5) The Resurrection
The promise that the dead in Christ will be resurrected - the true Christian hope
If the dead are unconscious, if there is no immediate life after death, then what is our hope? The answer is the resurrection of the dead. This is the true Christian hope, not a disembodied existence in heaven, but the complete restoration of life when Jesus returns.
Why Resurrection Matters
What would happen if there were no resurrection of the dead?
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Answer: The dead in Christ would be lost
1 Corinthians 15:17-18: "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished."
Paul is emphatic: if there is no resurrection, then “those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.” This only makes sense if the dead are unconscious! If they were already in heaven, why would they be “lost” without the resurrection? The resurrection is not optional: it is essential for eternal life.
“If for four thousand years the righteous had gone directly to heaven at death, how could Paul have said that if there is no resurrection, ‘then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished’?” — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 546, par. 3.
Christ, the Firstfruits
Why is Jesus called the 'firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep'?
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Answer: Because His resurrection guarantees the resurrection of those who are His
1 Corinthians 15:20: "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept."
Jesus is called the “firstfruits,” the first fruit that guarantees the harvest. His resurrection is the proof and guarantee that all who are His will also be raised. Others were raised before, but Christ’s resurrection is the foundation and certainty of the final resurrection of the saved.
In Christ, all will be made alive. But in what order?
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Answer: Christ first, then those who are His at His coming
1 Corinthians 15:22-23: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming."
When Will the Resurrection Happen?
When will the dead in Christ be resurrected?
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Answer: When the Lord descends from heaven with a shout
1 Thessalonians 4:16: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"
The resurrection of the righteous will happen at the second coming of Christ. It is not an individual event that occurs when each person dies, but a collective glorious event when Jesus returns. The dead in Christ will be resurrected first, then the living will be transformed.
What will happen to Christians alive when Jesus returns?
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Answer: They will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye
1 Corinthians 15:51-52: "Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
Not all will sleep (die), but all will be transformed! Those alive at Jesus’s return will receive glorified bodies instantly, without passing through death.
The Resurrected Body
How will the resurrected body compare to our current body?
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Answer: It will be a spiritual body, incorruptible, glorious and powerful
1 Corinthians 15:42-44: "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; 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 resurrected body will be real and physical, but transformed! It will be:
- Incorruptible — never again will it become sick or age
- Glorious — it will reflect the glory of God
- Powerful — without current limitations
- Spiritual — completely obedient to the Spirit
Did the resurrected Jesus's body still bear the marks of the nails?
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Answer: Yes, Jesus showed His hands and side to Thomas
John 20:27: "Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing."
The resurrected Jesus had a real body. He ate, was touched, and still bore the marks of His crucifixion. This shows us that resurrection is not a ghostly existence, but a real physical and glorious restoration.
The Two Resurrections
How many resurrections does the Bible mention?
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Answer: Two: one for life and another for condemnation
John 5:28-29: "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
The Bible teaches two distinct resurrections:
- First resurrection: Of the righteous, at the second coming of Christ ()
- Second resurrection: Of the wicked, a thousand years later ()
How much time separates the first from the second resurrection?
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Answer: One thousand years
Revelation 20:4-6: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
During the thousand years, the saved will be in heaven with Christ, participating in the review judgment. The wicked will remain dead on the earth. Only after the thousand years will they be resurrected to receive the final condemnation according to their works.
Victory Over Death
What will happen to death in the end?
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Answer: Death will be destroyed as the last enemy
1 Corinthians 15:26: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."
Death is an enemy — the last enemy to be destroyed! In the new earth, “death will be no more” (). The resurrection is the final and complete victory over death.
“The voice that cried from the cross, ‘It is finished,’ was heard among the dead. It pierced the walls of sepulchers, and summoned the sleepers to arise.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 787, par. 2.
And Now?
The doctrine of the resurrection is the source of our hope:
- For those who sleep in Christ, separation by death is temporary; the hope of reunion is in the resurrection.
- This life matters. Our choices determine our eternal destiny.
- Our hope is not in death, but in the resurrection.
- Death will be completely defeated.
My Decision
I believe in the resurrection of the dead. My hope is not in a disembodied existence, but in Jesus’s promise to resurrect me on the last day with a glorified body. I eagerly await His return!