1. Man, Dust, Breath, and Soul
The EVER-LIVING God afterwards formed Man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the life of animals; BUT MAN BECAME A LIFE-CONTAINING SOUL.
— Genesis 2:7, FFT
Man is not presented as an immortal soul temporarily using a disposable body. Man is formed from dust, receives breath, and becomes a life-containing soul. Redemption answers death rather than despising creaturehood.
2. Dust, Graves, and the Voice of the Son
For I know my Defender exists, And at last will stand over my dust, And after this skin is destroyed I shall yet in my flesh gaze on God! Whom I shall gaze on for myself, Mine eyes see Himself,—not another,— Fulfilling the hopes of my breast!
— Job 19:25–27, FFT
"And at that period, Michael, the Great Prince, who defends the children of your People, will stand up, and a period of distress will come, such as has not come from the existence of the Nation to that period, but in that period your People shall escape.—All who are written in the Book of Record.— And many sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken. Some to Everlasting Life;—and some to Everlasting shame and contempt. But the Teachers will shine like Lights in space; and those who have led many to Righteousness, like Stars for ever and ever!
— Daniel 12:1–3, FFT
Do not be surprised at this; because the time comes, in which all those in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come out: those who have done good to a resurrection of life; and those who have done evil to a resurrection of judgment.
— John 5:28–29, FFT
And this is the intention of My Sender, that of all which He has entrusted to Me, I should lose nothing, but should restore it at the last day. This, also, is the intention of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son, and confides in Him, should possess eternal life; and I will restore him at the last day."
— John 6:39–40, FFT
Jesus answered her: "I am the Resurrection and the Life; whoever believes on Me, although he may die, he will live: and every one living and believing in Me shall not die for ever. Do you believe this?"
— John 11:25–26, FFT
The dead are not forgotten. The Defender stands over dust; sleepers awaken; those in the graves hear the Son’s voice; Christ restores at the last day because He is Resurrection and Life.
3. The Risen Christ and the Spirit’s Promise
While they were discoursing in this way, Jesus Himself stood among them, and said, "Peace to you!" But they were surprised and tenor-stricken, imagining that they were gazing upon a spirit. "Why are you startled?" He asked them; "and for what reason do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and My feet; it is Myself: touch Me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, such as you perceive I possess." So saying, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still disbelieved from delight and astonishment, He asked them, "Have you anything eatable here?" They accordingly gave Him a piece of baked fish; and taking it, He ate it in their presence.
— Luke 24:36–43, FFT
But if the Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will revive your deadened bodies by His indwelling Spirit.
— Romans 8:11, FFT
For I conclude that the sufferings of the present time are nothing compared to the rectification that will be revealed through us; for the longing desire of the Creation expects the revealing of the sons of God. For the created shrinks back from futility, not desiring it, but has been subjected in hope; because even the Creation will be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. For we know that all the Creation groans and agonizes until now and not alone: but also we, who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan in ourselves, expecting the sonship—the redemption from our sensuality. For we are saved by hope: but hope visible is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we see not, we shall receive it by patience.
— Romans 8:18–25, FFT
The risen Christ has flesh and bones. The Spirit Who raised Jesus will revive our deadened bodies. Creation itself groans for liberation from corruption.
4. The Dead Raised, the Living Changed
But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, a Fore-runner of the sleepers. For since by man death exists, by man a resurrection from death also exists. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be revived. But each in his own own order. Christ a Fore-runner, then those in Christ at His appearing. Then will be the perfection, when He delivers up the Kingdom to the God and Father, after He has destroyed every dominion, and every authority and power: for He must reign until HE CAN PUT ALL THESE ENEMIES UNDER His FEET. The last enemy to be destroyed is Death.
— I Corinthians 15:20–26, FFT
But some may say: "How are the dead raised? And in what kind of body do they return?" Senseless! What you sow does not produce life, unless it arises from its bed. And when you sow, you do not sow the body which will be produced, but a naked grain, perhaps of wheat or any other kind, and God gives to it a body such as He intended: and to each of the seeds the proper body. Indeed, all flesh is not the same kind; but one sort of flesh for men, another flesh for cattle, and another flesh for birds, and another for fish. And there are celestial bodies, and terrestrial bodies; but the character of the celestial differs, and that of the terrestrial varies. The sun has one splendour, and the moon another splendour, and another splendour for stars; for star differs from star in brilliancy: and thus also in the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it rises in incorruptibility; it is sown in contempt, it rises in splendour; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown as animal body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is an animal body, there is also a spiritual;
— I Corinthians 15:35–44, FFT
But I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood are not able to inherit a Divine Kingdom; neither the perishable to inherit the imperishable. Listen! I tell you a secret: we shall certainly not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in an eye's glance, at the last trumpet-call; for it will be sounded, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must be endowed with imperishability, and this mortal must be endowed with immortality. And when this corruptible has been endowed with incorruptibility, then will arrive the written declaration: DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. O DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING! O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY! For sin is the sting of death, and the force of sin the law. But thanks be to God, Who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, be firm, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; knowing that your work in the Lord is not futile.
— I Corinthians 15:50–58, FFT
Christ is Fore-runner of the sleepers. Death is the last enemy. The body sown in corruption rises in incorruptibility; the mortal is endowed with immortality; death is swallowed up in victory.
5. Not Stripped, But Endowed
For we know that even if our terrestrial home of this tent should be removed, we possess a home, a building from God, not made by hand, eternal in the heavens! And, indeed, we groan in this, longing to be endowed with our little cottage from heaven. And if we are endowed, we shall not be found shelterless. And, indeed, we, while loaded in this tent, groan; yet we do not wish to be stripped of it, but to be endowed, so that this mortality may be swallowed up by that life. But He Who enables us to work for this purpose is God, Who gave us the pledge of the Spirit.
— II Corinthians 5:1–5, FFT
But our policy consists in possessing an object in heaven: from where also we expect a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will transform the body of our humility, making it like the body of His majesty, by the internal working of His power; and He will subject all to Himself.
— Philippians 3:20–21, FFT
We desire you not to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who sleep; so that you may not grieve, as the rest who are without a hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, thus also God will, by means of Jesus, restore with Him those who are asleep. For we say this to you as a message from the Lord, that we, the living, the survivors until the appearance of the Lord, will not precede those who sleep. For the Lord Himself in command, with the voice of an archangel, and with a signal from God, will descend from heaven; and first the dead in Christ will rise again; then we, the living remnant, shall at the same time be carried up in clouds for an introduction by the Lord into the eternal condition, and then we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore console one another with these truths.
— I Thessalonians 4:13–18, FFT
The hope is not nakedness but endowment, not less than body but transformation. The body of humiliation will be made like the body of Christ’s majesty; the dead in Christ rise first.
6. Judgment and New Creation
But I do admit this to you, that according to the Way, which they term a heresy, I worship the God of my fathers; believing in everything written in the law and in the prophets; having this hope in God, which they themselves also expect, that there will be a resurrection both of the just and unjust.
— Acts 24:14–15, FFT
Then I saw a great white throne, and Him who sat on it, from Whose presence the earth and the sky fled; and no place was found for them. I also saw the dead, the great and the small, stationed in sight of the throne; and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is that of Life. And the dead were judged according to their actions from the entries in the books. The sea also delivered up the dead who were in it; and Death and the Grave delivered up the dead who were in them; and each of them was judged according to his doings. Then Death and the Grave were thrown into the lake of fire: that is the second death—the lake of fire. And if any one was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.
— Revelation 20:11–15, FFT
When New Skies I create and New Earth, Nor the Old be remembered, or brought up to mind. For ever and ever in what I create, They will joy and be glad, For Jerusalem I will create a Delight, And her People a Joy! In Jerusalem I will rejoice, And be glad in My Race; For no more sound of weeping in her shall be heard, Nor the voice of distress.
— Isaiah 65:17–19, FFT
But the day of the Lord will approach like a thief, when the skies will pass away with a crash, and their constituents will be dissolved by heat; while the earth and what is upon it will be reorganized. All having to be thus dissolved, what ought you to be like in regard to pure conduct and piety, expecting and hastening on the appearance of the Day of God!—during which the burning skies will be dissolved, and their constituents melted by heat; yet according to His promise, we look for new skies and a new earth, in which righteousness will dwell.
— II Peter 3:10–13, FFT
Afterwards I saw a new sky and a new earth: because the former sky and the former earth had passed away; and the sea existed no longer. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of the heaven from God, arrayed like a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice, issuing from the throne, saying, "Now the tabernacle of God is with mankind; and He will encamp among them; and those people shall be His; and God Himself will be with them. And He shall wipe every tear from their eyes; and death shall exist no more; nor anguish, nor crying, nor grief, shall exist any longer. The former conditions have passed away." And the Occupant of the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He commanded me, "Write: because these words are trustworthy and true."
— Revelation 21:1–5, FFT
He also pointed out to me a river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing in the centre of its broad-way out from the throne of God and of the Lamb; and a tree of life, producing twelve crops, with the river on both sides. Each month yielded its own crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And no accursed thing shall any longer exist. And the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it: and His servants shall serve Him, and shall look upon His face; and His name shall be upon their foreheads. Night shall exist no longer; and they have no need of lamp-light, nor sunlight, for the Lord God shall illuminate them; and they shall reign through the eternities of the eternities.
— Revelation 22:1–5, FFT
There will be resurrection of the just and unjust. Death and the Grave are judged. New sky and new earth appear. God’s tabernacle is with mankind. Death exists no more.
Trial
Every doctrine, practice, counsel, ministry habit, and public word touching this matter must be tried by the Word.
- Does it confess man as dust, breath, and life-containing soul?
- Does it confess death as enemy and Christ raised bodily?
- Does it confess those in the graves hearing the Son’s voice?
- Does it confess the Spirit reviving deadened bodies and creation freed from corruption?
- Does it confess transformation, judgment, New Creation, and God with mankind?
- Does it produce firm labour, consolation, pure conduct, and hope?
Settlement
We will not preach heaven instead of resurrection, call death friend, despise the body God made, erase judgment, or reduce New Creation to metaphor.
We confess that Christ raises the dead, transforms the living, destroys death, judges all, restores creation, and brings the tabernacle of God to mankind. Mortality shall be swallowed by life.