For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so them also
which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1 Thess 4:14 KJV
Our Lord and Messiah, Jesus, was crucified, died and then raised from
the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Firstfruits.
Most Christians refer to that day as Easter. In referring to this
event, the New Testament uses the word "again" many times. This word
again would seem to indicate that
Jesus died and was raised from the dead before. If "the" resurrection
were the
only time he was
raised from the dead, why would the Scriptures use the word
again? Most Christians seem to
ignore this word. What could it possible mean in this context?
The concept and phrase "rise again" or "revive again" is used
throughout the Scriptures. Paul equates the two in Romans 14:9 (KJV).
Let's begin this search by exploring the use of these phrases in the
Old Testament.
Since my youth, O God, you have taught
me, and to this day I declare
your marvelous deeds.
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who
are to come.
Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great
things.
Who, O God, is like you?
Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore
my life again;
from the depths of the earth you will again
bring me up.
Psalm 71:17-20
NIV
The author of this Psalm has lived a life faithful to God. He is in old
age and getting close to death. He has complete faith that God will
bring him back to life, i.e. once he is buried in the ground, God will
bring him back to life. This is not a reference to a future
resurrection, because the author has complete confidence that this has
happened before, that he has been buried as dead and come back to life.
One may argue that to say God will restore my life again is only a
reference to a future resurrection. But to say also that one will be
brought up from death
again
undeniably means it has happened before. Therefore, this is a clear
reference to the natural cycle of life, that we return to this earth as
we grow and mature. (See also Ps 68:22 KJV.)
The original Hebrew is so clear on this that many translations agree
with this wording, as we can see:
... wilt revive me again; from the
depths of the earth thou wilt bring me up again.
Psalm 71:20 RSV
... but once more revive me. From the watery depths of the earth once
more raise me up.
Psalm 71:20 NAB
... Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the
earth.
Psalm 71:20 NKJV
Here is the King James Version and the Hebrew below it, according to
Strong's Concordance:
| ... shalt |
quicken |
me |
again, |
and |
shalt |
bring |
me |
up |
again |
from |
the |
depths |
of |
the |
earth. |
|
chayah
|
|
shuwb
|
|
|
'alah
|
|
|
shuwb |
|
|
tehowm
|
|
|
'erets
|
The key word we are focusing on here is "again". It is not a filled in
word. It comes directly from the Hebrew word "
shuwb". This word is listed in
Strong's as 7725 and its definition is broad:
shuwb:
shoob a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or
intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the
idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often
adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do
evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take,
weep)) X again, (cause to) answer (+ again), X in any case (wise), X at
all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry
again (back), cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, +
continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back, fetch home
again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give (again), go again
(back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, X needs, be past, X
pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense,
recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore,
retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, + say nay, send
back, set again, slide back, still, X surely, take back (off), (cause
to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward,
from, off), withdraw.
Using the real Bible code, finding other occurrences of the same word
or words, brings us to the beginning of Job. Here the Hebrew word "
shuwb" is translated as "return".
The following is, for me, one of the clearest and most direct
statements of the Bible's view that the normal path for most souls is
to return to the earth in another body to continue to grow and mature.
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle,
and shaved his head,
and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither:
the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the
LORD.
Job 1:20-21 KJV
This same Hebrew word is found twice in Genesis 3:19 where it is also
translated as "return" (KJV):
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat
bread, till thou return unto
the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto
dust shalt thou return.
When this verse is seen in the light of Job 1:21, and considering the
meaning of "again" within the Hebrew word
shuwb, this often quoted verse at
funerals is actually an affirmation that we will rise again in another
life. And so the phrase "dust to dust" carries with it an image of the
cycle of life. (See also Ps 104:29-30.)
The understanding that the normal process is to return to earth is
expressed in the following Psalm where it is asked that God not allow
the truly evil to rise again. (This same idea is expressed in Deut
33:11 KJV.)
O GOD the Lord, the strength of my
salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked:
further not his wicked
device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.
As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of
their own lips cover them.
Let burning coals fall upon them:
let them be cast into the fire; into
deep pits, that they rise not up again.
Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt
the violent man to overthrow him.
Psalm 140:7-11 KJV
The Hebrew word
shuwb is
again used in Job where he asks:
O that thou wouldest hide me in the
grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past,
that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time
will I wait, till my change come.
Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: ...
Job 14:13-15 KJV
Job is confident that there will be a time when he will live again. The
context is as a physical person, which echoes Job's statement in 1:20.
At the end of the book, God says to Job's friend Eliphaz in 42:7 that
His "wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye
have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath".
Another theme in the Bible that shows the cycle of life is the harvest.
The seed is planted in the earth. The rain comes from heaven to make
the plants grow. The crop matures and the harvest is ripe, so the fruit
is gathered. The remains die and are cut away. The following year the
cycle of life begins all over again. In the following Psalms our lives
are compared to the cycle of the plant life upon the land.
Lord ... You turn men back to dust,
saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men."
For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone
by, or like a watch in the night.
You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass
of the morning-
though in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and
withered.
Psalm 90:1-6 NIV
As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the
field;
Psalm 103:15 NIV
Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will
soon die away.
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Psalm 37:1-3 NIV
This same idea begins the passage in Job cited above:
Man born of woman is of few days and
full of trouble.
He springs up like a flower and withers away;
like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
Job 14:1-2 NIV
Baptism is also symbolic of burial and the cycle of the harvest. Please
refer to Romans 6:3-5.
I believe one of the many layers of meaning in God's Holy Feast days is
to remind us of the cycle of life. If our soul has not matured enough
to be like Christ by the time we come to stand before God, then we will
continue to have opportunities to grow and learn as we return again to
the earth.
Psalm 85 is another that talks of "reviving" God's people.
You showed favor to your land, O LORD;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.
Selah
You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.
Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away your displeasure
toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through
all generations?
Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.
Psalm 85:1-7 NIV
On some level this is referring to personal salvation, but it is also
referring to national salvation. It is sin that brings judgment on the
people or the nation, and turning away from sin restores our life or
the
life of the nation. Some have come to see the restoration to life as
one time at the end of the age. However, when we reflect upon the life
of the nation of Israel, we see it was brought back to life more than
once. First was the original life of Israel that came to its height
under David and Solomon. Later, due to sin, the nation was lost and the
people carried into Babylonian captivity. Eventually, the time of
punishment ended, as Jeremiah predicted, and the nation of Israel came
back and built another temple. After the coming of Messiah and his
crucifixion, the nation and the temple were destroyed again. After
almost 2,000 years,
the nation of Israel has returned. So when we reflect on the national
model, it is not about one future resurrection but about a more general
return to life after repentance.
Another key word from Psalm 71:20 is "quicken", which means revive. The
Hebrew word behind this is
chayah.
Both Hebrew words
shuwb
(return) and
chayah (revive)
come up in verse 7 of the following from Hosea:
I will be as the dew unto Israel: he
shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree,
and his smell as Lebanon.
They that dwell under his shadow shall return;
they shall revive as the corn,
and grow as the vine:
the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
Hosea 14:5-7 KJV
Here Hosea compares the process of coming back to life, reviving, as
like the corn, the harvest. There are several layers of meaning here.
First and foremost is to repent and return to the Lord. Turning away
from the Lord in sin is the main reason Israel lost its nation. There
are other layers of meaning, the restoration of the nation and the
resurrection of its people, as alluded to in Hosea 6:2, where we see
"revive" again.
Focusing on the issue of whether or not "revive" is a reference to a
cycle or to
one and only one future resurrection, I believe the definitive answer
was given by Jesus when he raised Lazarus from the dead.
On his arrival, Jesus found that
Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less
than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and
Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard
that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at
home.
"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would
not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you
ask."
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the
last day."
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes
in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in
me will never die. Do you believe this?"
"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son
of God, who was to come into the world."
...
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come
out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of
linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the
grave clothes and let him go."
John 11:17-27, 43-44 NIV
Martha said there was to be a future resurrection at the end of the age
where she knew she
would she her brother. This is correct because Jesus did not say she
was in error; however, that does not mean it is the only resurrection.
The very fact that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead means we have
other lives before the end of the age. If we are to be raised only once
at the end of the age, then Jesus would NOT have been able to raise
Lazarus! So while what Martha said was true, what Jesus did was also
true!
We have established here that just as the harvest and the plant life of
this planet experience a cycle of life, we also experience this same
cycle of life. The seed is planted in the earth and we spring forth. We
grow and mature, wither and die. We are swept away by the winds of time
and return again to the dust from which we came. But the seed remains
and we are revived to repeat the process again. Life is a gift to
enjoy, but we are expected to grow in love and guard our hearts, so
that we mature in the way of Christ. Unfortunately, many come simply to
live and not to learn.
It is God’s earnest desire that we grow and mature, that we prepare for
the harvest. For there is a harvest to a higher level of existence, a
greater dimension of love sustained by those who reflect the love of
the Almighty. It is a level where we no longer forget who we were,
where the person we were no longer sleeps but we remain awake to who we
are and who we were. In this earthly world, if we lose the love of
Christ and allow the root of bitterness to grow within our souls, then
we get trapped in an endless cycle of blame and resentment. The goal is
to escape this cycle, as alluded to in the following passages:
In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let
me never be put to confusion.
Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me,
and save me.
Psalm 71:1-2 KJV
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and
of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness
through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and
goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious
promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature
and escape the corruption in
the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;
and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to
self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to
godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if
you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you
from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and
blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and
election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you
will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:2-11 NIV
This last passage speaks of the road to sanctification. (See also 2 Tim
2:20-26.) As people in covenant relationship with God the Father, we
are called to be like Christ, to be a nation of priests (Ex 19:6; 1 Pet
2:9). The only way for us to actually walk in the righteousness of
Christ is to be willingly led by God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit. This is
achieved by following the covenant of
daily sacrifice (explained in
various ways at this web site), which keeps one's heart from being
weighed down by the stones of life, keeps us in communication with God
and each other, and most importantly, keeps our hearts open to the
guidance of God's spirit.
You, however, are controlled not by the
sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And
if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to
Christ. ... And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is
living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life
to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Romans 8:9-11 NIV
Given this entire context, we are now ready to address the question
raised at the top of this web page.
Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the
Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the
scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to
the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third
day he shall rise again.
Matthew 20:18-19 KJV (Repeated in Mk 10:33-34 and Lk 18:31-33)
The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the
Pharisees went to Pilate. "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he
was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.'"
Matthew 27:62-63 NIV
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things
and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law,
and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
Mark 8:31 NIV
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took
the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone
rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the
body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly
two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In
their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but
the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was
still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the
hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' "
Luke 24:1-7 NIV
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he
was buried, and that he rose again
the third day according to the scriptures:
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV
For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died
for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who
live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them
and was raised again.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV
We believe that Jesus died and rose again
and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen
asleep in him.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 NIV
This simple word "
again" is a
subtle but solid affirmation of several things. First and foremost it
is an affirmation of the cycle of life. If Jesus was raised again, then
he had previous lives. And since he had previous lives, this is also an
affirmation that he is a fellow created being. Thereby, it is an
affirmation of the cycle of life for us and what is our potential. It
is also a statement that Jesus has graduated from the cycle of life,
living the way of love, and thereby given power and authority to be our
Lord and God. We are called to follow our elder brother, called to the
same level of righteousness, which can only be obtained in a willing
marriage with God's Spirit of Love. (Hebrews 2:9-11; Romans 8:18-27)