The Resurrection Of Israel

 I. The Resurrection Of Israel – Thy Kingdom Come.

II. Details.

A. In order to outline properly the events of the resurrection program it is necessary to establish the time of Israel’s resurrection so that the proper sequence may be observed. It has been taught by many that the resurrection of 1 Thessalonians 4:16 included the Old Testament saints as well as the church saints. Ignoring the essential differences in God’s program with the two groups.

B. In reply certain observations may be made. Daniel 12:1-3, Prophecies Concerning Israel.

1 “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. ² And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. ³ And those who have insight will shine like the glow of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

C. Comments on Daniel 12:1-3.

1. Even though Israel is redeemed by the blood of Christ, Israel never experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit which placed them “in Christ,” so this phrase can only describe those saints of the present age who are thus related to Christ.

2. The idea that the mention of an “archangel” must not necessarily include Israel because of the special ministries of angels to that nation (cf. Dan. 12:1). It is to be noted that such an assertion overlooks the fact that in the book of Revelation angelic ministries are mentioned in connection with the program of the judgments preceding the second advent and in connection with the advent itself, not only when the event is related to Israel, but when related to others as well.

3. Daniel 12:2-3 can not be treated figuratively without doing violence to the whole principle of literal interpretation.

4. The true rendering of Dan. 12:2-3, in connection with the context, is “and (at that time) many (of thy people) shall awake (or be separated) out from among the sleepers in the earth dust. These (who awake) shall be unto life everlasting  those (who do not wake at that time) shall be unto shame and contempt everlasting.”

5. There is no general resurrection, but there will be the first resurrection in which only the righteous participate and the second resurrection, which means the raising of the wicked dead for their eternal and conscious punishment. Physical resurrection is used as a figure of the national revival of Israel.

6. The interpretation of a general resurrection seems to be based on the preconceived idea that the church and Israel are to be raised together and also on the false interpretation that, literally interpreted, Daniel 12:2 must teach a general resurrection and therefore it was felt necessary to spiritualize the passage. It must be noted that this spiritualization arises, not out of the interpretation of the passage, but out of an attempt to alleviate certain discrepancies, which, it has been shown, do not exist. It seems far better to understand this passage as teaching literal physical resurrection.

7. In another parallel passage, Isaiah 26:19  is wrongly made to spiritualize the resurrection so as to make it teach restoration. But, in chapter 26, the allusion to resurrection is employed as a figure, because the context proves that it can not refer to that literal fact; for if it did, it would be to deny that the unrighteous are to rise. However, the question of the resurrection of the unsaved is not in view here. While it might appear that Isa 26:14 teaches no resurrection for the lords who have exercised dominion over Israel, hence no resurrection for the unrighteous. The two terms, “dead” and “shades” (“deceased” in the R.V.) lack the definite article. Apparently all that is included here is an observation that, so far as experience goes, death continues to hold sway over those who have come under its power. Then in vs.19 comes a great exception. It seems that we have no allusion in the context to a non-resurrection of the unrighteous.

8. Therefore the passages must be interpreted as referring to the literal resurrection of Israel. In this connection a word is necessary concerning Ezekiel 37, the vision of the valley of dry bones. It is held by some that the mention of “graves” in Ezekiel 37:13-14 would seem to show that resurrection is in view here, for it does not seem to mean “a place among the nations,” but rather “a place of burial.” However, the bones are not seen in a grave, but scattered over the valley. Ezekiel must be using the figure of burial and resurrection here to teach restoration. “Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off from our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus says the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land. “Thus says the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, wherever they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel.” [Ezekiel 37:11-14, 21-22].

9. In the explanation of the vision (vv. 21-22) Ezekiel clearly explains that restoration is in view. It would be concluded here that Ezekiel is speaking of restoration and not resurrection. In this vision of the dry bones physical resurrection is used as a type of the national restoration of Israel. When we read here in Ezekiel of graves it must not be taken to mean literal graves, but the graves are symbolical of the nation as being buried among the Gentiles. If these dry bones meant the physical dead of the nation, how could it be explained that they speak and say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost?”

10. Therefore it is to be concluded that the resurrection of Israel does not take place at the time of the rapture because that resurrection includes only those who are “in Christ” (1 Thess. 4:16) and Israel does not have that position. Further, the point is substantiated because the church is a mystery and God will complete the program for the church before resuming His program with Israel. Resurrection is viewed as a terminating event and Israel’s resurrection could not come until her program were terminated. Finally, the impossibility of spiritualizing Daniel 12:2 and Isaiah 26:19 into restoration makes it imperative that the resurrection of the church and Israel take place at two different times.

11. The Old Testament references already cited indicate that Israel’s resurrection takes place at the second advent of Christ. In Daniel 12:1-2 the resurrection is said to take place “at that time,” which must be the time previously described, or at the time of the closing events of the seventieth week, when the end comes to the Beast. “At that time” there will be both a deliverance (v. 1) and a resurrection (v. 2). This passage seems to indicate that the resurrection is associated with the act of deliverance from the Beast at the second advent. In like manner Isaiah 26:19 shows us that the promised deliverance of resurrection does not come until “His wrath has past by” (v. 20). This indignation is none other than the tribulation period and the resurrection of Israel is said to take place at the termination of that period. It seems to be an error to affirm that the church and Israel are both resurrected at the rapture. Scripture shows that Israel will be resurrected at the close of the tribulation period, while the church will be resurrected prior to it.

12. The order of events in the resurrection program would be:

a. The resurrection of Christ as the beginning of the resurrection program (1 Cor. 15:23).

b. The resurrection of the church age saints at the rapture (1 Thess. 4:16).

c.  The resurrection of the tribulation period saints (Rev. 20:3-5), together with:

d. The resurrection of Old Testament saints (Dan. 12:2; Isa. 26:19) at the second advent of Christ to the earth; and finally:

e. The final resurrection of the unsaved dead (Rev. 20:5, 11-14) at the end of the millennial age. The first four stages would all be included in the first resurrection or resurrection to life, inasmuch as all receive eternal life and the last would be the second resurrection, or the resurrection unto damnation, inasmuch as all receive eternal judgment at that time.   

III. Study References.

All of my study references are listed  in my Page, “About My My References.”