Introduction

Christian believers, worldwide, celebrate Christ’s resurrection on a particular day in March or April.  Why Sunday (Biblically called the “First Day.”) and why during these months?  The first question is easy to answer; the second is harder for the average person to calculate. 

*“Easter Sunday always occurs on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. What is the Paschal Full Moon? This is specifically the first Sunday following the full Moon that occurs on or after the March or spring equinox.” 

*This information was taken from the 2025 Almanac.   Click on these links if you want to learn more.

The purpose of this brief discourse is to focus more on the event than the timing. Such a history-changing event seems only to get attention at Easter time. I am also not here to discuss the origin of the pagan event called Easter, which, over the course of history, has blended in with Christian teachings and writings. That is another topic for another time.

The Resurrection of Christ is the support beam that keeps the building of Christianity from falling. Paul knew this when he argued with those Christians who were preaching that there is no resurrection of the dead.  Listen carefully to Paul’s logic and the bold statements he makes about the vital importance of the resurrection:

“But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” 1 Corinthians 15: 12-14 (NLT)

Logic: We are preaching that Christ was raised from the dead.  If you don’t believe in the resurrection of the dead, then Jesus has not been raised (resurrected). 

Conclusion: The preaching of the followers of Christ is useless, and so is your faith! Wow!  The resurrection of the dead is absolutely critical to the follower of Christ!

Paul expounds further:

More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if, in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:15-18 NKJV

Paul repeats himself: if there is no resurrection of the dead, there are consequences. The support beam (resurrection) for Christianity is absent, and the building will fall to the ground.

• Apostles and Disciples are false witnesses (liars),
• Your faith is futile (has no purpose and is ineffective),
• You are still in your sins (the cross would mean nothing!)
• Those who have fallen asleep (died) in Christ are lost.
• And finally, you are to be pitied among all the people if there is no resurrection of the dead!

From Paul’s appeal, we can understand why the Christian faith would fall if the resurrection were not true. This likely explains why the enemy makes so many sly efforts to minimize or discount the resurrection of Christ, AND why the resurrection is watered-down with Easter Bunnies, candy, and hiding Easter eggs. The topic of the resurrection is too important not to understand!

Another reason why it is not explored more is that it blows up some ancient myths about life and death. The following few articles will be on the resurrection of the dead.

Let’s start with the words of the Patriarch, Prophets, Apostles, and Disciples.

To properly understand the idea of dying and coming back to life, we must understand how our Creator made us…how complex life came into being…and finally how death happens…and what becomes of dead people, both righteous and unrighteous. 

The Origin of Us

Moses

Moses (in his book of Genesis) described the elements of life for the first man God created. Most scholars consider Job the oldest book in the Bible, also written by Moses. From these two writings, we get a good start on understanding life, death, and life again.

Adam’s first day started with the physical element of earth (dust). God formed his body parts from the dirt. Standing before his Creator was Adam, a grown young man with all the elements for life but not alive yet. Next came the spiritual component: God’s heavenly breath.  God’s breath, or Spirit, combined with the body to make a human soul…Adam’s first experience with life and conscience. 

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 (KJV)

This verse has a formula: 

Dust + God’s breath = living soul. 

Notice it didn’t say God put a human soul into Adam. It clearly states that the two components of earth and heaven make up a human soul. We don’t have a soul; we ARE a soul.  This is life.  We are all souls living and dying on this earth. 

At death, the reverse of life takes place: the body returns to dust, and the Spirit God gave to produce life returns to God who gave it in the first place.

For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:7 NIV. Here is another formula:   Body – God’s Spirit = death

Notice, it is not our spirit that returns to God, it is His, as described in the book of Job.

If He should set His heart on it,
If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust. Job 34: 14-15

If God wanted to, God could end life for all of us by taking back His Spirit and His breath.

This sounds final.  But the glory of God is His desire and ability to resurrect the righteous (those who trust Him).  Remember, if Christ was not raised, those who have fallen asleep (died) would be lost. Here is why our personal resurrection is our hope.  Many people dismiss the resurrection and claim that you go to your reward in heaven at death as our hope. 

BC Resurrection

But Moses, in his book called Job, makes a statement from the main character.  It is Messianic and points to his hope in the resurrection:

For I know that my Redeemer lives,

And He shall stand at last on the earth;

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I shall see God,

Whom I shall see for myself,

And my eyes shall behold, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me!

Job 19: 25-27 (NKJV)

Job describes a resurrection experience: His Redeemer lives and one day will stand on the earth (Jesus and His second coming). Even if Job’s skin is destroyed, the flesh will return to his bones, and he will see God with his eyes (resurrection). There is no wispy spiritual body; it has flesh and eyes. God has revived the destroyed (decayed) body parts!

Isaiah states almost exactly what Job and Paul saw concerning our resurrection:

But those who die in the Lord will live;
    their bodies will rise again!
Those who sleep in the earth
    will rise up and sing for joy! Isaiah 26:19

 Isaiah clearly states that those who die in the Lord, will live again,

When does this happen?  It is at the Second Coming of Jesus.  The last trumpet will sound, then the resurrection desired by Moses, Job, and Isaiah will come to pass.

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. 1 Corinthians 15: 51-53 NLT

Is it not clear that the wonderful secret, that all who have ever lived will be changed as fast as an eye can wink, will be completely changed at the last trumpet?  The last trumpet is when Jesus returns.  Paul explains:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died (fallen asleep) will rise from their graves. 1 Thess. 4: 16 NLT

The picture is clear: Jesus comes down from heaven, but it is not silent or quiet. There is a loud trumpet and a shout from the heavens! Those who died and sleep in their graves are resurrected! Next come those who are alive and remain (have survived the destruction of the last days).

 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thess 4: 17 NLT

In the very next verse, Paul gives us the words of hope by his description of the second coming and the resurrection that occurs:

So encourage each other with these words. 1 Thess 4: 18

As believers, we are to encourage each other about the second coming of Christ and what takes place then! If we die, we are resurrected, and then we meet those in the air who didn’t die in the last day’s destructive events predicted by Jesus.

Part 2 will examine Jesus’s words that He is “the resurrection and the life.”  We will also see what the Bible says about how we are changed at the second coming. Part 3 will explore the 1st and 2nd resurrections.

Twenty years ago, I had open-heart surgery to save my life.  The procedure took about 4 hours. Before they gave me anesthesia, the nurse said,

“Mr. Armstrong, we are going to put you to sleep now.” 

The very next words I heard were instantaneous,

“Mr. Armstrong, it is time to wake up!” 

The 4 hours that passed were a mere microsecond.  So, it will be for those who have died in Christ.  Even though it may have been many years since their passing, the concept of time will not be recognized.  Could this be why Jesus compared death to a sleep?

Until next time…encourage one another with these words…