The
resurrection of the dead was also captured through a harvest motif. This was a
time of separation to indicate the true sons of God, ones born of the Spirit
and not those who laid claims to their physical lineage as Jews.
Jesus
explained through a parable.
Matthew
13:38-40 KJV
The field
is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are
the children of the wicked one ; [39] The enemy that sowed them is the devil;
the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. [40] As
therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the
end of THIS world.
This is
better captured in the Youngs Literal translation which is closer to the Greek.
36 Then
having let away the multitudes, Jesus came to the house, and his disciples came
near to him, saying, `Explain to us the simile of the darnel of the field.'
37 And he
answering said to them, `He who is sowing the good seed is the Son of Man,
38 and
the field is the world, and the good seed, these are the sons of the reign, and
the darnel are the sons of the evil one,
39 and
the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is a full end of the
age, and the reapers are messengers.
40 `As,
then, the darnel is gathered up, and is burned with fire, so shall it be in the
full end of THIS age.
So in the
book of Revelation John sees this in a vision.
Revelation
14:14-16 KJV
And I
looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son
of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. [15]
And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that
sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee
to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. [16] And he that sat on the
cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
So when
was this to happen? 2,000 years later? No.
Revelation
1:1 KJV
The
Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants
things which must SHORTLY come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his
angel unto his servant John:
This
echoed the prophecy of Daniel that the resurrection was to happen at the time
of the end and not the end of time. The end of the Mosaic age.
Daniel
12:1-4 KJV
And at
that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the
children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was
since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people
shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. [2] And
many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. [3] And they that
be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many
to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. [4] But thou, O Daniel, shut
up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to
and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Daniel
12:8-9 KJV
And I
heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of
these things ? [9] And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up
and sealed till the time of the end.
Daniel
12:13 KJV
But go
thou thy way till the end be : for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the
end of the days.
This is
why when Paul to the church at Thessalonica to encourage them in the severe
persecution that they were going through of a hope that was to be fulfilled in
their time.
But we do not want
you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will
not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in
Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive
and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen
asleep.
For the Lord Himself
will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with
the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are
alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one
another with these words. -
1
Thessalonians 4:13-18
The
righteous no longer sleep in the grave. They now reside in the presence of the
Lord. Jesus is the resurrection in us. It is no longer a promise but a present
reality.