The resurrection of the dead is one of the most basic of Christian doctrines; and we accept it as fact that Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) not only suffered and died for the sins of the world, but that He subsequently rose from the grave by the power of the Almighty God - His Father. Indeed were it not for the Savior's resurrection, an event confirmed by many irrefutable proofs and hundreds of eye witnesses, the whole catalogue of His mighty works and wonderful message may well have been passed over by the reporters of history.

For the reality of the resurrection means that Jesus Christ not only rose from the dead, but that He is alive today. Yes, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, is alive today. And it is because He is alive and personally directing the work of His Church, that all the unbelieving forces in existence have been unable to prevent the Everlasting Gospel spreading to the four corners of this earth.

Moreover, the resurrection of Jesus has set him high above all the great men and philosophers of the ages, men who have somehow been accepted as the original thinkers of the past. In other words, great as those other religious leaders may have been, they are still dead! Yes, they are all dead; whereas Jesus Christ is very much alive and actively leading His Church even in this 21^st. century.

In addition to these fundamental facts, Yeshua's resurrection is also Yahweh's infallible guarantee that all who genuinely believe in His Son will likewise rise from their graves and live forever, even though the sleep of temporal death may overtake them.

We use the truth of the resurrection to remind all students, that no matter how bleak the outlook and however dark their circumstances, they should never cease to rejoice in the reality that Yeshua the Messiah, the Savior of mankind, the Son of the Living God, is alive. And because He is alive, the believer may be absolutely certain that he/she will also live forever. In other words, sickness and death should hold no lasting fear for anyone who has put his/her faith in Jesus Christ.

1. Jesus was raised to life by the power of God.
   (Acts 4: 10, Romans 6: 4)

2. He was subsequently seen by over 500 witnesses.
   (Acts 2: 32, 1 Corinthains 15: 6)

3. The Bible clearly teaches the resurrection of the dead. It is a foundation teaching of the Scriptures.
   (Ezekiel chapter 37, 1 Corinthians 15: 20-23)

4. There Are Two General Resurrections:
   • The first, the Resurrection of Life, will take place at the return of Christ.
     (1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17, John 5: 29)
   • The second, the Resurrection of Damnation, will occur a thousand years after the first resurrection.
     (Revelation 20: 5-6)

5. Resurrected believers who rise at the first resurrection will come forth with glorified and immortal bodies, similar to the body Jesus possessed when He rose from the grave.
   (1 Corinthians 15: 42-44, 1 John 3: 2)

6. They will then receive their awards and eternal inheritance at the hand of God.
   (Luke 14: 14, Matthew 16: 27)

7. The unbeliever, in awful contrast, will rise in the Resurrection of Damnation - after the final judgment at the end of the millennium. Unbelievers will perish in the second death.
   (Revelation 20: 12-14)

8. There is no resurrection from the second death. The second death - by fire - is the annihilation of the unbeliever. “They will be as though they had not been.” See:
   (Revelation 20: 15, Malachi 4: 1)

9. In view of these awesome facts all students are urged to put their faith in Yahweh and His Son. Should they die before Christ returns to earth, the Most High is well able to raise them from their graves and give them eternal life. This is the message of the Gospel of Salvation. Is it not good news to a frightened world?
   (John 3: 16, 2 Corinthians 1: 9)

10. All those who seek to live forever (and who in his/her right mind does not?) should accept and act upon the words of the Savior who said:
    

    John 11:

    25:“I am the resurrection, and the life: He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

    
    

A Voice In The Wilderness - USA
www.avitw-usa.org