Edited 12/15/23.
There are those who deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that He was taken into heaven. So, I have decided to closely examine certain Greek words. In this work if and when you find a person who denies the resurrection, this study will give you a powerful tool in which to debate the issue. Two questions dominate this article, Was Christ raised from the dead? And did He ascend into heaven? Does the Greek verify this?
This may be a boring, or a long read, but to understand the various words is extremely important if anyone has committed themselves to teach the Scriptures. The number of sceptics, atheist, diverse religions and various cults are springing up every day. The Greek words in discussion are, Raised, Resurrected, Caught up, Taken up, and to Come out of.
1. What does it mean to be raised from the dead, concerning Jesus Christ?
2. What does it mean to be raised from the dead concerning men?
3. What does it mean to be caught up in the air concerning Christ??
4. What does it mean to be caught up in the air concerning men?
5. What does it mean to be taken up in the air concerning Christ? 6. What does it mean to be taken up concerning Men?
7. What does it mean if I said the dead came out of their graves?
Each of the above words in the Greek have various similar rings to them, but are used differently in each case. The different in how they pertain to certain specifics on the subject. Is there any difference when the word is speaking of Christ having been raised, and men being raised? I am using the Strong’s numbering system, but the breakdown is coming from my dictionary found on my web-site. www.seekfirstwisdom.com
So what is the difference between being resurrected and/or raised from the dead? Does raised and resurrected mean to be taken into heaven? This is an important questions that needs to be answered correctly and scripturally. The skeptic’s will use these various words to twist the doctrines of the Bible. So I am writing his article to give my Christian brothers and sisters the correct meaning of each word, and also how and when to use them. Let’s begin with question 1.
1. What does it mean to be raised from the dead, concerning Jesus Christ?
Raise: Raised: Strong’s is, #1453. Greek is, egeiro Synonyms for raised are, raiseth, to wake, to arouse, to cause to rise up, arose, as to awake from the dead. As a transitive verb, which expresses action that passes from the agent to the object. Also,
As a middle term of a syllogism.
Middle term is one with which the two extremes are separately compared, (as from death, to life,) and by means of which they are brought together in the conclusion.
Syllogism is a brief form for stating an argument from the general to the particular that consists of two statements and a conclusion that must be true if these two statements are true.
It’s an intransitive verb. As Aoris: Aoris in the Greek means an indefinite tense which expresses an action as completed in time past. First person passive, and preferred passive, with, middle term signifies to rise, to have risen.
1. Raised, Greek is, # 1453. Concerning Jesus being raused from the grave:
To be raised from the dead. The word implies from death to life. It does not imply to be taken into heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:15-16, “For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, our faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”
Galatians 1:1, “God the Father, who raised Him (Jesus) from the dead;”
Matthew 28:7, “Tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead.”
John 2:22, “When therefore He (Jesus) was risen from the dead.” Absolute, Matthew 16:21, “and He be raised again the third day.”
Matthew 17:23, “They shall kill Him, and the third day He shall be raised again.”
Matthew 27:63, “After three days I will rise again.”
Mark 16:14, “Not them which had seen Him after he was risen.”
Acts 5:30, “The God of our Father’s raised up Jesus, whom ye slew.”
Romans 4:25, Jesus, “was raised again for our justification.”
2 Corinthians 4:14.
1 Thessalonians 1:10, “To wait for His (the Father’s) Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus.”
2. Concerning men having been RAISED from the grave. # 1453.
Romans 13:11, “There is no power (authority) but of Go,” compared with,
Ephesians 5:14, God said, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead.” Trope or metaphor, from death, of which sleep is the emblem among all nations.
Matthew 27:52, “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose.” Thus, to raise the dead;
Matthew 10:8, “Raise the dead.”
John 5:21, “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth (gives life to) them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will.
Acts 26:8, “Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?”
2 Corinthians 1:9, “We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.” Also to raise from the dead, and Middle term, sequel to follow, to rise from the dead;
John 12:1, “Jesus six days before the passover — where Lazarus which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead.”
John 12:9-17, “The people that was with Him (Jesus) when He called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.” Middle term, sequel, to follow, Sequal to follow, “from among,” Mark 6:14-16.
Luke 9:7, “That John was risen from the dead.”
The second word is, Resurrection:
Strongs #386. Greek is, anastasis. It means a rising up, as from a seat, Septuagint for, “rising up,”
3. What does it mean to be RESURRECTED from the dead concerning CHRIST?
The word implies to be awaken from death. Synonyms are, rise rising up, awaken, raised up.
So of the resurrection of Jesus, Acts 1:22, “Must one be ordained to be a witness with us of His (Jesus) resurrection.”
Acts 2:31-32, “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”
Acts 4:33, “With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 17:18, “He preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.”
Romans 1:4, “by the resurrection from the dead.”
Romans 6:5, “If we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.”
Philippians 3:10, “That I may know Him (Jesus) and the power of His resurrection.”
1 Peter 1:3, “by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
1 Peter 3:21, “The answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
4. What does it mean to be RESURRECTED from the dead concerning MEN?
Resurrection, of the body from death, returned to life.
Resurrection: Strong’s #386. Again, the meaning of the Greek never implies to be taken into heaven, just to be brought from death to life.
4-A. The word speaks of individuals who have returned to life.
Hebrew 11:35, “Women received their dead raised to life again,” Literally from resurrection, as in raised again to life; Also comp. 1 Kings 17:17-22, sequel follows,
2 Kings 4:20-34-35, “When he had taken him (the child,) and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
Verse 34, “he (Elisha) went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, — and the flesh of the child waxed warm. — the child sneezed — and the child opened his eyes.”
4-B. The word also speaks of the future and general resurrection at the end of all things, John 11:24, “in the resurrection at the last day.” Either simply, “resurrection” or,
Acts 17:32, “When they heard of the resurrection of the dead.” or,
Acts 26:23, “He (Christ) should be the first that should rise from the dead.”
Acts 24:15-21, “Touching (concerning) the resurrection of the dead.”
1 Corinthians 15:12, “How say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead.”
Acts 15:21, “For since by man (Adam) came death, by man (Jesus) came also the resurrection of the dead.”
Acts 15:42, “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It (the body) is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.” Hebrews 6:2.
John 5:29, “They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life,” as in eternal happiness; “and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation,” as in eternal misery.
Hebrews 11:35, “they might obtain a better resurrection.” A better resurrection then that just spoken of, or that they might obtain the resurrection unto life.
This general resurrection the Sadducees denied:
Matthew 22:23, “The Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection.”
Matthew 22:28, “In the resurrection whose wife shall she be.”
Matthew 22:30, “In the resurrection they neither marry, not are given in marriage.”
Acts 4:2, “They — preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”
Acts 23:6, “Of the hope and resurrection of the dead I (Paul) am called in question.”
Acts 23:8, the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and also certain Christians, 2 Tim.2:18, “Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already.”
4. Resurrection of the righteous:
Luke 14:14, “thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”
Luke 20:35-36, “They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead. Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.”
Mark 12:27, “For He is not a God of the dead, but of the living.”
Revelation 20:5-6, “The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection.” Compare,
1 Corinthians 15:23, “Every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming,” with,
1 Thessalonians 4:16, “the dead in Christ shall rise first.” See also,
2 Macc. 7:9-14, 12:43-44-45. It appeared that the later Jews believed only the true worshippers of God would rise, and not the Gentiles; see especially 2 Macc. 7:14, collectively with Isaiah 26:14.
4-D. By Metonymically, meaning to put one work for another. The author of resurrection, John 11:25, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life.”
5. What does it mean to be CAUGHT UP in the air concerning CHRIST? Synonyms are, catch, take, and snatch away. I could only find this one verse.
Revelation 12:5, “her child was caught up unto God.”
6. What does it mean to be CAUGHT UP in the air concerning MEN? Men may be caught up in the air, or taken from one place to another by the Holy Spirit.
Caught up: Catcheth: It means to seize upon, to snatch away, trans. To carry away, to hurry off, by force and involuntarily; spoken of persons,
John 6:15, “When Jesus perceived that they would come and take him by force.”
Acts 8:39, “The Spirit — caught away Phillip.”
Acts 23:10, “Take him (Paul) by force.”
2 Corinthians 12:2-4, “such as one caught up to the third heaven.”
1 Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” Septuagint for, “Catch you every man.” Judges 21:21.
Spoken of what is snatched suddenly away;
Matthew 13:19, “Then cometh the wicked one catcheth away that which was sown.”
7. What does it mean to be TAKEN UP concerning Christ? Synonyms are, received up, go into. Greek is, #353.
In N.T. only in the phrase he was taken up.
Mark 16:19, “After the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven,”
Acts 1:11, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:2, “Until the day in which He was taken up.”
Acts 1:22, “Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that He (Jesus) was taken up from us.”
1 Timothy 3:16, “God was manifest in the flesh, — received up into glory.”
8. What does it mean to be TAKEN UP #353 concerning Men? The word does not have any reference in the Bible to men being taken up into heaven.
9. What does it mean if I said the dead CAME OUT of their graves?
Greek is, #1831. With adjuncts which means, something added to another, but not essentially a part of it. Or a person joined to another. implying the place out of which they came, etc. Sequel, and generally,
Matthew 27:52-53, “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. And CAME OUT of the graves — and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
I pray that this will help you in your discussions with people on the resurrection of the dead, and to be taken up into heaven.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com