restoration – The Core of the Bible

Resurrection part 3: Daniel’s “end of days” resurrection prophecy

A collective resurrection in the last days of the nation of ancient Israel would culminate not just in restoration to the land, but in eternal life.

Core of the Bible podcast #123 – Resurrection part 3: Daniel’s “end of days” resurrection prophecy

We are continuing the third essay today in a four-part series on the topic of resurrection. So far in our exploration of this far-reaching topic, we have viewed instances of individual, bodily resurrections throughout the Bible. We also looked at what Yeshua taught about all the righteous throughout the history of Israel who were still considered as alive to God, since “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Matthew 22:32). And, if you have not yet reviewed part 2 of this study, you may want to take some time do so as I laid down some foundational ideas about motifs and patterns in the Tanakh there.

Last time, we discussed the judgment/restoration motif or theme of collective resurrection, and how judgment is always mentioned in connection with collective resurrection passages. In the prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel, judgment had come to pass because of Israel’s unfaithfulness to the covenant of God, and God removed them from the land (the inheritance). We also saw how the language of resurrection was an indicator of restoration to the land and renewal of the inheritance. It wasn’t describing a literal rising of dead bodies from their graves; it was as if the nation were coming back to life from the dead condition of a wasteland after the preceding judgment. If those were the themes that were laid down as foundations prior to the writings of Daniel, then it makes sense to me those same principles should apply to what he wrote, as well.

So, let’s now look at the final description of a collective resurrection in the Tanakh which is written about in the book of Daniel. This passage is unique from the Isaiah and Ezekiel resurrection passages because the result of the collective resurrection that Daniel mentions has to do with not just restoration to the land, but eternal life.

Daniel 12:2 – Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt.

Interestingly, this description of a collective resurrection seems to parallel identically with the teaching of Messiah:

John 5:28-29 – “Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation.

I believe for us to understand Daniel better, we will need to view it together with the teachings of Yeshua. Both of these passages have a larger context which can help us gain some of these insights.

Since we are talking about the judgment/resurrection theme, let’s begin by expanding the scope of Yeshua’s statements in John 5:

John 5:24-30 – “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life. Truly I tell you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted to the Son to have life in himself. And he has granted him the right to pass judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.”

Notice, as we saw last time with the prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel, Yeshua’s mention of a great resurrection is in conjunction with a great judgment. This judgment is identified as death and condemnation, which are both contrasted with life. Whatever this judgment is, Yeshua explains how he is authorized by the Father to facilitate this judgment as simply a matter of carrying out the Father’s will.

Now, if we turn our attention back to Daniel’s prophecy and widen the context of that passage a little, we will see that the resurrection Daniel talks about is also connected to a great judgment:

Daniel 12:1-2 – At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred since there was a nation until that time. But at that time all your people who are found written in the book will be delivered. Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt.

Notice, there would be an unparalleled time of distress in the time of Daniel’s resurrection. It would be a distress to come upon a nation, the nation of Israel, since the angel mentions it would come upon “your [Daniel’s] people”. This is where some modern translations show their bias by saying something like this time would be the worst time of destruction since “any of the nations have ever existed,” or something along those lines. But the Hebrew says “nation” singular, and the context points to Daniel’s people: Israel. So, Daniel appears to be discussing a specific destruction and judgment which would be coming specifically upon his people, Israel. This will be brought out in little bit as we widen the context of Daniel’s prophecy further.

CONTEXT FOR DANIEL’S PROPHECY

Just as we did with Isaiah’s prophecy last time, we have to remember that the original text of Scripture does not have chapter divisions, so if we are to understand the judgment and resurrection of Daniel 12, we need to find out where this particular vision of Daniel begins so we can determine if there is any mention of when this “time of distress” for Daniel’s people was to take place. In the beginning of chapter 10, we read the following:

Daniel 10:1 – In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. The message was true and was about a great conflict. He understood the message and had understanding of the vision.

This same vision of a great conflict spans all of chapters 10 and 11 and then culminates in chapter 12. Throughout the prophecy, we see that the angelic messenger hints at time markers of when in Israel’s history this vision takes place:

Daniel 10:14 – “Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the last days, for the vision refers to those days.“

So here we see that this vision that Daniel has is going to be taking place to Daniel’s people “in the last days.” In chapter 11 and 12:1 and 4, we receive several more time markers:

Daniel 11:40 – “At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He will invade countries and sweep through them like a flood.”

Daniel 12:1-4 – “At that time [the time of the end mentioned at 11:40] Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred since there was a nation until that time. But at that time all your people who are found written in the book will escape. Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt. Those who have insight will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal the book until the time of the end…”

As captivating as the entirety of Daniel’s vision is, in this study we are focused on the final stage of a collective resurrection and when it was to take place. Throughout the vision this resurrection is described as being at “the time of the end”, “the last days”, “at that time”. But the last days of what? Is it talking about the last days of life on earth as we know it, or possibly something else?

If we continue reading, we see that we receive some additional information that helps to identify these last days.

Daniel 12:5-7 – Then I, Daniel, looked, and two others were standing there, one on this bank of the river and one on the other. One of them said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the water of the river, “How long until the end of these wondrous things? ” Then I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the water of the river. He raised both his hands toward heaven and swore by him who lives eternally that it would be for a time, times, and half a time.When the power of the holy people is shattered, all these things will be completed.

When was the power of the holy people (Israel) shattered “for a time, times, and half a time”? Again, we must keep in mind that this vision is all about Daniel’s people, Israel, and their history and influence within the world. As the holy people of God, those whom he set apart for himself, it seems to me to make sense that it would have to be a time when their “power” was to be shattered, destroyed and spread around, which is what the word means.

I would submit for your consideration that this shattering into pieces and dispersion occurred at the destruction of the second temple in the three and a half years between 67-70 AD (the time, times, and half a time of Daniel’s prophecy) almost two thousand years ago. At that time Jerusalem was completely destroyed, the Jews that survived were permanently removed from the land, and the temple was brought to the ground with “not one stone left upon another”. The destruction of the temple would be the final indication of “when the power of the holy people is shattered”. If Daniel’s prophecy was completed at that time, then that was the conclusive “end of the days”, the last day and the end of the age of the holy people of Daniel’s time: ancient Israel.

Daniel also mentions the great resurrection was to happen “at that time”. In reading about what Yeshua taught, we see he also discussed a resurrection on something he called “the last day”. Daniel’s “last days” and “time of the end” appear to be equated with the “last day” terminology used by Yeshua and in general understanding among the people of his day. Could these two descriptions be describing the same thing?

RESURRECTION AND THE LAST DAY

John 6:39 – “This is the will of him who sent me: that I should lose none of those he has given me but should raise them up on the last day.

That by Yeshua’s day there was already a general conception of this collective resurrection of the dead is evidenced by Martha as she speaks to Yeshua outside the tomb of her recently deceased brother, Lazarus:

John 11:24 – Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection onthe last day.”

I believe Martha’s statement was based on her understanding of Daniel’s collective resurrection. As we saw last time, Yeshua doesn’t correct Martha’s understanding of a collective resurrection, but simply redirects her to an understanding that he himself is the agent of resurrection: “I am the resurrection and the life”. He plainly taught that those who believed in him as the Messiah would receive eternal life, which in Yeshua’s teaching was to be equated with this resurrection life.

In John 6, Yeshua had spoken at length about this resurrection and who would be qualified to participate in it. So, since this “last day rising” seems to be a very specific teaching of Yeshua which is tied to the prophecy of Daniel, let’s take a closer look at how we should be viewing this resurrection perspective which he taught.

John 6:39-40, 44, 54 – And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” … No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. … Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

These four verses in the gospel of John make references to “the last day” that involves a “raising” of some sort as opposed to a possible “losing” of it. Verse 39 states: “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” In fact, the Greek word used here for lose, apoleso, is used only in this one place in our Greek New Testaments. But it is based on the root appolumi, which can imply a type of destruction, or more accurately, a “losing of something left for destruction”. Looked at in this light, v. 39 can read in a bit more insightful way more literally rendered along these lines:

“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing [to destruction] of all that he has given me, but [instead] raise it up on the last day.”

So this “all” that was given to Yeshua by God is the subject of the raising, as opposed to destruction. He then goes on to explain who it is who will make up the “all”:

John 6:40 – For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.“

In this passage, Yeshua is here proclaiming the centrality of faith in him as the Messiah as the qualifier for eternal life and this rising on the last day.Those who were to “look on the Son and believe in him” are the participants in the “all” who will be raised “on the last day”.

And this is where we come to what I consider to be a key teaching in the New Testament writings: Everyone who believed in Yeshua in that day were considered to be the true remnant of faithful Israel. That was the contingent with whom God maintained covenant: those who listened to and obeyed his word through his Messiah. That they would be “raised up” on the last day, using the language of national restoration that we learned from Isaiah and Ezekiel, sets the stage for a great restoration of some type for the believing remnant on the last day.

So, now we know from the passage in John who the “all” are who would be raised up in the last day (the faithful remnant of Israel), and we know how they are qualified for this resurrection (i.e., faith in Messiah). It now becomes natural to ask what is the possible destruction or judgment that they are saved from, and when is the “last day” when this rising was to occur. It then follows to understand what does this resurrection/restoration look like? If we return to the vision of Daniel and link his indicators to the teachings of Yeshua, I think we will find the answers to these very important questions.

THE DESTRUCTION/JUDGMENT

What was the destruction or judgment from which Yeshua was saving the faithful remnant?

Daniel 12:7 – When the power of the holy people is shattered, all these things will be completed.

As I have already suggested earlier, the judgment that was imminent in the day of Yeshua and his disciples was the complete annihilation of the city of Jerusalem, and the removal of the temple system, both of which had become extremely corrupt. The power of the holy people was about to be shattered, once and for all time. This theme of the coming judgment was the theme of both John the baptizer and Yeshua:

Matthew 3:7, 10, 12 – But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he [John] said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? … Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. … His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.“

Matthew 4:17 – From then on Yeshua began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

This was to be a judgment on Jerusalem and Israel, not the whole world, as can be seen in the prophecies concerning the resurrection concept. Consider the following statement as Yeshua lashed out against the self-righteous Pharisees and scribes:

Luke 11:50 – …so that the blood of all the prophets [that is, the prophets of Israel], shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation…”

As we are about to explore further, the coming destruction was to be upon Israel collectively and Jerusalem specifically, in that generation. They had rejected God’s continued efforts through his prophets to bring them back to himself, yet they persisted in pursuing the idolatry of national independence over being the light to the nations as the representative Kingdom of God on the earth. Because of this, they would face the complete destruction, not only of their capital, but of the covenantal system of worship that he had provided them. They had broken the covenant by pursuing idolatry and their priesthood had become corrupt; therefore, it would no longer be a viable means of approaching God. Even so, the covenantal priestly system had served its purpose, and its culmination in producing the Messiah was its fulfillment. However, in rejecting the Anointed One of God, his very own son, they were essentially rejecting Yahweh as their ultimate King and Father, and instead they were choosing to set up their own false and idolatrous king and priesthood.

THE TIMING OF THE LAST DAY

Now that we have established what the coming destruction was, it remains for us to find out if these passages tell us when this judgment was to be poured out. The apostles, represented by Peter’s speech on Pentecost, had picked up on this judgment as a day that was to be occurring soon, within that generation:

Acts 2:40 – And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

Why were the disciples so focused on that generation? Well, we can see that they were simply following the lead of their Master. A simple search of the phrase “this generation” provides many provocative verses illustrating the fact that Yeshua, along with his disciples, had an urgent sense of imminency, warning the people that this judgment would soon be carried out.

Mark 13:30 – Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Luke 21:31-32, 34 – So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. … “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

Once again, this was to be a judgment on Israel, not the whole world, as can be seen in the teachings of the apostles:

Acts 2:14-18 – Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. “For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. “On the contrary, this [what you are seeing and hearing right now] is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: “And it will be in the last days, says God, [that is, the last days of Israel, according to Daniel] that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy.”

Hebrews 1:1-2 – Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son…

1 John 2:18 – Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour.

Peter, under the inspiration of the holy Spirit, prophesied that Joel’s prophecy of the last days was taking place at that time through the pouring out of the Spirit on that day of Pentecost, and that that generation was the one on which judgment was also about to be poured out. The writer of Hebrews says “these last days”, the days in which they were living. John goes even further and says “it is the last hour”.

The destruction of that day, that last day, was to be hanging over that generation in their day, not all generations moving forward for thousands of years. The judgment that was coming upon Jerusalem and the religious system was pointed straight at that specific generation two thousand years ago, and came to pass just as Yeshua predicted when Jerusalem fell to the Roman armies in 68-70 AD; within that generation.

So, now that we have seen what was the judgment to come (the destruction of Jerusalem/temple) and when it was to take place (that generation in the first century, when the power of the holy people was shattered), what was this resurrection and restoration supposed to be?

WHAT THE FINAL RESTORATION WOULD LOOK LIKE

After relating the parable of the vineyard owner to the unfaithful chief priests and elders, Yeshua summarized its message by stating the following:

Matthew 21:43 – Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

To their shame, Israel as a whole no longer carried the Name of God, and Yahweh was beholden to renew his faithful people (the remnant who believed in Messiah) from not only Israel, but from those scattered among the nations at that time. While Yeshua said he was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 15:24), he also knew that he would be reaching out to the scattered remnant of Israel among the diaspora. The diaspora was the dispersion of Israelites that had taken place during the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities hundreds of years earlier during the times of Isaiah and Ezekiel which we reviewed last time. Not all of the Jews had returned to Israel after those captivities; in fact there were contingents of Jewish communities all throughout the Roman empire in Yeshua’s day. Some of them, such as Alexandria and Babylon, were quite large.

John 10:16 – And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

Yeshua was teaching that he would reunite these “lost tribes” with Judah once again, as was prophesied by God through Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 34:22-23 – I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.
Ezekiel 37:19, 21-24 – say to them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. … then say to them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes.

This was the urgency with which the disciples preached the message of the Kingdom to that generation, and those spread out throughout the known world via the missionary journeys. The disciples had heard Yeshua issue the “Great Commission” and they ardently strove for the completion of that task.

Matthew 28:18-20 – Yeshua came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Although these passages have spurred many great missionary efforts in the centuries since that time, we read that the apostle Paul says this mission of reaching the known world was actually accomplished within his lifetime, through his ministry and the ministry of the disciples of Messiah within that generation.

Colossians 1:23 – …This gospel has been [past tense] proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.

Additionally, in the process of rescuing the “lost sheep” of Israel, many non-Jewish God-fearers who attended the synagogues and had learned about the God of the Hebrews would also be brought in to the faithful remnant of that generation. This is how God’s Kingdom would grow beyond the nation and scattered communities of Israel into the whole world.

Yeshua had even spoken about how some non-Jews would be in a more righteous position than the wicked Jews of his day.

Matthew 12:41-42 – “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching; and look – something greater than Jonah is here. “The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look – something greater than Solomon is here.

This teaching implies that Yeshua’s righteous declarations from Yahweh were to be corroborated by the righteous dead from the past, and they would, in a sense, stand in agreement with his decision when judgment was to come upon Israel. Interestingly, he lists Ninevites and the Queen of the South (Sheba) as being witnesses to the righteousness of his teaching, none of whom are Israelites. It follows, then, that even those of the Gentile nations who were obedient to Yahweh and who revered his majesty would be considered righteous in God’s eyes and stand in agreement with the judgment that was about to come upon the nation of Israel.

Acts 10:34-35 – Peter began to speak: “Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, “but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

Paul hints at this as well:

Romans 9:30 – What should we say then? [those among] the nations who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness – namely the righteousness that comes from faith.

Romans 10:19-21 – But I ask, “Did Israel not understand? ” First, Moses said, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that lacks understanding. And Isaiah says boldly, I was found by those who were not looking for me; I revealed myself to those who were not asking for me. But to Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and defiant people.

So those Ninevites who actually repented at Jonah’s preaching, and the Queen of Sheba who glorified Yahweh at the wisdom and majesty of Solomon would be in a position to condemn the Jewish leaders in Yeshua’s day because the Jewish leaders did not accept their own Messiah. These non-Hebrew God-fearers would, in a sense, “stand up” in condemnation upon all in that wicked generation who rejected Messiah. The resurrection of condemnation was upon those who rejected Messiah (those who did wicked things). However, the righteous who had obeyed and glorified Yahweh (those who have done good things) would receive eternal life because of their righteous actions.

This type of language seems to me to imply it was not a literal resurrection that is being talked about in any of these passages, but the language of resurrection is being used to illustrate an historical witness to the truth of Messiah and his teachings which would be demonstrated as judgment came to pass upon the nation of Israel in that generation.

As we have seen, the theme of resurrection is restoration to the inheritance. However, now that eternal life has entered the picture through Daniel and Yeshua’s prophecies, Israel (the righteous remnant inclusive of Messiah-believing God-fearers) is not just being restored to the land, but is being created into something new: the eternal spiritual city of Zion, their true inheritance.

ETERNAL LIFE IN DANIEL

Let’s return to Daniel again, as we need to be reminded of the main thrust of the resurrection Daniel discusses: eternal life. As mentioned earlier, this element of eternal life is what separates Daniel’s prophecy from those of Isaiah and Ezekiel that we reviewed last time. This fact, along with its specific timing and corroboration with Yeshua’s teaching places the representative resurrection/restoration of believers into the sphere of the eternal, and not just a worldly kingdom. The corrupted fleshly city of Jerusalem was about to be transformed into the spiritual city on a hill, the “true light of the world which could not be hidden,” (Matthew 5:14).

Indications given by Yeshua suggest that he is talking beyond just a national restoration to a spiritual one. He connects this resurrection on the last day with eternal life within the Kingdom of God.

John 6:40 – For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.“

That this was to be a spiritual kingdom and not a fleshly one is evidenced by the additional element of eternal life in both Daniel’s prophecy and the teaching of Yeshua on resurrection. Eternal life and principles can only be obtained in a spiritual reality, not a physical kingdom. Everything within this natural world is temporary and subject to decay.

2 Corinthians 4:18 – So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Ezekiel had said the people of Israel would be gathered as “one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel”.

Ezekiel 37:21-22 – “tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Yahweh says: I am going to take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land. “I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. They will no longer be two nations and will no longer be divided into two kingdoms.

The truest mountain of Israel is Mount Zion, the prophetic new Jerusalem. The writer of Hebrews illustrated this contrast between Mount Sinai (fleshly Israel) with Mount Zion (spiritual Israel):

Hebrews 12:18, 22-24 – For you have not come to what could be touched, to a blazing fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm, … Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels, a festive gathering, to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to a Judge, who is God of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, and to Yeshua, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.”

Verse 23 says it is on this mountain, Mount Zion, where the “spirits of righteous people” are made perfect. I believe this is a description of the resurrection of the righteous, something which the writer to the Hebrews was saying was accomplished in that day. This could only have come to pass in a spiritual sense, and not a literal, earthly sense.

To carry this idea further, let’s look at the apostle Paul’s writings about resurrection. Yeshua had taught that his Kingdom was a spiritual Kingdom, not an earthly one. When conversing with Pilate before his crucifixion he said the following:

John 18:36 – “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Yeshua. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

In a similar sense, the apostle Paul taught that flesh and blood could not inherit the true Kingdom.

1 Corinthians 15:50 – What I am saying, brothers, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption.

This shows how fleshly Israel could never become the true Kingdom of God; a transformation had to take place. He then goes on to explain the “mystery” of that transformation which was about to take place within that generation.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 – Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible [judgment will be complete], and we will be changed. For this which is perishable [national Israel] must be clothed with imperishability [the eternal Kingdom], and this which is subject to death must be clothed with immortality. When this perishable is clothed with imperishability, and this which is subject to death is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory.

We have been taught for so long that Paul is talking about individual resurrection bodies here that we have missed the “mystery” of what he is actually describing in this passage. I believe this famous passage of Paul is not describing individual resurrection, but the resurrection of the body of Israel into the body of Messiah; from old man (Adam, of the earth) to Messiah (the man of heaven); from a fleshly, corrupt nation into a spiritual, immortal entity; from old Jerusalem (earthly) to New Jerusalem (heavenly). This is what all of the prophetic pictures were pointing to and was to become the majestic culmination of the work of God in restoring his people to their true inheritance.

1 Corinthians 15:36-37 – …What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow – you are not sowing the body that will be, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain.

Again, I believe he is not talking about individual bodies, but the seed of national Israel was planted (destroyed) only to become something much more than a seed can be. In order for the seed to sprout, it must die. However, it then nourishes and supports the growth of whatever type of plant will grow out of it.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23, 28 – For just as in Adam [the seed of Israel] all die, so also in Messiah [that which grows out of the seed] all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Messiah, the firstfruits [fruit that comes from a seed]; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Messiah [the faithful remnant]. … When everything is subject to Messiah, then the Son himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

Messiah had said he would pass judgment on that generation, which was accomplished through the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Roman armies. In the process of destroying his enemies, the righteous dead were considered to have received their inheritance (the eternal Kingdom) jointly with the remaining living believers (i.e., the faithful remnant) who were delivered, just as he had said.

This entire process was the outworking of the the resurrection to life and the resurrection to condemnation that both Daniel and Yeshua prophesied. The resurrection of the wicked (that is, the wicked receiving their sentence) was evidenced by the destruction once and for all of the idolatrous nation, where the fruition of all past wickedness was judged in totality. This judgment is where God and his Messiah were vindicated against unfaithful Israel forever.

By contrast, the great resurrection of the righteous was the “mystery” transformation of earthly Israel into the eternal Israel, where all of the righteous from all ages would be united. The New Jerusalem, the great Zion of prophecy, would stand as an eternal habitation of those who would welcome believers in Messiah throughout all ages from that point forward.

In that generation, justice upon the enemies of God and his Messiah (the unfaithful Jews) had been completed and the eternal Kingdom was firmly established. The last days of ancient Israel was when this great judgment and resurrection took place.

SUMMARY

With the wide-ranging scope of all that we have covered in this series so far, let me see if I can somehow begin to pull some of the pieces together to summarize it.

Judgment: The prophecies of collective resurrection always occur with a theme of judgment. When Israel was unfaithful, they were destroyed and removed from the land. In the first century, this culminated in the non-believing Jews who were condemned and destroyed in the fires of Jerusalem’s destruction in 68-70 AD. The wicked dead were considered included in the judgment of that generation.

Restoration: Restoration to the inheritance is the theme of collective resurrection. There was always a faithful remnant who would become reestablished to their inheritance. In the first century, the faithful remnant of Israel (those who believed in Messiah) were collected from among the nations. The two sticks became one; the lost sheep were found. But their inheritance was no longer the physical land, but a spiritual inheritance. All of the righteous share in this inheritance.

Eternal life: The prophecy of Daniel and the teachings of Yeshua agree that a collective resurrection in the last days of the nation of ancient Israel would culminate not just in restoration to the land, but in eternal life. This life was granted to all who believed, and extended into the age to come beyond death, what Yeshua also calls the resurrection.

The resurrection written by Paul: the body (fleshly Israel) died and was resurrected into spiritual Israel as prophetic Zion. The resurrection body (of believers) grew from the seed of Israel into the eternal city on the hill, the new Jerusalem.

The spiritual and eternal nature of this Kingdom will be emphasized further in our next installment in this resurrection series as we look at the implications of the most famous resurrection in all of history: the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah.

Well, with everything we’ve covered today, I’m hoping there’s at least a couple of concepts and ideas to meditate on and to study out further on your own. But remember, if you have thoughts or comments that you would like to explore further with me, feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

Resurrection part 2: Judgment and collective resurrection in the prophets

In the prophets, resurrection appears to be more of a concept or a motif to provide a picture of a larger work of God among his people.

Core of the Bible podcast #122 – Resurrection part 2: Judgment and collective resurrection in the prophets

We are continuing the second essay today in a four-part series on the topic of resurrection. Last time, in the first essay, we looked at how resurrection is the hope of every Christian believer. It is the grand doctrine of collective immortality that motivates sermons, service to others, and evangelistic efforts throughout the world.

It’s my opinion that since most believers today are holding to a future collective resurrection of some kind, I think we would do well to look at how the resurrection theme or motif has been established throughout the entire Bible. One of the challenges that we face when reviewing this topic is that, as mentioned last time, is that discussions revolving around resurrection do not appear to be as prevalent in the Old Testament writings. In my view, this speaks volumes as to how cautiously we need to approach the topic of resurrection to ensure that our understanding and expectations meets those of the original audience as much as possible.

While we saw last time how there are quite a few individual resurrections mentioned throughout the Bible, in the Tanakh there are also hints at a collective type of bodily resurrection. In the prophets, resurrection appears to be more of a concept or a motif to provide a picture of a larger work of God among his people. There are three primary references to a general resurrection of sorts described in the books of Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. Additionally, collective resurrection is not just a description of a great event to take place, but it is typically tied to, and supplemental to, warnings of impending judgment. Therefore, judgment and collective resurrection are not topics to be studied independently of one another but are tied together in a cohesive balance.

THE THEME OF JUDGMENT

The more one studies the Bible, the more one can see how the majority of the prophetic themes tended toward pronouncing judgment on a nation who had abandoned the covenant of their God. The Bible is, after all, a book written by the Hebrew people to the Hebrew people. Time and time again, Yahweh, through his prophets, warned the people of impending judgment because of their unfaithfulness. This was the primary role of the prophet, not so much to tell the future, but to confront the people with the reality of the present. And this they would do, many times with word pictures, allegory, and metaphor.

Because they were principally responsible for pronouncing judgment, this is why, although they performed great acts the changed the courses of kingdoms, they were also many times treated so badly.

Hebrews 11:32-33, 36-38 – And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, … Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

No one likes to hear that what they are doing is wrong, and certainly not that their actions have provoked the hand of God in judgment against the nation. But this was the role of the prophet, and why many of them expressed great reluctance at accepting the mantle of the prophetic.

Exodus 4:13 – Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”

Jonah 1:1-3 – The word of Yahweh came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their evil has come up before me.” Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from Yahweh’s presence…

1 Kings 19:9-10 – He entered a cave there and spent the night. Suddenly, the word of Yahweh came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah? ” He replied, “I have been very zealous for Yahweh God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life.”

Because their work was so heavy and impactful, I believe their words within their writings should be understood as much as possible in the manner in which they were intended.

THE THEME OF COLLECTIVE RESURRECTION

Having this mindset, we can now review the prophetic pronouncements that have led to ideas of a collective resurrection. Let’s look at our first collective resurrection passage in Isaiah:

Isaiah 26:19 – Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.

To grasp what is being talked about here, we need to view the context in which Isaiah is speaking as a whole. We have to remember that chapter divisions in our English bibles are not original to the text. This declaration of resurrection comes amidst a long passage of judgment and restoration that begins in Isaiah 25 and runs through chapter 27. Whatever is going on here needs to be viewed in light of this whole passage. You may want to pause here and review those three chapters in totality to get a glimpse of the scope and flow of what Isaiah is talking about.

Isaiah, like most of the other prophets, appears to not only speak to the immediate situation at hand, but also sees into the workings of God among his people throughout the ages. It’s not as though he speaks directly about specific events in the future, but the future seems to unfold in what he prophesies about Israel’s then-present reality.

It’s also as if Isaiah is simply faithfully recording what he is inspired to tell, and yet it is not revealed to him in chronological, historical order. However, taken as a whole, the prophetic puzzle pieces can be put back together to reveal the larger work of God establishing his eternal Kingdom among his people.

While it is believed that Isaiah’s primary ministry was to the southern Kingdom of Judah, he prophesied at a time when the northern Kingdom of Israel was about to be taken captive by the Assyrians. The idolatry of the land had become so rampant that Isaiah warned of what the results would be of this impending judgment.

Isaiah 27:10-11 – For the fortified city will be desolate, pastures deserted and abandoned like a wilderness. Calves will graze there, and there they will spread out and strip its branches. When its branches dry out, they will be broken off. Women will come and make fires with them, for they are not a people with understanding. Therefore their Maker will not have compassion on them, and their Creator will not be gracious to them.

Even though Isaiah sees this result coming to pass throughout the land, he recounts the larger purpose of God in disciplining his wayward people.

Isaiah 26:9 – I long for you [Yahweh] in the night; yes, my spirit within me diligently seeks you, for when your judgments are in the land, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Isaiah seems to have understood that Israel was the example for the rest of the world. God’s dealings with his people would set the standard for everyone everywhere else. And yet, even though Israel had this favored status among the nations, they had not fulfilled their destiny of being the light to the rest of the world that they should have been:

Isaiah 26:18 – We became pregnant, we writhed in pain; we gave birth to wind. We have not accomplished any deliverance on the earth, and the earth’s inhabitants have not fallen.

Isaiah appears to be decrying the fact that the judgments upon Israel have not produced the fruit that God desired: a salvation that extends to the world where his Kingdom reigns supreme. Instead, because of the depths of their idolatry, it would become necessary for God to remove them from the land. This is such a fixed conclusion that he proclaims this as an event that has already come to pass:

Isaiah 27:8-9 – You disputed with Israel by banishing and driving her away. He removed her with his severe storm on the day of the east wind. Therefore Jacob’s iniquity will be atoned for in this way, and the result of the removal of his sin will be this: when he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing.

Yet amidst this language of destruction of the land through judgment comes the inspiration of hope for the future of his people:

Isaiah 26:19-21 – Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. For behold, Yahweh is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the land for their iniquity, and the land will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.

Isaiah 27:6 – In days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom and bloom and fill the whole world with fruit.

Even though the nation was firmly destined to be punished for their idolatry and wickedness and to become desolate, they would revive as if in a great, collective resurrection. They would ultimately return to the land from among the nations of their captivity and “blossom and bloom and fill the whole world with fruit.”

Here we see a collective resurrection brought to pass as the flowering of a new opportunity. Though the nation suffers judgment, that judgment shall result in a flourishing that is not currently evident as the nation is being brought into captivity. The judgment must come to pass for the collective resurrection of the nation to take place.

Isaiah even hints that beyond this restoration, God would also take issue with their captors to ensure that justice is accomplished.

Isaiah 27:1 – On that day Yahweh with his relentless, large, strong sword will bring judgment on Leviathan, the fleeing serpent – Leviathan, the twisting serpent. He will slay the monster that is in the sea.

Leviathan, the twisting serpent, the sea monster would be slain. Throughout the Bible, the sea is representative of the nations, while the land has to do with God’s own people. In this declaration, Isaiah appears to be revealing how judgment would also come upon the nations that conspired to take captive his own people, and God would see that justice was done. While this came to pass in the destruction of the Assyrian empire a scant hundred years into their future, the full text of this passage in Isaiah 25-27 seems to flow out into the timeline of the nation as a whole, as if what was currently happening to them among the Assyrians was simply a shadow of a larger pattern that would have ultimate fulfillment at a future time.

Notice the pattern: there is judgment pronounced upon Israel for their idolatry and unfaithfulness. Yet, through these circumstances, they will ultimately be brought back to their land and flourish. Though they had forsaken their destiny to be the light to the world, through their stubborn rebellion God would cause a great change to take place.

Isaiah 27:12-13 – On that day Yahweh will thresh grain from the Euphrates River as far as the Wadi of Egypt, and you Israelites will be gathered one by one. On that day a great ram’s horn will be blown, and those lost in the land of Assyria will come, as well as those dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they will worship Yahweh at Jerusalem on the holy mountain.

Isaiah 25:7-8 – On this mountain he will swallow up the burial shroud, the shroud over all the peoples, the sheet covering all the nations. When he has swallowed up death once and for all, the Lord Yahweh will wipe away the tears from every face and remove his people’s disgrace from the whole earth, for Yahweh has spoken.

Isaiah’s description of this collective resurrection and renewal clearly culminates in a time beyond his own. Life would flow from the heights of Mount Zion to the rest of the nations by the removal of the shroud of death caused by sinful rebellion. Isaiah’s message of hope and restoration to the nation through their captivity becomes a beacon of light that God will ultimately use to draw all men to himself.

—

THE THEME OF JUDGMENT

Roughly a hundred years after Assyria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, Assyria falls out of power and succumbs to the might of Babylon. As the known world at that time comes under the influence of the newest superpower, the southern kingdom of Judah represented by Jerusalem is next in line to come under the judgment of God due to their idolatry, corruption, and unfaithfulness.

Micah and Zephaniah were raised up to warn Jerusalem and the southern kingdom of the impending judgment.

Micah 6:12-13 – “For the wealthy of the city are full of violence, and its residents speak lies; the tongues in their mouths are deceitful. “As a result, I have begun to strike you severely, bringing desolation because of your sins.

Zephaniah 3:1-4 – Woe to the city that is rebellious and defiled, the oppressive city! She has not obeyed; she has not accepted discipline. She has not trusted in Yahweh; she has not drawn near to her God. The princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the night, which leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are reckless — treacherous men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to instruction.

As the Babylonian dominance comes to pass, God also raises up Ezekiel to speak to his people. Ezekiel begins with recognizing the destruction of the land that was a result of the unfaithfulness of the people. Not only had the northern kingdom been taken captive and dispersed throughout the empire of the former Assyrian empire, now the southern kingdom had been removed to the far reaches of the Babylonian empire.

Ezekiel 36:17-19 – “Son of man, while the house of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it with their conduct and actions. Their behavior before me was like menstrual impurity. “So I poured out my wrath on them because of the blood they had shed on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols. “I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered among the countries. I judged them according to their conduct and actions.

THE THEME OF COLLECTIVE RESURRECTION

Immediately in the next chapter, Ezekiel then turns to a message of hope for God’s people during their period of exile by bringing a message of restoration.

Ezekiel 37:1-3, 11-14 – The hand of Yahweh was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of Yahweh and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” … Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off [from the land].’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel [from your state of exile]. Andyou shall know that I am Yahweh, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live [you shall be “resurrected”], and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am Yahweh; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares Yahweh.”

This description of dry bones by Ezekiel was a word picture that conveyed the then-current exiled status of the nation. While by all accounts the nation appeared as dead to the rest of the world, just a field of scattered, dry bones, Ezekiel prophesied the “whole house of Israel” would “come back to life” as God’s Spirit revived them in a great restoration to their land. Their return to the land was looked at as a type of national “resurrection” that was described in those prophetic terms of dry bones coming back to life. This theme of restoration and revival would have given much hope to the exiles throughout the nations, since they would only have been able to see their current condition, separated from the land that God had promised them due to their unfaithfulness.

While both of these resurrection passages in Isaiah and Ezekiel can provide us with study material on its own, taken together we can see how this collective resurrection theme or motif is consistent with the idea of a national revival or reawakening from a previously dead and disconnected or exiled state. In the historical context, each of these prophets was prophesying to the nation of Israel of a promise for them to be revived and renewed as a people of God’s favor among which he resides and in which he is honored and glorified. This renewal was looked at as being so dramatic as to represent becoming alive again from the dead.

These concepts of exile/judgment and restoration/resurrection had been established in God’s Word long before these prophets uttered their declarations to the wayward people of Israel, beginning with Moses.

Deuteronomy 29:24-28 – “All the nations will ask, ‘Why has Yahweh done this to this land? Why this intense outburst of anger? ‘ “Then people will answer, ‘It is because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, which he had made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. “They began to serve other gods, bowing in worship to gods they had not known – gods that Yahweh had not permitted them to worship. “Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against this land, and he brought every curse written in this book on it. “Yahweh uprooted them from their land in his anger, rage, and intense wrath, and threw them into another land where they are today.’

Deuteronomy 30:3 – then Yahweh your God will restoreyour fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where Yahweh your God has scattered you.

Here in the book of Deuteronomy, even before they entered the land that God promised them in the great campaigns of Joshua, God knew the people of Israel would within time become unfaithful in their covenant and they would have to be removed from their land in judgment. But he also knew and revealed to Moses that he would ultimately restore them.

Just as we have seen how the later prophets had been declaring judgment upon Israel during the reigns of Assyria and Babylon, they also prophesied this recurring theme of renewal or restoration as the judgment/restoration theme of Moses’ prophecy ran its course.

Jeremiah 29:14 – I will be found by you, declares Yahweh, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares Yahweh, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Ezekiel 39:25 – “Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name.

Joel 3:1, 21 – Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, … I will pardon their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, for Yahweh dwells in Zion.

Amos 9:14 – I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.

Zephaniah 3:20 – At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says Yahweh.

Because these prophecies were uttered at times when their nation had been destroyed, the people would have had no immediate assurance that reinhabiting and rebuilding the land was even a possibility. But these prophecies were providing them hope for the future, a future which, half a century later, had begun to come about in a physical sense which is recorded for us in the book of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah was instrumental in the reestablishment of Israel in the land, and he points to their restoration as a fulfillment of the prophecy which had been uttered by Moses about nine hundred years earlier:

Nehemiah 1:7-10 – We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.‘ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.

The rest of the book of Nehemiah talks in detail about the reestablishing of the city of Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the temple, and the reinstitution of the sacrifices in the land. As they were beginning to be regathered from the nations of exile, all of the physical restoration was coming about, just as God had promised through Moses and the prophets. For all appearances, the nation was being revived from their rebellion and their exile, they were a nation being resurrected collectively from among the nations, just as Isaiah and Ezekiel had also prophesied.

However, their collective resurrection was only physical in nature; it was a shell of its former glories it possessed during the reign of David and Solomon. While they were indeed being resurrected to physical residence back in their land, they were still lacking their spiritual restoration leading from death to life that had been promised through both Isaiah and Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 37:14 – “And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live…”

—

Moving ahead almost five hundred years forward from Nehemiah’s day, the idea of full, national restoration was still a common hope of the Jews. In the New Testament times of Yeshua, Israel lacked independence from the political forces that had arisen in the region during their years of their captivity. Because of this, they had been subject to many different foreign powers since returning to their land, therefore they were willing to do just about anything to throw off the yoke of their oppressors. This had been exhibited in the struggles for independence during the events of the Maccabean wars, a century and a half before Messiah.

Even though the nation had been physically restored to their land and the second temple was reestablished, something was yet missing. The ark of the covenant had been lost and the holy of holies inside the temple sat empty. Both Isaiah’s and Ezekiel’s prophecies of restoration to the land after judgment had come to pass. But while the nation had been restored in outward measure, they were still just the dry bones of Ezekiel’s prophecy. Something more was needed to spiritually revive them into the people that God desired for himself.

The New Testament writings reveal that despite the lack of spiritual revival, there remained a deep and abiding unspoken hope that another revolutionary figure would arise and establish Israel’s independence once and for all. The golden age of David and Solomon was hoped to be reestablished, where spiritual truth would once again flow from Mount Zion to the ends of the earth. However, the leaders in Yeshua’s day still tread carefully to retain political influence with the then current regime of Rome. An example of this is found in the gospel of John, when the religious leaders reveal one of the primary motivating factors for them having to deal with the “problem” of a prophet from Nazareth.

John 11:47-48 – So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

The Jewish leaders wanted to maintain their precarious position within the Empire while still holding out for a revolutionary independence. Even among the people of Israel, there was a popular anticipation that ultimate national restoration was near. This is why Yeshua was so widely received upon his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Matthew 21:8-10 – Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of Yahweh! Hosanna in the highest!”

It was a fervor that saw interpretations of prophetic timelines reaching a climax with a new, dynamic leader to possibly chart an independent course for the subjugated nation. Even though many did not know who Yeshua was, they were amazed at the miraculous signs that came to pass in their midst. There was a tangible expectation that this could possibly be the promised Messiah who could rise to become a physical king and provide the spiritual revival that was still lacking.

For example, at the miraculous provision of the loaves and fishes, we read the following:

John 6:11, 14-15 – Then Yeshua took the loaves, and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated – so also with the fish, as much as they wanted. … When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Therefore, when Yeshua realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Just as Judas Maccabeus, only a century and a half before, had gained the victory over the oppression of Greece, here now was a popular figure, a descendant of King David who it was hoped by many could take the nation to victory over the oppression of Rome, establish Israel’s independence, and usher in not only an independent nation, but a new spiritual era.

In fact, this idea of national restoration was so ingrained in the culture of the disciples, that even after Messiah’s resurrection they were still wondering about when the national restoration would take place.

Acts 1:6 – So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

Yeshua’s elusive answer may have been unsatisfying to them at that time, but it speaks volumes as to what his true mission had been and how it was coming to pass.

Acts 1:7-8 – He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The people of Yeshua’s day, including his disciples, were not entirely wrong about him as the coming king, just misguided in scope. He was indeed their king fulfilling prophecy by “coming to them on a colt,” they just did not recognize what type of king he was and what type of kingdom he was heralding.

It still took another decade for the true understanding of Yeshua’s purpose to be proclaimed among the nascent Jewish believing community, voiced by the apostle James.

Acts 15:13-18 – After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, “‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek Yahweh, and all the nations who are called by my name, says Yahweh, who makes these things known from of old.’

James seems to have understood that the real renewal and restoration of Israel envisioned by Yahweh and pronounced through Messiah Yeshua was the advent of the spiritual Kingdom of God, and the fulfillment of Israel’s destiny in being a light to the nations. James’ speech to the assembled community in Jerusalem signifies to me that the early believers were understanding that the prophetic restoration and collective resurrection passages were to be viewed in their fullness as the establishment of a spiritual kingdom that would last forever.

James quoted how it was the “tent of David” that had fallen and was being rebuilt; it was no longer a physical city or nation that was being rebuilt, renewed, and restored. There seems to have been an understanding that the resurrection passages of the prophets from hundreds of years earlier had been pointing beyond the physical restoration of Israel to a spiritual revival of Israel, in a sense, from among the dead to the living, as it were. Israel itself would become something else in its renewed state that would be as dramatic as something that was dead coming back to life, just as Isaiah had prophesied:

Isaiah 27:6 – In days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom and bloom and fill the whole world with fruit.

It was to be so dramatic as to even draw people of other nations who would become part and parcel of this renewed community of faith.

Isaiah 49:5-6 – And now, says Yahweh, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him so that Israel might be gathered to him; for I am honored in the sight of Yahweh, and my God is my strength — he says, “It is not enough for you to be my servant raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the protected ones of Israel. I will also make you a light for the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

The writer to the early Hebrew believers in Messiah related how this light would shine from the prophetic city of Zion:

Hebrews 12:22-24 – But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Yeshua, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

The ages of men would come and go, but the age of the Kingdom would be eternal and would reach to the ends of the earth. As we have seen, both Isaiah and Ezekiel spoke not just of physical bodily resurrections, but they used the language of collective resurrection to illustrate the physical restoration of the nation to the land after their captivities, providing the appearance of a destroyed nation being resurrected to life once again. But their resurrection prophecies also hinted at a spiritual revival that would usher in a new age which would never end.

But as we have seen in these prophetic pronouncements, the resurrection motif is always coupled with judgment. If a spiritual resurrection to usher in eternal life was still something to come about in the days of Yeshua, what judgment yet remained for God’s people before this could take place?

Well, we still have one more resurrection passage from the Tanakh that speaks of a collective resurrection which we have yet to review: Daniel 12.

Daniel 12:1-2 – “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.

A final judgment of unimaginable distress remained. However, the righteous (everyone found written in the book) would be rescued, but the unrighteous would experience disgrace. Here again is the judgment/restoration theme that we have seen played out in the other prophets. However, the Daniel prophecy, while mentioning a collective resurrection, does not say anything about restoration to the land. But it does include a significantly different promise: a promise of eternal life. Because of these differences from the collective resurrection statements of Isaiah and Ezekiel and the restoration themes of the other prophets we have looked at, we will need to take a more in-depth look at this specific prophecy of Daniel next time.

SUMMARY

So, to review what we have covered today, we can begin to see how the resurrection motif has been established in the Bible. This collective resurrection idea expressed in both Isaiah and Ezekiel is one of revival, restoration, and return to the land from Israel’s exile in captivity. These prophetic announcements were statements of hope to Israel even as they were scattered among the various nations. However, this theme of physical restoration to the land was a hint, a foreshadowing of future glory. Even during the time of judgment and destruction of Jerusalem, its demise would not be the cessation of God’s people, but they would ultimately be transformed into something grander and everlasting as the prophetic Zion, the new Jerusalem described in the prophets and apocalyptic literature.

I really hope that these discussions on the topic of resurrection are bringing you some concepts and ideas to meditate on and to study out further on your own. But remember, if you have thoughts or comments that you would like to explore further with me, feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

Salvation and the Kingdom of God

The ‘good news of the kingdom of God’ is not so much a universal message about personal salvation as the prophetic assurance that a renewed people of God would emerge through the fires of persecution and judgment.

Core of the Bible podcast #114 – Salvation and the Kingdom of God

Up to this point in our journey of doctrinal issues, we have established some understanding of promises and covenants that God has made with Abraham and ultimately with his people, Israel. Last time, I mentioned how these were “necessary and proper until the fulfillment of the promises and covenants in Messiah.” We explored how becoming a “child of Abraham” was to be defined by the believer’s simple faith in God’s Messiah, and how those believers, according to Yeshua, would “come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 8:11). What this teaching did was to then equate Abraham’s children (i.e., Messiah believers) with those who participate in the Kingdom of God. Further, we see how Yeshua connected the idea of salvation with being a child of Abraham. In the story of Zacchaeus’ repentance, Yeshua also sees this Abrahamic ideal as an indicator of salvation.

Luke 19:9 – “Today salvation has come to this house,” Yeshua told him, “because he too [Zacchaeus] is a son of Abraham.”

It appears that Yeshua understood and taught a concept of salvation that was tied both to the Abrahamic faith model and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. So for us to understand salvation, we will need to understand it in the context of both the Abrahamic sense and the Kingdom sense. Since we have explored the Abrahamic sense (that is, the simple faith of Abraham expressed by faith in Yeshua as the Messiah), we can now turn to gaining a better understanding of the core Bible principle of the Kingdom message that was presented to that first century generation.

To explore this further, I would like to quote several times today from an article titled “The Kingdom of God” that I found a few years ago at a now-defunct website called opensourcetheology.net. The author is not named so I don’t have the ability to credit anyone specific with these ideas. Additionally, I won’t be quoting the whole article because it is quite lengthy, but I was able to find a back-link to the entire article which I have linked here if you are interested in exploring it further.

The New Testament picture of the Kingdom of God has not been painted on to a blank canvas; rather, we watch it emerge from the historical and religious circumstances of first century Judaism. Israel had failed to realize the potential inherent in its religious institutions and traditions, in its national identity and in its calling, to be a righteous, God-centred people and an authentic and effective ‘light’ to the peoples of the earth. This failure was apparent in various ways: creeping Hellenization, Roman occupation, the fragmentation of religious leadership and community, the loss of any prophetic voice, and the awareness that the return from exile in Babylon remained tragically incomplete.

John the Baptist, the last of the prophets, first articulated the belief that this state of religious failure was bound to culminate in national disaster: ‘Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire’ (Matt.3:10; Lk.3:9). At the same time, however, he is interpreted by the Gospel tradition as the messenger who cries in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’ (Mk.1:2-3; Matt.3:3; Lk.3:4-6). The quotation from Isaiah 40:3 invokes a declaration of ‘good news’ to Jerusalem that the punishment of the exile is coming to an end, that her sins have been forgiven, and that the Lord God is about to return to Zion. The forgiveness of sins in the Gospels is not a matter of purely personal benefit: each instance is a sign of national restoration. Central to the prophecy is the description of a righteous ‘servant’, who is both an individual and Israel, who will suffer, but who will be ‘a covenant to the people, a light to the nations’ (Is.42:6). This is the context in which Jesus begins his ministry.

When Yeshua arrived on the scene in the years of his public ministry, he was proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God and how God was establishing it among those who would believe in that generation. Yeshua’s salvation was all about the Jews and forming a remnant of faithful believers (i.e., children of Abraham) from among the non-belief of the wider Jewish community to carry the message of the Kingdom of God to that generation and beyond. He came primarily for the lost sheep of Israel, to reconcile them to the God of their ancestors from the condition of apostasy that they had descended to. His focus was that they would be saved from the wrath of God about to be poured out on that generation by repenting of their sinful ways.

Jesus did not invent the idea of the ‘kingdom of God’. Behind the use of the phrase in the Gospels lie two distinct Old Testament motifs. Together they account for the eschatological narrative structure that gives shape to the New Testament concept of the kingdom of God.

The first entails the coming of the Lord to dwell once more amongst his people as king, which draws on prophetic themes of the restoration of Israel following exile in Babylon. It is acted out most powerfully in the carefully staged, and of course ironic, pageant of Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem in the guise of the prophesied king of peace: ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass…’ (Matt.21:5; Jn.12:15; cf. Zech.9:9). It is invoked in the numerous parables of a master who returns to his house after a long journey (eg. Matt.25:14-30; 12:35-40; 19:11-27). It speaks of the renewed and decisive presence (parousia) of God within Israel, which is a presence inevitably both for judgment and salvation. Jesus’ warning to the disciples that they must be ready for the return of the master (eg. Lk.12:35) has a particular historical frame of reference: the great crisis of judgment and salvation at the end of Israel’s age. If the disciples do not remain faithful to their calling, they will be put ‘with the unfaithful’ (Lk.12:46), ‘with the hypocrites’ (Matt.24:51), cast ‘into outer darkness’ where ‘men will weep and gnash their teeth’ (Matt.25:30) – in other words, they too will suffer the judgment that was coming upon Israel.

Here we can begin to see some historical boundaries coming into view in regards to how the New Testament writers describe the unfolding events that were occurring in real time as they were being written. Notice how the impending judgment was coming upon Israel at the “end of Israel’s age,” not the end of all things. The nearness of this judgment for Israel’s failure to recognize God’s sovereignty and their Messiah in the person of Yeshua was to suffer the judgment reaching back to the very beginnings of their history. This was the very point that Yeshua hinged his prophetic warnings on in heated arguments with the religious elite:

Matthew 23:32, 34-36 – “Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors’ sins! … “This is why I am sending you prophets, sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you, all these things will come on this generation.”

That was the generation upon whom all of these things had come! The Kingdom was being advanced but through their unfaithfulness they had counted themselves not only not worthy of participating in it, but in being wiped out in the process. This was the clear teaching of Yeshua’s parable of the vineyard owner, explaining how the tenants of the vineyard had rejected their responsibilities:

Matthew 21:40-43 – “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?” “He will completely destroy those terrible men,” they told him, “and lease his vineyard to other farmers who will give him his fruit at the harvest.” Yeshua said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is what the Lord has done and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit.”

In this context, Yeshua is equating the Kingdom of God with salvation from the righteous wrath of the vineyard owner. This provides the foundation for many other famous “salvation” passages from the New Testament writings:

Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

Acts 2:40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”

Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath [of God] through Him.

Romans 9:27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved…

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are a fragrance of Messiah to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…

2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; [that is,] the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

Even as I shared those passages above, you may have been taught to understand some of those as applying to personal salvation rather than a national type of salvation and deliverance. However, to accomplish this feat of collective repentance of the remnant, this would mean individuals would need to repent of their sinful actions. This is why salvation many times appears to be personal and spiritual. For national repentance to take place, individuals must repent of individual disobedience. The article also clearly states this:

The forgiveness of sins in the Gospels is not a matter of purely personal benefit: each instance is a sign of national restoration…The announcement that the kingdom of God is at hand in the Gospels has to do primarily with the fate of first century Israel. Jesus warned the people of impending national disaster but also offered a way of salvation for the nation if people would walk with him on the path that he was following. This salvation is depicted in the first place in terms of the Old Testament hope of a final end to exile and the return of YHWH to a Zion set free from oppression. It becomes possible because Jesus suffered judgment in the place of others: the community which identified itself in faith with him, therefore, would not be destroyed but would survive to be the renewed people of God.

If this is the case, then this puts forgiveness of sins and salvation in a new light for modern eyes and ears: that perhaps the thrust of these New Testament passages are speaking about a collective, national salvation and restoration much more than a personal and private one. However, a personal and private repentance and experience of salvation would result in growing the overall restoration of the nation. This is the logic behind the Kingdom of God language.

—

To briefly review, the article I have been discussing mentioned how the Kingdom model was not a new concept but was built on two Old Testament prophetic motifs. We have just explored the first motif of the presence of God returning among his regathered people, a presence bringing both judgment and salvation. Now the second motif comes into view:

The second motif relates to the overthrow of Israel’s enemies and the vindication of the righteous – the saints of the Most High – in the aftermath of persecution. It emerges from the complex and dramatic prophecy in Daniel 7 concerning ‘one like a son of man’ who, as a representative, or better a representation, of the persecuted saints of the Most High, receives ‘dominion and glory and kingdom’ (Dan.7:14). This story may appear obscure and irrelevant (suffering is not one of the great post-modern aspirations), but it pervades much of the New Testament and must be made central to our attempt to understand the person of Jesus and the community that takes its identity from him.

The ‘good news of the kingdom of God’ as it is announced in the Gospels is not so much a universal message about personal salvation as the prophetic assurance that a renewed people of God would emerge through the fires of persecution and judgment. The basis of this hope is not found in the institutions of Jewish religion but in the willingness of the Son of man to take upon himself the suffering that would befall the nation as a consequence of its ‘sin’. Resurrection becomes important primarily as the means by which God will vindicate those who remain faithful in the face of extreme opposition. The Gentiles hardly enter into the picture here: it is the salvation of Israel that is at stake (eg. Matt.10:5-6).

Yeshua demonstrated he was authorized to provide this salvation through the acts that God performed through him: healing the sick, raising the dead, and confronting the corrupt Jewish authorities. Like Jonah and Nineveh of old he was earnest that their collective repentance would spare the city (representative of the nation as a whole). His death and resurrection, following the pattern of Jonah in the fish, was to be the confirmation to them that their repentance would be effective, like it was for Nineveh. Also, like Noah of old, their acceptance of his message would allow them to board the ark of salvation to be spared the flood of God’s wrath about to be poured out on that generation. Interestingly, Yeshua used both of these examples during his public ministry to the nation.

Luke 11:30 – “For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

Luke 17:26 – “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man…

The preaching of the good news of the kingdom throughout the world (Mk.14:9; 16:15; Acts 15:7) is the announcement that Jesus has been vindicated and that those who believe in him will be vindicated in the same manner; it is the announcement that not even the most virulent persecution will overcome the community of those who experience the power of the Spirit of God in the name of Jesus (cf. Rom.8:33-39). But that message is accompanied by a new possibility, emerging from a different set of prophetic texts – one that arises unexpectedly and almost despite the best intentions of the early Jewish believers. It is that non-Jews may also become part of the renewed, forgiven covenant people in the Spirit (cf. Acts 13:46-48; Rom.11:11-32; Eph.2:11-22).

Let’s look a little closer at a couple of these passages:

Acts 13:46-48 – Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the nations. “For this is what Yahweh has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the nations to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'” When those of the nations heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of Yahweh, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed.

Ephesians 2:11-22 – So, then, remember that at one time you were of the nations in regard to the flesh – called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. At that time you were without Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death. He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Messiah Yeshua himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

While I believe this Ephesians passage was aimed at those former Israelites who had been scattered among the nations (i.e., the “lost sheep of Israel”), its words were just as meaningful and effective for those known as “God fearers” who were present among those congregations, non-Jews who joined with the God of the Bible and participated within synagogues in various places. Through this message of faith in Messiah, all people, Jews, Greeks, barbarians, slaves, and free, had been granted the same opportunity to be saved from that evil generation, the generation that was incurring the final wrath of God upon the nation of Israel as the prophets had predicted.

But to be saved from that evil generation was also to be joined to “God’s household” exhibited by the more expansive and universal term of the Kingdom of God. If these Old Testament motifs of restoration and persecution were validated as being played out in the closing years of national Israel in the first century, then it follows the prophetic foresight embedded within those motifs was also to be taking place at that time: this Kingdom would be eternal and would ultimately grow to fill the earth.

Daniel 2:44 – “In the days of those kings [i.e., the Romans], the God of the heavens will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever.

Daniel 7:27 – “The kingdom, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey him.’

In summary, when the Bible speaks of salvation, it is almost always in the context of Israel’s national unity and restoration. It is this context in which the Kingdom of God is preached by John the baptizer and Yeshua, a warning of impending judgment upon Israel’s unfaithfulness and yet a promise of a new and everlasting hope for all who would repent and accept their Messiah. As the national phase of Israel in that first century was disappearing, that is, the “[then] present Jerusalem” (Galatians 4:25), it was simultaneously ushering in the “Jerusalem [from] above” (Galatians 4:26), an eternal city whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10, 16), the prophetic city of Zion (Hebrews 12:22) whose gates would never be shut (Revelation 21:25) and where the presence of God would always remain with his people for all time (Revelation 22:3-5). This, then, is what I consider to be the good news of salvation and participation in the Kingdom of God!

Well, I hope this broad overview of salvation and the Kingdom of God brought you some concepts and ideas to meditate on and to study out further on your own. But remember, if you have thoughts or comments that you would like to explore further with me, feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

Overcoming our social dilemma

Re-connecting with others allows us to connect more completely with God.

Matthew 5:23-24 – “So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”

Based on this teaching of Yeshua, it is apparent that God desires us to value our relationships with others as much as we value our relationship with him. This is a principle that has far-reaching consequences in our current culture and social dynamic.

In general, I have the impression that most people in our Western society generally don’t like other people that much. This is evident in t-shirt slogans and memes that put down others, or that claim superiority over the masses of ineptitude around them. It is evident in the political tactics of candidates to sling mud at opponents in the hopes of appearing more balanced and fair. It is evident in the callous disregard for common courtesies in public. And it is evident most prominently within the negativity and polarity generated by our interactions online. All of these social strata begin to resonate with similar themes that devalue our collective experience and worth.

However, if Yeshua teaches us to value reconciliation with others on the same plane as our desire to commune with God, then it becomes clear that we have some work to do in our relationships. We need to re-learn how to be good humans, if for no other purpose than for simple politeness and good manners as we seek to respect those around us in a way that honors God. We don’t have to agree with or condone everyone who may have different views with us, but we do need to re-connect with our common humanity.

In the personal sphere, this also implies we must have stores of forgiveness in reserve to honestly and openly overcome differences with our primary and closest relationships, whether family or friends. I have seen family disputes and long-standing feuds between siblings as well as with parents devolve into bitter hatred and on-going conflict. The stress of these interactions then spills over into the lives of those around those connections, causing further ripples farther out into other areas of life.

Against this backdrop of general discontent and conflict in relationships and human interaction, Yeshua’s teaching on reconciliation and forgiveness stands in stark relief as a slender but persistent beacon of hope; hope for life and growth and sharing. What will it hurt us to forgive those who have wronged us? Likely a chunk of our pride which can indeed be painful and humbling. But the result on the other side of that pain and humility is the hope for a fresh start. It provides us the ability to return to an open and unrestricted relationship with God when we mimic his desire for reconciliation.

As a believer in Messiah, being a good human is not optional. We must set the example for others by following the examples that have been set for us.

Romans 12:17-18 – Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

If you enjoy these daily articles, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Now also on YouTube, find us at: Core of the Bible on YouTube.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

The gospel of the kingdom is the hope of the future of this world

Our high calling is to stand for the truth of God’s sovereignty amidst those who have not recognized him as king.

1 Corinthians 15:50 – What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption.

The kingdom of God will only be established on this earth as he rules and reigns in our hearts; this is a spiritual process, not a political one. There is no army that will rise up to fight against the armies of the world to establish a kingdom for God and his Messiah; Yeshua made this abundantly clear.

John 18:36 – “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Yeshua. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

There is an ongoing revolution, to be sure, but it is not one that is accomplished with the weapons of this world, but with the Word and Spirit of God.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 – For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Messiah.

As hearts are captured for him, the resulting repentant fruits of forgiveness, good deeds, and compassion continue to spread in concentric rings outward from the believers into the void of darkness around each one of them until they overlap in waves of rejoicing and glorifying the God of the universe. When this is accomplished, then the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of God and his Messiah.

Revelation 11:15 – The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.

In one sense, this is already accomplished because it is a foregone conclusion according to the immutability of God’s counsel in his Word. In another sense, it is still being accomplished within each generation as believers continue to spread the message of the kingdom.

The gospel, or the good news we have to share, is of the kingdom of God, not of personal salvation.

Mark 1:14-15 – After John was arrested, Yeshua went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news! “
Luke 4:43 – But he said to them, “It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.”
Luke 8:1 – Afterward he was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,
Luke 16:16 – “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urgently invited to enter it.
Acts 8:12 – But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Yeshua Messiah, both men and women were baptized.

We have the emphasis on the wrong aspect of what God intends for human existence if we focus on the personal over the collective enlarging of the kingdom of God. We have been taught for so many decades and centuries that the gospel is about us and our personal salvation, when in reality it is all about God and his kingdom. God ruling over all of the kingdoms of the earth is an inevitable conclusion that just hasn’t come to full fruition yet in this reality because we have sidelined the main purpose of God with our preoccupation with our own selfish needs and desires. Certainly, the promise of God through Messiah is eternal life in him, but that’s only because believers will be living within the parameters and fulfillment of obedience in his kingdom. The kingdom is the primary objective, not individual salvation.

This is why the world struggles now: not because it is nearing an ending but because things are not as they are supposed to be. Stress is induced when what is meant to happen does not occur. This unrealized potential is the cause of all conflict, as individuals refuse to recognize the sovereignty of the God of the universe. When the kingdom is not the focus, there is no urgency or motivation to obey the king.

Having the focus on individual salvation causes a silo effect, where believers retreat into pockets of safety and shelter from the raging storms around us. We receive what we hoped for and pray that God accomplishes his will in the lives of others, but we want him to do so by using someone else. But the heroes of the faith did not act in this way; they recognized their independent salvation was only a means for others to profit by, and they stood for the truth of the kingdom in every aspect of their lives. This caused friction among the unrepentant, who took out their anger on the faithful, wounding and killing them to rid the world of their conscientious stand for the truth.

We need to stand for the truth for the sake of others.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 – First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Yes, God desires all men to be saved, but this only occurs as they come to the knowledge of the truth, the other part of that verse. The truth of God is that he already reigns over all in the spiritual realm, and he is choosing to only rule over the physical realm when all will willingly come to him in repentance and understanding.

Isaiah 45:22-23 – “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

We need to pick up the banner, not the banner of some cause du jour, the latest meme-worthy event circulating through social media, but the banner of THE cause of causes: standing for the King and his kingdom amidst a generation of darkness.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6, 8 – For you are all children of light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness. So then, let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled. … But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled and put on the armor of faith and love, and a helmet of the hope of salvation.
Philippians 2:13, 15-16 – “For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. … so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life…”

This is the fulfillment of the kingdom of God on the earth. This is the end-goal of all Scripture and teaching within the Bible. This is how God chooses to reign over all those whom he has created. As the spiritual kingdom is established in the hearts of his people, it spreads throughout the earth until the physical kingdoms of the world are subservient to the King, and he is all in all, in both the spiritual and the physical realms. Let us hold firmly to the Word of life and be the lights of the kingdom to every generation. This is the restoration of all things, and our unwavering motivation providing hope for all time in the future to come.

If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Now also on YouTube, find us at: Core of the Bible on YouTube.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

Operating under the freedom of forgiveness

Being forgiven and forgiving others allows for great collaborations to flourish.

Nehemiah 1:11 – “Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion…”

This prayer for forgiveness was offered to God by Nehemiah as he learned of the disrepair of the city of Jerusalem. During their captivity in Babylon, the city had become burned and its walls broken down. When Nehemiah, a Jewish leader servings the Babylonian king, became aware of the city’s condition, he approached God with a prayer of repentance.

Nehemiah 1:6-7 – “…let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to hear your servant’s prayer that I now pray to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned. We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses.”

This recognition of their humbled state in their captivity then allowed Nehemiah to petition the king to allow him to return and oversee the rebuilding of the city.

Nehemiah 2:4-5, 8 – Then the king asked me, “What is your request? ” So I prayed to the God of the heavens and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.” … The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.

The rest of the book of Nehemiah then relates the struggles and persistence of the Jewish people to rebuild Jerusalem under the oppression of their enemies. This was a Herculean effort that involved the coordination of many different families and tribes to overcome the adversity to successfully rebuild the protective walls of Jerusalem. Yet all of this work and effort could only be conducted under the recognition of God’s forgiveness and his promise to restore his people to their land.

Nehemiah 1:8-9 – Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. “But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell.”

The history of this event reminds us of the power of forgiveness and its ability to allow us to operate with passion and purpose again. The Jews had felt defeated and powerless after their captivity, and yet the power of God’s forgiveness and the promise of restoration re-energized them to conduct one of the largest volunteer efforts in ancient times.

When we recognize our own disobedience and are truly repentant before God, we too can be relieved of the oppressive state of inactivity within his purpose. More importantly, even beyond ourselves, when we forgive others, we also release them from the weight of unresolved conflict, allowing the continued growth of relationships and shared experiences to prosper. This freedom afforded by forgiveness is the bedrock foundation of the New Jerusalem, the kingdom of God.

Now also on YouTube, find us at: Core of the Bible on YouTube.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

The single, powerful stroke of contrast

Forgiveness is firmly integrated in the inner workings of love.

1 Corinthians 13:5 – “[Love] is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs.”

As an artist, I enjoy how each layer of a painting can modify the overall image, and enhance the original idea to the point of sometimes changing the picture completely. Typically, this is something that is controlled through the use of various shading and highlighting to bring out the intended emphasis. As a painting is nearing completion, I enjoy the highlighting aspect most of all because it begins to bring focus to the whole image.

On occasion, I have attempted to paint multiple paintings at once based on the same theme to see if I could duplicate an idea. No matter how hard I tried, even using the same colors and brushes, each finished painting would have a slightly different “feel” than the others.

I recently had a dream where I was commissioned to paint four similar paintings of a cabin in a snowstorm. In this dream, I was using the same colors and brushes, but I was purposely changing the brush technique to see how each painting’s emphasis would shift. All of the paintings were very dark and dreary, showing the intensity of the snowstorm.

Then, in an unintentional movement of my hand in the fourth painting, I had inadvertently created a shadow behind the roof of the cabin. It was a simple and quick move of the brush, and suddenly the entire character of the painting was transformed. Instead of the harsh, dreary, and hopeless nature of the the other three paintings, there was suddenly the sense of light breaking through the storm and creating this inadvertent shadow. The contrast of the single shadow changed the emotion of the painting from one of hopelessness into one of hope. The sun had broken through the snowy maelstrom in one small area of light, hinting that the storm would pass.

The reason this type of contrast is significant is because in art, contrast creates depth and meaning. A painting that is uniformly and methodically structured, even if done with great skill, lacks emotional impact and appears washed-out.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he has, in my estimation, penned the most comprehensive practical definition of love that exists. Most English versions will convey verse 5 as “[love] does not keep a record of wrongs.” In the original Greek, the sentiment conveys a harsher tone, more literally rendered as “[love] takes no accounting of the evil.”

In taking no accounting of the evil in others, we will need to operate within the principle of forgiveness. To forgive others is the only way that we can not take into account some evil that they may have done toward us. Just like in the painting process, forgiveness provides the contrast where all other natural responses of anger and resentment paint a washed-out picture of hopelessness. Forgiveness is the spark, the singular, powerful stroke of contrast that imbues a relationship with the depth and emotion that provides hope. It’s the sunlight through the snowstorm.

Matthew 18:21-22 – “Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times? ” “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Yeshua replied, “but seventy times seven.”

We may not be able to control the way others choose to interact with us, but we can control our reaction to their influence in our lives. As believers, we are urged to provide forgiveness which contrasts with the world’s way of dealing with resentment. This single, powerful stroke of contrast makes us stand out from others and honors the One who desires us to be the catalyst of restorative and hope-filled relationships, just as He has been with us.

Now also on YouTube, find us at: Core of the Bible on YouTube.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

Forgiveness always comes at a cost to someone

Forgiveness always positively changes a relationship, but it always comes at a cost.

The book of Leviticus is the heart of the “law of Moses,” the torah, or instruction that Moses provided to Israel. In it is outlined much of the ritual that defined the ancient Israelite worship of God. To our modern Western mind, some of the practices appear to make no practical sense, such as specific types of offerings that God expected his people to provide.

However, if one looks more closely at chapters 4-6, a pattern emerges that has significance even for us today. Amidst all of the rules and regulations, we can see that God desires to forgive his people when they have strayed from right paths.

Leviticus 4:26, 31 Through this process, the priest will purify the leader from his sin, making him right with the LORD, and he will be forgiven. … Through this process, the priest will purify the people, making them right with the LORD, and they will be forgiven.
Leviticus 5:6, 10 This is a sin offering with which the priest will purify you from your sin, making you right with the LORD. … Through this process the priest will purify you from your sin, making you right with the LORD, and you will be forgiven.
Leviticus 6:7 Through this process, the priest will purify you before the LORD, making you right with him, and you will be forgiven for any of these sins you have committed.”

All of these instructions point to one thing: God desired for the people to be reconciled with him, otherwise, why would he spend so much time describing how they were to go about making that happen?

An often-overlooked aspect of this process of forgiveness is the cost that the individual had to incur when bringing a sacrifice. Bulls, goats, rams, sheep, birds; all of these were costly offerings for sin that had to be brought to the priest in order for God’s forgiveness to be granted.

This highlights an important principle: when forgiveness is granted, it always costs somebody something; it is never free.

There was nothing inherent in the animal itself that somehow provided this forgiveness. This is even brought out in the New Testament writings.

For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Hebrews 10:4

No, it was the value of the sacrifice that demonstrated the sincerity of the giver. The offerer had to demonstrate true intent (that is, repentance). Among other things (like the identity substitution), the giving of a perfectly good animal that could provide much personal benefit to the offerer was a way of showing they were sincere in asking for forgiveness.

The bringing of the animals to the priest was not for blood debts to be repaid, and God certainly didn’t need the animals for himself. But through this process, he was teaching the Israelites that there is a value to be exchanged for a renewed relationship with God.

Forgiveness always positively changes a relationship, but it always comes at a cost. This is why it is even still a custom today to bring a gift to someone when apologizing for some sort of relationship transgression. The thoughtfulness or value of the gift demonstrates the sincerity of the giver.

We are commanded by Yeshua to forgive others and to love our enemies when they don’t deserve it or when they are not demonstrating sacrificial repentance. Even if we are approached multiple times a day by the same individual, we are to forgive them. When these types of passages are discussed today, what is rarely mentioned is the cost that this forgiveness exacts from us. If the individual asking for forgiveness is not providing some sort of sacrificial benefit on their behalf, then the one who is absorbing or carrying the cost of the forgiveness is you.

This is why the act of forgiveness is so unique among God’s people today. Forgiveness that is freely offered is not cheap, it still comes at a great expense. It is a sacrificial lifestyle with real cost to the believer in every relationship. But the sacrificial obedience that God demands of us provides for positive relationships in all areas of life and honors him by demonstrating we have learned the true value of forgiveness.

If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive here. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.