This is just one of a series of articles written by Chuck & Karen Cohen, which later formed the basis for their book Roots Of Our Faith. The book greatly expands on the themes introduced by these articles, and also contains extensive topical and scripture indices.

Messianic terms used in this teaching:

Yeshua

Jesus

Messiah

Christ

Tanach

Old Testament

 

All Scripture verses are from the Authorised King James Version.

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“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

It is clear to Paul that the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua is an integral part of the good news. But note the reason why Paul, the other apostles and disciples, and all other believers had confidence that what they were proclaiming was of God – because it was “according to the Scriptures” – the Tanach.

To underline the importance of the Tanach to our faith, we must know there was no New Testament in the days of Yeshua. He never preached from, or read a word out of NT texts; neither did Peter nor any other NT writer or saint! The NT was in the process of being revealed by the Spirit of God to the early Body of Messiah. The only way they could confirm that what they were receiving was of God was to see if it agreed with the Word of God they already possessed, the Tanach, called “the Scriptures” throughout the NT.

See Matt 21:42; 22:29; Luke 24:27, 44-46; John 5:39; 19:36-37; Acts 8:32-35; 17:10-11; Rom 1:1-2; 16:25-26; Gal 3:8; 2 Tim 3:15-17.

There are foreshadows, types and teachings about resurrection in the Tanach. The NT confirms the truth of a resurrection of the dead and adds that we will have glorified bodies like the resurrected Messiah. But even this was hinted at already. Yeshua also fulfilled Tanach prophecies about a risen Messiah.

New Testament and Tanach Resurrection

Many NT writers found evidence of resurrection in the Tanach. The writer to the Hebrews knew by the Spirit that Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead if Isaac was sacrificed.

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac… accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.” Hebrews 11:17-19

It is revealing of Jewish thought concerning resurrection that, although not scriptural, some rabbis believe Isaac actually died of terror when Abraham lifted the knife and that God then raised Isaac from the dead¹.

Yeshua teaches resurrection when He quotes God’s pronouncement of who He is to Moses at the burning bush:

“Now even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ For He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to Him.” Luke 20:37-38

By using this verse from the Tanach, Yeshua is stating that the forefathers were alive in Moses’ day. Of course, their bodies were in the grave, but their souls were with God until the resurrection when both body and soul would be joined together (??Ecc 12:7??; 1 Cor 15).

James Orr writes:

“Reasoning with the Sadducees, Jesus quotes that saying of God to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham… Isaac, and… Jacob,’ adding, ‘God is not the God of the dead, but of the living’ (??Matt 22:23-32??). The point… is that Jesus quotes this… in proof of the resurrection of the dead. And how does it prove that? Only on the ground… that the relation of the believer to God carries with it a whole immortality, and this… implies life in the body. If God is the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, this covenant relation pledges to these patriarchs not only continuance of existence, but redemption from the power of death, ie, resurrection².”

Examples in the Tanach

In the Tanach, there are types and also examples of life after death, or, as in the case of Enoch and Elijah, heavenly life after earthly life. The translations from earth to heaven these two men of God had before they died (??Gen 5:22-24??; 2 Kings 2:11) are Tanach examples of the “rapture” referred to by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.

Elijah, by prayer, saw a widow’s dead son restored to life (??1 Kings 17:17-24??). Elisha, whose many miracles often foreshadow miracles of Yeshua (feeding multitudes; causing an axe head to “walk on water”; healing lepers), also raised a dead boy to life and returned him to his mother (??2 Kings 4:32-35??; Luke 7:12-16).

In 2 Kings 13:20, when a dead man was placed in the same cave and touched the bones of Elisha, the man came back to life. Even after death, God used Elisha to bring life. Of course, Elisha remained in the grave until after Messiah’s resurrection when many “dead” saints were raised – maybe including Elisha – (??Matt 27:52-53??), ultimately ascending with Messiah to heaven (??Eph 4:8??). The picture is clear. The Prophet sent from God, (see article, “The Prophet like Moses”) Yeshua, brings life to all that “touch” Him after His death as well.

Tanach Teaching

Job contains a number of references to life after death. Many scholars believe this book is one of the oldest in Scriptures with Job living at the time of Abraham.

If any saint needed assurance of a better life to come it was Job. He makes some strong statements about his belief in his resurrection:

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last [or “the last days”] on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed this body, this I know, that in my flesh shall I see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another…” Job 19:25-27

Job is speaking about a bodily resurrection from the dead. Although the Hebrew of this passage is very hard to interpret, there is no doubt that Job is stating a belief in life after death and that he has a Redeemer who will vindicate and save him.

Earlier, Job already referred to being changed in the resurrection:

“If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service [literally – warfare; army service!] I will wait, till my change [my renewal] comes.” Job 14:14

Paul argues the same in 1 Corinthians 15:35-44, that our resurrected bodies will not be the same as our current bodies. Hear David also:

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” Psa 17:15

This too, hints about being resurrected with glorified bodies like Yeshua.

On Shavuot, when the Spirit of God came with power to the worshipping disciples of Yeshua, Peter proclaimed the gospel to the Jewish multitudes by using many Tanach verses. Referring to the resurrection, he quoted Psalm 16:9-11:

“... my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol [the grave]; nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life…” Acts 2:29-32

After three days a dead body starts to decay (??John 11:39??). But Yeshua was raised on the third day. In truth God did not allow His “... Holy One to see corruption.”

Other verses in the Psalms also refer to the resurrection. David, whom Peter quoted above, also wrote:

“O LORD, You have brought my soul (Hebrew: nephesh – that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man) up from the grave (Sheol – underworld, grave, pit): You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.” Psalm 30:3

Psalms 49:14-15, 71:20 and 73:24 are other related verses.

The prophets make definite statements about the resurrection:

“Your dead shall live, together with my dead body (corpse) they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.” Isaiah 26:19

“Kimchi [a famous Jewish commentator] refers these words to the days of the Messiah³...”

Daniel introduces the concept of two resurrections, one of the righteous and the other of the wicked:

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2

The NT confirms this in several places (??Matt 25:46??; Rev 20:1ff).

Proclamations and Prophecies

Maimonides’ thirteen principles of faith are the closest thing Judaism has to a set creed. The final one is: “I believe with perfect faith that there will be a revival of the dead at the time when it shall please the Creator⁴...”

We already mentioned that some rabbis think Isaac was resurrected. Isaac is such a clear type of Messiah Yeshua that it is incredible for them to think this. The promised son whom his father loved; the son who carried his own wood on which he was to be offered; he whom his father was willing to sacrifice – this one some rabbis see as being resurrected!

Some Jewish commentators also hint at Jonah being resurrected⁵. Jonah cried out to God from the grave, at least figuratively:

“Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly. And he said, ‘I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol [underworld, grave, hell, pit] I cried, and You heard my voice… I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever: yet You have brought up my life from the pit [corruption, destruction, grave], O LORD my God.” Jonah 2:1-2,6

Yeshua used Jonah’s three days in the fish as the only sign which His generation would have from Him (??Jonah 1:17??; Matt 12:40) because it pointed to His resurrection. Was the rabbinical belief in Jonah’s resurrection around in Yeshua’s day? If so, then His use of Jonah was even more pointed.

In Ezekiel 37:7-10, it points to a resurrection of the nation of Israel. Whether meant to be taken literally or figuratively, it proclaims an understanding of God’s ability by His Spirit to raise the dead to life. This Ezekiel chapter is the Passover week Shabbat Haftarah portion, the section from the Prophets that is read with the weekly Torah portion in synagogues. These Haftarah selections were first developed during the time of the Maccabbes, when Jews were not allowed to read the “Law”. Therefore it is probable that these readings were used during Yeshua’s day (Many think Luke 4 is an example of this.)

Where was Yeshua after His crucifixion during the Shabbat of the Passover week? In the grave! Therefore during the only Shabbat of the year when Messiah was dead, Jewish people read Ezekiel 37 and think about resurrection!

In previous articles about the Crucifixion we mentioned the resurrection of Messiah as proclaimed in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. Yeshua’s resurrection fulfilled a Jewish holiday, a day that the Lord proclaimed a Feast day – the firstfruits of the barley harvest (??Lev 23:9-14??). Paul refers to this in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 and calls Messiah “the firstfruits” twice in these verses.

Finally, we see two powerful verses on the resurrection in the book of the prophet Hosea. In 6:2, there is a reference to being raised from the dead on the third day, and in 13:14 we have one of God’s most incredible promises:

“I will ransom them from the power of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
O Death, I will be your plagues!
O Grave, I will be your destruction!” Hosea 13:14

“Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?” Acts 26:8

Footnotes:

¹ Legends of the Bible, Louis Ginzberg, Jewish Publication Society of America, 1909, Abridged Edition, page 133.

² “Immortality in the Old Testament” by James Orr, Classical Evangelical Essays in OT Interpretation, complied and edited by Walter C Kaiser, Jr, Baker Book House Co 1972, pp 258-259

³ Clarke’s Commentary, Vol IV, page 118, Abingdon, Nashville.

⁴ The Authorised Daily Prayer Book, by Dr. Joseph H Hertz, NY Bloch Publishing Co 1948; page 255.

⁵ The Twelve Prophets, edited by Rev Dr A Cohen, Soncino Press, 1948, pp 144-145