In spiritual terms, this vision is also often used to refer to God’s ability to give new life to hopeless situations, both individually and collectively, symbolizing restoration, renewal, and divine intervention.
I have read many articles related to this topic, and I have not found any direct connection between this vision and the resurrection of the dead. However, the prophecy of Ezekiel 37 specifically refers to resurrection. While it is true that Ezekiel states that these bones represent the house of Israel and that all hope was dried up in them, the prophecy itself was not exclusively speaking of Israel and its exile. The Babylonian invasion did not reach the point of completely wiping them out, much less of the entire nation dying. Israel had already gone through other similar experiences, such as the Assyrian and Egyptian invasions, and after this, the invasions of the Roman, Byzantine, and Arab empires.
So, this vision does not make sense in that context, especially when Ezekiel and Jeremiah had warned for a long time that God would punish Israel for its disobedience. The Babylonian invasion and the subsequent Jewish exile were a judgment from God. Let us not lose sight of this detail.
The vision of Ezekiel 37 will find its fulfillment when great multitudes of dry bones come together, are filled with muscles, tendons, and blood, to live again. It doesn’t matter in which era they died, all will rise from their graves to be resurrected, and that is what the prophecy is about.
Many Christians in the time of the apostles considered the doctrine of the resurrection to be false. Perhaps for this reason, Paul dedicated an entire chapter to teach that the resurrection of the dead will be a real event and not a myth. It would be foolish of us not to pay attention to this event, since Jesus came to give us life in abundance, that is, eternal life after we are resurrected.
Paul addressed the unbelievers of Corinth to rebuke them and explain to them in detail what the resurrection consists of. In 1 Corinthians 15:12-14, it says: “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
I believe that 99% of Christians believe that Christ rose from the dead, but I doubt that most people know that all Christians, and even unbelievers, will be raised from the dead just as Jesus did.
First of all, we must understand what it means to resurrect. The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy provides the meaning of the word “resucitar” (resurrect):
- To bring a dead person back to life.
- To restore, renew, give new life to something.
- Of a person: To come back to life.
The dictionary, just like the word of God, says that “resurrection” is to bring a dead person or millions of dead back to life; it’s the same thing.
In one of the most notable events in the New Testament, the resurrection of Lazarus is told, who was a personal friend of Jesus. In this event, Lazarus, whose sisters Martha and Mary, each have their own place in history—one, as a modern model of a spiritual Christian, and the other, reflecting the occupation of a carnal Christian.
It is curious that Martha is associated with busyness and carnality; on the other hand, Mary is linked to the spiritual side of the Christian. However, Martha knew something that many spiritual Christians in our time do not know. When Lazarus, her brother, died, Jesus went to the house of His friend. When He arrived at the place, Mary preferred to stay home waiting for Jesus, perhaps because, according to her, it was pointless for Him to come, or because she was disappointed that Jesus had not been there at the moment of greatest need. We do not know. On the other hand, Martha went out to meet Jesus to ask why He hadn’t been there to heal him and prevent his death. In this case, Martha showed more faith than her sister, because she knew that Jesus could heal him, but now, dead, the scene was different. In John 11:20-25, we read:
“When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him, but Mary stayed at home. ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give You whatever You ask.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die.’”
Why was Martha so sure that her brother would rise in the resurrection on the last day? Martha knew that there would be ONE resurrection, in which all people would rise from the dead. But Martha was unaware of God’s power firsthand. For the Jews, the topic of resurrection was nothing new, as prophets like Ezekiel spoke about it abundantly. On the other hand, the Israelites knew the scriptures from childhood, as it was part of the law to know them. It is also assumed that Jesus taught them in greater detail about this topic.
Martha knew that the dead would rise from their graves, just as the prophet Isaiah declares in Isaiah 26:19: “But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise. Let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy; your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.” So, the resurrection of the dead was a well-known topic for the Lord’s disciples.
What is surprising in this case is that Jesus performed a miracle never before seen by the people of that time. Lazarus rose from the dead, as an example of what will happen in the future. In the Gospel of John 11:41-44, we read:
“So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me.’ When He had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’”
Lazarus had been dead for four days, and logically, he was beginning to decompose. However, the witnesses saw him walk out of the tomb, wrapped in a shroud, which was like a type of sheet. This event was something impossible to believe for the spectators, and for the science of that time. I believe that if we had witnessed this miracle, we would not doubt for a moment that Jesus was the Son of God. How is it possible for someone in such a condition to rise from the dead and be the same as they were before?
Furthermore, I believe that for scientists of any era, this is something absurd. But the Bible mentions other cases of resurrection, aside from Lazarus. Another case is that of a girl who was very ill. She was the daughter of the synagogue leader named Jairus. The scripture says that Jairus sought Jesus to ask Him to heal his daughter; but while Jesus was delayed, the girl died.
However, when Jesus arrived, He told Jairus that his daughter was not dead, but many who heard this laughed at Him, as Mark 5:38-43 recounts:
“When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at Him. After He put them all out, He took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with Him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum!’ which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’ Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.”
Resurrection is literally bringing a dead person back to life.
Logically, if someone resurrects, it is because they were dead before, so the indispensable component for resurrection is obviously being dead.
The resurrection of the dead does not discriminate based on the age of the deceased. A person could have died at any time. It could have been just four days ago, or it could have been four thousand years ago, and they will rise from the dust just as they were before they died.
People who died hundreds or thousands of years ago will rise with the same physical, moral, and intellectual characteristics! When we awaken from that long sleep, we will be the same! Because God is all-powerful to bring together each one of our cells, regardless of the condition of the body. We will all awaken. We will all resurrect.
The concept that people have about death varies widely depending on their culture, religion, personal beliefs, and life experiences. For example, in Christianity, many people believe in eternal life after death, either in heaven or in hell, depending on the person’s relationship with God and their behavior in life. That is to say, the Christian generally believes that when they die, their soul, which many believe to be an immaterial and immortal being that thinks and feels, separates from the body and travels to heaven or hell.
On the other hand, the major religions in the world also have their own beliefs regarding life after death. In the case of Islam, Muslims believe that after death, souls enter an intermediate phase known as “Barzakh,” and will then be judged on the Day of Judgment. Those who have followed the right path will go to paradise, while the others will be sent to hell.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, both religions believe in reincarnation, where the soul or spirit is reborn in a new body. The cycle of death and rebirth continues until the soul reaches enlightenment, or “moksha” in Hinduism, or “nirvana” in Buddhism.
For centuries, most religions have taught that humans are immortal beings, and even though our physical bodies disappear, our inner being survives death; however, as we have said before, when a person dies, their body decays into the dust of the earth, and their spirit of life returns to God. As the book of Ecclesiastes 12:7 declares: “and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
There is no life after death, there are no dead watching us from the other side, there are no good people living in heaven, nor burning in hell. The dead are dead. If someone sees their deceased relatives… I can assure you that they are not the people you knew.
If you want to know more about the topic of the soul, the spirit, and the body of man, I invite you to listen to our study dedicated to that topic. Don’t miss it, it’s very interesting!
The vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel will find its fulfillment in the last day.
The vision of Ezekiel will be fulfilled at the end of time, as described in the book of Revelation 20:12-13. THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD IS THE AWAKENING FROM A LONG SLEEP. When that happens, we will recover the memory of who we were, we will remember who our relatives were, and all that we were before we departed. God will breathe His “spirit of life” and we will live again.
The resurrection of the dead is an event without precedent, which we should all understand more deeply, since God has promised to resurrect all human beings, from Adam to the day of judgment. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:44).
Now then, when will the last day be?
This event will occur in the future, because to this day, no one has witnessed a mass resurrection like the one described by Ezekiel and Isaiah. On the other hand, the prophet Daniel said that there are only two possible destinations for men when they are resurrected: eternal life, or eternal condemnation, as stated in Daniel 12:2. Such punishment will come as a result of rejecting the word of God and not believing that Jesus is the only way to salvation.
Others will perish due to their complete ignorance of God’s commandments, so that not even knowing, and consequently not obeying, God’s commandments can lead to perdition. Likewise, not understanding the scriptures, whether through negligence or deceit, will in no way justify us on the day of judgment. No one will be able to justify themselves when they openly reject the words of Jesus, either because they do not believe what they read in the scriptures, or because someone subtly taught them not to believe them. “Anyone who rejects Me and does not receive My words has something that will judge them; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.” (John 12:48).
The rejection of the words of Jesus relates to preachers who teach to blatantly disregard the doctrines of Christ when they say the gospel should change with the times. In this way, they introduce into your mind ideas and thoughts that lead you away from the true gospel, presenting you with prosperity gospels, healing gospels, grace gospels, super grace gospels, etc. … no matter what kind of gospel it is, it is not the one that Jesus taught, and that all His disciples preserved.
Now someone might say: What if in the congregation I attend, they teach one of these gospels? My answer is: LEAVE THAT PLACE, lest when the Lord comes, you too are swept away along with them.
You can recognize these types of gospels because they never preach about sin and repentance; they always try to lift your self-esteem, telling you that you are a champion, a child of God, a prince. They urge you to claim God’s promises, demand your portion of the inheritance on earth, and enjoy the benefits of being the children of a great king. These false preachers consider themselves so spiritual that they give their own interpretation to every word in the Bible, using sentimental words and tone to put their hand in your pocket. They say that the offerings go directly to the throne of God, even though they are the only ones in those congregations who travel by private jet.
Other false apostles teach you to seek emotions. They do not study or teach sound doctrines; they ignore the commandments of the Lord. They only want to feel the emotion of singing to God, which is why they spend most of their time in emotional praise, crying or dancing intensely, shouting and laughing as if they were possessed.
They cannot conceive of doing the things the disciples did, yet they compare themselves to them, believing in their twisted minds that they are the same. They pretend to have heavenly experiences, cynically lying when they tell you they ascended to the third heaven and spoke face to face with God. Unfortunately, many people fall for these scams because people are eager to hear such stories.
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
All human beings will be judged before receiving eternal life or eternal condemnation.
On the last day, or the day of God’s great judgment, we will give an account of each of our deeds. Even for the idle words we have spoken, we will give an account. Just as Jesus said in Matthew 12:35-37: “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The scripture says that we will be CONDEMNED by our words; thus, our mouth is the instrument of salvation or condemnation, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Matthew 12:34).
Our tongue contaminates us and can poison us, and it can even lead us straight to hell. Especially for those who make a living with it, James 3:6 says: “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
Whatever a man sows with his tongue, that he will reap. God is unchanging, and He has established a law that many overlook, as the book of Hebrews 9:27 says: “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”
However, in this verse, the writer of Hebrews omitted a small detail… mentioning that before the judgment, man, or rather, all men, will have to resurrect, as the rest of the scriptures mention.
Man must die, this is something everyone knows. What many don’t know is that we must also resurrect, in order to be judged by God. And precisely here is where the problem lies. A large number of Christians with many years in the gospel believe that when they die, their soul will go to heaven to live for eternity in the heavenly mansions.
We have a study dedicated to the topic of the soul, spirit, and body of man, in case you’re interested in learning more about it.
But as an introduction, I can tell you that when someone dies, their body is buried in Sheol or Hades, which is nothing more than the grave or tomb. In that place, there is no activity, no torment, no heat or demons tormenting souls. In Sheol or Hades, you only find corpses and dry bones, just as Ecclesiastes 9:10 says: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning, nor knowledge nor wisdom.”
The Bible says that God is the God of the living, not of the dead, precisely because the dead cannot praise Him. In Mark 12:24-27, the scripture says that the Sadducees came to Jesus to ask Him which brother would take the widow of the first brother when they resurrected. They asked with the intention of putting Him to the test or ridiculing Him, as they did not believe in the resurrection in the first place.
“Jesus replied, ‘Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the book of Moses in the account of the bush, how God said to him, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”
Jesus explained to them that the carnal desires we feel in a body of flesh and bones would no longer be experienced. Because when we resurrect, we will be transformed into spiritual bodies, and we will no longer need to marry and have marital relations, since we will no longer reproduce, which is the fundamental reason for that need.
On the other hand, when Jesus says He is the God of the living and not the God of the dead, He means that we all must resurrect and return to life to be in His presence. Today, the only ones who praise the Lord are living beings, like His angels, and the few who pleased God in the history of humanity. They, although they did not know Jesus, can be said to have reached the stature of the perfect man, to such an extent that the Lord took them alive, so that they would not experience death.
Also, the Bible says that many resurrected when Christ resurrected. It does not mention who those saints were, but there were many witnesses who saw them. Matthew 27:52-53 says:
“The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”
The belief that when someone dies, their soul, or the spiritual being that many think is an immortal being that survives after death, is completely false. Unfortunately, this doctrine is deeply rooted in the thinking of both Christians and non-Christians, to the extent that they believe they will go to heaven or hell when they die.
If you want to learn more about hell and God’s paradise, don’t miss our study titled precisely: The Hell and Paradise of God.
When we all rise from the dead to be judged, no one will be able to say they knew nothing; especially us Christians. Just as you cannot justify yourself before a judge when you commit a crime, in the same way, no one will be able to justify themselves before God on the day of judgment. The fact that your congregation has not taught you everything we are explaining in this study will not eliminate the consequences. Simply because everything you need to know about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment is written in the Bible that you read every day.
Unfortunately, many preachers teach that Christians will not be judged, and therefore, we are exempt from condemnation. However, the word of God says that ALL will be raised from the dust to be judged. It does not say that only the unconverted will be judged; it says: ALL.
Did you know that the word of God teaches that there will be two resurrections?
The word of God speaks of two resurrections, or two groups of people who will rise from the dead—one on a smaller scale, and the other on a larger scale. Let us now see what the first resurrection consists of.
The first resurrection is destined for a few; they will be Priests of God and of the Lamb, and the second is a resurrection in which all men from Adam will rise.
None of the apostles, including Paul, knew that there would be two resurrections. God gave John this revelation at the end of his days; none of the other disciples knew about it simply because the book had not been written yet. That’s why you won’t find any reference to two resurrections throughout the Bible, except in the book of Revelation.
John received this prophecy around the year 93 or 95 A.D. By that time, the other apostles had already died, according to history. On the other hand, Paul’s letters to the Corinthians were written around the 50s A.D.; therefore, we can assume that Paul did not read what is written in Revelation 20:4-6:
Verse 4: “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
Verse 5: “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.”
Verse 6: “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”
If we read these passages carefully, we can see that the part where it says, “This is the first resurrection,” belongs to verse 5, but it should be in verse 6. Let’s remember that the chapter and verse numbers are not part of the scriptures, but are a resource that Bible translators used for their systematic study. These numbers, like the comments, were placed by the translators and are not part of the original texts.
Why do we say that the phrase, “This is the first resurrection,” should be in verse 6 and not in verse 5 as it currently is?
Because in the first resurrection, only the chosen ones will participate—those who will be priests of God and of Christ. These people will not be judged; rather, they will co-rule with Christ for a thousand years, just as verse 6 says. Therefore, that phrase is the introduction or the theme of what this verse is about. I will read the same verses to you in a more colloquial way so that you can better understand.
This is what the first resurrection consists of: the chosen ones will be resurrected to be kings and priests to God during the millennium. These chosen ones will not be judged in the final judgment; on the contrary, they will live forever.
It is important to emphasize that the participants of the first resurrection will not be judged when the second resurrection takes place because they have already been selected by God to be His priests. In other words, this group of people has already been granted the privilege of being in God’s presence forever because the second death will have no power over them.
Thus, only the participants of the first resurrection will be Kings and Priests for God and the Lamb. These chosen ones will make up the government of God on earth, and only they will be given the power to rule the nations with an iron scepter. These men have been selected by God to receive Jesus Christ in the clouds at His second coming.
Therefore, the first resurrection is tied to the return of Christ to the earth. The chosen ones are those who were perfected and died with the hope of seeing the Messiah, just like the heroes of the faith mentioned in the book of Hebrews 11. Only this select group of the so-called heroes of faith will resurrect and be raptured.
If you want to learn more about the topic of the rapture of the church, who will participate in it, and when this event will happen, watch our video titled: The Rapture, or the Rapture of the Church.
When Jesus Christ comes in the clouds for the second time, the chosen ones who are alive at that moment will be transformed, but the chosen ones who died before will be resurrected. “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17), and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.
Thus, the first resurrection is an event that will take place in the future, and it will happen when Jesus Christ returns to the earth.
When will the second resurrection happen?
Well, the second resurrection will occur after the thousand years of Christ’s reign on earth, so all men from Adam will rise from the dead and give an account to God for each of their deeds, just as the book of Revelation 20:11-15 says:
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before God, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
The second resurrection, and the second death, will occur when the men of all ages rise from their graves to be judged for their works, as the book of Daniel says: Some will rise to receive eternal life and others to eternal death.
The second death is God’s condemnation of those men who did NOT act according to His commandments. And I want to emphasize that the word of God says that: ALL men will be judged by their WORKS. It does not say that only the men who died without Christ will be judged; it says ALL.
I understand that many will say salvation is not by works, but the works that Paul refers to are the works of the law. He explained that men are not justified by any animal sacrifice or by observing any ritual or ordinance of the old covenant. Paul masterfully clarified what kind of works he was referring to when he said it is no longer by works but by grace.
Many have the wrong idea that today’s Christians should not do the works that the disciples did. Works that are recorded in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, which have been a subject of debate for a long time.
Today, it is said that works do not save, and they are right. Works do not save; it is Christ who saves.
But works justify us before God, they give testimony that we did according to what Jesus ordered us to do. These works speak without words, showing how much we love Jesus and how much we submit to His sovereignty. James 2:14 explains it a bit more:
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?”
But to clarify the controversy that Paul caused, let us turn to his own writings and ask the apostle Paul to clarify it. Galatians 2:16 says:
“Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”
We Gentiles and modern Jews do not do the works of the law because they ceased to be done long ago. These works consisted of various rituals and sacrifices, which lost their value when Christ sacrificed Himself for all of us. Hebrews 10:1-4 clarifies this:
“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”
I understand that many doubts may arise, so if you want to know more about the topic of salvation, I ask that you watch our study titled: Will All Christians Be Kings and Priests?
The second resurrection is the final event, the judgment of the great white throne where all men will be resurrected—some to be cast into the lake of fire and sulfur, and others to receive eternal life. In the second resurrection of the dead, the scripture says that the sea and Hades, or Sheol, gave up their dead, so no man who has died since the creation of Adam until that moment will remain unresurrected.
From that moment on, no one will die, for all will be transformed. All will be immortal—some to enjoy the glory of God, and others to be tormented in the lake of fire and sulfur, which is Gehenna. Just as Daniel 12:2 mentions:
“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”
On the other hand, Paul points out something that for many is a crystal-clear and irrefutable revelation; however, he himself states that it is a mystery, and we must treat it as such. “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51).
How will we be transformed? Will we be as tall as the angels? Or as a sphere of light? Perhaps as ghosts? Or invisible to the sight of humans?
These, and other questions, are valid; however, Paul rebuked the Corinthians and dedicated all of 1 Corinthians 15 to explain to them what the resurrection of the dead and eternal life consist of.
Precisely because the Corinthians were saying there was no resurrection of the dead, and others were saying that it had already happened because they had waited for so long and it did not occur; but Paul told them in 2 Corinthians 33-36:
“Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character. Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame. But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’ How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies first.”
The bad conversations were saying that the resurrection of the dead was a past event, others said it would never happen, and others perhaps said it happens when we die. Paul rebuked the Corinthians for speaking about things they did not understand and that were not correct. He explained to them in a detailed and extensive manner the transformation that all men will undergo. Let’s read 1 Corinthians 15:38-49:
“But God gives it a body as He has determined, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body. Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another, and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, 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. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
So it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.”
Paul says that man is an earthly, animal being, but he will be transformed into a celestial, incorruptible, and immortal body. So, the image we will bear when we are transformed into a spiritual body will be the same as the one we had when we were in the flesh, but now it will not be of flesh and bones, it will be a spiritual body. Can you explain how this phenomenon will occur? I cannot either, that’s why Paul says it is a mystery.
The difference between a carnal and a spiritual body is that we will not get tired, we will have no need to sleep or eat because we will be immortal like God’s angels. This is how Jesus said it in Matthew 22:29-31. The body we have today will be the same one we will have in the resurrection of the dead, but transformed into a spiritual body.
Let’s look at the example of Enoch, who did not die, as the book of Hebrews 11:5 says. The scripture says: “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” It is worth mentioning that this part of the scripture was taken from the Book of Enoch, which is not part of the current biblical canon, but was considered part of the scriptures by the early Christians. Why is that?
The transformation of a body of flesh and bones into a spiritual body is truly a mystery. Science cannot explain how a physical body, made of flesh and bones, can be transformed into a spiritual body that has the capacity to live forever, that can appear and disappear, that can transport itself from one place to another instantaneously, or that can see the spiritual realm and walk through the natural world.
The scripture gives us another example, in the case of Elijah, who was taken in a chariot of fire to heaven so that he would not die. “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.” (2 Kings 2:1). Elijah was transformed beforehand because it is clear that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
The most recent case is that of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was taken up in a cloud to heaven, as the book of Hebrews 1:9 says: “After He had said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.” Jesus was taken to heaven, where He was glorified.
When Jesus was taken to heaven by His angels, He had already resurrected, meaning His physical body was raised from the tomb, and 50 days later, He ascended to heaven. The glorification of Jesus, that is, the transformation of His body of flesh and bones into a spiritual, immortal, and all-powerful body, occurred after the resurrection, not at the time of His death. Do you now understand why no Christian is in the presence of God when they die?
Therefore, the resurrection of the dead is an event that has no precedent in the history of the world. But to participate in the first resurrection should be our highest aspiration because it is the supreme reward any man could receive, since the second death will have no power over them. Instead, they will be Kings and Priests for God and the Lamb, as the book of Revelation 2:26-27 says: “To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—that one will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery—just as I have received authority from my Father.”
The first and second resurrections of the dead are separate and different events. The first will occur when Jesus Christ returns, and the second will occur after a period of 1,000 years. This period of time will serve to purify the people of God, just as the forty years in the desert served for the Israelites.
During those forty years in the desert, 600,000 men died due to their disobedience and unbelief. It is worth noting that of the large multitude of people who left Egypt, only two entered the promised land: Joshua and Caleb. The rest died in the desert.
The same will happen when Jesus Christ returns. At that time, millions of men and women will survive the great tribulation. God will protect His people in the same way He did with the Israelites when they left Egypt. The Christians who come out of the great tribulation will live with Christ on earth for a thousand years. The book of Isaiah 65:17-18 gives us a glimpse of what life will be like in the millennium: “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.”
If you want to learn more about the time of the great tribulation, I ask you to watch our study titled: The Great Tribulation.
God will create a new world for us, we will have a new heaven and a new earth, we will have no need for anything, there will be no diseases, no pain. God will supernaturally provide everything we might need.
But for most Christians, accustomed to the world, to pleasures, and to a superficial life, it will be a real challenge to submit to God’s sovereignty. Many will not want to be under God’s direct orders and will seek to do what they were used to doing.
Christians, just like the people of Israel, will want to return to their old way of life. In Numbers 11:4-6, the scripture says: “The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!’”
Many, if not the majority, will say: “Who will give us internet service now? We remember fast food, hamburgers, pizzas, carpeted churches, Christian music, summer vacations, airplane trips, soccer games, electronic games, computers, and cell phones.” The vast majority will want to return to their previous life, but that will not be possible.
That is why, brothers, let us do as the early Christians did, not giving the flesh what it desires, but submitting our members and our minds to obey Christ, so that when He comes, it will be a pleasure to delight in His presence and in His law.
