3. In Jewish literature there is found an eschatological
hope of resurrection.
What is “eschatology”?
The word arises from the Greek ἔσχατος eschatos
meaning "last" and –logy meaning "the study of", first
used in English around 1550. The Oxford English
Dictionary defines eschatology as "The department of
theological science concerned with ‘the four last
things: death, judgment, heaven and hell’."
4. The Book of Daniel is the oldest undisputed reference to the
resurrection of the dead in the whole Hebrew Bible.
Daniel 12: 1 - 3
"At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your
people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has
never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at
that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found
written in the book.
2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting
contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky,
and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever
and ever.
5. Although the story of Daniel takes place in Babylon in
the 6th century BCE, most scholars believe it was
written in Israel during the 2nd century.
6. During the 2 century BCE in Israel, Israel was ruled by
the Seleucid Empire, a Hellenistic empire that
enforced Greek culture and religion at the expense of
Judaism.
The Seleucid ruler of the time, Antiochus IV
Epiphanes (who ruled from 175 – 164 BCE) , in order to
consolidate his empire and strengthen his hold over
the region of Israel, outlawed Jewish religious rights
and traditions kept by observant Jews, and ordered the
worship of Zeus as the supreme God.
7. A statue of Zeus was placed inside the Jewish temple in
Jerusalem to be worshipped in place of God. This event, among
others led to the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucids.
Model of Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem – destroyed 70 CE
8. Although story is set in Babylon, it is really a
commentary on current events in 2nd century Israel.
The author of Daniel responded to the distress of
Israel that in an end time, Israel would be saved.
A new feature: the dead will rise, both the Jewish
martyrs and their persecutors.
Understanding of resurrection at the time: the dead
will rise complete human beings into this present
existence going on endlessly.
9. The four books of Maccabees are found in the
Apocrypha.
1 Maccabees tells the story of the Jewish military revolt
against the Seleucid occupying forces. Lots of battles!
10. 2 Maccabees contains the accounts of seven Jewish
brothers who were martyrs and their mother. The
story of the martyrs works out a theology of
resurrection.
2nd brother exclaims: “the King of the world will raise
us up…to live again forever.”
Differs with Daniel: In Daniel, resurrection is at the
end of time (eschatological). Here, resurrection
follows death. This idea gained crucial importance in
the later belief of Jesus of Nazareth and his
resurrection.
11. The 3rd brother said that heaven gave him his limbs
and from God “I hope to receive them again.”
Important – this gives concrete expression to the
bodily character of resurrection.
The 4th brother says that although the just will be
resurrected, for the unjust there will be no “new life”
Differs with Daniel: In Daniel, there is resurrection for
the unjust “to disgrace.” Here, there is only everlasting
death for the wicked.
12. The speeches of the mother form the climax in the
argument for resurrection.
“It is the creator of the world…who in his mercy…will
give you back both breath and life.”
“Observe heaven and earth…God made them out of
what did not exist”
13. In the Hebrew Bible, the whole person is raised by an
act of God, a miracle of new creation in God’s fidelity.
For Daniel and Macabees, resurrection vindicates
God’s justice toward individuals and Israel.
It is not clear what the fate of the resurrected person
would be – this is worked out in later apocalypses.
In death, body and soul are never separated – the dead
return to life in their total humanity, with a body.
14. 1 Macabees had no awareness of resurrection; the dead
heroes only lived on in people’s memory.
In the time of Jesus (approximately 150 years following
the time of the Macabees) the Sadducees (an
influential group of Jewish theologians) deny there is
resurrection. The reason for the Sadducee’s denial was
because resurrection was not something specifically
addressed in the Torah.
Though faithful Jews did not all accept belief in the
resurrection at that time, many do today.
15. During the time of Jesus, there was not one prevailing
theology of resurrection, but several (the Pharisees
believed in resurrection, the Sadducees did not, etc.)
For those who believed in resurrection, they believed
differently about it:
Some believed the resurrection of the all before the last
judgment, others only the just after judgment.
Some believed all were raised, others believed that only
the just were raised from the dead.
16.
17. October 26 The Resurrection of Jesus: Resurrection as
an event.
