| Preface |
2 |
|
| Table of Contents |
5 |
|
| Abbreviations and References |
8 |
|
| 1. The Promise of Resurrection from the Dead |
10 |
|
| Resurrection Defined |
10 |
|
| Gathered to their Fathers and Sheol |
11 |
|
| The First Glimmers Job and Psalms |
11 |
|
| Resurrection in Hosea and Isaiah |
12 |
|
| The Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel |
13 |
|
| Daniel 12:1-2 |
13 |
|
| First Century Judaism |
14 |
|
| Previous Resurrections |
15 |
|
| Jesus' Teaching on the Resurrection of the Dead |
15 |
|
| Jesus as the Agent of Resurrection |
16 |
|
| Jesus' Promise of His Own Resurrection |
17 |
|
| The Third Day, Three Days |
17 |
|
| 2. The Gospel Accounts of Christ's Resurrection from the Dead |
20 |
|
| The Synoptic Problem |
20 |
|
| Resurrection Differences |
21 |
|
| Eyewitness Accounts |
22 |
|
| Points of Agreement |
22 |
|
| What Happened Easter Morning? |
23 |
|
| The Grave Clothes |
23 |
|
| Why Was the Stone Rolled Away? |
25 |
|
| What Was Jesus' Body Like? |
25 |
|
| The Resurrection vs. the Ascension |
26 |
|
| The Bottom Line |
27 |
|
| 3. Convincing Proofs of Christ's Bodily Resurrection |
29 |
|
| People Just Don't Come Back to Life |
29 |
|
| Historically Accessible |
30 |
|
| A Narrow View of Historicity |
30 |
|
| Alternate Theories of the Resurrection |
31 |
|
| 1. Theft Theory |
32 |
|
| 2. Swoon Theory |
32 |
|
| 3. Wrong Tomb Theory |
33 |
|
| 4. Vision Theory |
33 |
|
| 5. Spiritual Metaphor Theory |
34 |
|
| Five Important Facts of Easter Morning |
34 |
|
| Arguments by Silence |
38 |
|
| The Sufficiency of the Evidence |
38 |
|
| 4. The Present-Day Significance of Christ's Resurrection |
41 |
|
| 1. Jesus' Resurrection Is God's Seal of Approval on Jesus |
41 |
|
| 2. Jesus' Resurrection Validates our Salvation |
42 |
|
| 3. Jesus' Resurrection Typifies our Spiritual Union with Him |
44 |
|
| 4. Jesus' Resurrection Is the Harbinger of our Own Resurrection on the Last Day |
46 |
|
| The Encouragement of Resurrection |
47 |
|
| 5. The Christian Hope of Resurrection at the Last Day |
51 |
|
| Rapture vs. Resurrection |
51 |
|
| In Heaven Prior to the Resurrection |
53 |
|
| Redemption and Glorification |
54 |
|
| Corruptible vs. Incorruptible, Natural vs. Spiritual Bodies |
55 |
|
| What Is Our Resurrection Body Going to Be Like? |
56 |
|
| Why Will We Have Resurrection Bodies? |
57 |
|
| Getting All the Right Molecules Restored |
57 |
|
| Death Is Not the Victor |
58 |
|
| Appendix 1. Parallel Accounts of the Resurrection (NIV) |
60 |
|
| Appendix 2. A Possible Harmonization of the Resurrection Accounts |
67 |
|
| Appendix 3. Resurrection and Easter Hymns and Songs |
69 |
|
| Appendix 4. Participant Notes |
71 |
|
| About the Author |
83 |
|