How did mankind come to need a resurrection? In the beginning a resurrection was not necessary. It was not a part of God's original purpose for mankind, because death was not the natural, purposed thing for humans. Rather, God indicated that he purposed the earth to be full of living humans, Not a deteriorating, dying race.
His work was perfect, without flaw, imperfection, or sickness. (De 32:4) Jehovah blessed the first human pair, telling them to multiply and fill the earth. (Ge 1:28) Such blessing certainly DID NOT include sickness and death; God set NO limited life span for man, but he told Adam that disobedience is what would cause death.
This implies that man would otherwise live forever. Disobedience would incur God's disfavor and remove his blessing, bringing a curse.—Ge 2:17; 3:17-19
Death was introduced into the human race by the transgression of Adam. (Ro 5:12) Because of their father's sinfulness and resultant imperfection, Adam's offspring could NOT get a heritage of everlasting life from him; in fact, not even a hope of living forever. "Neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit," said Jesus. (Mt 7:17, 18; Job 14:1, 2)
The resurrection was brought in, or added, to overcome this disability for those of Adam's children who would desire to be obedient to God.
The resurrection shows forth not only Jehovah's unlimited power and wisdom but also his love and his mercy and vindicates him as the Preserver of those who serve him. (1Sa 2:6)
Having resurrection power, he can go to the extent of showing that his servants will be faithful to him to the very death. He can answer Satan's accusation that asserted that "skin in behalf of skin, and everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul." (Job 2:4) Jehovah can let Satan go the full limit, even to killing some in a vain effort to support his false accusations. (Mt 24:9; Re 2:10; 6:11)
The fact that Jehovah's servants are willing to give up life itself in his service proves their service is, not for selfish considerations, but out of love. (Re 12:11) It also proves that they acknowledge Him as the Almighty, the Universal Sovereign, and the God of love, who is able to resurrect them.
It proves they render exclusive devotion to Jehovah for his wonderful qualities and not for selfish material reasons. The resurrection also is a means by which Jehovah sees that his purpose toward the earth, as stated to Adam, is carried out.—Ge 1:28.
The resurrection of the dead is an undeserved kindness on God's part and essential to mankind's happiness and to the undoing of all the harm, suffering, and oppression that have come upon the human race.
These things have befallen man as a result of his imperfection and sickness, the wars he has waged, the murders committed, and the inhumanities practiced by wicked people at the instance of Satan the Devil. We cannot be completely happy if we do not believe in a resurrection.
Immortality differs from everlasting life. The first one described in the Bible as rewarded with the gift of immortality is Jesus Christ. That he did not possess immortality before his resurrection by God is seen from the inspired apostle's words at Romans 6:9: "Christ, now that he has been raised up from the dead, dies no more; death is master over him no more." (Compare Re 1:17, 18.)
For this reason, when describing him as "the King of those who rule as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords," 1 Timothy 6:15, 16 shows that Jesus is distinct from all such other kings and lords in that HE is "the one alone having immortality." The other kings and lords, because of being mortal, die, even as did also the high priests of Israel.
The glorified Jesus, God's appointed High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, however, has "an indestructible life."—Heb 7:15-17, 23-25.
The word "indestructible" here translates the Greek term a·ka·ta´ly·tos, meaning, literally, "indissoluble." (Heb 7:16) The word is a compound of the negative prefix a joined to other words relating to a "loosening down," as in Jesus' statement regarding the loosening down or throwing down of the stones of the temple at Jerusalem (Mt 24:1, 2), as well as in Paul's reference to the loosening down of the earthly "tent" of Christians, that is, the dissolving of their earthly life in human bodies. (2Co 5:1)
Thus, the immortal life granted Jesus upon his resurrection is not merely endless but is beyond deterioration or dissolution and is beyond destruction.
Those anointed Christians [144,000] have been called to reign with Christ in the heavens (1Pe 1:3, 4), have the promise to share with Christ in the likeness of his resurrection. (Ro 6:5) As in the case of their Lord and Head, the anointed members of the Christian congregation who die faithful receive a resurrection to immortal SPIRIT life, so that "this which is mortal puts on immortality." (1Co 15:50-54)
As with Jesus, immortality in their case DOES NOT mean simply everlasting life, or mere freedom from death. It meanst hat they, along with their Lord and Head, are granted "the power of an indestructible life" as fellow heirs with Christ is seen from the apostle Paul's association of incorruptibility with the immortality they attain. (1Co 15:42-49) Over them "the second death has no authority."—Re 20:6; .
This grant of immortality to the Kingdom heirs is all the more remarkable, in view of the fact that even God's angels are shown to be mortal, despite their possessing spirit bodies, not carnal ones.
Angelic mortality is evident in view of the judgment of death entered against the spirit son who became God's Adversary, or Satan, and also against those other angels who followed that satanic course and "did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place." (Jude 6; Mt 25:41; Re 20:10, 14)
So the grant of "indestructible life" (Heb 7:16) or "indissoluble life" to those Christians who gain the privilege of reigning with God's Son in the heavenly Kingdom marvelously demonstrates God's confidence in them. The new bodies given these anointed ones are spirit bodies.
His work was perfect, without flaw, imperfection, or sickness. (De 32:4) Jehovah blessed the first human pair, telling them to multiply and fill the earth. (Ge 1:28) Such blessing certainly DID NOT include sickness and death; God set NO limited life span for man, but he told Adam that disobedience is what would cause death.
This implies that man would otherwise live forever. Disobedience would incur God's disfavor and remove his blessing, bringing a curse.—Ge 2:17; 3:17-19
Death was introduced into the human race by the transgression of Adam. (Ro 5:12) Because of their father's sinfulness and resultant imperfection, Adam's offspring could NOT get a heritage of everlasting life from him; in fact, not even a hope of living forever. "Neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit," said Jesus. (Mt 7:17, 18; Job 14:1, 2)
The resurrection was brought in, or added, to overcome this disability for those of Adam's children who would desire to be obedient to God.
The resurrection shows forth not only Jehovah's unlimited power and wisdom but also his love and his mercy and vindicates him as the Preserver of those who serve him. (1Sa 2:6)
Having resurrection power, he can go to the extent of showing that his servants will be faithful to him to the very death. He can answer Satan's accusation that asserted that "skin in behalf of skin, and everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul." (Job 2:4) Jehovah can let Satan go the full limit, even to killing some in a vain effort to support his false accusations. (Mt 24:9; Re 2:10; 6:11)
The fact that Jehovah's servants are willing to give up life itself in his service proves their service is, not for selfish considerations, but out of love. (Re 12:11) It also proves that they acknowledge Him as the Almighty, the Universal Sovereign, and the God of love, who is able to resurrect them.
It proves they render exclusive devotion to Jehovah for his wonderful qualities and not for selfish material reasons. The resurrection also is a means by which Jehovah sees that his purpose toward the earth, as stated to Adam, is carried out.—Ge 1:28.
The resurrection of the dead is an undeserved kindness on God's part and essential to mankind's happiness and to the undoing of all the harm, suffering, and oppression that have come upon the human race.
These things have befallen man as a result of his imperfection and sickness, the wars he has waged, the murders committed, and the inhumanities practiced by wicked people at the instance of Satan the Devil. We cannot be completely happy if we do not believe in a resurrection.
Immortality differs from everlasting life. The first one described in the Bible as rewarded with the gift of immortality is Jesus Christ. That he did not possess immortality before his resurrection by God is seen from the inspired apostle's words at Romans 6:9: "Christ, now that he has been raised up from the dead, dies no more; death is master over him no more." (Compare Re 1:17, 18.)
For this reason, when describing him as "the King of those who rule as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords," 1 Timothy 6:15, 16 shows that Jesus is distinct from all such other kings and lords in that HE is "the one alone having immortality." The other kings and lords, because of being mortal, die, even as did also the high priests of Israel.
The glorified Jesus, God's appointed High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, however, has "an indestructible life."—Heb 7:15-17, 23-25.
The word "indestructible" here translates the Greek term a·ka·ta´ly·tos, meaning, literally, "indissoluble." (Heb 7:16) The word is a compound of the negative prefix a joined to other words relating to a "loosening down," as in Jesus' statement regarding the loosening down or throwing down of the stones of the temple at Jerusalem (Mt 24:1, 2), as well as in Paul's reference to the loosening down of the earthly "tent" of Christians, that is, the dissolving of their earthly life in human bodies. (2Co 5:1)
Thus, the immortal life granted Jesus upon his resurrection is not merely endless but is beyond deterioration or dissolution and is beyond destruction.
Those anointed Christians [144,000] have been called to reign with Christ in the heavens (1Pe 1:3, 4), have the promise to share with Christ in the likeness of his resurrection. (Ro 6:5) As in the case of their Lord and Head, the anointed members of the Christian congregation who die faithful receive a resurrection to immortal SPIRIT life, so that "this which is mortal puts on immortality." (1Co 15:50-54)
As with Jesus, immortality in their case DOES NOT mean simply everlasting life, or mere freedom from death. It meanst hat they, along with their Lord and Head, are granted "the power of an indestructible life" as fellow heirs with Christ is seen from the apostle Paul's association of incorruptibility with the immortality they attain. (1Co 15:42-49) Over them "the second death has no authority."—Re 20:6; .
This grant of immortality to the Kingdom heirs is all the more remarkable, in view of the fact that even God's angels are shown to be mortal, despite their possessing spirit bodies, not carnal ones.
Angelic mortality is evident in view of the judgment of death entered against the spirit son who became God's Adversary, or Satan, and also against those other angels who followed that satanic course and "did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place." (Jude 6; Mt 25:41; Re 20:10, 14)
So the grant of "indestructible life" (Heb 7:16) or "indissoluble life" to those Christians who gain the privilege of reigning with God's Son in the heavenly Kingdom marvelously demonstrates God's confidence in them. The new bodies given these anointed ones are spirit bodies.
