As I’ve said before…Christ raising people, like Lazarus, from the dead, is not feasible to consider it truly resurrection. First, because 1 Cor 15 tells us that Christ is the ‘first fruits’ of this sort of resurrection. Therefore anyone given a “new, resurrection body” before Christ was raised, violates the order of this.
Second, when we consider what scripture TELLS us about the nature of resurrection…its not simply ‘having life’…as in, this life. It’s ALL about eternal life.
And that means we’re talking about either eternal life of the spirit (born again) or eternal life of the body (new, resurrection body).
Anything outside of that is just reanimation of our earthly meat suit.
It’s got nothing to do with “what I want”. Ug!
The BIBLE tells us that the dead will be “resurrected” to eternal judgment and punishment.
That’s not me inserting my fondest wishes, or making stuff up. That’s there…clearly in the text.
If ‘resurrection’ can happen and has happened at multiple stages in history, why are we told, specifically, in scripture…that we ought to be looking for a particular day? Let me show you:
Daniel 7:22; 26-27
[22] until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom…..
[26] But the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
[27] And the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;
his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’
Matthew 12:36
[36] I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,
John 5:24; 28-29
[24] Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life….
[28] Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice [29] and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
John 11:24-25
[24] Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” [25] Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
1 Corinthians 15:23; 52
[23] But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ….
[52] in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
Romans 2:5
[5] But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
2 Corinthians 5:10
[10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Hebrews 6:1-2
[1] Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, [2] and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
Hebrews 9:27-28
[27] And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, [28] so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
2 Peter 2:9
[9] then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,
1 Corinthians 15:48-52
[48] As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. [49] Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
[50] I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. [51] Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, [52] in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
2 Timothy 2:18
[18] who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.
1 Peter 1:3-5
[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Okay…I know theres a lot there. But we can see two clear things begin to emerge. The judgment of both righteous and wicked happen together…they are intertwined with the gifting or punishment of an eternal nature, of the resurrection. And we can also see that the bible points to A DAY, or even AN HOUR.
There is nothing here that supposes physical resurrections….of the eternal life nature…happens repeatedly and is ongoing. In point of fact, I would say that 2 Tim 2:18; John 5:28-29 and 1 Cor 15:20-25, 48-52 tells us directly the opposite.