RESURRECTION, GENERAL

The Bible clearly teaches that at the time of Christ's return, all the dead will be raised from their graves.

In the Patriarchal age, Job seems to allude to the hope of the resurrection (Job 19:25-26). Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead (Heb. 11:19).

Moses, speaking on behalf of God, declared: "I kill, and I make alive" (Dt. 32:39). Daniel prophesied that the dead of the earth would awake, some to life everlasting, some to eternal shame and contempt (Dan. 12:2).

During his ministry, Jesus promised a future resurrection of both the good and the wicked (Jn. 5:28-29). When the Sadducees, who disbelieved in the resurrection (Mt. 22:23), attempted to dispute with Christ regarding this doctrine, the Savior informed them that their dogma reflected ignorance of the Scriptures and the power of God (Mt. 22:29).

The apostles of Christ vigorously argued for the doctrine of the bodily resurrection (see Acts 24:15). The entire 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians is devoted to this theme. There, Paul contends:

• Christ was raised from the dead (1-11).
• His resurrection is the guarantee of that resurrection to come (12-24).
• The dead will come forth from the grave -- not in a physical form, but in a spiritual body (35-49).
• The bodily resurrection is a token of the ultimate victory of Christ's cause (50-58).

In the final book of the New Testament, Jesus states he has the "keys" of death and Hades (Rev. 1:18), implying the resurrection of the body out of death and the deliverance of the soul from the Hadean realm.