Yes they were. Ecclesiatics is skeptical about a ressurection too.
For that matter, in the first 39 books of the tanakh, resurrection was only hinted at 3 times.. Two of those references are in Isaiah, and one is at the end of the book of Daniel. Altought Eziekel does mention it, it is meant metaphorically. Resurrection is not mentioned at all in the Torah, so it is a later introduction in to the Jewish religion, rather than an older one.
Resurrection is also hinted at in Genesis according to a certain rabbinical student who hated the Christian church but latter became a disciple. (But we won't hold that against him).
Paul, (formerly Saul the Pharisee from Tarsus), wrote that when Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac he expected that God would raise Isaac from the dead.
Here is where Paul wrote that (this is of my opinion that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, which states no explicit authoriship):
"By faith Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac: indeed he who gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac shall your seed be called'; Counting that God was able to raise men even from the dead, from which he received him back in figure" (Hebrews 11:17-19)
The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews here claims that Abraham in Genesis offered up Isaac believing in the God of resurrection.
But is this just a man's wild opinion? Is there anything in Genesis that may supply more evidence for this view? I beleive the answer is yes indeed.
Genesis 22:4,5 says:
"On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. And Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey; and I and the boy [Isaac] will go over there, and we will worship and then return to you"
Abraham, knowing that he had to kill Isaac, thought that he and Isaac would return after the sacrifice to the young men staying with the donkey. He expected that the slain Isaac, according to God's command, would be resurrected and return with his father from the sacrifice.
And I can't resist adding that the Bible specifies that this expectation was voiced by Abraham, you guessed it,
" On the third day" proving once again that Jesus Christ (in His death and resurrection) is the centrality of the entire divine revelation of the Bible.
This message has been edited by jaywill, 01-16-2006 08:03 AM
This message has been edited by jaywill, 01-16-2006 08:04 AM
This message has been edited by jaywill, 01-16-2006 08:05 AM
This message has been edited by jaywill, 01-16-2006 08:06 AM