What Old Testament scriptures support the resurrection belief expressed in John 11:24? Setting the Scene in John 11:24 Martha told Jesus, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Her conviction did not appear in a vacuum; it rested on a rich tapestry of Old Testament promises God had already woven. Key Old Testament Texts Echoing Martha’s Hope “Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt. Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” – Clearly predicts a bodily awakening with eternal destinies. “Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you dwellers in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her dead.” – Directly affirms physical resurrection and joyous praise that follows. “But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God…my eyes will behold Him, and not another.” – Job expects to see God personally and bodily after death. “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also rests secure. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay…” – Confidence that God will not leave His people in the grave; Peter links this to resurrection in Acts 2. “As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence.” – Awakening from death to a face-to-face experience with God. “I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from death. Where, O Death, are your plagues? Where, O Sheol, is your sting?” – God pledges victory over death itself. “‘O My people, I will open your graves and bring you up from them… I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live.’” – A vivid picture of graves opened, bodies revived, and life restored by God’s Spirit. What These Passages Reveal about God’s Plan • Resurrection is bodily, not merely spiritual. • It hinges on God’s covenant faithfulness—He ransoms, redeems, and breathes life. • The righteous awaken to everlasting joy, security, and fellowship with God. • Death is ultimately disarmed; its sting is removed by God’s direct action. Bringing It Together Martha’s statement in John 11:24 harmonizes perfectly with the Old Testament witness. From Daniel’s dust-awakened saints to Isaiah’s singing corpses, from Job’s flesh-and-blood encounter with his Redeemer to Ezekiel’s opened graves, Scripture consistently points toward a future, physical resurrection orchestrated by the living God. Jesus’ later declaration—“I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25)—does not introduce a new doctrine; it personalizes and fulfills the hope already anchored in God’s unchanging Word. |
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