What does the concept of resurrection mean to Jewish theologians? Here ¢â‚¬â„¢s a helpful post from Eric Chabot talks about this and other interesting topics related to the resurrection.
Excerpt:
Where do we see resurrection in the Hebrew Bible?Belief in a resurrection of persons from the dead are seen in eight passages: (Job 19:26; Ps. 17:15; 49:15; 73:24; Is. 26:19; 53:10; Dn. 12:2;12:13). The resurrection terminology is seen in two places (Ezek. 37:1-14; Hos. 6:2) to show a national and spiritual restoration brought about by the return from the exile. As far as the nature of the future bodily resurrection, it may involve a corpse or the receipt of a material body comparable to the present physical body (Job 19:26; Is. 26:19), or it may be a matter of transformation (Dn. 12:2-3 and perhaps 12:13); or glorification after reanimation, in the case of the righteous.
As far as the function of the resurrection, it may be personal vindication (Is. 26:16; 53:10-12). Resurrection may also have a function in relation to reward or punishment (Dn. 12:2; 12:13), an assumption to heaven and enriched fellowship with God (Ps. 49:15; 73:24,26), or preface to the beatific vision of God (Ps. 17:15 and possibly Job 19:26). (1)
The Greek word for resurrection is ¢â‚¬Å“anatasis ¢â‚¬ which means ¢â‚¬Å“a raising up ¢â‚¬ or ¢â‚¬Å“rising. ¢â‚¬ There are resuscitations in the Tanakh such as the example of Elijah and Elisha raising a person from death (1 Kings 17-23; 2 Kings 4:34-35). While these figures may have been raised in a resurrection sense, they were not raised immortal in the same way Jesus was.
Extra-Biblical Passages on Resurrection
There are also extra-biblical passages that speak about the resurrection (Enoch 92:2; 4 Ezra 7:32; Enoch 91:10; 2 Maccabees 7:9; 14; 28-29). Even the The Messiah Apocalypse, which is dated between 100 and 80 B.C.E mentions resurrection: ¢â‚¬Å“He [God] frees the captives, makes the blind see, and makes the bent over stand straight ¢â‚¬ ¦for he will heal the sick, revive the dead, and give good news to the humble and the poor he will satisfy, the abandoned he will lead, and the hungry he will make rich. ¢â‚¬ In the Rabbinical literature there are explicit teachings on the resurrection. It says in the Mishnah 10.1, it says, ¢â‚¬Å“All Israelites have a share in the world to come; ¢â‚¬ ¦ and these are they that have no share in the world to come: he that says that there is no resurrection of the dead prescribed in the Law. ¢â‚¬ Moses Maimonides, a Jewish rabbi and a medieval Jewish philosopher who has forever influenced the Jewish and non-Jewish world said:
¢â‚¬ The resurrection of the dead is one of the cardinal principles established by Moses our teacher. A person who does not believe this principle has no real religion, certainly not Judaism. However, resurrection is for the righteous. This is the earning of the statement in Breshit Rabbah, which declares: ¢â‚¬Å“the creative power of rain is both for the righteous and the wicked, but the resurrection of the dead is only for the righteous. ¢â‚¬ Our sages taught the wicked are called dead even when they are still alive; the righteous are alive even when they are dead ¢â‚¬ (Bab. Talmud Brakhot 18 b).
Resurrection is a cardinal principle taught in the Torah which all Jews must believe
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