Sabbath: Resurrections Before the Cross
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Jude 9, Luke 9:28-36, 1 Kings 17:8-24, Luke 7:11-17, Mark 5:35-43, John 11:1-44.
Memory Text: “Jesus said to her, ’I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die forever. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26, , LEB).
The Old Testament references to the resurrection that we have looked at so far were largely based on personal expectations (Job 19:25-27, Hebrews 11:17-19, Psalm 49:15, Psalm 71:20) and on future promises (Daniel 12:1-2, , Daniel 12:13). However, we also have the inspired records of cases in which people actually were raised from the dead.
The first resurrection was of Moses (Jude 9, Luke 9:28-36). During Israel’s monarchy, the son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-24) and the Shunammite’s son (2 Kings 4:18-37) were also resurrected. Christ, when here in the flesh, resurrected the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17), Jairus’s daughter (Luke 8:40-56), and then Lazarus (John 11:1-57). Except for Moses, all these people were raised as mortals who eventually would die again. These cases also confirm the biblical teaching of the unconsciousness of the dead (Job 3:11-13; Psalm 115:17; Psalm 146:4; Ecclesiastes 9:5, Ecclesiastes 9:10). In none of these accounts, nor in any other biblical resurrection narratives, is there any mention of a supposed afterlife experience.
This week we will reflect more closely on the resurrections that occurred before Christ’s own death and resurrection.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 29.
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I was sitting in my study this morning trying to think up an erudite comment on today's lesson when I noted the date. October 22. A bit of mental arithmetic and I worked out that it is the 178th anniversary of the great disappointment. That is a lot of anniversaries for a church based on the belief that Jesus is coming soon. I wonder if the folk who witnessed that first disappointment 178 years ago were resurrected today, how would they feel about the church now? Would they again be disappointed? The really scary thought is that I have lived through 77 of those years as a Seventh-day Adventist myself.
Here is a thought that may be worth pursuing. Do we need to be resurrected as a church? Are we dead and have not realized it? If we are to be resurrected what form should it take? I have said in the past that it would be an interesting exercise to remove all our church buildings and institutions and see if we survive.
And by extension, we can think about ourselves. When we die and our bodies decay into oblivion and it comes to the resurrection, what is worth resurrecting? Is a rebuilt body the only thing worth resurrecting?
The Psalmist asks the question:
The writer of Hebrews puts a perspective on this. He quotes this Psalm and then adds:
The resurrection transformation is to live in Christ. That can happen now. And if we are living resurrected in Christ now, then that should be reflected in out church. Has that happened, or are we still a great disappointment?
Galatians 1:6-10 (CSB)
“ Except for Moses, all these people were raised as mortals who eventually would die again.”
In addition to Moses and Elijah, who had clearly been in heaven from the time of their translations until Jesus’s earthly life, the Bible also records that Enoch was taken to heaven rather than lie in wait in the ground (Gen. 5:24). This week’s lessons will study the lives of others in Scripture who were resurrected. One not mentioned, Matthew records that during Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection weekend, “many bodies of the saints which slept arose…and appeared unto many” (Matt. 27:52-53).
To me these stories say 2 things:
(1) That these events are unusual enough to be noted in Scripture, we see something different here than the typical age-die-buried-rest beneath the sod for the trump of God. Our beliefs in the state of the dead are validated; and
(2) There is also a sort of “check” on our beliefs. God is King, is Ruler, makes all the decisions. We may take comfort in our beliefs and in the many Scriptural references about the dead “sleeping”, but ultimately God is in charge and has the right to do whatever He wants with each human life. If God wants to make an exception to take somebody to heaven immediately upon their death, or someone He resurrected “early”, God has the right to do this. It appears it is unusual if He does so, but He has done it in the past and He has the right to do it again. I’m not sure that we can say where those mortals who were resurrected in the Bible stories are now.
I’m reminded of Peter asking our resurrected Lord Jesus what the apostle John’s end would be, after learning about his own future crucifixion. Jesus answered, " ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’ Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?’ " (John 21:22)
Indeed, God reserves the right even to go against what we, as mortals, take as the 'rule'. Reminds me of Nebuchadnezzar's Daniel 4:35
I suspect that Lazarus never died again but was translated with those that were raised when Jesus died on the cross and there was a special resurrection of some then as recorded in Matthew 27:52,53.
Without speculating (much) beyond what is written, tradition hints at a completely different story. It is, however, just interesting to have been his contemporary, and have witnessed what happened to what one site calls 'The Four-Day Dead Lazarus'. Heaven will be full of stories, suffice it to say.
And to further add to this, it is quite possible that these raised saints also remained with Jesus and Lazarus until Jesus' ascension and went with Jesus after His 40 days of being with His followers after His resurrection; and they, with Jesus, ascended up to heaven with Jesus to be with Jesus in Heaven along with Lazarus too. I wouldn't be surprised either, if the Apostle John also never saw death after he was not able to be boiled in oil and was exiled to Patmos, etc. He might have been translated from Patmos without dying also, after he wrote the revelation given to him there by Jesus.
Hello Esther,
I always appreciate your thoughtful comments. Your second comment triggered this thought: What I especially like about God as King and Ruler is that all his decisions come from true love, as illustrated by Paul in Philippians 2:3-11. God is not arbitrary. His every act and word is an expression of his unbounded love.
The resurrection is just one more expression of his amazing grace.
Richard
Yes, beautiful, thank you Richard. Your comment makes me think of author Gary Chapman who popularized the idea of 5 love languages: touch, gifts, quality time, affirming words, acts of service. God is so not arbitrary that He has a special “love language” He uses to communicate uniquely and personally with each one of us. God has 7.837 billion* love languages, and counting!
*2021 estimate of world’s population
Welcome back, Larry Flynn, it’s good to read your comments once again, and thank you for today’s! Enoch was not, for the Lord hath taken him. He is where the Lord is.
Very much appreciated Tom,
Thank you !
Blessings 🙏👍
Study says:
Resurrections *Before* the Cross !
Revelation 13:8 says:
...The Lamb slain (The Cross) from *the foundation of the world*
We are looking at the cross and resurrection through our dimension of Time on earth, solar, lunar time. Aka Linear Time.
A timeless God works from eternity through his Word and Spirit...
My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11
psalm 33:6
God is already in the Sabbath Rest, that was made for mankind in his foreknowledge.
Hebrews 3:11, Genesis 2:2-3
Back to the future, type of idea, if you can wrap your head around it
Larry, I think you are saying that essentially salvation is available to all independent of when people lived in time. Rev 13:8 is quite clear on that. And yes, the lesson title raises the issue with the use of "Before" to show us that salvation is not dependent on time or timing.
God is not limited by time and I think that is made evident in Exodus 3:14
This is not in the sense of sci-fi's time travel, but in the sense that he has no beginning or end. Trying to explain "eternal" to us is difficult, hence we resort to metaphors. Some of us say that God exists outside of time.
Hi, Larry. I am all for trying to wrap my head around what has been revealed. The fact that God has no beginning, and no end, is certainly beyond human comprehension, as I see it. And how He uses His perfect foreknowledge in order to plan things, in His infinite wisdom to, as Maurice says, operate beyond what to us are the limitations of time, is indeed a wonder!
That said, in view of the exhortation in I Corinthians 4:6 to avoid going beyond what is written, I'm afraid that I must discard any statements about God literally going "back to the future" or existing "outside of time," as far as accepting them as any sort of demonstrable truth. What is written is wonderful enough!
Have a blessed day!
God is outside of time. God made all times. His pre-incarnate Word(Jesus) and Spirit, is his way of presence in time and to act in time.
Shalom 🙏
Thanks, Larry, for your contribution.
The way I see it, by definition the Creator is outside His creation. At the beginning, God and nothing but God. We can't wrap our minds around this because our minds are finite, and He is infinite.
I agree that God entered into our linear time through the great I AM (whom I believe to be the pre-incarnate Word) and later through the man Jesus who was also Christ, the God-Man. (He identified Himself also as the I AM. John 8:58. Jesus aka Yeshua aks Joshua was His human name - a common name, like "John" in English. "Jesus" is still a common name in Spanish.) Again, the incarnation is not something we can wrap our minds around because our minds are finite. We can accept with gratitude and wonder that our great Creator would stoop to become one with us. (Matt. 1:23; Phil 2:5-8)
(That said, God's relation to time is not explicitly spelled out in the Bible, but His claim to be the "beginning and the end" Rev. 21:6; Rev. 22:13 seems to imply timelessness, which, again, by definition, means not subject to "time.")
Others may understand this differently, and that's all right.
The context of 1 Corinthians 4:6 is detailed in the following verses 1 Corinthians 4:7-8
Do you know any Christian denominations or cult leaders that boast of their superiority over others ?
Yes, Larry, I was aware of the context when I cited that verse. 😄
There is one more OT resurrection not mentioned in the lesson today, it is found in 2 Kings 13:20, 21. I had to search it to remember the case which was vague in my mind. I do wonder if any superstition arose over the matter and if anyone brought their dead loved ones to Elisha's sepulchre after that, though there is no mention of it. Wasn't the pool at Bethesda popular for such a reason?
Maurice, regarding your question of the church needing a "resurrection," 178 years and still here...so what do you think? This long delay is on us, and not the Lord, who is eager to save sinners and abolish sin forever. Rev 7:3 gives us a clue, doesn't it?
Revelation 1:18
All praise and honour to the One who holds the keys to life and to death! He alone can, through His abundant love for us, reveal the truth and make good on His promise of eternal life. I cannot but trust Him, given His unchanging (Re: Lloyd T.'s comment) Word and character. Oh, the surety and the Blessed Hope of the first resurrection! Praise God for The Eternal Witness!
1Thessalonians 4:16