HOPES, HINTS AND HISTORICAL EXAMPLES OF GOD’S POWER OVER DEATH by Rich Robinson
God’s power over death is as real as His power over life, as we see in both the Old and New Testaments. Raising the dead to temporarily continue their mortal lives is known as
resuscitation. Biblical examples of this show God’s power and His compassion, and might be considered hints or promises of an even greater power over death: resurrection.
Resurrection is a permanent conquering of death. So far we have one example, Jesus—along with the promise that He is the “firstfruits” of the resurrection that is to come for all
who trust Him!
SCRIPTURE
COMMENTS
HOPES AND HINTS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Genesis 22:1–13: Note especially verse 5: “And
Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here
with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder
and worship, and we will come back to you.’”
God promised Abraham a multitude of descendants through Isaac (Genesis 17:2), but as chapter 22 opens, God
asks him to cut off the obvious means of fulfilling that promise! Yet on the way to sacrificing Isaac, Abraham
notes that he and his son will return. How? Hebrews 11:17–19 affirms that Abraham believed God could raise
his son from the dead. Abraham’s faith was clearly justified when God resurrected His own son, Jesus.
1 Kings 17:17–24 17 Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick.
And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. 18 So she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you,
O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?” 19 And he said to her, “Give
me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on
his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with
whom I lodge, by killing her son?” 21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and
said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” 22 Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul
of the child came back to him, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into
the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by
this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.”
See also 2 Kings 4:17–37.
Psalm 16:10–11: “For You will not leave my soul
in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see
corruption.11 You will show me the path of life; In
Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand
are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalm 49, especially verse 15,
“But God will redeem my soul
from the power of the grave,
for He shall receive me.”
TAKE AWAY
God used two prophets of
the Old Testament, Elijah and
Elisha, to bring back to life
two young men who had died.
These examples from 1 and 2
Kings show not only the power
of God over death, but also His
compassion to the parents.
David expected to be freed from the grave (Sheol). Yet the New Testament indicates
that David was not speaking of himself, but of the coming Messiah (see Acts 2:22–39
and Acts 13:30–37). Perhaps we can say that David had confidence in life beyond the
grave because he had confidence in God and God’s promised Redeemer. Note David’s
responses to this hope: he is “glad,” he “rejoices” (Psalm 16:9), he has “life,” “joy” and
“pleasures forevermore”—all in the context of an intimate relationship with God.
This psalm, by “the sons of Korah,” includes hope in a life with God beyond Sheol, the grave (compare
verse 9), contrasted with the fate of “those who trust in themselves” (v. 13, NIV). Commentator Derek
Kidner says: “Whether this vision reached as far as resurrection or not, it tells us the first thing that
matters beyond death, that nothing can separate the servant from his Master, whose concern for him is
loving and active.”1
We can trust God even
when circumstances seem
directly opposite to what
He has promised us.
Though these were
resuscitations rather than
resurrections, they serve as
reminders that death is not
the end for those who trust
the Lord.
If David had such confidence in life
beyond the grave because of the
promised of God’s Redeemer who
was yet to come, how much more can
we have confidence, now that He has
come and we know Him!
Verses 1–3 of this Psalm indicate that
the authors want everyone to know
what they know; this encourages us to
proclaim the reality of the resurrection
to those who don’t yet know the Lord.
HOPES AND HINTS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
SCRIPTURE
COMMENTS
Psalm 73:24–26: “You will guide me with Your
counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is
none upon earth that I desire besides You. 26 My
flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength
of my heart and my portion forever.
This psalm by Asaph includes the hope of being with God beyond this lifetime. One
commentator said, “The thrust of the present paragraph is towards God alone, from its
opening theme, ‘continually with thee,’ to its supreme confession in 25f., ‘Whom have I in
heaven but thee?’ This mounting experience of salvation, ‘grasped, guided, glorified,’ is a
humble counterpart to the great theological sequence of Romans 8:29f., which spans the
work of God from its hidden beginning, ‘whom he foreknew’, to the same consummation
as here, ‘he also glorified’.”2
Job 19:25–27: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And
He shall stand at last on the earth;26 And after my skin
is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see
God,27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall
behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
Many take this as a reference to resurrection, including key commentators in
the history of the church. Others think Job is picturing his vindication during
his own lifetime. One thing is clear: Job considers God his “Redeemer,” or in
Hebrew, go’el. Commentator John Walton writes: “The job of the go’el is to
recover losses and to salvage the dignity of one who has suffered loss.”3
Isaiah 53:10–12: “ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong
His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.11He shall see the
labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall
justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion
with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out
His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the
sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.”
Daniel 12:2 (see also verse 13), “And
many of those who sleep in the dust
of the earth shall awake, Some to
everlasting life, Some to shame and
everlasting contempt.”
TAKE AWAY
Whether Job was thinking of this life or the
next, we cannot help but think of Jesus as
our Redeemer, who vindicates or justifies
us because of what He has done, and who
enables us to be received by God the Father.
This is part of the Isaiah 52:13–53:12 passage concerning
the Suffering Servant, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. These
verses point to the Servant’s resurrection, inasmuch as
He is promised descendants and a long life following the
description of His atoning death. Yet compared to the clear
revelation of the New Testament, it is like looking through a
darkened glass. The resurrection of Jesus, reported in each of
the gospels, is the crowning reality to which Isaiah points.
This is another clear reference to resurrection, this time noting that not only the “just,” but also the
“unjust” will rise to face judgment. The reference to “dust” reminds us that humanity was made
from “dust” and, because of the curse of the fall, returns “to dust” (Genesis 2:7, 3:19). This verse
“points forward to this resurrection as the reversal of the curse of death (everlasting life) . . . or its
confirmation (everlasting contempt).”4 Paul elaborates on this in 1 Corinthians 15 (see next section).
Ezekiel 37, especially vv. 12–14: “12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus
says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you
to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you
shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and
brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live,
and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have
spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’” (See also Hosea 6:2.)
While we often think of salvation and
eternal life as being spared from hell, it’s
important to remember that the object
of salvation is to forever enjoy God. The
best way to look forward to heaven is to
cultivate an ever-deepening love for, and
enjoyment of, God today.
In Ezekiel 37 (vision of dry bones),
resurrection is used as a symbol of
the rebirth of the nation of Israel.
Hosea 6:2 also uses the image
of resurrection, or something
similar, to describe the survival of
the nation.
Isaiah 53 is the well-known
passage that shows us the
life and work of the coming
Messiah. It is one of the best
passages to share with a
Jewish person who is willing
to talk to you about Jesus.
This reminder of the judgment facing
those who have not been reconciled to
God through Jesus should motivate us
to pray for and witness to friends that
need to know Him.
As we see resurrection depicted as the rise of an entire
nation, so we should remember as believers in Jesus that
we are not merely individuals, but part of a corporate
body, as Paul affirms in 1 Corinthians 12. While individual
believers will be resurrected, it will be as part of a larger
group, corporately worshiping God.
SCRIPTURE
COMMENTS
HOPES AND HINTS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Matthew 22:23-33, especially vv. 31, 32: “31 But concerning
the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was
spoken to you by God, saying, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God
of the dead, but of the living.”
(see also Mark 12:18–27, Luke 20:27–40)
Matthew 9:18-26; especially verse 25:
“25 But when the crowd was put outside, He
went in and took her by the hand, and the
girl arose.”
See also Mark 5:21–43; Luke 8:41–56.
Luke 7:11–17. Acts 9:36-42. Acts 20:7–12
John 11, especially vv. 14, 15: “14 Then Jesus
said to them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. 15 And I
am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that
you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.’”
And vv. 43, 44: “43 Now when He had said these
things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus,
come forth!’ 44 And he who had died came out
bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his
face was wrapped with a cloth.”
John 12:23–24: “But Jesus answered them,
saying, ‘The hour has come that the Son of
Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly,
I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls
into the ground and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it produces much grain.’”
The Sadducees, who do not believe in the resurrection, test Jesus
by posing an unlikely scenario concerning the afterlife. Jesus points
out the fallacy of their scenario; in resurrection life there is no
marriage. More importantly, He cites the Old Testament’s frequent
reference to the “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” to underscore
the reality of life beyond death, since God is not the God of the
dead but of the living.
TAKE AWAY
The Sadducees’ question indicated that they thought
prosaically about the afterlife. Compare
1 Corinthians 2:9, “As it is written: ‘Eye has not
seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart
of man the things which God has prepared for
those who love Him.’” Our hope of the resurrection
transcends anything we can imagine!
Jesus heals the daughter of Jairus (first set of verses), and the son of the widow of Nain in Luke 7.
In Acts 9, Peter raises Tabitha or Dorcas back to life, while Acts 20 depicts Paul’s raising of a young
man who had fallen from a third-story window—apparently because Paul was speaking throughout
the evening until midnight! (v. 7).
All these are resuscitations rather than resurrections, similar to the raisings that Elijah and
Elisha performed. These demonstrations of God’s compassion, as well as His power, result in people
putting their faith in Him, as well as being comforted.
As with the examples of
resuscitation in the Old
Testament, these examples serve
as reminders that death is not the
end for those who trust the Lord.
From other passages in John’s
Gospel, we learn that for
Christians, eternal life starts now,
as a quality of life with God, and
will also bring us beyond death
itself. It is comforting to know
that when we are born again, the
stench of death caused by our sins
is washed away.
Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Before he does so, he tells Lazarus’ sister Martha: “Your brother
will rise again.” Martha affirms her faith in the resurrection: “I know that he will rise again in the
resurrection at the last day.” But then: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who
believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.
Do you believe this?’” Jesus was not promising that the miracle he was about to do would give Lazarus
eternal life, but here He clearly identifies Himself as the giver of eternal life to those who believe.
Also, note that this miracle differs from previous examples of resuscitations, inasmuch as the body
had obviously begun to decompose. Not only is life restored from the grave, but the corrupting effects of
death are reversed.
Jesus observes that, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it
produces much grain.”
In 1 Corinthians 15:36, Paul applies the same image directly to resurrection. In John, Jesus is referring to His
crucifixion, but with the implication that His death is followed by life. In context, Jesus is referring to the necessity
for His disciples to “die” to self in order to have eternal life (verse 25). The resurrection is implied, since Jesus
imparts life, not only by His death but also by His continued life (compare Romans 8:11 and John 11:25).
Matthew 12:38–42, especially verse 40: “For as Jonah was
three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so
will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth.”
(see also Matthew 16:4; Luke 11:29–32)
Jesus tells His listeners that their generation would receive no sign except the sign
of Jonah, who was three days and three nights in the belly of a fish. He contrasts
the repentance of Nineveh with the unrepentant generation of Jesus’ time. Jonah’s
deliverance from the fish was the divine authentication of his message; Jesus’
resurrection would similarly authenticate His teaching.
Jesus’ use of creation to
illustrate His words is a great
example of how God gives
us ordinary things to remind
us of and help us believe in
extraordinary truths.
The resurrection gives us
confidence that Jesus is who
He claimed to be and that His
redeeming work for us is effective.
FULFILLMENT—HOPE REALIZED
HOPES AND HINTS IN
THE NEW TESTAMENT
SCRIPTURE
COMMENTS
TAKE AWAY
Matthew 16:21: ”From that time Jesus began to show to
His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many
things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be
killed, and be raised the third day.”
(see also Matthew 17:9, 23; 20:19; 26:32; Mark 9:9,
31; 10:34; 14:28; Luke 9:22; 24:7 — among other verses.)
When teaching His disciples, Jesus repeatedly predicted His crucifixion and
resurrection.
Crucifixion and resurrection are two sides of what God does in redemption:
the former is Jesus’ death to atone for our sin; the latter seals the truth of who
Jesus is, and is a promise of our own resurrection and the redemption of the world.
Paul and Peter also speak both about Jesus’ resurrection and his sufferings. (See
Philippians 3:10–11; 1 Peter 1:3, 2:19–25)
Matthew 28, especially v. 6, “He is not here; for He is risen,
as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
(See also Mark 16: 6, 9,14; Luke 24:6, 34, 46; and John
2:22; 20:5–9; 21:14.)
Jesus’ resurrection is never depicted itself, but rather we are shown
the aftermath: the empty tomb and Jesus’ appearances to His
disciples. The angels were at the tomb to greet the two Marys, and
send them on to tell the others; we also see that the first person He
appeared to was Mary Magdalene.
At last we see the empty tomb which was so long
hinted at in Scriptures and spoken of directly by
Jesus! The words “He is risen” are not metaphors
or maybes, but the reality on which we can be
assured that we are indeed redeemed!
1 Corinthians 15, especially vv. 20, 23: “But now Christ is
risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those
who have fallen asleep. . . . But each one in his own order:
Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at
His coming.”
54: “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and
this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought
to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up
in victory.”
55: “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is
your victory?’” 58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
(See also Philippians 3:21, 1Thessalonians 4:14)
Because the promise of resurrection was fulfilled in Jesus, Paul can
teach with certainty about the hope of resurrection for those who
trust in Him. (Compare Romans 5:5)
Verses 20 and 23 of 1 Corinthians 15 refer to the resurrected
Jesus as the “firstfruits” of those who will be raised at the end of
history. As the “firstfruits” of a crop was a promise of more to come,
so Jesus’ resurrection is a promise from God that we who believe in
Him will also be raised from the dead.
The entire chapter is a stunning statement of the hope we
have, and begins to pull back the curtain just a bit to hint at what is
in store on the other side of the resurrection for all believers. So we
see fulfillment, as well as further hints and hopes.
This passage also contains the famous verse
(v. 55): “Where, O death, is your victory? Where,
O death, is your sting?”
The chapter bids us look forward to a new
kind of life, tells us we need not fear death, and
affirms that because death has been conquered,
our life and work have ultimate purpose (v. 58):
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in
the Lord.”
The cross and the resurrection go
together, not only for Jesus, but
also in our lives as His followers.
We have the resurrection to
look forward to, along with the
responsibility to live a life of
sacrificial service now.
RESURRECTION AND JEWISH PEOPLE TODAY
Among religious Jews, there is a faith in life after death.5 The medieval Jewish philosopher
Maimonides included belief in the resurrection as one of his “Principles of Faith,”6 which have
become a kind of credo for Orthodox Jews. In previous generations, Jewish people were often
more religious than many are today.
If you want to know what most contemporary Jewish people believe about the hope of the
Resurrection, the answer is, “very little.” Secular Jews (who comprise the majority of Jewish
people today) tend to be agnostic about life after death. Like many in today’s society, modern
Jews often believe that we only live on through our accomplishments, our children, and in the
memories of others.
FURTHER READING
What does this mean for our witness to Jewish people? Jewish people are no different from
others, inasmuch as the hope of eternity with a God that they do not know here and now is not
especially relevant. Helping people see that God is real, and that knowing Him is life-changing
and life-giving is a good start. Explaining the gospel as His desire to be in relationship with us,
and His provision for us to enter into that relationship follow.
There are always exceptions, people who would be very interested to know what the Bible
says about the hope of the resurrection. If they are Jewish, it is especially good to be able to
point out that hope is rooted in the Old Testament.
NOTES
www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/v11-n06/
“Did He or Didn’t He? Jewish Views of the Resurrection of Jesus” from ISSUES
1. Derek Kidner, Psalm 1–72 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentary;
Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, reprint 2014).
Who Moved the Stone? by Frank Morison
2. Derek Kidner, Psalm 73–150 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentary;
Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, reprint 2014).
The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, by Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona
3. John H. Walton, Job (NIV Application Commentary; Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2012).
Both available from amazon.com
4. New Bible Commentary (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994).
5. See Louis Jacobs, Jewish Resurrection of the Dead, see j4j.co/jrez
6.www.sacred-texts.com/jud/spb/spb11.htm