particularly at the general judgment” (as taken from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary).

 

We find in Apostle Paul’s writings, … “that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust”. Who are the dead if not those who at one timed lived? The soul never dies nor does the spirit, so what is it that dies or is dead? It must be the body! 

He speaks very plainly in the 15^th chapter of the Corinthian letter when he says:

·         Verse 42: “It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

·         Verse 43: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory; It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

·         Verse 44: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”

 

There are a lot of “its” (eight to be exact) used in these few verses but in every case, it is speaking of the body that is planted into the earth at death, and it is the same body (yet changed or glorified) that is raised again from the earth unto new life at the resurrection.

            

In the following verses the Apostle uses very strong language as he causes us to pause and consider: “What if there is no resurrection of the dead?”

·         Verse 12: “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?”

Here he is asking those of the church at Corinth: “How can you even consider that there will not be a resurrection of the dead, since you have heard it preached and have believed in the past the message that Christ himself has risen from the dead?”

·         Verse 13: But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

 First notice that the Apostle did not say that if Christ were not raised from the dead then neither would we.  He articulates this in a manner that speaks to us that if we are not to be raised from the dead then neither did Christ arise from His tomb. Pretty bold language. I don’t think this could be made any plainer. He states very strongly that if we have no hope of coming out of the grave, then Jesus does not live today!

·         Verse 14: “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain”.

Paul tells us if Christ did not come forth from his tomb, then all that we have preached is a lie and those who heard our message have believed a terrible falsehood.

·         Verse 15: “Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not”.

And we ourselves are found to be liars, because we have declared that God brought Christ back from the dead, and now according to what you believe, this never occurred.   

·         Verse 16:“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised”:

If one believes that the bodies of those who are dead will not be reconstituted and will not come forth, then he must also conclude that Christ, again, is still dead and his bones remain somewhere in an unmarked tomb.

·         Verse 17: “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins”.

Therefore, if Christ remains in the grave, we are still in our sins, and God’s wonderful gift of faith is become vanity. Without the resurrection there is no hope of justification before God! The life and all the teachings of Christ hang on this one event. If Christ is not risen then the testimony of his life and all that is taught of Him and by Him is a lie.

·         Verse 18: “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished”.

The bodies of all those who have died will remain in their graves, forever

·         Verse 19: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”.

And here is the statement that so many misunderstand. If the only hope that we (us, or our identity) have in our Lord is in the here and now, with no hope of living again after death, then comfort takes its flight and we are miserable creatures. 

 

            Why would our Lord descend from heaven and open the grave if not to receive what is in it? We can be assured that nothing in the grave is “sleeping” but a body that once belonged to a person who once lived upon this earth. Also, when they or we, which are alive and remain, are changed, there won’t be millions of bodies littering the earth for they shall be changed, just as the dead are changed.

           

There will be a resurrection of whom? THE DEAD! All those in the graves will come forth with a glorified body, and if it were possible to look inside the grave after this occurs you would find no bones or even dust where this body was once laid, for it is risen.

 

One might argue that after eons of time there is nothing but dust and it is completely incorporated with the ground, or you may say that one’s ashes were scattered over miles of terrain and what of those who were disintegrated by massive explosions?        How can we believe that all these will be brought back together into a body fit for heaven and immortal glory?

 

Let me try to answer that with a question. If God gathered dust in the original creation of man why should we limit him in this great event? Remember this; It is not man that will be at the helm in the resurrection, but an all-powerful God who is limitless in His abilities. If we will not or cannot believe that God will raise the dead at the last day, then how can we believe that he made man from the dust of the earth in our origin?

           

We can rest assured in this, just as Joseph’s bones were not left behind in Egypt at the exodus of the children of Israel, neither shall our bones be left behind in this “Egypt” as all of God’s people make their exodus from this world into heaven itself!

           

Praise God for this great hope that He has given us in His word.

 

Sam Everett