The context of this passage (Matt. 22:23-28) is that the Sadducees (a political party of the Jewish elite) questioned Jesus about a man who died and had no children. According to Moses, the dead man's brother should marry his widow and have children, for him (Deut. 25:5-9). His brothers kept marrying his widow, one after the other, because they kept dying too. They asked Jesus which brother could claim the widow as their wife at the resurrection. Jesus was able to see through their deception because the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead; they believed in no afterlife. Neither did they believe in the spiritual realm or angels, whether holy or fallen. However, the Pharisees did believe in these things. Jesus answered the Sadducees by referring to the resurrection of those who die and were faithful to him. This would be the faithful Church and the faithful Old Testament saints who were obedient to Yahweh.
There are three resurrections in
Scripture: One at the rapture of the body of Christ (1 Thess. 13-17)—this is
the one Jesus was referring to. At this resurrection, the dead in Christ will
be reunited with their body. It will be resurrected and transformed into a
heavenly body (1 Cor. 15:22-23, 42-44, 51-53). Then there is a resurrection
referred to as the first resurrection (Rev. 20:4-6). At this resurrection, all
those who are killed during the 7-year Tribulation/70th week of
Israel, because they repent and turn to the One true God, will be resurrected
to live again in their earthly body. During the Tribulation, they will not worship
the Antichrist or his image. They will not receive his mark on their hand or forehead.
These Tribulation saints will be resurrected after Jesus Christ defeats the
kings of the earth, with their military, and the endtimes ἰσχυρός (ischyros)
mighty men. These ischyros are similar to the Nephilim seen in the Old
Testament (Gen. 6:4; Num. 13:33). They were also referred to as the גִּבּוֹר
(gibôr) hero or mighty men (Gen. 6:4; 10:8-9; Josh. 10:2; Jdg. 5:23).[1] The
נָפִיל (nāp̄îl) Nephilim/giants were the offspring of the sons of God (angels).
The giant offspring of the angels were also called רְפָאִים (rᵊp̄ā'îm) Rephaim
(Deut. 2:11, 20; 3:11, 13; Josh. 12:4). The Tribulation saints could be
resurrected before Jesus sets up his earthly kingdom. After Christ’s millennial
reign, there will be another resurrection (Rev. 20:7, 11-15). This resurrection
is referred to as the White Throne Judgment. Everyone who does not have their
name written in the book of life will have their body resurrected to be
reunited with their spirit and soul. Because they do not have their name
written in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 13:8), they will be cast into the lake
of fire.
Jesus made it clear which
resurrection he was referring to. He said the resurrected will be ὡς ἄγγελοι ἐν
τῷ οὐρανῷ (os ángeloi en tó ouranó) “like angels in heaven” (22:30b, mGNT). He meant
the resurrection that is concurrent with the rapture of the body of Christ, who
are still alive at this glorious event (1 Thess. 4:15-17). When the dead in Christ
and the faithful Old Testament saints are resurrected simultaneously with the
raptured body of Christ, each will receive a heavenly body (1 Cor. 15:51-53).
Their Heavenly bodies will be similar to the kind of Heavenly body the angels
live in. The raptured and resurrected saints will be like the angels in heaven,
but different. That is what he meant when he said the resurrected will be like
the angels. He was referring to the angel’s heavenly body. The body of Christ
and the faithful Old Testament saints will become heavenly beings like the
angels of God. The angels have one kind of heavenly body, and the body of
Christ will have another type of heavenly body. The body of Christ and the
faithful Old Testament saints will receive a heavenly body like the one Jesus received
when he was raptured (Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Jn. 3:2).
There is no other way Jesus could
have explained the transformation of the faithful to the Sadducees, especially
since the Church had not been born. And because they did not believe in the
heavenly realms and life after death. He had to say the resurrected will be
like angels, so they could get an idea of what he was saying.
When the Tribulation saints are
resurrected, they do not receive heavenly bodies. At least the Scriptures do
not imply they do. They are resurrected back into their earthly bodies, which
will live forever. They would have to be raptured into the eternal realm for
their resurrected body to be transformed from earthly to heavenly. The
Scriptures do not imply they are raptured into Heaven after the Tribulation,
like the church is before the Tribulation. When Jesus was resurrected, He came
to life again in the same earthly body. He did not receive his heavenly body until
he was raptured and taken into heaven before the eyes of the apostles (Acts 1:9).
The Tribulation saints will dwell on the earth once they are resurrected in
earthly bodies that will not die again. They will rule and reign with Jesus in
their earthly bodies during his millennial reign (Rev. 20:4). After Jesus’ millennial
reign the Tribulation saints and the offspring they produce during the millennial
reign of Christ will experience Satan being released out of his prison (Rev.
20:7). Satan will deceive some of their descendants into joining him to turn
against their forefathers, the Tribulation saints (Rev. 20:9a). But God destroys
them from his throne in heaven (Rev. 20:9b).
Again, there is no indication in
the Scriptures that the Tribulation saints receive heavenly bodies like the
Church does at the rapture. The Scripture only says they come back to life
again to serve Jesus in their earthly bodies. The Scripture leaves us with the idea
they come back to life into their earthly bodies and stay that way for 1000+
years (Rev. 20:6). The raptured body of Christ will dwell in the eternal realm
once resurrected and caught up to heaven, because this day will be the day when
the salvation process in the body of Christ is complete (Rom. 8:18-23; 2 Cor.
5:1-4a).
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