Page:Anastasis A Treatise on the Judgment of the Dead.pdf/19

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THE JUDGMENT OF THE DEAD.

Quickener; but for that of unquickened flesh and blood, whether contemporary with the judgment, or reproduced from sheol for judicial purposes.

The attentive reader of the Scriptures will have perceived, that a distinction is made in things pertaining to the resurrection process. Thus, in Jno. v. 21, Jesus says, "as the Father rebuilds (εγειρει) the dead ones, and imparts life to them (ζωοποιἓι); so also the Son imparts life to, or quickens, whom he will." Here, the dead are first awakened, which implies the rebuilding of their dust and their animation; and afterwards, quickened with independent and unending life and power. According to Paul, Jesus himself was the subject of these operations. This appears from Rom. xiv. 9, where he says, that "Christ both died, and rose (ανεστη), and revived ανεζησε)." Here are two distinct things affirmed of Him after His death. Paul was not content with saying, "He died and rose," because that form of speech did not express all that happened to him: anëste or "rose," from which anastasis is derived, did not express the whole truth; for the dead may stand up, and yet not be quickened. For this reason, Paul adds the word anedzese, from αναζαω, which signifies, to live with increased and strengthened life, which was consequent upon his being quickened by "the Father," or Spirit, who caused him after he died to stand up (Jno. vi. 63); hence, because strength and power are related to what is quickened, the word of the Deity is said to be "quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword."

And so also of all who are to be raised ; they are said, first, to "come forth" from their graves: but this is not all. When they have come forth, they stand up; but what do they stand there at the gates of sheol for? To what end have they emerged from thence? The Lord Jesus answers these questions, as follows: "They who have done good things come forth unto a standing up of life; but they who have done evil things unto a standing up (αναστασις) of condemnation" (Jno. v. 29). In this the life and the condemnation are subsequent to the coming forth; for the Lord says, they come forth to or for (sis) these results: which are awarded to them, according to the good or evil they may have done before they.entered sheol.

Such, then, are the things, and the order of their development, in the resurrection period. First, re-organization of dust as a basis for the restoration of personal identity; then the breathing into the nostrils breath of the spirit of life, that the individual may awake, and stand upon his feet; after this, restoration of identity for appearance at the judgment seat of Christ, that the appearer may