1st Corinthians 15: 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
In most of the Bible studies which are done on this forum, we try to give practical applications of the truths presented so that the word of God will not be held as a mere theoretical document, but rather as knowledge that could and should be applied in your everyday experiences.
But, as we get closer to the final conflict of the ages, we will have to address certain truths from a more intellectual perspective, so that we may understand clearly, what we believe, and therefore, we will be enabled to share intelligently with others, the things which belong to our peace.
Indeed, the sealing work of God in our foreheads is both spiritual and intellectual in nature, so that we would not be moved. Thus, part two of the topic we begun earlier will be more intellectual in nature. Let’s read:
[Manuscript 173 par25] Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads—it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved—just as soon as God’s people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come.
In part one of the above topic, we established from the scriptures that God always uses preexisting raw materials, that are then glorified, in the resurrection of the dead, and in the translation of the living.
The process of glorification isn’t disclosed, nor is it explained anywhere in the scriptures, but what is known for certain is that great changes would be made to preexisting material by the power of God alone.
This can also be certified in the scripture if we were to study the creation of the new heaven and earth. It is this very planet that God uses as the preexisting material, which is then transformed by the fires of hell, to produce an entirely different planet.
In the Spirit of prophecy, it is actually referred to as a purifying process by which the fervent heat from the fires of hell will trigger a metamorphosis of the preexistent planet earth, and thereby produce fresh raw material for God to work with.
In fact, the New Jerusalem comes down from God out of heaven, before the destruction of the rest of the earth by fire, and thus, those who will be saved for eternity will be living on this earth, while all hell breaks loose just outside of the city’s walls.
The presence and power of the Eternal God purifies the piece of real estate where the New Jerusalem is to be located on our planet, but all the rest of the earth will remain intact in its then current form until the time of the executive judgement.
There are several passages in the Scriptures which certify that which was just said, for as we’ve stated previously, God very often utterly exhausts material that is readily available, which He then couples with His Divine power, to produce new material. Let’s read:
Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
[Great Controversy pp 662>664] Christ descends upon the Mount of Olives, whence, after his resurrection, he ascended, and where angels repeated the promise of his return. Says the prophet, “The Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.”
“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof, ... and there shall be a very great valley.” “And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.” [Zechariah 14:5, 4, 9.]
As the New Jerusalem, in its dazzling splendor, comes down out of Heaven, it rests upon the place purified and made ready to receive it, and Christ with his people and the angels, enters the holy city.
Satan consults with his angels, and then with these kings and conquerors and mighty men. They look upon the strength and numbers on their side, and declare that the army within the city is small in comparison with theirs, and that it can be overcome.
They lay their plans to take possession of the riches and glory of the New Jerusalem. At last, the order to advance is given, and the countless host moves on, an army such as was never summoned by earthly conquerors, such as the combined forces of all ages since war began on earth could never equal.
Satan, the mightiest of warriors, leads the van, and his angels unite their forces for this final struggle. Kings and warriors are in his train and the multitude follow in vast companies, each under its appointed leader.
With military precision, the serried ranks advance over the earth's broken and uneven surface to the city of God. By command of Jesus, the gates of the New Jerusalem are closed, and the armies of Satan surround the city, and make ready for the onset.
The above information from the Scriptures and the pen of inspiration has settled forever the issue of God using the preexisting material of our planet to make a new earth, after the purifying processes of hell fire is accomplished. In other words, the earth becomes entirely, and materially different because of the fervent heat. Let’s read:
Malachi 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.
2nd Peter 3: 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
So now, we turn to the same issue as it pertains to the use of preexisting material in the resurrection of the righteous. Just as our planet would undergo the dramatic metamorphosis because of the intense fire of hell, just so the preexistent dust which comprised our former selves would undergo God’s glorification process to produce a new spiritual body, as Christ’s.
This fact is corroborated both by the Scriptures and the servant of The Lord, as can be observed in the following statements which ought to be read closely and very slowly, in order to grasp what is being said. Let’s read:
[Letters And Manuscripts 15 par. 10] Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though not the same particles of matter or material substance as went into the grave. The same form will come forth, but it will be free from disease and every defect. It lives again bearing the same individuality of features, so that friend will recognize friend. There is no law of God in nature which shows that God gives back the same identical particles of matter which composed the body before death.
Paul illustrates this subject by a kernel of grain sown in the field. The planted kernel decays, but there comes forth a new kernel. The natural substance in the grain that decays is never raised as before, but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him. A much finer material will compose the human body, for it is a new creation, a new birth. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
These statements ought to be read very carefully and slowly, for they harmonize perfectly with that which is written in the Scripture. For instance, when Adam was first made from the dust of the ground at creation, the work of God upon him changed the particular make up of preexistent dust into what we now know as a human being, with flesh and bones.
But although originally made from the dust, there is nothing about the human body currently that even remotely resembles the original raw materials that were used in man’s first creation. I personally have gotten bad cuts on different occasions, and not for once did any dust come out of my veins.
The same is true of the resurrection of the righteous for although former raw materials are used, there is nothing remotely close to the original materials, for God will give us a spiritual body. When seed is sown in the ground, the end product of the regeneration process is nothing like the decayed seed that rotted under the clods of earth.
A brand new tree, complete with leaves, branches and fruit is the end product of that which decayed and decomposed. But it was the former material of seed that was used to generate the latter. Thus, it is with the original particles that all go down into the grave.
At the command of God those former particles are reunited together again, glorified and immortalized to produce a brand new spiritual body, that could pass through solid matter. We should not limit the power of God to do as He has said, for nothing is impossible with God.
Question: Are the people of Sodom going to be raised from their graves, after being turned to ashes in the overthrow that took place in Lot’s time?
According to the scriptures, absolutely yes! God has the power to bring them back from ashes, and thus it will be with every saint who was burned at the stake and whose ashes were cast far and wide; God will absolutely bring them back from the ashes.
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were reduced to ashes, and yet, God will bring back persons from the ashes, complete with flesh and bones and with their particular identity. Over time those ashes may have been scattered far and wide, but God has the power to bring them back together again as an indivisible whole. Let’s read:
2nd Peter 2:6 God turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemning them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly.
Matthew 10: 14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Ezekiel 37: 5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith 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.
However, there is a huge difference between those who are raised to life, and those who will be raised to damnation. Those who are raised to damnation will be comprised of their original particles, before the died. But those who are raised to life will have new particles, because their former dust has been glorified and made eternal.
These scriptural utterances pertaining to what takes place in the resurrection leads us to the sepulcher of Elisha, who died and was buried, and whose body had undergone a partial process of decomposition, leaving only his bones remaining at the time when an account of a particular incident took place at his grave site.
Before Elijah was translated to heaven, Elisha had asked him for a double portion of the Spirit that was upon him, and so said, so done, for a double portion of The Holy Ghost was then given to him. But after he died, he was buried in a cave, where the natural processes of decomposition were taking place.
However, there were invasions of the land of Israel from time to time, and on this occasion, some folks were just about to bury a man, but when they saw the enemy invaders, they quickly turned aside so as to avoid conflict, and they let down the coffin of the man in question, into the cave where Elisha’s bones lay decomposing.
But lo and behold, as the new coffin, with the dead man inside it, touches the bones of Elisha, the dead man stands up on his two feet, and apparently, he walks out of the gravesite safe and sound. Let’s read:
2nd Kings 13: 20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulcher of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
This particular instance must be studied carefully so as to better understand what took place. There is to be no superstition when studying sacred truth, and the things that are written, are written for a reason. To begin with, there was nothing about the bones of Elisha that gave the stranger life. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 9: 5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
God alone is the Life-Giver, and in this instance, He chose to resurrect the dead stranger, through The agency of The Holy Spirit, probably, as a token of hope to the children of Israel who were at that time sweltering under a load of despair.
Yet, it is a fact that those who have been united with God in this life are never severed from Christ, even in death, and it is by virtue of this union with The Holy Ghost that persons are be resurrected to life.
In other words, even though Elisha is very dead, yet The Spirit of God is very alive, and it is because of this sacred truth why we have hope. The Scripture is abundantly clear on this matter, and since The Spirit of God can revive Christ, He can also revive anyone who died in Christ. Let’s read:
Job 33: 4 The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
Romans 8: 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Psalms 139: 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
John 11: 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
26 And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
[The Desire of Ages pp 388] Christ became one flesh with us, in order that we might become one spirit with Him. It is by virtue of this union that we are to come forth from the grave, not merely as a manifestation of the power of Christ, but because, through faith, His life has become ours. It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of the life eternal.
This brings us to the most sobering, and pertinent truth of the study this evening, for whatsoever one might do, or whosoever one may claim to be, if The Spirit of God is not enthroned in the person’s heart that person’s hope of eternal life is vain.
We very often hear of appeals for persons to accept Christ as Lord and Savior, but very often not enough emphasis is put on the importance of the indwelling presence of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Spirit of God is given to every believer as an “Earnest” or down payment on eternal life, and it is by walking by faith, living and abiding in Christ, that the promise is certified for eternity.
In other words, just like how God needed to see the blood on every doorpost, just so, He is also looking for the presence of His Spirit in all those who name the name of Christ because after all is said and done and after all the sermons have been preached, and after all the appeals have been made the crux of the matter basically comes down to this one thing. Let’s read:
Romans 8: 9 But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if it so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Some persons may have graduated from theological universities with their Doctorate in theology, and others might specialize in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. That is all well and good and worthy of note, but we must never forget that the most important thing is to have Spirit of God living on the inside.
It is not church attendance, it is not the ability to rightly divide the word of truth, nor is it charitable works that are done. While these things are good in and of themselves, and should be encouraged, at the end of the day, all of the above should be as a result of The Holy Spirit abiding in the heart.
Therefore, an earnest appeal goes out to all who may not have fully understood these sacred truths in times past. Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, for it is the indwelling of Christ in the heart, through the medium of His Holy Spirit, that ensures to us eternal life.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which certifies these sacred truths, and it is the will of God that all who so desire, respond in the positive to the gracious overtures of the Holy Ghost. Let’s read:
Romans 8: 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
God Bless!