The Late ELDER JOSHUA T. ROWE: THE RESURRECTION. Resurrection

Sometime ago, a sister told me that a certain preacher said, I do not know anything about the resurrection.

Thinking this over, the following scriptures have come to my mind. John 5:28-29, Jesus says, “Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice. And shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” Romans 8:11. “But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” 1st Thes. 4:16-17. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Matthew 22, read from verse 23 to 32. 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.” 1st. John 3:2. “Beloved now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: But we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” Col. 1:18. “And he is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Phil. 3:21. “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Matthew 27:52-53. “And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. And came out of their graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. And then read the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians, 12th to 58th verses, and if these scriptures do not convince any open mind that the natural body is to be raised a spiritual body, I do not see the reason why. I would like to ask one question of any one who desires the resurrection of the body, or who may be skeptical on the subject, and that question is this – If Christ and his apostles did not mean by the words they used to teach that this natural body composed of flesh and bones is to be raised a spiritual body, pray tell me what words would they have used or should have used to teach that doctrine? It is so plain that they do teach it as the capstone of the whole gospel system, that I am surprised that any man called of God to preach the gospel and who reads the Bible and studies to show himself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, should say, I know nothing about the resurrection. There is nothing more positively affirmed, or more clearly proven than that this natural body is raised a spiritual body, and our Apostle Paul says if it is not so our preaching is vain, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. Someone says, I have not experienced the resurrection, so I cannot say about it. I ask, have you not learned enough of Jesus to believe his word? He says, “They that are in the graves shall hear his voice and come forth.” Do we not believe that the Holy Ghost taught the apostles of Jesus Christ what to say and how to say it? Paul tells us that, “This mortal must put on immortality.” Again, “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. Can we not credit the word of God concerning things we have not yet experienced? Jesus said, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. John 20:29. Some things are seen only by faith. Abraham had not seen the land God would give him, but God said to him, Get thee to a land I will show thee, and Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. The Lord’s word is sufficient. Joseph had no knowledge of the possibility of a virgin becoming a mother, so when he knew Mary’s condition, he was minded to put her away, but when the Lord told him it was the Holy Ghost, he knew it was so and was satisfied. Brethren, let us believe the word of God, and rest on it, and in it. 

JOSHUA T. ROWE of Baltimore, Maryland 

(He was an associate Editor of Zion’s Landmark)