20150821 Friday, August 21 2015
Isaiah 64: The Biology Of The Resurrection

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? ... That which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be"

The English-language word "biology" originated from a compound Greek word, bios, meaning life, and logos, meaning word. "Logos" is also recorded in the Holy Bible, as an identity of Jesus Christ when He "was made flesh," where it is translated as "word." It's no coincidence that the identity of Jesus Christ, the Creator of life, is found right in the word biology, which literally means life word.

"1:1 In the beginning was the Word [logos], and the Word [logos] was with God, and the Word [logos] was God. 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God. 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ... 1:14 And the Word [logos] was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-3,14 KJV)

The LORD God (the Logos/Word, Who was and is Jesus Christ; see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) created the Earth as an endless dynamic cycle of life. Herbivores ("Any animal that feeds chiefly on grass and other plants") are consumed by carnivores ("A terrestrial or aquatic flesh-eating animal"), but the cycle is such that when the carnivores die, the elements of their physical bodies are returned to the Earth. There, they are consumed by soil creatures (e.g. worms and insects), as well as grass and other plants - that are then consumed by herbivores and omnivores ("An animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substances" e.g. birds that eat worms, insects, plants and fruit). The elements that once composed the bodies of meat eaters are consumed by vegetarians, in the form of plants, and so the cycle continues without end.

No physical creature, including humans, is the "final owner" of the elements that once composed their physical bodies because, one way or another, sooner or later, the elements of whatever dies (99% of a human body is made up of just 6 elements: oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, calcium and phosphorus; the human body is 75% water, which is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen) are released back into the cycle of life. Living creatures are the ultimate recycling program that the LORD set in motion at the time of the Creation (see Adam and Adamah and The Thinker From The Soil).

The natural principle is illustrated in the carbon cycle, which a major facilitator of the cycle of physical life.

There are two major resurrections coming. The first, to spirit, will occur on the day of the Messiah's return (see The Feast Of Trumpets: The First Christian Salvation Day). The second will occur 1,000 years later - a physical resurrection (see The Eighth Day: Born Again).

Paul addressed both resurrections in 1 Corinthians 15:35-55, but in specifically-explaining the physical resurrection, he stated the biological principle that the body that dies will not be the body that is resurrected - for the simple natural reason, as explained above, by the time of the physical resurrection, the elements that composed those who died will have been taken up by other living creatures in the cycle of physical life.

"15:35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

15:36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 15:37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:" (1 Corinthians 15:35-37 KJV)

The famous "dry bones" prophecy further illustrates the point. Although the bones for most of them won't have yet returned to the soil (the minerals in bones are usually the slowest to decompose; see also Bones In History and Prophecy), the physical restoration of their bodies will be accomplished by replacing flesh that long ago ceased to exist in that specific life and has since been used elsewhere.

"37:6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 37:6 KJV)

37:13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves." (Ezekiel 37:13 KJV)

All of the prophets knew of the resurrections that are coming, and how they will be accomplished (see David's Resurrection Prophecy and Job's Prophecy Of The Resurrection), including Isaiah (see What Happens When The Trumpet Sounds? and Life From The Dust - Past And Future). For the repentant, "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him."

"64:1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, 64:2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!

64:3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence. 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. 64:5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.

64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 64:7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. 64:9 Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.

64:10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 64:11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste. 64:12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?" (Isaiah 64:1-12 KJV)

Fact Finder: How did the pagan idea of "reincarnation" originate?
See Resurrection and Reincarnation: What's The Difference?