Pastor David B. Curtis

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Daniel's Teaching on Resurrection

Daniel 12:1-13

Delivered 04/09/23

Good morning, Bereans. In Churchianity today it is called Easter. I don't call it that because Easter is the name of a pagan god. Biblically, today is the Feast of First Fruits which pictures resurrection. This day is not about bunnies and candy and colored eggs; it is about the resurrection from the dead.

The single most significant event in the history of the human race took place on the first Sunday after Passover in about the year AD 30. It was the resurrection of Yeshua. He overcame the grave, He defeated death, and He promised resurrection life to all who trust in Him.

To the majority of the Church, the Resurrection of believers is something that will happen in our future. I think they are wrong. I believe that the resurrection is a past event. And to prove that this morning, I'm going to appeal to the prophet Daniel who had knowledge about this event and the timing of it—knowledge he received from Yahweh. Let's look at Daniel 12 and see what it tells us about the timing of the Resurrection.

"At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12:1 ESV

"At that time"—since we jumped in at chapter 12, we don't have a clue as to what time "that time" is unless we look back at the previous chapters. So, let's go back to Daniel 10.

and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come."  Daniel 10:14 ESV

Here Daniel is being given a vision of what was to happen to his people ("your people"— the Israelites) in the latter days. This vision is of the future; it is of the last days of Israel.

"At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. Daniel 11:40 ESV

The"at that time" of chapter 12 is the"latter days" of 10:14 and the"time of the end" of chapter 11. So, Daniel 12 is talking about the "end times"—that which we know to be the end of the Old Covenant dispensation.

"Michael, the great prince"—who is this great Prince Michael who stands guard over Daniel's people? The name Michael is from the HebrewMiykael. It means "(one) who is like God." We see Michael three times in the Tanakh. We find it twice in Daniel 10 in verses 13 and 21.

The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, Daniel 10:13 ESV

The context here demands that this "prince" be considered a supernatural being rather than a royal human individual. The literature from Qumran also uses the title "prince" as a reference to chief angels. Jude (1:9) calls Michael the archangel (i.e., "chief of the angels").

I believe that this prince of the kingdom of Persia is the deity given custody of Persia when the 70 nations were divided up among the watchers in Genesis 10. In the Book of Sirach, which is part of what is considered the Apocrypha and appears in the Catholic Bible, it says: "He appointed a ruler for every nation, but Israel is the Lord's own portion." (Sirach 17:17) That is what Deuteronomy 32:8-9 teaches.

We see this prince of Persia battling with Michael who is one of the chief princes.

But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince. Daniel 10:21 ESV

Again, we see Michael called a prince. The third and only other use of Michael in the Tanakh is in our text in Daniel 12.

"At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12:1 ESV

Here we see that Michael is the "great prince" who stands guard over Daniel's people. Michael is the patron archangel of Israel. Michael is depicted as warring on behalf of Israel and is called "Israel's protector." This is one of Yahweh's council members, this is a high-ranking celestial being. So, in Daniel 10 we see two of the gods battling over Israel—the prince of the Kingdom of Persia and Michael the prince.

When we come to the New Testament, we see Michael again battling a prince, but now it is Satan.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, Revelation 12:7 ESV

What nation is Satan the prince over? Rome! Satan is the spiritual power behind Rome (the beast). We saw in Daniel that Persia and Greece had a "prince" or Watcher behind them (in Dan. 10). Wouldn't it make sense that a Watcher or chief angel would be behind Rome also? And that is exactly what the book of Revelation presents. The beast represents Rome, and the dragon that gives power to the beast is Satan.

There are some who believe that Michael is the pre-incarnate Christ. I argued for this view in the past. But notice the word "princes" in the following verse.

The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, Daniel 10:13 ESV

"Princes" is plural. How can there be more than one chief prince if Michael is Christ Himself? Who are the other chief princes? Some try to argue that this plural "princes" is a reference to the trinity. But that's not a good argument.

In Jewish tradition, Michael is the leader of archangels who dwell in the presence of Yahweh (Ascension of Isaiah 3:16). In this capacity, he functions in a number of roles. He is "the patron angel of Israel … fighting for Israel" against her enemies, he is "an intercessor for Israel before God."

The very fact that Michael is described as an archangel indicates that there are different ranks or orders of angels. In other apocryphal books the number of archangels is given as 7 (Enoch 20:1-7; Tobit 12:15).

Daniel 12 goes on to call Michael"the great prince who has charge of your people."We know ow that the "your people" is a reference to the Hebrew people. Here Michael is the great prince that stands guard over the Israelites.

"And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time"—now remember that this is to happen "at that time," which is referring to the end of the Jewish age. So, Daniel is predicting a time of great trouble in Israel at the end of the age. Daniel tells us that during this time of distress, some of his people will be rescued. Jeremiah tells us the same thing.

These are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah:"Thus says the LORD: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace. Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale? Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it. Jeremiah 30:4-7 ESV

Jeremiah is talking about a time of trouble and says,"There is none like it." Then he says that this same time period of great distress is a time in which some will be saved. Yeshua also talked about this time. In Matthew 24, Yeshua is answering the disciples' questions about the destruction of Jerusalem. They wanted to know when it would be destroyed, and what signs would precede the end of the age and His Parousia:

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. Matthew 24:21 ESV

Yeshua was talking to Jews when He said:"then there will be great tribulation." The "then" is referring to the context of verses 15-20 ("when you see the abomination of desolation").  Luke informs us that this abomination would be the surrounding of Jerusalem by armies. This happened in AD 67 when Cestius Gallus, the Roman general, laid siege to Jerusalem. The Great Tribulation is not an event yet future to us. It was "then"—during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans in the first century. This is made abundantly clear in the parallel text in Luke's Gospel.

"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Luke 21:20-22 ESV

Luke tells us here that ALL things which were written were to be fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem. What does he mean by that?"All that is written" refers to prophecy. All prophecy was to be fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem. Daniel tells us this very same thing in Daniel 9.

"Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Daniel 9:24 ESV

Daniel was told that 70 weeks had been determined on his people Israel and on the city Jerusalem. The Hebrew word used here for"are decreed" ischatha which literally means "to cut off." The 70 weeks is symbolic. By the end of this prophetic time period, God promised that six things would have been accomplished. One of the things that Daniel was told would happen by the end of that period was that God would"to seal both vision and prophet." The Hebrew commentaries are in agreement on the meaning of to"to seal both vision and prophet."—they say it means "the end and complete fulfillment of all prophecy."

Daniel's prophecy, then, tells of the time when all prophecy would cease to be given, and what had been given would be fulfilled. When would this be? Daniel's vision begins with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and ends with the destruction of Jerusalem, which we know occurred in AD 70.

The fall of Jerusalem was far more than the fall of a city; it was the end of an age. That is why Yeshua said it would be a,"great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be."

For this reason, I ask: "How could it be possible for there to be in the future a destruction of Jerusalem equal or greater than that which happened in AD 70?" Yeshua said nothing in time would ever equal what happened in AD 70—nothing.

I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but the Great Tribulation is behind us. It is an event in history long past, though most of the Church looks for it to happen in the future. You missed it. I hope you are not too disappointed.

Let's go back to Matthew and notice what he says in the next verse.

And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Matthew 24:22 ESV

This is the same thing we saw in Daniel 12:1."And at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued"—So Daniel, Jeremiah, and Yeshua all talk about this same time of great tribulation when Yahweh will save His people. Yeshua tells us exactly when this time was to be.

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Matthew 24:34 ESV

Yeshua here, very plainly and very clearly, tells HIS DISCIPLES that ALL of the things He had mentioned would come to pass in THEIR GENERATION. This includes the Gospel's being preached in all the world, the Abomination of Desolation, the Great Tribulation, and the Coming of the Son of Man. This is so clear that it greatly troubles those who hold to a Futuristic Eschatology.

Yeshua uses the near demonstrative "this" generation. Every time "this" is used in the New Testament, it refers to something that is near in terms of time or distance. Yeshua could have said "That generation." But He didn't! Yeshua is saying that everything that He has spoken about will happen before the generation that He was speaking to would pass away.

Dr. Kenneth Gentry has written: "'This generation,' in the context of the Olivet Discourse, is 'a non apocalyptic, non poetic, unambiguous, didactic assertion.'"

So, Daniel is talking about a time that the generation that Yeshua lived in would see all these things fulfilled.

"But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book."The"your people" here are Daniel's people, who would be Israelites. At the time of The Great Tribulation, all the Israelites that were found in the book would be rescued. So, during the time of The Great Tribulation, the elect of Yahweh would be delivered from that tribulation. How did this happen? Notice what Yeshua told His disciples.

"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. Matthew 24:15-21 ESV

When they saw the armies surrounding Jerusalem, they were to flee. They were to get out before the tribulation began. It is a historical fact that Cestius Gallus, the Roman general, for some unknown reason, suspended the siege against Jerusalem, ceased the attack and withdrew his armies for an interval of time after the Romans had occupied the Temple, thus giving every believer the opportunity to obey the Lord's instruction to flee the city.

Josephus, the eyewitness, himself an unbeliever, chronicles this fact, and admitted his inability to account for the cessation of the fighting at this time after a siege had begun. We can account for it. Yahweh was giving His people, believing Israelites, a chance to escape the siege, and the disciples took it. And so fulfilled Daniel 12:1 that"everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued." Daniel said it, Jeremiah said it, Yeshua said it. And it happened exactly as was predicted.

Now, notice the next verse in Daniel 12.

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2 ESV

This is the Resurrection of the just and the unjust. Now remember that this is in the context of verse 1, the time of Great Tribulation in the end time or last days of Israel, which ended in AD 70. This Resurrection happens after the time of Jerusalem's destruction, not at the end of time as most believers think. Most Christians think that the Resurrection is a yet future event. Notice what Daniel says next.

And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Daniel 12:3 ESV

So, after the Resurrection, we find that many people were turning to righteousness. How could this be if the Resurrection was at the end of time? Who are those who "shine like the brightness of theraqiya above"? This is astral language to speak of believers.

They viewed the stars as deities.

when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?  Job 38:7 ESV

Here "stars" and "sons of God" are synonymous. Daniel is saying that believers in the Resurrection will be like the sons of God, we will be like stars. This is what Yahweh promised Abram in Genesis 15.

And he brought him outside and said,"Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."  Genesis 15:5 ESV

What does the clause,"So shall your offspring be," refer to?  Does it apply only to the quantitative (i.e., "You'll be as numerous as the stars"), or does it refer to the qualitative (i.e., "You will be like stars?"). I think it is both. This istheosis: "the deification of man." We are to be like the divine host, part of Yahweh's celestial family.

What we have in Daniel 12:3 isastralization language. This text, then, read in astral terms, is rendered as"in the resurrection they will shine as the stars of heaven."

And in Daniel 12, we see this happening after the Resurrection, so when does the Resurrection take place?

But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days."  Daniel 12:13 ESV

According to this verse, when is the Resurrection to take place? It is to take place at,"the end of the days." The New Covenant has no last days, no end time, therefore, the end of the days must refer to the end of the Old Covenant. There is no newer covenant to end the New Covenant.

Notice what Yeshua says in Matthew 13.

Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. Matthew 13:40-43 ESV

Yeshua tells us that at the end of the age, the lawless will be cast into a furnace of fire and will be weeping and gnashing their teeth. This is the Great Tribulation that Daniel talks about. Then he says that"The righteousness will shine like the sun" (quoting Daniel 12:3). So, The Great Tribulation, the Resurrection, and the righteous shining forth as the sun all happens at the end of the Jewish age. Both Daniel 12 and Matthew 13 are speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The Resurrection is an event that was to happen in A.D. 70.

Since we know that the Resurrection is past, we know that it was spiritual and not physical. The Resurrection of the dead that took place at the end of the Old Covenant in A.D. 70 was not a biological resurrection of dead decayed bodies. It was a resurrection from Sheol, in other words, of all who had been waiting through the centuries to be reunited with God in the Heavenly Kingdom.

We see several things from the teaching of Hymenaeus and Philetus about the Resurrection beliefs of the early Christians.

and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 2 Timothy 2:17-18 ESV

The early Christians must have believed that the Resurrection would be spiritual in nature, and, therefore, not subject to confirmation by any physical evidence. If the early Christians had believed that the Resurrection would involve physical bodies coming out of their graves, as is taught today, Hymenaeus and Philetus could never have convinced anyone that the Resurrection had already happened.

They also must have believed that life on earth would go on with no material change after the Resurrection. They didn't believe that they would be on a renovated planet earth as a consequence of the Resurrection. Otherwise, the teaching of Hymenaeus and Philetus would have been impossible. No one would have paid any attention to them.

The reason that their teaching that the Resurrection had already happened was overthrowing the faith of some was that it postulated a consummation of the spiritual kingdom while the earthly Temple in Jerusalem still stood. This was a mixture of Law and grace. This destroyed the faith of some by making the works of the Law a part of the New Covenant.

But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."  Daniel 12:4 ESV

Daniel is to seal up the book until when? "The time of the end." The NASB has,"the end of time" which is a very bad translation. Young's Literal Translation translates this just like the ESV does.  The KJV and even the NIV translate it that way also. We know that this should not be translated"end of time" if we look at verse 7.

And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. Daniel 12:7 ESV

Notice the end of this verse,"when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished." All what events will be completed? The Great Tribulation in verse 1, the Resurrection in verse 2, the many being turned to righteousness in verse 3, and the shattering the power of the holy people. So, all these events will be completed when the power of the holy people is shattered. When did that happen? Is it at the "end of time" as verse 4 in the NASB says? Who are the holy people? In context, it is Daniel's people—the Israelites. When was it that the Israelites' power was completely shattered? It was during the great tribulation when the Temple and the city of Jerusalem were destroyed.

Since the tribulation did not happen at the end of time but, rather, at the end of the Old Covenant age, we know that the NASB translation"end of time" in Daniel 12:4 is wrong. Let me just say here that the Bible does not speak of "the end of time." The expression "the end time" or the "time of the end" is found in Scripture, but nowhere in the Bible can we find the expression "the end of time." The expression "the end time" or the "time of the end" speaks of the end of an age, but the end of an age is not the end of time. Scripture does not indicate that God has any plan to destroy this created world that we enjoy.

Let's go back to verse 4.

But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."  Daniel 12:4 ESV

Daniel is told to"shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end." These things were not going to be understood until the time of the end. When the end times arrived, Yeshua, referring to Daniels words, said:

"But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Mark 13:14 ESV

Mark adds, "(let the reader understand)." This is designed to draw the attention of the reader of Daniel to the passages' true meaning. In other words, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, that is the sign of the destruction of Jerusalem, the sign of His Coming and the end of the age.

He said,"Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Daniel 12:9 ESV

Again, Daniel is told that these words are sealed until the time of the end or the last days of Israel. We are told in Daniel 12:4 that this"time of the end" will be a time when"knowledge will increase." How many of you have heard this verse used to say that the knowledge here is science and technology and that it refers to our time? This is not talking about the knowledge of science or technology. Remember this is talking about the end of the Jewish age.

When the Bible talks about knowledge, it is referring to the knowledge of Yahweh. Prior to Pentecost and the coming of the New Covenant, the knowledge of Yahweh was limited to whom? Israel:

They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. Romans 9:4 ESV

Only Israel had the knowledge of Yahweh. But after Pentecost the knowledge of Yahweh began to go to the nations. This is the knowledge that Daniel was talking about—it was the knowledge of the Gospel, the knowledge of God in Christ. Paul was used of Yahweh in the last days to increase this knowledge:

For God, who said,"Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Yeshua the Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

Here Paul calls the Gospel the"Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." Paul lived in the last days, and he helped this knowledge to increase. This is what Daniel was talking about. In the last days, knowledge would increase, that is, the knowledge of the Gospel of our LORD Yeshua Ha'Moshiach.

Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream,"How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?" Daniel 12:5-6 ESV

This question seems to be asked for the sake of Daniel. The end of these things is the "end" that has been talked about from Daniel 11:40 to 12:3, with all that shall happen in The Great Tribulation, the salvation of the elect—all of it. The answer to the question is in the next verse.

And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. Daniel 12:7 ESV

"All these things" includes the Resurrection of verse 2. Daniel is told that the Resurrection would be when the power of the holy people (the Jews) had been completely shattered. So, The Resurrection was to happen at the end of the Jewish age, the Old Covenant age. We know that this happened in A.D. 70 with the destruction of the Jewish Temple.

I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said,"O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?" He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Daniel 12:8-9 ESV

Until the time came or drew near for those to be accomplished, they would not be clearly understood.  Then in the book of Revelation we read:

"Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Revelation 22:10 ESV

What was sealed in Daniel is being revealed in Revelation. Back to Daniel.

Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. Daniel 12:10-11 ESV

From the time the Abomination of Desolation is set up, there would be 1,290 days. How many years is that? Three and a half. This is how long the war against Jerusalem lasted. Yeshua referred to this in Matthew 24:15 in discussing the fall of Jerusalem.

Many commentators find an allusion to the standards of the Roman legions in the expression, "The Abomination of Desolation." The eagles were objects of worship to the soldiers. We know from Josephus that the attempt of a Roman general, Vitellius, in the reign of Tiberius, to march his troops through Judea was resisted by the Jewish authorities on the ground that the idolatrous images on their ensigns would be a profanation of the Law.

By combining Matthew's and Luke's statements with secular history, it is clear that Cestius Gallus and his Roman army were the Abomination of Desolation. It was fulfilled in A.D.66 when the Romans surrounded the city of Jerusalem.

S. Chrysostom wrote: "For this it seems to me that the Abomination of Desolation means the army by which the holy city of Jerusalem was made desolate." (The Ante-Nicene Fathers)

But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days."  Daniel 12:13 ESV

The statements of verses 1, 7, 11, and 12 tie the Resurrection to the time immediately following the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Daniel was to arise at the end of the age when the power of the holy people was shattered. How can you take this Resurrection and separate it from the destruction of Jerusalem? How can you do it?

So, the Resurrection was a spiritual re-gathering of Yahweh's covenant people. The Resurrection of the dead that took place at the end of the Old Covenant in A.D. 70 was not a biological resurrection of dead decayed bodies but, rather, a resurrection from Sheol of all who had been waiting through the centuries to be reunited with God in the Heavenly Kingdom. They were no longer separated from God (dead), they were now in His presence (alive).

For believers who have lived since A.D. 70, we are resurrected when we trust in Christ. Yeshua gives us spiritual life, which is a resurrection from our state of spiritual death.

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—Ephesians 2:5 ESV

We have eternal life and can never die spiritually. Therefore, we don't need a resurrection. At death our bodies go to dust, and we go immediately to heaven.

Yeshua said to her,"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25-26 ESV

Yeshua is saying, "He who believes in me shall live [spiritually], even if he dies [physically], and everyone who lives [physically], and believes in Me, shall never die [spiritually]."

Two categories of believers are discussed: those who would die before the resurrection and those who would not. For those who died under the Old Covenant, He was the Resurrection, but for those who lived into the days of the New Covenant, He is the Life.

Under the New Covenant, there is no death, spiritually speaking. Where there is no death, there is no need of a resurrection. We have eternal life and can never die spiritually. Therefore, we don't need a resurrection. At death, we go immediately to heaven.

The resurrection that was promised to Israel was a one-time event in which the Old Covenant saints were brought out of Sheol/death to be with the Lord. We who have trusted Christ have put on immortality and will put on our immortal body when we die physically. As believers, we live in the presence of God, and in physical death, we simply drop the flesh and dwell only in the spiritual realm.

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