01.11. Resurrection of Israel
11 The Resurrection of Israel
By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones (Hebrews 11:22). The two previous studies in this series have dealt with a detailed account of the blessings in store for both Israel and the Church which will be realized in the coming age. Beginning with Hebrews 11:22 ("By faith Joseph") the center of attention shifts to Israel and the Gentile nations. From this verse through verse thirty-one ("By faith...Rahab") there is a sequence of historical events typifying in chronological order a series of events which will occur on earth at the conclusion of the Great Tribulation. Events in the first part of this section (Hebrews 11:22-29) pertain specifically to Israel, and events in the second part (Hebrews 11:30-31) pertain specifically to the Gentiles.
In brief, these verses typify four main prophetic events:
1) The Resurrection of Israel (Hebrews 11:22)
Attention is directed to the bones of Joseph immediately before the Exodus from Egypt. "Moses took the bones of Joseph," for they were to be transported out of Egypt with the living (Genesis 50:24-26; Exodus 13:19). This foreshadows that future day when attention will be directed to the bones of Old Testament saints immediately before the deliverance of Israel from a worldwide dispersion. Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob, who died in the faith during Old Testament times, will be raised from the dead and delivered with the living (Ezekiel 37:1-14).
2) The Restoration of Israel (Hebrews 11:23-29)
The Israelites were delivered from Egypt under Moses. This foreshadows that future day when the One Who is greater than Moses returns and, following the resurrection of Old Testament saints, delivers the Israelites from a worldwide dispersion.
3) The Destruction of Gentile World Power (Hebrews 11:30)
The destruction of Jericho revealed God’s manner of dealing with a Gentile power standing in the way of the Israelites inhabiting the land. This foreshadows God’s dealings with Gentile world power yet future which will stand in the way of the Israelites dwelling safely, at rest in the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
4) The Salvation of Gentiles (Hebrews 11:31)
Rahab, a Gentile, was saved out of the destruction of Jericho. This foreshadows the great host of Gentiles yet future being saved out of the destruction of this world system. Their salvation will be effected through hearing and believing the message of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses during the Great Tribulation, as Rahab’s salvation was effected through hearing and believing the two spies sent into Jericho.
It is interesting to note the vast amount of Scripture pertaining to end-time events. Almost all of Hebrews, chapter eleven is prophetic in its scope, as is the Book of Hebrews as a whole. But in a more restricted sense, note that Hebrews 11:23-31 pertains specifically to events which will occur over a very short period of time following the return of Christ at the end of the Tribulation. God attaches far more than just a passing note of importance to Christians understanding these future events, especially in their correct chronological framework. Thus, these events will be dealt with in this book, as they are in the Book of Hebrews, in four separate parts. The present chapter will contain the first part -- the bones of Joseph accompanying the living at the time of the Exodus, reflecting on the coming resurrection of Old Testament saints who will accompany the living from a worldwide dispersion -- and succeeding chapters will contain the other three parts.
Resurrection in General
"For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
Then cometh the end..." (1 Corinthians 15:21-24 a). To properly understand the resurrection of Israel, one should be familiar with the complete scope of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, i.e., the resurrection of all mankind. Every individual who has died since the days of Adam will, at some point in time, be raised from the dead. Scripture is very clear concerning this matter.
The vicarious death and subsequent resurrection of Christ are universal in their scope. Christ died for the sins of the world, and whosoever will can realize salvation through His vicarious death. The resurrection of Christ is equally all-inclusive. Because of His resurrection, all of the dead will be raised. That is, Christ died for the entire world, even though the world will not receive Christ; and because of the resurrection of Christ, every individual who has died (saved or unsaved) will be raised from the dead. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." The word "all" in both instances encompasses the same group, i.e., all mankind. Their eternal destiny following resurrection is another matter.
Every man will be raised "in his own order," or "company." Christians will be raised in one company at a particular time (1 Corinthians 15:51-57); Old Testament saints will be raised in another company at a particular time (Job 19:25-26; Daniel 12:1-2); Tribulation saints will be raised in another company at a particular time (Revelation 20:4-6); and the unsaved dead from all the ages will be raised in another company at a particular time (Revelation 20:11-15).
The word "resurrection" is a translation of the Greek word anastasis, which means "to rise up," or "to stand up." Since it is the body which dies and is laid to rest, it must be the body which rises, stands up. The bodies of Christians will rise before the Tribulation; the bodies of Old Testament and Tribulation saints will rise after the Tribulation; and the bodies of the unsaved dead from all the ages will rise 1,000 years later at the end of the Messianic Era.
These are some of the basics of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, and the reader would do well to heed the admonition of the writer of the Book of Hebrews, "Let us go on unto perfection [maturity]" (Hebrews 6:1-2).
Resurrection in Particular
Many of the basic teachings concerning the resurrection of Israel are derived from Biblical typology in both the Old and New Testaments, along with the Jewish festivals in Leviticus 23:1-44. These teachings, in turn, must be understood in the light of Biblical distinctions between God’s dealings with Israel and God’s dealings with the Church. Almost all erroneous teachings concerning Israel’s resurrection can be attributed to the expositor ignoring one or more of these areas of instruction provided in the Word of God.
Israel’s resurrection will occur at a particular time, in a particular manner, and be followed by particular events. Only through understanding distinctions which God has established between Israel and the Church, Biblical typology, and the Jewish festivals in the Book of Leviticus can one grasp the overall picture, placing the resurrection of Israel in its proper Scriptural perspective. Consequently, the remainder of this study will center around these three areas.
1) The resurrection of Israel cannot occur outside the scope of God’s dealings with the nation, nor precede God’s completion of His dealings with the nation during Man’s Day.
Israel’s resurrection awaits the completion of Daniel’s unfulfilled Seventieth Week. God deals with the Church outside the scope of the Seventy Weeks, but God’s dealings with Israel during the latter days are either within the scope of the Seventy Weeks or following the Seventy Weeks.
From the issuance of the command "to restore and to build Jerusalem," following the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, until the time when "everlasting righteousness" would prevail was to be "Seventy Weeks [lit. ’Seventy Sevens,’ 490 years]" (Daniel 9:24-27). That is, from the decree issued by Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:1-8) until the Messianic Era, God’s dealings with Israel would be confined to a 490-year period. At the termination of Sixty-nine Weeks (483 years) Israel’s Messiah was to be "cut off" (Daniel 9:26). This event occurred in 30 A.D. when Israel was set aside, the chronometer marking a full 490 years was stopped, and during the interval (present day and time) God is taking out of the Gentiles a people for His name. After God completes His purpose for the interval between the Sixty-ninth and Seventieth Weeks, the individuals whom He has called -- comprising the one new man in Christ -- will be removed from the earth into heaven. God will then turn once again to Israel, and the chronometer will again be set in motion, marking off the last seven years of the full 490 years.
Daniel’s Seventieth Week, the coming Tribulation, will be the time when Russia, Iran, and certain other nations send vast armed forces against Israel, but suffer destruction on the mountains of Israel (Ezekiel 38:1-23; Ezekiel 39:1-29). This will be the time when Satan and his angels are cast out of the heavens onto the earth (Revelation 12:4; Revelation 12:7-12). This will be the time of the rule of the Antichrist, to whom Satan will give his "power, and his seat [throne], and great authority" (Revelation 13:1 ff). This will be the time when Satan launches his final and most intense attack against Israel, resulting in the destruction of two-thirds of the Jewish population of the earth (Revelation 12:6; Revelation 12:13-17; Zechariah 13:8-9). This will be the time during which "except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s [Israel’s] sake those days shall be shortened" (Matthew 24:22). Israel will be saved out of this time, but Israel must pass through the complete 490 years before she sees the face of her Messiah again.
At the termination of the Seventieth Week (the last seven years), "then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven" (Matthew 24:29-30). Israel’s Messiah will return, the nation will look upon the One Whom they crucified, a nation will be born in a day, Old Testament saints will be raised from the dead, and "the whole house of Israel" (the resurrected, along with the living who survive the Great Tribulation) will be restored to the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Old Testament saints cannot be resurrected with Christians before the Tribulation. Aside from other considerations, God is not presently dealing with Israel on a national basis. The resurrection of Old Testament saints must await the time God turns to Israel once again, and the Scriptures are clear that this resurrection will not occur until the completion of Daniel’s full Seventy Weeks.
2) The resurrection of Israel in the Old Testament occurs sequentially after a time of trouble -- the Great Tribulation.
The basic framework showing the proper place for the resurrection of Israel in relation to the Tribulation and subsequent restoration of Israel can be seen in the removal of the bones of Joseph from Egypt at the time of the Exodus. This same basic framework is also evident in other Old Testament passages such as Isaiah 26:8-19 and Daniel 12:1-2.
During the days of Moses 3,500 years ago the Israelites were in Egypt under bondage to a governmental system controlled by "the Assyrian" (cf. Exodus 1:8; Isaiah 52:4). The Assyrians had previously come down, conquered Egypt, and were at this time controlling the affairs of state. Prior to the deliverance under Moses, events in this book move through ten plagues brought upon the kingdom of the Assyrian (Exodus 7:20-25; Exodus 8:1-32; Exodus 9:1-35; Exodus 10:1-29; Exodus 11:1-10; Exodus 12:1-30). The tenth plague had to do with the death of the firstborn (Exodus 11:1 ff), which the Israelites experienced via a substitute -- a lamb from the flock. Moses then took the bones of Joseph and led the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 13:19 ff).
"Egypt" in Biblical typology always represents the world. The Israelites in Egypt under bondage to a governmental system controlled by the Assyrian typifies the Israelites yet future in their worldwide dispersion under bondage to a governmental system controlled by the Assyrian -- the Antichrist (Daniel 8:8-9; Isaiah 10:5; Isaiah 10:12; Isaiah 10:24-27; Micah 5:5-6). The ten plagues brought upon the kingdom of the Assyrian in Egypt foreshadow God’s judgments yet future upon the worldwide kingdom of the Assyrian. "Ten" is the number of ordinal completion and refers to all of God’s judgments. These judgments during the coming Tribulation will be under "seven seals," introduced by "seven trumpets," and within "seven vials of wrath" (Revelation 6:1-17; Revelation 7:1-17; Revelation 8:1-13; Revelation 9:1-21; Revelation 10:1-11; Revelation 11:1-19; Revelation 12:1-17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-20; Revelation 15:1-8; Revelation 16:1-21; Revelation 17:1-18; Revelation 18:1-24). "Seven" is the number of perfection. It signifies the completeness of what is in view. "Three" is the number in Scripture associated with the Godhead.
Thus, in this instance, "three sevens" indicate the completeness of God’s judgments upon the future kingdom of the Assyrian. Moses’ turning his attention to the bones of Joseph following the Passover but prior to the Exodus reflects on that time yet future when Jesus will turn His attention to the bones of Old Testament saints (Israel’s resurrection) following the Passover (Israel’s conversion) but prior to the Exodus (Israel’s restoration). At this time the Old Testament saints will be raised from the dead and be restored, along with the living, to the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (cf. Ezekiel 37:1-14). Old Testament saints -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, et al. -- must be raised from the dead and be placed back in the land of Israel, else the promises of God in the Abrahamic covenant cannot be fulfilled (cf. Genesis 17:8; Genesis 37:1).
Joseph, "by faith," before his death, had made mention of the departing of the children of Israel from Egypt, and the fact that his bones were to be removed from Egypt and accompany the living back to the land at this time (Genesis 50:24-26). Joseph’s faith was based upon God’s promise (Genesis 46:2-4), and the nation of Israel in her dispersion among the Gentile nations today possesses this same promise. As surely as the Israelites left Egypt under Moses and later entered the land under Joshua, the nation of Israel yet future will be removed from the nations of the world and be placed in the land by Jesus. And, as surely as the dead accompanied the living in the type, the dead (resurrected) will accompany the living in the antitype.
3) The resurrection of Israel in the festivals of Leviticus, chapter twenty-three occurs between the national conversion and restoration of Israel.
The seven festivals in the Book of Leviticus constitute the sacred calendar of Israel. These festivals outline in chronological order a sequence of events about to transpire in the camp of Israel, and are all unfulfilled insofar as Israel is concerned. Israel’s national Passover (the first of the seven festivals) in the antitype of Exodus, chapter twelve is yet future, as are events in the other six festivals. Events surrounding the Passover must occur first, and this Feast of the Lord will not be fulfilled until the end of the Tribulation.
The progression of events in these seven festivals reveal a progression of events which will occur in the camp of Israel when Jesus returns to deliver His covenant people:
A) Passover: This festival has to do with the national conversion of Israel, when the nation looks upon the Pierced One. The Lamb has already died, the blood has been shed (Exodus 12:6), but Israel has not applied the blood (Exodus 12:7).
Note in the type that the Passover occurred while Israel was still in Egypt. In the antitype Israel will have her national Passover while the nation is still scattered throughout the Gentile World, for this is the time when "they will look upon" their Messiah, and a nation will be "born at once" (Zechariah 12:10; Isaiah 66:8).
B) Unleavened Bread: This festival has to do with the removal of sin from the house after the Passover. Of what sin is Israel guilty? Israel is guilty of the sin of crucifying her Messiah. Israel is presently unclean through contact with the dead body of God’s Son, and will remain unclean two days (2,000 years). After two days, on the third day, Israel is going to acknowledge her sin in the presence of the very One Whom she crucified. Israel will then put this sin out of the house.
C) First-fruits: This festival has to do with resurrection. Christ was raised from the dead on this day, and Old Testament saints will be raised from the dead at this time, fulfilling this festival. The first-fruits of the resurrection of Old Testament saints occurred after Christ was raised (Matthew 27:52-53). The main harvest will follow.
D) Pentecost: Note what began to occur on the day of Pentecost, 30 A.D. (Acts 2:1 ff). Joel’s prophecy began to be fulfilled, and this prophecy would have been completely fulfilled had Israel done what Peter told the Jews to do in Acts 2:38 -- national repentance, followed by national baptism. However, Israel did not, the nation was subsequently set aside for an age, and any fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy has also been set aside with Israel for an age. Joel’s prophecy cannot be fulfilled today, even in part. But it will be fulfilled immediately after the resurrection of Old Testament saints.
E) Trumpets: This festival has to do with the regathering of Israel. Christians await a trumpet calling them into the heavens before the Tribulation; Israel awaits a trumpet calling the nation back into the land after the Tribulation.
F) Atonement: This festival has to do with a cleansing from sin for a people already under the blood of the Passover Lamb. Activities on this day have to do with blood on the mercy seat and confession of sin. Atonement is to be provided for Israel’s sin of crucifying her Messiah. Note the order in Ezekiel 36:24-25 -- a regathering before cleansing from sin.
G) Tabernacles: This is the last of the festivals and has to do with a time of rest at the conclusion of the preceding Feasts of the Lord. This points forward to the time of rest in the coming age after the conclusion of events surrounding the first six Feasts of the Lord. This festival lasted for seven days -- a complete period of time -- pointing forward to the complete duration of the Millennium.
Following the return of Christ at the end of the Tribulation there will be a 75-day period between the end of Daniel’s Seventieth Week and the beginning of the Millennium (Daniel 12:11-13). It appears evident that the events set forth in the first six Feasts of the Lord, leading up to events in the terminal festival, the Feast of Tabernacles, will transpire during this time.
Thus, the resurrection of Old Testament saints in the Feasts of the Lord occurs at the same point as in Biblical typology -- between the conversion and restoration of Israel.
4) Israelites will not possess the same type resurrection body which Christians will possess.
The type setting forth the resurrection of Israel in its proper perspective is given in John, chapter eleven. The resurrection of Lazarus is the seventh of eight signs recorded in the Gospel of John. Out of all the signs which Jesus performed, the Holy Spirit moved John to record eight of them in his gospel account. And these eight signs have been recorded in order that "ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John 20:30-31).
A) Lazarus, Israel Type, Antitype
In the recorded accounts giving the life of Christ while here on earth, three individuals were raised from the dead (Matthew 9:23-26; Luke 7:11-15; John 11:38-44). There is no record of anyone dying in the presence of Christ. Note that the ones crucified with Him died after He had given up His spirit. Lazarus died while Jesus was absent. It is not possible for death to occur in the presence of the One Who said, "I am the resurrection, and the life" (John 11:25). This truth is set forth in the statement of Martha to Jesus: "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died" (John 11:21 b). The absence of Jesus, allowing Lazarus to die, was for a particular purpose: "...for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby" (John 11:4 b). Jesus Himself stated, "...I am glad for your sakes that I was not there to the intent ye may believe" (John 11:15).
The time of the resurrection of Lazarus was after Jesus had been outside the land of Judaea "two days," and after Lazarus had lain in the grave "four days" (John 11:6, John 11:17). At this time Jesus said, "Let us go into Judaea again" (John 11:7 b). Lazarus was one whom the Lord loved (John 11:3 b), and the Lord returned into the land of Judaea, after a two-day wait, in order to raise Lazarus from the dead.
The time of the resurrection of Israel will be after Jesus has been outside the land of Judaea "two days," and after Israel has lain in the grave "four days." Each one of these days Isaiah 1,000 years in length (2 Peter 3:8). The length of Christ’s stay in heaven, out of the land of Judaea, will be "two days" -- 2,000 years. At the termination of this time He will say, "Let us go into Judaea again." Jesus will return and raise the one Whom He loves from the dead. Israel at that time will have been in the grave "four days:" two days (2,000 years) before Christ under Law, and two days (2,000 years) after Christ apart from her Messiah.
B) Soulical and Spiritual Bodies
The resurrected body of Lazarus was the same soulical body which had died. Lazarus was raised in a body of flesh, blood, and bones. This is not the type body which Christ possessed following His resurrection; nor is it the type body which Christians will possess. Christ, following His resurrection, possessed a spiritual body of flesh and bones -- the same body which had been placed in the tomb -- but the Spirit rather than the blood was now the life-giving, animating principle of the body. This is the same type body which Christians will one day possess.
Both soulical and spiritual bodies are bodies of flesh and bone. The difference in the two bodies lies in the life-giving, animating principle of the body. Blood is the life-giving, animating principle of the soulical body; the Holy Spirit is the life-giving, animating principle of the spiritual body (cf. Leviticus 17:11; Isaiah 53:12; 1 Corinthians 15:44-50).
Note the contrasting difference between the resurrections of Lazarus and Jesus. The stone covering the tomb of Lazarus was rolled away to let Lazarus out (John 11:38-39, John 11:41). The stone covering the tomb of Jesus was rolled away to let others in to see that He was already out (Matthew 28:2-6). Lazarus came forth "bound hand and foot with graveclothes" (John 11:44), but Jesus left his graveclothes undisturbed in the tomb (Luke 24:12).
Luke 24:12 states that Peter "beheld the linen clothes laid [lit. ’lying’; cf. John 20:5-7] by themselves." The linen cloth forming the graveclothes of Jesus had been wrapped about the body using a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about "an hundred pound weight" (about eighty pounds [John 19:39]). Myrrh is a resinous gum, and aloes is a powdered wood. Mixing the two together formed a sticky substance which was spread on the linen cloth as it was wrapped about the body of Jesus in preparation for burial. This complete process formed a covering about the body which hardened with time, similar to a plaster of Paris cast today. With the exception of His head, the complete body of Jesus was wrapped in this manner. His body was then laid in the tomb, and a napkin was placed over His head.
When Peter looked into the tomb following the resurrection, he saw the graveclothes "lying by themselves." The mixture of myrrh and aloes had hardened, and the graveclothes were maintaining the shape and contour of the body apart from the body being on the inside. The napkin which had been placed over His face had simply collapsed and was found lying in the place where His head had been.
To properly understand and appreciate the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, one must, in turn, have a proper understanding and appreciation of what Peter saw when he gazed upon those empty graveclothes. The body which Jesus possessed following His resurrection had capabilities which a soulical body does not have. This is the same body which Jesus possesses today -- a body capable of transcending natural laws as we know them. Jesus, in His resurrection body, moved through solid objects (cf. Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:12; John 20:19). In this same body Jesus traveled in a manner and to places which a soulical body cannot travel nor go (Acts 1:9; 1 Peter 3:19).
The resurrection of Christians before the Tribulation will be in spiritual bodies like unto the body of Christ. Christians alone possess the promise, "when he shall appear, we shall be like him" (1 John 3:2; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:49). Christians will be raised from the dead and be removed from the earth into the heavens. They will be raised in "celestial [’heavenly’] bodies" (1 Corinthians 15:40 a), for their promises and blessings are heavenly.
The resurrection of Israelites following the Tribulation will be in soulical bodies like unto the body of Lazarus. Old Testament saints will be raised from the dead and be placed in the land of Israel here on earth. They will be raised in "terrestrial [’earthly’] bodies" (1 Corinthians 15:40 b), for their promises and blessings are earthly.
"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" (Ezekiel 37:12).