That’s what they told Him, you know. “If you had been here, He wouldn’t have died,” said Martha. Jesus looked full into Martha’s face and said, “I am the resurrection and the life!” Mary, Lazarus’ other sister spoke the same words to Jesus: “Had you been here my brother would not have died.” Jesus then said, “Where have you laid him?” They led Him to Lazarus’ grave. It was a cave and a large stone covered the entrance. Jesus said, “Take the stone out of the way,” to which Martha replied, “Lord, he is stinking by now. He has been dead for four days already.” Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I say to you, if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?” They then took the stone away. Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. And I know that you hear me always, but because of the people standing by, I said it that they might believe that you have sent me.” When He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”
At that moment in time, yes, quicker than an angel could think, the heart of Lazarus contracted and then relaxed. Suddenly the putrefied blood in Lazarus’ arteries, veins and capillaries was reconstituted into the totally healthy pure blood of life and began to flow throughout what only moments before was truly a dead corpse. Lazarus’ lungs became a bellows once more as the air in the tomb began to be drawn inside his nostrils. Only moments later his eyelids fluttered momentarily and then opened as his eyes turned toward the stream of sunlight that illuminated Lazarus’ tomb. This cave, this grave truly was only a bedchamber for this sleeping saint, and ringing in his ears now was the voice of his beloved Friend Jesus, “Lazarus, come forth.” (See Isaiah 57:1-2 and John 11:1-46).
Someday Jesus is going to stand on the void of space above this earth and again cry out, “Redeemed of God, come forth!” All around this planet everyone whose name is found written in the book of life, who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awaken to everlasting life. “They that be wise (and were obedient servants of the Lord) shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (See Daniel 12:1-3 with I Corinthians 15:35-44).
“Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead……? And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, you are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished…. (For the sole purpose of a resurrection is to bring the dead back to life!) For as in Adam ALL die (yes, even Enoch and Elijah), even so in Christ shall ALL be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits, afterward they that are Christ’s AT HIS COMING (not AT THE MOMENT THEY DIE, but made alive by being resurrected from death AT CHRIST’S RETURN !).” (See I Corinthians 15:12, 17-18, 22-23).
You might notice that I placed a comma between “Christ” and “the firstfruits.” Paul is not referring to Christ as the firstfruits. He is speaking of those John speaks of in Revelation 14:1-4: “These are they which were not defiled with women (the harlot or her daughters), for they are virgins (pure from any taint of sin or doctrinal error). These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes. These were redeemed from among men (mankind as a whole, not just Jews or fleshly Israelites) BEING THE FIRSTFRUITS unto God and to the Lamb” (See Revelation 14:4). It is this firstfruits company of believers to which Paul refers in Philippians 3:7-15 when he said he wished to attain to that resurrection of the dead – the resurrection of the spiritually perfected. (See verses 11-14, Philippians 3). The Greek word translated as “resurrection” (exanastasis) in Philippians 3:11 is found only in that one verse, and means an “out resurrection” – a resurrection of the perfected redeemed who precede the rest of the redeemed in being brought back to life! These are the saints who return with Christ. (See Jude 14). The average Christian will not find themselves standing beside Moses, Abraham or King David as they are resurrected from the dead. They will find all such already with the Lord in the air. May God grant you understanding is my prayer.
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley