Resurrection question

[Mellontes]

Douglas,

A lot of good information in that post (except...uhhhhhh...you know....the last paragraph )

Here is a YouTube video on the Hope of Israel and concerns the resurrection...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnZFn5snVEM

Blessings, Ted

[mikew]

Douglas,

That post on the First Resurrection was quite spirited but was more of a cheering section for some viewpoint rather than a good argument.

His argument basically was "since Jesus was the first resurrection and since Rev 20 mentions the first resurrection, then these are the same resurrection." I call this the "magic word" sort of theology wherein someone assumes that certain words have only one meaning within the context of scripture. Then once they assume that certain meaning, all the verses that use that word then are about the topic the reader assigned to the word.

An example is with the word "saved." Christians can assume that whereever there word "saved" is used that the verse is talking about a spiritual change. But in reality some passages may speak more of being saved from physical harm.

In Matt 8:25, we would tend to say that the disciples wanted to be saved from being drowned. When looking at Mark 10:26 (the eye of the camel discussion), the disciples ask "who can be saved?" But I don't think that they would assume in Acts 4:9 that "being saved" ( "being healed" ) was mainly about spiritual change. The incident was about the physical healing.

I would recommend that a better study of the resurrection verses be done rather than make quick assumptions. The various passages on resurrection have to be explored. I see some items about resurrection that show that separate topics are being discussed.

John 11:24-26 mentions a resurrection on the Last Day which then cannot be the same thing as a resurrection happening incrementally, as people become believers.
And then Rev 20 maybe spoke of two times of resurrection (though the second time wasn't specifically called "resurrection"). So which one of those times is the Last Day?

There actually is some good stuff about resurrection if he just had stayed away from the argument based on his idea combining of ideas under "first resurrection." But there is also stuff about being Israel that is just adding controversy rather than clarification.

[Paidion]

As Paul explains, the resurrection of the saints (the first resurrection) is not limited to Christ alone:

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
I Corinthians 15:20-23

Paul wrote that Christ was "the first fruits" of the physically dead (those who have fallen asleep). If Christ, having been raised from death, was the first fruits, then there must be a main harvest! So Paul says that just as those who are in Adam all die, so those who are in Christ all shall be made alive, that is, raised from physical death. He then gives the temporal order of the resurrection. CHRIST, THE FIRST FRUITS, WAS RAISED FROM DEATH. THEN, AT CHRIST'S SECOND COMING, THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM WILL BE RAISED.
So the main part of the first resurrection is yet future when Christ returns.

The second resurrrection occurs at the end of the thousand years. Those who will be raised at that time will include all who do not belong to Christ, although, by implication, it seem to include some whose names are written in the lamb's book of life. For it is written that those whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life, will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Perhaps those whose names are written there, will be those who become Christ's during the 1000 years. Perhaps those ones could be called "the gleanings" of the harvest.

[Douglas]

Thanks for the replies Mike, Ted, Paidon, Allyn, Rick, and anyone else I might be missing.

The variety of different responses from people who actually do study the subject of eschatology is amazing to me. I think I have a pretty good idea of what God is trying to tell us about His eschatological plans, but then again, I am probably as confused as the rest of you. lol

It is a good learing experience.