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Friday, July 17, 2009

Raised Accourding to What Scriptures?

Every Sunday we profess our faith in the Nicene creed. And in the creed we say and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; What Scripture is are we referring to in the Creed?

This is a quote from:
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.

Here is the mysterious thing. Nowhere in the Old Testament does it explicitly say that the Christ would rise on the third day. Christ does though make hints to it during his ministry on earth.

Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Now there is more going on in the Jonah story than you may have seen before. When Jonah gets swallowed by the fish he says.
Jonah 2:1-2 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, saying, "I called to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you did hear my voice.

Sheol in the Old Testament is the abode of the dead. So Maybe Jonah died maybe he hadn't. But he certainly compares his situation with death. And the of course three days later he is spit out to continue his mission.

I think also that people saw in Hosea 6: 1, 2 an illusion to the resurrection of Jesus. The context is of course important, Hosea is calling Israel to repentance after it has gone astray and is preparing it for exile to Assyria (Just like Jonah was doing). Here is what Hosea says:
Hosea 6:1-2 "Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn, that he may heal us; he has stricken, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.

Now listen to Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. Matthew says that this is a reference to when Jesus went to Egypt and then came back again(Hosea 11:1), but Hosea is saying that this is in reference to Israel. So we see in Jesus the embodiment of Israel, Jesus is the New Israel and Hosea says of Israel (Jesus)" After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him."
Certainly this is a reference to the resurrection of Jesus.

One more reference
Psalm 16:9-10
Therefore my heart is glad, my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure, 10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol, nor let your faithful servant see the pit.
quoted by Peter in
Acts 2:24 But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. For David says of him: 'I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can you discuss John 10:34? I have to discuss this with an angry Bible reader.

dvopilgrim said...

I just finished posting my sermon on this subject here:

http://www.twoagespilgrims.com/doctrine/?p=7375