Resurrection of the Dead – Jewish Expectations

In addition to this conception of the Day of the Lord, the Prophets developed the hope of an ideal Messianic future through the reign of a son of the house of David–the golden age of paradisiacal bliss, of which the traditions of all the ancient nations spoke (see Dillmann’s commentary to Genesis 2-3, p. 46). It would come in the form of a world of perfect peace and harmony among all creatures, the angelic state of man before his sin (Isa. 9:1-10, 65:17-25: “new heavens and a new earth”). It was only a step further to predict the visitation of all the kingdoms of the earth, to be followed by the swallowing up of death forever and a resurrection of the dead in Israel, so that all the people of the Lord might witness the glorious salvation (Isa. 24:21-25:8, 26:19). The hope of resurrection had been expressed by Ezekiel only with reference to the Jewish nation as such (Ezek. 37). Under Persian influence, however, the doctrine of resurrection underwent a change, and was made part of the Day of Judgment; hence in Dan. 7:2 the resurrection is extended to both the wicked and the righteous: the latter “shall awake to everlasting life,” the former “to shame and everlasting horror” (A. V. “contempt”).

The idea of ‘influence’ here is disregarded as a piece of contemporary scholastic advice, and is distraction from the meaning.  God spoke, and the prophet listened, and recorded.  On the contrary, the enemy often appears to pick up the whispers of what God is doing, and often imitates it in various forms (ie, Nebuchadnezzar with his requirement to bow the image or enter the fiery judgment).

These concepts were expanded upon in the New Testament, and revealed to be “heaven” and “hell”, as we call them in today’s Christianity.  Realistically, “hell” is an misnomer, for the final repose of the wicked is the “lake of fire”.  Believers, on the other hand, will most likely reside in a “New Earth”, with glorified bodies, and not in “heaven” as we might think about it to day, according to the Scriptures.

As Paul wrote, that which was revealed to the body of Christ through himself and the other leaders in the church had not been made known to people in previous generations.  The church, the unity of Jew and Gentile, and the other mysteries of the church today were not understood prior to the New Testament period.  Displacement in time, such as this, must be kept in mind when considering what was taught, and when, especially as it corresponds to the Scriptures (for instance, Jesus was often teaching men about life in the Spirit of God, trying to bring faith, to people who could not possibly understand until they had faith, hence, the parables–when the life of the New Testament church came, His teaching was the Apostle’s teaching, because it instructs us on how to live by the Spirit.  But, before the Holy Spirit was given, Paul said it could not be understood, because it was spiritually discerned).