April-June
The account of Christ’s resurrection, registered in the four books of the gospel, states that His resurrection occurred before His body witnessed corruption. He was resurrected by the divine power within Him, thus sealing the last chapter of Satan’s condemnation. At that moment, Satan had concrete evidence of his condemnation.
On this occasion, there was also a multitude that resurrected. According to Early Writings, p. 184, they were saints that had lived from the time of creation to the day of Christ.
“When Jesus, as He hung upon the cross, cried out, ‘It is finished,’ the rocks rent, the earth shook, and some of the graves were opened. When He arose a victor over death and the grave, while the earth was reeling and the glory of heaven shone around the sacred spot, many of the righteous dead, obedient to His call, came forth as witnesses that He had risen. Those favored, risen saints came forth glorified. They were chosen and holy ones of every age, from creation down even to the days of Christ. Thus while the Jewish leaders were seeking to conceal the fact of Christ’s resurrection, God chose to bring up a company from their graves to testify that Jesus had risen, and to declare His glory.”—Early Writings, p. 184.
Matthew 27:53 says that after Christ’s resurrection these entered the holy city, Jerusalem, and appeared to many.
“And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:52, 53).
Let us emphasize a few interesting points:
1 Jesus did not make a point of presenting Himself to the masses after His resurrection. Instead, I understand that He focused His attention only on those who had believed in the gospel and in His mission.
2 He resurrected a multitude to testify of Him to the people, despite the priests’ efforts to hide the fact.
3 The people that made up this multitude of resurrected individuals were people who had died over the span of 4,000 years. Obviously, they were buried in different places, but according to this account, all of them were in Jerusalem. This shows that it doesn’t matter where one is buried, or how, but when it is time for the final resurrection, we will all be in the same place—surrounding Jerusalem, because where He was seen ascending, there will also His return be seen.
In Genesis 3:19 we read: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
So all of us, when we die, return to dust. That is, we are part of the chemicals components of the earth, just like animals and vegetation. After a certain amount of time, there is no longer any trace of a human body, with the rare exceptions of petrified skeletons or those preserved by ice.
So, is there a difference between burying a body or cremating it? In the material sense, no, there is not. The result will be the same: dust or ashes.
If we are all dust, mixed with dirt, how then shall we resurrect?
In the wonderful chapter 15 of the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians, in verse 50 we read that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Our current body composed of flesh and blood cannot be taken to heaven. So, in a blink of an eye, those who remain alive will be transformed into incorruptibility.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 15:50).
The apostle asks: “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body” (1 Corinthians 15:35–38).
The apostle uses the example of a grain of wheat. When we sow the wheat, the grain dies. Its life is extinguished—and in its place, a new stalk of wheat emerges, which will, in turn, produce new seeds.
When we place a bean on a wet piece of cotton, it germinates, and after it has performed its role, the old bean is no longer in use. But the new plant is already there.
Verse 38 says that God gave the grain a body as it pleased Him and to every seed its own body. God will recreate us. He will give us a new everything. None of what we have today with defects or illness will exist because He will give us a new body. Only our character will remain.
“Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though not the same particles of matter or material substance as went into the grave. The wondrous works of God are a mystery to man. The spirit, the character of man, is returned to God, there to be preserved. In the resurrection every man will have his own character. God in His own time will call forth the dead, giving again the breath of life, and bidding the dry bones live. 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. God shall give the righteous dead a body that will please Him.”—Maranatha, p. 301.
Thus, God does not need the body of John Huss’ ashes to give him back the life that was taken from him by fire.
The subject of resurrection is part of Bible doctrine (Hebrews 6:1, 2), and studying the order of the last events, we will find the account of three resurrections, each with a specific and distinct group:
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2).
“Graves are opened, and ‘many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth . . . awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt’ (Daniel 12:2). All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law. ‘They also which pierced Him’ (Revelation 1:7), those that mocked and derided Christ’s dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient.”—The Great Controversy, p. 637.
This resurrection will occur during the time of anguish. Two groups will resurrect:
Died under the third angel’s message and leave the grave glorified to complete the number of the sealed. In other words, they unite themselves with the living and now all of the 144,000 are alive and awaiting the coming of Jesus.
Those who transgressed. Those who mocked and jeered Christ. The staunchest enemies of His truth and His people, these awake to see Jesus return in His majestic glory, and to see the honor given to the faithful and obedient. This group shall be overcome by the glory of Christ, and at the end of the millennium will receive their recompense.
“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” (Revelation 1:7).
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:51–54).
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
“Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: ‘Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!’ Throughout the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth shall ring with the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.”—The Great Controversy, p. 644.
This resurrection includes all of the saved, all who have fallen asleep in Christ, all who have their name written in the book of life. These shall ascend with Christ to heaven and will spend a thousand years with Him.
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:5).
All who will perish in the second eternal death will resurrect only after the thousand years are ended. Their resurrection will occur when Christ comes to establish the new capital of the universe on Earth. At this time will be destroyed every trace of sin and of the sinners who did not accept the sacrifice of God for the remission of sin.
As you can see, the Bible shows that there will be three distinct groups on three different occasions. Each group has its own characteristics.
If you live after the year 1844 and know the message of the Sabbath, the third angel’s message, you should be ready to participate in this special event, whether resurrected or transformed, at the special resurrection. Otherwise, you will be part of the great and final resurrection with the lost.
I believe in an amazing God, Who gives me the opportunity to live in the last days of the history of this earth. He promised me that I will no longer need this body with its illnesses and defects, but that if I am dead, He will recreate me. And if I am alive, He will transform me and give me a new immortal body.
I have this hope, and I believe you do, too! God bless you.