Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Why is Messiah’s resurrection of utmost importance to us?

The resurrection of Yahshua Messiah is central to the lives and objectives of His followers, and ultimately also the whole human race.  Unless there is a resurrection of the dead, there is no such thing as eternal life. The Scriptures inform us in Hebrews 9: 27, stating:  ‘it is appointed for men to die once.’ But it also shows in 1 Corinthians 15: 22 – 24 that we will all be resurrected to life, but each in his own order, as follows: ‘For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all shall be made alive. (23) But each in his own order: Messiah the first fruits, after that those who are Messiah’s at His coming, (24) then comes the end (ones), when He delivers up the kingdom to the Elohim and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.’ However, it all begins with Yahshua Messiah.

At this point in time the only resurrection to eternal life has been that of our Savior, Yahshua Messiah. The first Scriptural record of Yahshua’s death and resurrection was written 6,000 years ago, about 4,000 years before Messiah’s birth.  In Genesis 3: 15 Elohim pronounced judgment against Satan, who had subtly enticed Adam and Eve to disobey YHVH their Creator, saying: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed (meaning Messiah, since a woman does not have seed); He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”  The ‘Seed’ of the woman would bruise Satan’s head – putting a permanent end to his influence over mankind, and Satan would ’bruise him on the heel’: i.e. bring about Messiah’s crucifixion. But, ironically enough, Yahshua’s crucifixion and resurrection, makes eternal life possible for us. Messiah’s death on the stake makes possible the forgiveness of our sins and our reconciliation with Elohim. But that is only the first step in Elohim’s plan to save humanity. Through Messiah’s resurrection to eternal life about 2,000 years ago, we, through our own resurrection, can also receive eternal life. Just as Elohim commanded that the harvest in ancient Israel could not begin until He accepted the wave-sheaf offering, so the harvesting of mankind could not begin until Yahshua Messiah was accepted by the Father. Yahshua was represented by the male lamb without blemish in Leviticus 23: 12, which was symbolic of Messiah’s sinless state. He was also represented as the fine flour mixed with oil in Leviticus 23: 13, symbolic of the beating and scourging through which He was perfected.  The accompanying hin of wine also mentioned in Leviticus 23: 13, was symbolic of Messiah’s blood to pay the penalty for our sins, as confirmed in 1 John 1: 7, as follows: ‘But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yahshua His Son cleanses us from all sin.’  According to Jewish Encyclopedia.com the wave sheaf mentioned in Leviticus 23: 10 & 11 was cut off prior to the 16th of Aviv and therefore had to be on the 14th of Aviv, the day before the first annual Sabbath (or First Day of Unleavened Bread) on the 15th of Aviv, to be waived by the Priest in the evening of the Second Day of Unleavened Bread on the 16th of Aviv. In similar way was the first Passover kept in Egypt in the evening of the 14th Aviv, thus saving the first-born of Israel from the angel of death that same night, as all the first-born in Egypt died. The Israelites left Egypt in the light of the full moon in the evening of 15th Aviv and forty seven days from the next evening (erev 16 Aviv) the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai in the 3rd Month on the same day, meaning the 3rd Day (as per Exodus 19: 1).  Moses instructed the people to consecrate themselves for the next two days; to wash their clothes and refrain from marital relations during the next two days and be ready on the third day, the 6th day of Sivan, when Elohim gave Moses the Commandments, ordinances and judgments on Mount Sinai. This was exactly fifty days after the second day of unleavened bread, and is even today the day on which the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot is celebrated according to the Hebrew calendar.

Yahshua was killed as the Passover Lamb on the 14th Aviv, when He was impaled at about 9 o’clock in the morning. At about 12 o’clock until 3 o’clock in the afternoon darkness fell over the whole land, as testified in Luke 23: 44 & 45, as follows: ‘And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, (45) the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.’  This is when Yahshua died (or was cut off) as prophesied in Daniel 9: 26 & 27, in this way: “Then after sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolation are determined. (27) And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering.” Yahshua died as the Passover Lamb, but was also offered as the wave sheaf (or grain) offering on the impalement stake before YHVH, as witnessed in verse 46 of Luke 23, crying out in a loud voice He said: ‘“Father, INTO THY HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” And having said this, He breathed His last.’  When the veil of the Temple was torn in two, Yahshua’s death atoned for the sins of whoever believes in Him and He was accepted as the first of the first-fruits;  to be resurrected three days and three nights later at the end of the weekly Sabbath as the first-born from the dead. We read accordingly from Romans 5: 6, ‘For while we were still helpless, at the right time Messiah died for the ungodly’, so that they could be given salvation in Elohim’s Kingdom and the harvest of humanity for eternal life could begin. If we as first-fruits offered at Shavuot as two leavened loaves of bread are accepted, we will be born again at Messiah’s return, when we will be resurrected or changed as per 1 Corinthians 15: 51 & 52, as follows: ‘Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.’

According to Romans 8: 11, Messiah’s resurrection provides us with hope that Elohim’s Set-apart Spirit, given us at immersion will also give life to our mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells us. The Scriptures clearly reveal that certain of the personalities in the Tanach had this same hope. The patriarch Job knew Elohim’s plan for man after death. He lived and died knowing that he would eventually be resurrected, as witnessed in Job 14: 10 – 14, in this way: “But man dies and lies prostrate. Man expires, and where is he? (11) As water evaporates from the sea, and a river becomes parched and dried up, (12) so man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens be no more, he will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep. (13) Oh that Thou wouldst hide me in Sheol, that Thou wouldst conceal me until Thy wrath returns to Thee, that Thou wouldst set a limit for me and remember me! (14) If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my struggle I will wait, until my change comes.” Job knew he would be resurrected, but until then he would wait in his grave until his ‘change comes’ – from physical to spiritual, from mortal to immortal, as explained in 1 Corinthians 15: 53 & 54, as follows: ‘For the perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.’ We read further about his understanding in Job 19: 26 & 27, where he wrote: “Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see Elohim; (27) Whom I myself shall behold, and Whom my eyes shall see and not another. My heart faints within me.” This was Job’s hope as it is also ours – eternal life which Elohim, who cannot lie, promised before time began, as recorded in Titus 1: 2. Rav Shaul told the Roman officials who questioned him about his beliefs in Acts 24: 14 & 15, saying: “But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the Elohim of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law, and that is written in the prophets; (15) having a hope in Elohim, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.” If Yahshua had not been resurrected, we would have no hope of living forever. But we have the assurance that Elohim, through Messiah, will resurrect all who have ever died.

But as Rav Shaul testified in Acts 24 that there will be more than one resurrection. Rav Yochanan wrote of a vision he received from Yahshua Messiah in Revelation 20: 4, stating: ‘And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Yahshua and because of the word of Elohim, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years.’  Here we see a group of those who have been faithful to Messiah given thrones, authority and rulership with Yahshua for 1,000 years. These are the ones described in 1 Thessalonians 4: 16, as follows: ‘For the Master Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of Elohim; and the dead in Messiah shall rise first.’ Continuing with Yochanan’s description of events accompanying Messiah’s return, he writes in Revelation 20: 6, saying: ‘Blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of Elohim and of Messiah and will reign with Him for a thousand years.’ Notice that Rav Yochanan calls this the first resurrection; if there is the first resurrection, then obviously there is more than one resurrection. Yochanan goes on to tell us in verse 5, saying: ‘The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.’ This is the second resurrection, a bringing back to physical life that will take place at the conclusion of the Millennium rule of Messiah.

We, who have truly repented and have accepted His sacrifice to atone for our sins, are now His Spirit-begotten brethren, and if we qualify, will when He returns become Spirit-born into His Kingdom.  First fruits are that part of a crop that is harvested around the Feast of First Fruits in the land of Israel. The idea of us becoming first fruits, imply that there will also be second fruits. The second fruits are usually harvested after the Feast of Sukkoth. It is obvious that not everyone is now being called. Billions of people have been born, lived and died, without ever hearing the name of Yahshua the Messiah once, let alone obeying Him.  Not even all those who heard the Savior speak were being called at that time. In fact YHVH does not want to save all at this time  as witnessed in Matthew 13: 11, 12 & 19, as follows:  ‘And He (Yahshua) answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. (12) For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. (19) When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.’ This is specific language that is hard to be misunderstood.  Either their time had not yet come or Yahshua was a respecter of persons, which we know is contrary to what is recorded in Acts 10: 34, ‘And opening his mouth, Kepha said: “I most certainly understand now that Elohim is not one to show partiality.’ Do you think the Savior would have spoken in a way that they could not understand Him, if He knew that it would have doomed them to be lost forever? 

 

We read further from John 12: 37 – 40: ‘But though he had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him; (38) that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “YHVH, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF YHVH BEEN REVEALED?” (39) For this cause they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, (40) “HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES, AND HARDENED THEIR HEART; LEST THEY SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED (to the fact that Yahshua Messiah is the right hand and holy arm of Elohim through whom He created the heavens and the earth, as confirmed in Jeremiah 32: 17[1]), AND I HEAL THEM”’ This is a hard saying to some, especially in light of what we read in 2 Peter 3: 9: ‘YHVH is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.’  In addition we are told in Acts 4: 11 & 12 that Yahshua is the only name by which we may be saved, as follows: ‘HE (Yahshua) is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone. (12) And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” This seems like a contradiction at first -- how could Elohim purposely blind some, and at the same time not be willing that any should perish? We must also not forget that most of the ones spoken about here are already dead and buried. Romans 11 is about Jews who are presently blinded to the identity of Yahshua mentioned earlier in John 12: 37 – 40. We know that they will be grafted in when Messiah returns one day, as recorded in Zechariah 12: 7 – 10, as follows: ‘YHVH also will save the tents of Judah first in order that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not be magnified above Judah. (8) In that day YHVH will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like Elohim, like the angel of YHVH before them. (9) And it will come about in that day that I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (10) And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born.’  We read accordingly in Romans 11: 25 - 28, ‘For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation; that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; (26)  and thus all Israel will be saved (even those who now think they are Gentiles);  just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGOLINESS FROM JACOB. (27) AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS. (28) From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of Elohim’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.”’ We read about our Father’s mercy in verses 32 & 33, as follows: ‘For Elohim has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all. (33) Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!’

 

According to John 1: 1 – 3 & 14, Yahshua was the word of Elohim before He became the Son of Man, as follows: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. (2) He was in the beginning with Elohim. (3) All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. (14) And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we behold His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.’  In confirmation with what we read in verse 3 above, we also read from Psalm 33: 6, ‘By the word of YHVH the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host.’ Because many are not familiar with Messiah’s main purpose to bring the lost sheep of the house of Israel back to the covenant they made with Elohim, together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai, they do not understand the relationship between our heavenly Father and Him as the Son of Man being One! It was for this reason that we read from Isaiah 53: 1, ‘Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of YHVH been revealed?  Even though the fact that Yahshua became known as the Son of Man and later after He was resurrected from the dead, as the Son of Elohim, it does not in any way change the concept of YHVH our Elohim, being the One and only YHVH, a fact which the house of Judah believed to be undisputable, and rightly so. However, the reason for their strong stance on this point is both the fact that He only came for the house of Israel as He told the Canaanite woman who asked Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter in Matthew 15: 24[2] and that are presently blinded to Messiah’s identity.  

 

Let’s at this point explain the Son‘ship of Yahshua to remove any doubt from the fact that as the arm of, or word of YHVH He will always be part of the one and only Elohim, despite many who do not understand the concept. The fact that somehow we as Nazarene Israelites came to understand these truths, is simply because Yahshua revealed it to us, as He confirmed in Luke 10: 21 – 24, in this way: ‘At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Set-apart Spirit, and said, “I praise Thee, O Father, Adonai of heaven and earth, that Thou dist hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight. (22) All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (23) And turning to His disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, (24) for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”’ Yahshua otherwise known as Emanuel (or Elohim with us) is YHVH in the flesh, even though many stumble over Him as both the foundation and cornerstone of the congregation of Elohim, as Yahshua also told the chief priest and the elders in the Temple in Matthew 21: 42 saying to them: “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM YHVH AND  IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES?’” Yahshua became the Son of Man so that those members of the lost sheep of the house of Israel whom YHVH calls out of the churches of the world, could have a kinsman redeemer from the commonwealth of Israel, but specifically from the house of Judah who remained loyal to YHVH and His Torah, who redeemed their piece of the Promised Land which they lost, the same way Boaz redeemed Ruth’s (or more specifically her late husband’s)  property in accordance with the Torah described in Leviticus 25: 23 – 25, as follows: “The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me. (24) Thus for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land. (25) If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.” Yes, Yahshua’s death redeemed us from our past sins, but in dying He also bought back our piece of the Promised Land that we lost because of idolatry.

 

After Messiah’s death He became the Son of Elohim through the resurrection, as we read from Romans 1: 1 – 4, as follows: ‘Shaul, a bond-servant of Messiah Yahshua, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of Elohim, (2) which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, (3) concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, (4) who was declared the Son of Elohim with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the spirit of holiness, Yahshua Messiah our Adonai.’ He became the first born from the dead (as per Colossians 1: 18[3]) to show us by example how we can one day at His return be born-again as sons and daughters of Elohim, as Rav Shaul also taught in Romans 8: 28 & 29, saying: ‘And we know that Elohim causes all things to work together for good to those who love Elohim, to those who are called according to His purpose. (29) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.’  Once Yahshua has succeeded in bringing the two houses of Israel together at His return, He will remarry His bride consisting of both houses as we read from Jeremiah 31: 31 – 34, as follows: “Behold, days are coming,” declares YHVH, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, (32) not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares YHVH. (33) But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares YHVH, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.”’ Then will come about what we read about in Ezekiel 37: 21 -  24, in this way: “And say to them, ‘Thus says Adonai Elohim, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; (22) and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms. (23) And they will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions: but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And They will be My people and I will be their Elohim. (24) And My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes, and observe them.” At that time the commonwealth of Israel will as Elohim’s model nation start showing the rest of mankind how living the way of Elohim, will be to the benefit of all nations.

 

But, what about the rest of Mankind who are not saved during the first resurrection? Yahshua described a time during which people from all generations will be judged at the same time in Matthew 11: 20 – 24, as follows: ‘Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. (21) “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. (22) Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you. (23) And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. (24) Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”’ These people from ancient times will only respond once they have had a real opportunity to understand the Scriptures. Note that even the perverts of Sodom will find it more tolerable in the Day of Judgment, compared to those in Capernaum who personally knew and rejected Yahshua. The reason is that they had no knowledge of the true Elohim and His Torah. Messiah only appeared a number of years after them and they did not know Him or His Saving Name. These people, who have been dead for thousands of years, are going to be resurrected in the second resurrection and be judged at that time. We read about those who will be in the second resurrection from Isaiah 25: 7 – 8, in this way:  ‘And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations. (8) He will swallow up death for all time, and YHVH Elohim will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For YHVH has spoken.’ When will the veil which is over all nations be destroyed? When will death be swallowed up? Obviously only after the Day of Judgment. The Day of Judgment for all the billions who lived over the past centuries will only come after the Millennial rule of Yahshua Messiah. We see that these people who were blinded in the past will have the veil, which is stretched over them, removed. If these innumerable formerly blinded people are simply judged by their works, many of them who were thieves, prostitutes, dictators and false prophets will perish in the lake of fire. They did not ever repent and were not immersed as we are instructed in Acts 2: 38. They did not study the Scriptures as we read from 2 Peter 3: 18, as follows: ‘But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Master and Savior Yahshua Messiah. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amein.’ 

 

This is truly the time of Elohim’s Last Great Day. This is the time spoken about by Rav Shaul in Philippians 2: 9 - 11, in this way: ‘Therefore also Elohim highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Yahshua EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Yahshua Messiah is Master, to the glory of Elohim the Father.’ We see from John 7: 37, that Yahshua stood up and cried out to His people on the last day, the great day of the feast, saying: “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.” This indicates that all the unsaved dead are to be raised and given a final opportunity to kneel before Messiah. This provision to accept Yahshua as Master and Savior is what the Last Great Day of the Feast described in Leviticus 23: 36 is all about. The prophet Daniel prophesied about that time in Daniel 12: 2, saying: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” Yahshua Himself compared death with sleep. Before the resurrection of a young girl in Luke 8: 52, He comforted those who were grieving by saying, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” He similarly compared the death of Lazarus to sleep before Lazarus was brought to life in John 11: 11 – 14, in this way: ‘This He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awaken him out of sleep.” (12) The disciples therefore said to Him, “Master, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover. (13) Now Yahshua had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. (14) Then Yahshua therefore said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.”’  Elohim’s plan for human life and our goal is for us eventually to be changed into spirit, shining as the stars forever, as witnessed in Daniel 12: 3, as follows: “And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” We are destined to be part of Elohim’s family, to be Spirit, as He is Spirit, as we read from 1 John 3: 2 & 3, in this way: ‘Beloved, now we are children of Elohim, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. (3) And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.’ In Elohim’s plan, the resurrection to eternal life of all those who desire this gift can come only through a resurrected Yahshua Messiah. Otherwise the remainder would never experience everlasting life. Rav Shaul explains this in detail in 1 Corinthians 15: 12 – 21, saying: ‘Now if Messiah is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (13) But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Messiah has been raised; (14) and if Messiah has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. (15) Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of Elohim, because we witnessed against Elohim that He raised Messiah, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. (16) For if the dead are not raised not even Messiah has been raised; (17) and if Messiah has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. (18) Then those also who have fallen asleep in Messiah have perished. (19) If we have hoped in Messiah in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. (20) But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, the first fruit(s) of those who are asleep. (21) For since by man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.’  

 

Our resurrection to eternal life is firmly based on a resurrected Messiah. As He lives (even after His death), so we will live, as we read from Hebrews 6: 17 – 20, in this way: “In the same way Elohim, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, (18) in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for Elohim to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. (19) This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, (20) where Yahshua has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.’ But what about the irredeemable wicked? Scriptures show that the wicked will also wake up during the second resurrection. All human beings will ultimately either receive life forever or be destroyed forever. Those who stubbornly refuse to repent will be consumed by fire. Their resurrection is for a negative reason, but for the believer with spiritual understanding, it also serves as a sobering warning: The fate of the irredeemable wicked is a reminder that we have entered into a serious covenant with Elohim through Yahshua Messiah. Once we set our hearts and minds on Elohim, we must never turn back to the wicked ways of this evil world. Finally we need to remember that Elohim does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked as witnessed in Ezekiel 18: 23, as follows: “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares YHVH Elohim, ‘rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?”  Think about it!

 

 

[1] Jeremiah 32: 17, ‘Ah, Adonai Elohim! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee’

[2] Matthew 15: 24, ‘But He (Yahshua) answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’

[3] Colossians 1: 18, ‘He is also the head of the body, the congregation; and He is the beginning, the first-form from the dead so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.’