Bless the Lord, O my soul,   
And all that is within me,   
bless His holy name.   
Bless the Lord, O my soul,   
And forget none of His benefits.   
- Psalms 103:1-2   
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The Doctrine Of Resurrection

Doctrine of Resurrection

Sometimes the smallest word creates a significant different meaning to be understood in what is being stated. Such is the case of the use concerning “I am” and “I was”. When we look at “am” and “was” we gather the sense of the past tense and the present tense to be understood. “I was” signifies that the relationship under consideration is no longer in force due to a change. Rufus was my dog. I had a dog, Rufus, but now that is no longer the case possibly due to the fact of Rufus running away or Rufus is no longer alive. “I am” signifies that the relationship is present and is in force. I am the father of Sara gives the sense that she is presently alive in our relationship. If it was stated that I was the father of Sara the sense is given that she is not presently alive showing a past relationship.

 We read of the calling of Moses by Jehovah through the burning bush in Exodus 3:4 “And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.” At this time of Moses’s calling there are certain facts which can’t be disputed. We must acknowledge the fact that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had long since went to the grave in their physical bodies. Abraham in Genesis 25:8 “Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.” Isaac in Genesis 35:29 “And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.”Jacob in Genesis 49:33 “And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.”We are told that the time period between Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to the coming of deliverance by Moses would be well over 400 years (Genesis 15:13, Exodus 12:40, Acts 7:6). In answer to the question of Moses of whom he should tell his fellow brethren who Jehovah was we find recorded this statement from Jehovah in Exodus 3:6 “Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Notice the construction of the statement- “I am” which most assuredly shows a present tense of a relationship. This statement declares that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are still present in some form or fashion for Jehovah to state that he is their God. Jehovah did not use the past tense- “I was” their God giving the sense that the relationship was not is force due to them not existing.

Jesus in discussing the question of the resurrection with the Sadducees points them to this statement of Jehovah to Moses which is used in all three accounts of Matthew 22:23-33, Mark 12:18-27 and Luke 20:27-40. The doctrine of the resurrection was taught in the Old Testament and Jesus tells the Sadducees in Matthew 22:31 “But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,” enlightening them that Jehovah was directly speaking to them through the word of Jehovah which was recorded long ago. God speaks to us through the form of the written word as clearly evidenced by this axiom form Jesus. Mark states it thus in Mark 12:26 “And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?”enlightening us that the author of the book of Exodus was Moses. Luke records that the resurrection of the dead was shown to us by Moses at the bush in Luke 20:37  Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

In conclusion we must acknowledge that which was also spoken unto us by God, shown to us by Moses and recorded for us as we read that the resurrection is taught in the scriptures. Luke sums it up with the statement of Jesus in Luke 20:38  For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.” Mark records it thus in Mark 12:27 if we think otherwise  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.” Matthew records it thus in Matthew 22:32 “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” My friends, we must realize that the grave is not the end but that our soul will continue in an eternal state still under the subjection of God. Therefore the important question that we must ponder is “Am I ready and prepared for that day?”

Larry Bumgardner



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