A BETTER RESURRECTION

A BETTER RESURRECTION

“Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection” (Heb. 11:35).

This passage of Scripture clearly teaches that those who are tortured for Christ gain a “better resurrection” than others. “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Heb. 6:10). There are obviously different rewards in heaven. Jesus spoke of a “prophet’s reward”, and a “righteous man’s reward”, and promised that even a cup of cold water given in the name of Jesus will be “rewarded” by God (Matt. 10:40-42). Some will be “rewarded” with authority over ten cities, and others only five (Lk. 19:16-19). We should not be surprised, therefore, that God has a special reward reserved for martyrs.

It is not an option: We “must” believe that God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).

Paul apparently sought to “attain” the “better resurrection” reserved for those who die as martyrs. Please consider: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, being like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead” (Phil. 3:10-11).

It is obvious that everyone, good or bad, will be resurrected.

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“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2).

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“A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned” (Jn. 5:28-29).

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“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). •

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).

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Etc.

Obviously no special effort is needed to be resurrected, but Paul sought to “attain” a special resurrection like that of Jesus. This resurrection involved “power”, “sharing in his sufferings”, and “being like him in his death”.

The Bible word for “attain” is “katantao”. According to W. E. Vine it is the strengthened form of “antao” which means to “reach”, or “arrive”. It is used in Acts 26:7 regarding the promise to which Israel hoped to “attain”. It is used in Eph. 4:13 with reference to “attaining” the “unity of the faith”, the “knowledge of the Son of God”, “maturity”, and the “whole measure of the fulness of Christ”. This is same strong word used in Phil. 3:11 describing the desire of Paul to “attain” a special resurrection that is “out of” the ordinary.

The Bible word for resurrection is “anastasis”. It comes from “ana” (up, again) and “histemi” (to stand). It means to stand up again! It is found 42 times in the Bible. It is used in Phil. 3:10 with reference to the resurrection of Christ.

The “resurrection” Paul sought to “attain”, however, used a different word. Paul sought to “attain” to the “exanastasis”. This is the normal word for resurrection with “ek” in front of it. The word “ek” means “out of”. This is the only time this word is used in the Bible. It refers to a resurrection that is “out of”, or different from an ordinary resurrections.

I believe this is the “better resurrection” reserved for those who die as martyrs. Those who “attain” to this resurrection will receive a special crown reserved for them by the “Righteous Judge,” and for all others who love his appearing (2 Tim. 4:8).