The doctrine of the resurrection is at the heart of the entire Judeo-Christian theology system.  However, as important as it is, it is poorly understood by most.  It has, over the ages, become corrupted due to the fact that the vast majority of world religions have believed the FIRST LIE—Genesis 3:4, “Ye shall not surely die.”  Satan’s masterpiece of deception has caused most to believe that we possess immortal souls—something which never dies and which, therefore, must GO SOMEWHERE when the body dies. (See IMMORTALITY.) This has resulted in the invention of the doctrine of eternal torment in hell-fire, the invention of purgatory, limbo, reincarnation, etc.  Why have so many chosen to believe the first lie?  (It is instructive to note that “immortal soul” never occurs in the Bible!)  The doctrine of resurrection is the Biblical truth.  Its simple concept is that we actually die and that the solution to that death is that we will be made alive again.  If we don’t really die, we don’t need a resurrection!  If we do really die, resurrection is our only hope.

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While the word “resurrection” does not occur in the Hebrew (or Old Testament) Scriptures, its idea certainly does.  Hebrews 11:17-10 clearly shows that the resurrection concept was the very basis of Abraham’s faith.  Jesus, himself, shows that the resurrection doctrine is why God even consents to be called “the God of Abraham.”  See Luke 20:37, 38.

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In the Greek (or New Testament) Scriptures, the word for “resurrection” is the Greek word ANASTASIS.  It does not, as many believe, simply mean an awakening from the sleep of death.  (Many—Lazarus as an example—were awakened from death in the Bible record.  These, however, were NOT RESURRECTED; they were merely awakened or resuscitated.  Their old bodies were re-animated.  The Biblical resurrection is NOT a resurrection of the body, but of the identity.)  Resurrection means a complete restoration to perfection and a renewed relationship with God.  This word (anastasis) can apply to the process of attaining that re-standing, or it can apply to the completed work of having attained that re-standing.

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Resurrections

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The Bible teaches two general kinds of resurrection—one to spirit nature, and one to human nature.  The spirit resurrection will be for the faithful followers of Christ whose judgments will have been accomplished during the Gospel Age (the period between the two advents of Christ). The human resurrection will be for all other men who have ever lived (including such great men as John the Baptist.  See Matthew 11:11.)  In neither case will it be a resurrection of the body, but rather of the identity.

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Then, in turn, each of these two general resurrections is divided Biblically into two sub-groups.  Among those who attain a spirit resurrection will be those of the “first resurrection.”   (Revelation 20:6 and 14:1-5) These are those who will constitute the mystical “body of Christ.”  They will reign over the earth (Revelation 5:10) as kings and priests with their Lord to bless the world of mankind.  This resurrection has NOT occurred immediately at death during the Gospel Age, but, as Paul shows in I Corinthians 15:52, occurs at “the last trumpet.”  The second group who will receive a spirit resurrection are those called “a great multitude.”  (Revelation 7:9-17) These are faithful Christians whose judgment has fallen short of the high qualifications needed to be members of the “body of Christ.”  They will serve in heaven much as the angels do in the work of administering the functions of Christ’s Kingdom.  These are an obscure class in Scripture, but they appear here and there in both Old and New Testament prophecy disguised by various symbols.  They are, for instance, the “foolish virgins” of Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25:1-13.
 

The earthly (or human) resurrection likewise is divided into two parts.  The “better resurrection” of Hebrews 11:35, 39, 40 is the first or more prominent of the two human resurrections.  John the Baptist (who, according to Matthew 11:11 does NOT have a part in the spirit resurrection) will be one of the many mentioned in Hebrews 11 to obtain this “better resurrection.”  It will be “better” because these faithful men and women of old will be the visible administrators of the Kingdom of God on earth.  (See Psalm 45:16.)  The remainder of mankind will come out of their graves to experience what Jesus calls the process of “resurrection by judgment.”  (See John 5:28, 29 in any translation other than the King James which mistakenly translates the word “judgment” as “damnation.”)

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Psalm 45 shows these four resurrections.  Verses 13 through half of 14 show the “first resurrection.”  The second half of verse 14 through verse 15 shows the “foolish virgin” or “great multitude” resurrection.  Verse 16 shows how the faithful ancients (often called “the fathers” of faith) will obtain the “better resurrection” and be set up as earth’s Millennial Age princes.  Finally, verse 17 shows the “all generations” of mankind who will be blessed in the general, earthly, resurrection.

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Following is a list of all the occurrences of the word RESURRECTION in the Bible.  In the King James version, the word may not always be translated “resurrection,” but the Greek word ANASTASIS is in the original Bible.  Note a few items:  In Matthew 27:53, which the King James translates “resurrection,” the word ANASTASIS does NOT occur.  This text refers to Jesus’ being raised on the cross—not to his being raised from the dead.  Those verses marked with an asterisk (*) are those which teach the important lessons on this subject.  Hebrews 11:35 refers to TRUST in the resurrection (as Abraham did), not to women who actually had their dead resurrected.  This clearly is proven by Acts 26:23 which shows Jesus to have been the FIRST to have been resurrected from the dead.  In Philippians 3:11, Paul uses “EX-ANASTASIS” in order to distinguish the PROCESS of resurrection (verse 10) from the ATTAINMENT of completed resurrection (verse 11).

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A careful study of all the uses of ANASTASIS (RESURRECTION) in the Bible will result in great blessing of understanding and faith.

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42 USES OF ANASTASIS

—  Matthew  22:23                

                          :28            — Whose wife in Resurrection?

                          :30

                          :31

—  Mark         12:18             — as in Matthew 22:23

—  Luke          2:34             — (“rising again”)

—                    14:14             — of JUST

—                  20:27       

—                      :33             — as in Matthew and Mark

—                      :35

—                      :36

—  John         5:29             — of Life

—                      :29             — of Judgment

—                    11:24            — Lazarus (LAST DAY)

—                       :25

—  Acts            1:22            — Jesus’ Resurrection

—                     2:31             — Jesus’ Resurrection

 

—                     4:2              — Resurrection of dead

—                       :33            — Jesus’ Resurrection

—                    17:18            — Resurrection of dead

—                       :32           — Resurrection of dead

—                   23:6             — Resurrection of dead

—                       :8              — Resurrection of dead

—                  24:15             — of JUST & UNJUST      

—                      :21             — Resurrection of dead

—                  26:23           — (literally:  “of the Resurrection”);
                                               

KEY VERSE: Jesus is FIRST

—  Romans         1:4             — Jesus’ Resurrection

—                        6:5             — Jesus’ Resurrection

— I Corinthians 15:12           — Resurrection of dead

—                           :13           — Resurrection of dead

—                           :21           — Resurrection of dead

—                           :42          — THE Resurrection

—  Philippians    3:10           — gradual in us

—  II Timothy      2:18           — thought by some early

—  Hebrews       6:2             — basic doctrine

—                        11:35           — (literally, “from
                                                         Resurrection”)

—                           :35           — BETTER RESURRECTION

—    I Peter           1:3             — Jesus’ Resurrection

—    I Peter          3:21            — Jesus’ Resurrection

—    Revelation 20:5             —  First Resurrection

—                            :6             — First Resurrection defined

 

UNDERLINED VERSES have anastasis translated other than resurrection in the King James Version (KJV).

 

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                  —    Philippians  3:11               — only use of EXANASTASIS

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“RESURRECTION” in Matthew 27:53 is from EGERSIS which is the noun form (used only here) of the verb:  EGEIRO which means much the same in its various applications as our word RAISE or LIFT.  Examples:

 

                  —  GET UP:                                    — Matthew 2:13

                  —  RAISE UP (children):                 — Matthew 3:9

                  —   AWOKE (wake up):                   — Matthew 8:25

                  —  RAISE (the dead):                      — Matthew 10:8

                  —  RISEN (come on the scene):     — Matthew 11:11

                  —  LIFT (sheep out of pit):               — Matthew 12:11

                  —  LIFT (from prone position):         — Mark 9:27

                  —  RISE (against, challenge):          — Mark 13:8

                  —  RAISE UP (build temple):           — John 2:19

                  —  RAISED (provided):                    — Acts 13:23

                  —  RISE (Get up!):                           — Revelation 11:1

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Therefore, the word here likely refers to Jesus’ being raised on the cross—not raised from the dead!

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