Truly, then, the resurrection benefited Jesus Christ, who was dead in “hell” (Haʹdes or Sheol). And for that reason the resurrection is purposed by God the Almighty to benefit all the rest of the dead in that “hell.” Jesus Christ was merely “the firstfruits” of those sleeping there in death. The full crop of the human dead will be awakened and be brought forth in God’s appointed time. This is the key idea in the inspired words of the apostle Paul:

³¹ “For by a man came death, and by a man the resurrection of the dead. And as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.”​—1 Cor. 15:21, 22, Douay.

32. That “hell” is a place from which there is a release is indicated by what words of Jesus in Revelation 1:17, 18?

³² That “hell” (Haʹdes or Sheol) is the place out of which all the dead are to be released by a resurrection is made sure for us by the words of the resurrected Jesus Christ. About the year 96 C.E., or thirty-two years after the burning of Rome by Emperor Nero, the resurrected Jesus Christ appeared to the apostle John in a vision. This vision is set out in the last book of the Bible, called Apocalypse or Revelation, and in it he says to the apostle John: “I am the first and the last, and alive, and was dead, and behold I am living for ever and ever, and have the keys of death and of hell [Latin, infernus].”​—Apoc. 1:17, 18, Douay.

33, 34. (a) What shows whether Jesus Christ will have to be paid money by relatives and friends before using the keys to release those in death and hell? (b) From what was Jesus Christ himself released, and why has God entrusted to him the “keys”?

³³ In having the “keys of death and of hell,” is it the purpose of the resurrected Jesus Christ to keep those in death and in hell locked up forever? Or does he have to have money paid to him first by relatives or friends of the dead ones before he will use the keys and let those in death and hell out? How selfish and commercialistic that would be for him to take such an advantage of his having the “keys of death and of hell”!

³⁴ In total rejection of such an idea, Jesus said to his apostles: “The Son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many.” (Matt. 20:28, Douay) When on earth as a man, Jesus Christ never charged a single silver denarius coin for raising from the dead any of the dead persons whom he brought back to life. Not to keep the dead locked up forever, but to release them lovingly and freely, is the purpose of the resurrected Jesus Christ respecting the use of the “keys of death and of hell.” God himself, who resurrected his Son Jesus Christ from “hell,” entrusted those “keys” to him for that very purpose.

35. (a) What did Jesus say with regard to the joyful time for him to use the key of “hell”? (b) Why or how is the purpose of the resurrection a beneficial one?

³⁵ Looking forward to that joyful time for him, Jesus Christ said to the Jews: “As the Father hath life in himself, so he hath given to the Son also to have life in himself. And he hath given him power to do judgment, because he is the Son of man. Wonder not at this; for the hour cometh, wherein all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God. And they that have done good things, shall come forth unto the resurrection of life; but they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:26-29, Douay) Plainly that resurrection of all those dead in “hell” is for their benefit. It is only after any who have been resurrected from “hell” return to evildoing willfully that their having been resurrected will end up in a judgment of condemnation to everlasting destruction. So the purpose of the resurrection is beneficial, with the eternal benefit of the dead in view. It opens up to them the opportunity to enjoy eternal life in God’s new order.

36, 37. To whom was given a vision of when “hell” will be no more, and how did this one describe the scene?

³⁶ In that same Revelation or Apocalypse to the apostle John, the resurrected Jesus Christ gave a picture of the time when “hell” will be no more. This is after this old worldly system of things has been destroyed, and God creates new heavens and a new earth, that is, a new heavenly government and a new earthly human society. Describing the wonderful scene, John writes:

³⁷ “And I saw a great white throne, and one sitting upon it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was no place found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which was the book of life; and the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell [Latin, infernus] gave up their dead.”​—Apoc. 20:11-13, Douay.

38. (a) So how will “hell” be put out of existence, and how does the Revelation picture this? (b) How will “death” and wickedness be made to cease?

³⁸ Ah, yes, when “hell” (Haʹdes or Sheol) has given up the last dead one in it, by the resurrection of all the dead for whom Jesus Christ gave his human life as a redemption, then there will be no hell anymore. All the earth around, the inhabitants will not see a single cemetery nor a grave marker. The common grave of mankind will have been destroyed forever. That is why Apocalypse 20:14, 15, Douay, goes on to say: “And hell [Latin, infernus] and death were cast into the pool of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the pool of fire.” What a glorious judgment day that will be! “Hell” will be given the deathblow. The death that all mankind has inherited from the sinful Adam and Eve will be put to death, cease to exist because of the bringing of all obedient mankind to the perfection of human life in a paradise of pleasure restored. Evildoing will be stopped by the destroying of all who turn willfully wicked and who must suffer the penalty of second death.

The Beneficiaries of Resurrection from “Hell”

1, 2. (a) What Hebrew patriarch said he expected to go to “hell”? (b) How did Jesus, when defending the resurrection doctrine, give assurance of Jacob’s benefiting therefrom?

AMONG those who are dead in “hell” and who will benefit by the resurrection from the dead will be who? We remember that the patriarch Jacob expected to go to “hell” or Sheol. (Gen. 37:35) Will he be among the beneficiaries? Yes. We remember the words of Jesus Christ, who, before raising his friend Lazarus from his four-day-long death state, said to the sister Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live.” (John 11:25, Douay) Just some weeks after that, Jesus had to defend the teaching of the resurrection before Jewish unbelievers, the Sadducees. In doing so he referred to Jacob. In answer to the catch question put by the Sadducees, Jesus said:

² “Now that the dead rise again, Moses also shewed, at the bush, when he called the Lord, The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; for he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live to him.”​—Luke 20:37, 38, Douay.

3. (a) From whose standpoint are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob now alive, and why? (b) Of what kind of persons is Jehovah the God?

³ So, from God’s standpoint, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were then living. The resurrection of these faithful patriarchs was so certain in God’s appointed time, that God spoke of those three men as being then alive, although they were then dead, unconscious, in “hell,” in Haʹdes or Sheol. If they were to remain dead forever and never get out of “hell” (Haʹdes or Sheol), Jehovah would never have spoken to the prophet Moses at the burning thornbush in the desert of Sinai as being the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So Jesus said God’s making this declaration proved that there would be a resurrection of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and, of course, of all others with them in “hell.” Jehovah is not a past God of people of the dead past, but is the God of his faithful worshipers who will live in the future by means of resurrection of the dead.

4. How does Hebrews 11:17-19 prove that Abraham believed in a resurrection for his son Isaac?

⁴ The patriarch Abraham believed in a resurrection for his son Isaac. In proof of this we have the inspired words of Hebrews 11:17-19: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, as good as offered up Isaac, and the man that had gladly received the promises attempted to offer up his only-begotten son, although it had been said to him: ‘What will be called “your seed” will be through Isaac.’ But he reckoned that God was able to raise him up even from the dead; and from there he did receive him also in an illustrative way [figuratively, The Jerusalem Bible; as a type, Catholic Confraternity Version].”

5. How does Hebrews, chapter 11, indicate that men even before Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and men of faith since, believed in resurrection from “hell”?

⁵ Evidently before the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the men of faith named Abel, Enoch and Noah believed in the resurrection of the dead from “hell,” for they are listed among the “so great a cloud of witnesses” who are named in Hebrews, chapter 11. (Hebrews 11:1 through 12:1) When the inspired writer refers to how the prophet Elijah raised to life the son of the widow of Sarephta and how the prophet Elisha raised to life the son of the hospitable woman of Shunem, he says: “Women received their dead by resurrection; but other men were tortured because they would not accept release by some ransom, in order that they might attain a better resurrection. . . . And yet all these, although they had witness borne to them through their faith, did not get the fulfillment of the promise, as God foresaw something better for us, in order that they might not be made perfect apart from us.” (Heb. 11:35-40) Thus we have the inspired proof that, before the coming of Jesus Christ, men and women of faith in Almighty God Jehovah looked forward to the resurrection of the dead from “hell” or Sheol.

6. How did Martha of Bethany and Hannah the mother of Samuel express faith in resurrection from “hell”?

⁶ This is why the woman Martha of Bethany said to Jesus, before he raised her brother Lazarus from the dead: “I know that he shall rise again, in the resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:24, Douay) That is why, also, the woman Anna (or, Hannah) of more than a thousand years earlier said, when she presented her son Samuel to the high priest of Israel: “The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to hell [Latin, inferi; Hebrew, Sheol] and bringeth back again.”​—1 Kings (or, 1 Samuel) 2:6, Douay.

THE TRUE CHURCH GETS BACK FROM “HELL”

7, 8. (a) In what way will the “gates of hell” not prevail against Christ’s true congregation? (b) How does Revelation 2:10 require that Jesus prevail against hell’s gates?

⁷ Not only did Jesus Christ himself go to hell and get out again, but he assured his apostles that the true Church, the true Christian congregation, would imitate him in this respect. When speaking to the apostle Peter in the hearing of the other apostles, Jesus said: “Thou art Peter [Greek, Petros]; and upon this rock [Greek, petra] I will build my church and the gates of hell [Greek, Haʹdes; Latin, infernus] shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18, Douay) By death the members of the true Christian congregation would enter through the gates into “hell.” (Isa. 38:10, 18, Douay) But those “gates of hell” would not prevail over the Christian congregation by keeping closed over the congregation forever. Why not? Because the resurrected Jesus Christ, who has the “keys of death and of hell,” will use the key and unlock those gates and let his congregation out by a resurrection.

⁸ Thus the “gates of hell” shall not prevail over Christ’s congregation, but Christ shall prevail over the “gates of hell” in behalf of his congregation. This explains why he said to the congregation: “Be thou faithful unto death: and I will give thee the crown of life.”​—Apoc. 2:10; 1:17, 18, Douay.

9. How many will compose this Christian congregation, and what is the “something better” that “God foresaw” for them?

⁹ This true congregation of just 144,000 faithful members is called forth from “hell” (Haʹdes, or, infernus) to a heavenly, spiritual resurrection. Thus they become “the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” (Apocalypse 21:9 through 22:17, Douay) Like a faithful wife, they are united to the heavenly Bridegroom Jesus Christ in wedlock forever. It is written concerning their resurrection: “It is sown a natural body, it shall rise a spiritual body.” (1 Cor. 15:42-44, Douay) This heavenly spiritual estate is the “something better” that “God foresaw” for the congregation of faithful followers and imitators of his Son Jesus Christ.​—Heb. 11:39, 40.

THE REDEEMED DEAD OF MANKIND GET OUT OF “HELL”

10. (a) In behalf of whom else will Jesus prevail over hell’s gates, and how? (b) So what was it that the apostle John saw take place in vision that others will see take place in actuality?

¹⁰ The resurrected Jesus Christ will do more than prevail against the “gates of hell” in behalf of his bridal congregation. He will also prevail against those “gates” in behalf of all mankind for whom he gave his life as a redemption. (Matt. 20:28, Douay) He will use his “keys of death and of hell” and unlock those symbolic “gates” and let all these of mankind out by a resurrection to life on earth under the heavenly kingdom of himself and his spiritual bride. Those who had a watery grave in the sea will be brought back to life on dry land. Those who were buried in the earth in single graves, or cemeteries, will likewise be brought out to life on earth under the new government, God’s heavenly kingdom by his Son Jesus Christ. Hundreds of thousands today living will survive the coming “great tribulation” to see in actuality what the apostle John saw merely in the apocalyptic vision, which he describes, saying: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne, . . . and the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell [Latin, infernus; Greek, Haʹdes] gave up their dead that were in them.”​—Apoc. 20:12, 13; 7:14, Douay.

11. This includes whom that went to “hell” before Pentecost of 33 C.E., and includes whom that went there since, according to 1 John 2:2 and 1 Timothy 2:5, 6?

¹¹ This will include Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, Moses, yes, all the dead in “hell” who went there before the Christian congregation was founded on the day of Pentecost of the year 33 C.E., when the apostle Peter spoke to thousands of Jews about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from “hell” (the common grave of dead mankind). It will include also all those of mankind who went to “hell” since that day of Pentecost and who did not become members of the bridal congregation of Jesus Christ. None of these belong to the “church of the firstborn, who are written in the heavens.” (Heb. 12:23, Douay) For all of these Jesus Christ died as a redemption sacrifice, just as the Christian apostle John wrote, saying to the congregation: “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2, Douay) In agreement with that the Christian apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus: who gave himself a redemption for all.”​—1 Tim. 2:5, 6, Douay.

12. Why might the thought of all these returning from “hell” alarm some people?

¹² However, some persons might be alarmed at the thought of this. They might say: ‘Will this not flood the earth with thousands of millions of evildoers and fill the earth with more wickedness and violence than it has ever had before? For did not the apostle Paul say: “There shall be a resurrection of the just and unjust”?’ (Acts 24:15, Douay) Certainly in the resurrection from “hell” the unjust ones will far outnumber the just ones. And for ordinary human rulers that would create a serious problem.

13, 14. (a) What forces will the opening of “hell’s” gates not release upon earth’s inhabitants, and why not? (b) What about imperfect human governments at that time and those finally found supporting them?

¹³ The opening of the “gates of hell” is not going to let loose upon earth’s inhabitants legions of demons and their prince, Satan the Devil. They have never been down in “hell” waiting for Jesus Christ to use the key and unlock “hell’s” gates.

¹⁴ Happily for mankind, at the time of emptying “hell” Satan and his demon angels will be bound as with chains and isolated and restrained in what the apostle John calls “the bottomless pit” or “the Abyss.” (Apoc. 20:1-3, Douay; The Jerusalem Bible) So these spirit forces that have spurred mankind onward in wickedness will be gone. There will be a righteous heavenly government over all the earth and all the resurrected dead. Moreover, the imperfect human governments that held control of the earth will be no more. They will have been crushed to pieces in the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Har–Magedon, immediately before the binding and abyssing of their invisible rulers, Satan the Devil and his legions of demons. (Rev. 16:13-16; 19:11-21; 20:1-3) In that universal “war of the great day” all the people who are found backing those human governments instead of God’s kingdom by Christ will be annihilated with them. They will not survive.

15. (a) What kind of start will human society be given as foreshadowed by Noah and his family after the flood? (b) What will be the new heavens to which Peter looked forward, and what will it enforce here?

¹⁵ Just as human society had a righteous new start in Noah and his family after the global flood of 2370-2369 B.C.E., so humankind will again have a righteous new start in the God-fearing survivors of the universal war at Har–Magedon, and this time without Satan the Devil and his demons being still on the loose to dominate the earth from their invisible, superhuman position. (Matt. 24:37-39; Genesis 8:15 through 9:17) Even the apostle Peter looked forward to that glorious time for mankind. Shortly before the cruel persecution blazed forth from Roman Emperor Nero against the Christian congregation, Peter wrote: “We look for new heavens and a new earth according to his promises, in which justice dwelleth.” (2 Pet. 3:13, Douay) The “new heavens,” namely, God’s heavenly kingdom in the hands of Jesus Christ, who has been given all the needed power in heaven and in earth, will irresistibly enforce absolute righteousness in the earth. (Matt. 28:18) So it is not for nothing that genuine Christians are praying: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”​—Matt. 6:9, 10, Douay.

16. How will the resurrection from “hell” proceed, and oversight of human affairs will be put in whose hands on earth?

¹⁶ Bear this fact in mind: “Hell” will not disgorge all its dead at one time, on one twenty-four-hour day, thus producing a bewildering population explosion for the relatively few God-fearing survivors of the universal war of Har–Magedon. The release of the dead from “hell” will be wisely controlled from heaven by God’s kingdom under Christ. (1 Cor. 15:23) None of the politicians of the past, destroyed worldly governments will be put back into power. Oversight of human affairs will be put into the hands of lovers of Jehovah God, from Abel to fearers of Jehovah God today, who, during the past millenniums of time, have looked forward to God’s kingdom.

17. Why will some not get their names written in the “book of life,” and what will be done with these?

¹⁷ All those who are released from “hell” and who, after an adequate period of test, stubbornly refuse to learn righteousness and obey the Kingdom will be executed. Their names will not be written in the “book of life” as worthy of eternal life. No, they will not be returned to “hell” and stay there forever. John tells us: “And hell and death were cast into the pool of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the pool of fire.”​—Apoc. 20:14, 15, Douay.

18. (a) What does the “pool of fire” symbolize, and what happens to them therefore? (b) What kind of persons will “second death” of such unwritten ones leave on earth, and to what will the Supreme Judge justify them?

¹⁸ That “pool of fire,” which symbolizes “the second death,” corresponds with what Jesus when on earth called Gehenna. So it symbolizes eternal destruction, a death from which there is no resurrection. Just as death inherited from Adam and Eve and “hell” will forever cease to exist, so will these incorrigible earthly subjects of God’s kingdom cease to exist and will be as if they had never been. This will leave on earth only those who love righteousness with all their heart and who prove themselves unbreakably loyal to the theocratic government of Jehovah God the Almighty. These are the ones found written in the “book of life,” whom the Supreme Judge Jehovah justifies to endless life in peace and happiness in the Paradise of Pleasure then restored to earth.

19, 20. (a) Who are those who will never go to “hell,” and why not? (b) How may you be among them?

¹⁹ Just think of it, though! There are people today living on this polluted, war-threatened earth who will never go to “hell.” They will never have to be brought back from “hell.” Who are these, and is it possible for any of us to be among them?

²⁰ These are sheeplike God-fearing persons who wholeheartedly give their support and service to the heavenly kingdom of God’s dear Son Jesus Christ and hence abstain from the politics of this world. (Matt. 25:31-46) Now, before the universal war of Har–Magedon, they sincerely hail Jehovah God on his heavenly throne and his Lamblike Son Jesus Christ. This class of Christian witnesses of Jehovah will be preserved alive through the violent end of the present global system of things and be ushered into God’s new system of things in which righteousness must dwell. (Rev. 7:9-17) There the death inherited from Adam and Eve, which has already put thousands of millions in “hell,” will be wiped out, so that these survivors will never have to fear “hell” then. By continuing their course of righteousness and devotion to God’s kingdom by Christ, they will live on to see the sea and “hell” give up the dead in them. Yes, by doing the right thing now, you may be among those blessed survivors.

Why You Can Believe in a Resurrection

MILLIONS today do not believe in a resurrection. Some even pride themselves in not being like people who, in their estimation, are gullible enough to believe in something so farfetched as the raising of the dead to life. But does their unbelief make it easier for them to face the prospect of death? Does it make them less sorrowful when their loved ones die? Would they not be far better off if they had the positive hope of living again and seeing dead loved ones return to life? Is such a positive hope possible?

For the person who believes that God exists, belief in a resurrection is not difficult. It is reasonable for him to conclude that the One who originally started off human life is also wise enough to restore the dead to life, to re-create dead humans. This One, Jehovah God, has promised a resurrection or re-creation and given reassurance that his promises are reliable.

Centuries ago, in the case of Abraham and Sarah, Jehovah God performed a miracle comparable to a resurrection. All human possibility was against Sarah’s bearing a son, for she had stopped menstruating. (Gen. 18:11) And Abraham was as good as dead in the sense of being unable to father offspring. Yet the humanly impossible happened. Jehovah God revived the reproductive powers of Abraham and Sarah, thereby preserving the family line of Abraham through his beloved wife Sarah. Concerning this miracle, the inspired letter to the Hebrews states: “By faith also Sarah herself received power to conceive seed, even when she was past the age limit, since she esteemed him faithful who had promised. Hence also from one man, and him as good as dead, there were born children just as the stars of heaven for multitude.”​—Heb. 11:11, 12.

Stupendous as the reviving of the reproductive powers of Abraham and Sarah was, Jehovah God performed still other miracles that furnish faith-strengthening examples of his resurrection power. He empowered some of his devoted servants to perform actual resurrections. The prophet Elijah resurrected the only son of a widow at Zarephath. (1 Ki. 17:21-23) His successor the prophet Elisha raised the only son of a prominent, hospitable woman at Shunem. (2 Ki. 4:8, 32-37) Jesus Christ resurrected the daughter of Jairus, a presiding officer of a synagogue; the only son of a widow at Nain, and his dear friend Lazarus, who had been dead four days. (Mark 5:22, 35, 41-43; Luke 7:11-17; John 11:38-45) At Joppa, the apostle Peter raised Dorcas (Tabitha) from the dead. (Acts 9:36-42) And the apostle Paul resurrected Eutychus after a fatal accident.​—Acts 20:7-12.

The most remarkable resurrection of all, however, was that of Jesus Christ. That resurrection provided the strongest proof that there will be a resurrection of the dead. As the apostle Paul told those assembled at the Areopagus in Athens, Greece: “[God] purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has furnished a guarantee to all men in that he has resurrected him from the dead.”​—Acts 17:31.

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ was historically confirmed by many eyewitnesses. On one occasion he appeared to upward of 500 disciples, most of whom were still alive when the apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was so well established that Paul could write in this letter: “If, indeed, there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised up. But if Christ has not been raised up, our preaching is certainly in vain, and our faith is in vain. Moreover, we are also found false witnesses of God, because we have borne witness against God that he raised up the Christ, but whom he did not raise up if the dead are really not to be raised up?”​—1 Cor. 15:13-15.

First-century Christians, like the apostle Paul, knew for a certainty that Jesus had been resurrected. They were willing to face hardships of all kinds, even death itself, in the full assurance that they would be rewarded in the resurrection.

WHAT WILL BE RESURRECTED?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ reveals that raising the dead does not mean the bringing back to life of the identical body. Jesus was not resurrected to human life but to spirit life. First Peter 3:18 tells us: “Why, even Christ died once for all time concerning sins, a righteous person for unrighteous ones, that he might lead you to God, he being put to death in the flesh, but being made alive in the spirit.” At his resurrection Jesus received a body, not of flesh and blood, but one suitable for heavenly life.​—1 Cor. 15:40, 44-50.

To be seen by his disciples after his resurrection, Jesus Christ took on flesh along with appropriate clothing, just as angels had done earlier when they appeared to humans. This explains why Jesus’ disciples did not always recognize him at first and why Jesus could appear and disappear suddenly. (Luke 24:15-31; John 20:13-16, 26) Be it also remembered that Jesus was not buried with clothing but was wrapped up in fine linen bandages. After his resurrection the bandages remained in the tomb. So just as Jesus had to materialize clothing, he also took on flesh to make himself visible to his disciples.​—Luke 23:53; John 19:40; 20:6, 7.

This may give rise to the questions, What about those who, unlike Jesus Christ, will be resurrected to earthly life? Will their bodies be exact duplicates of what they were at the moment of death? No, that would not be reasonable, as this would mean that they would be brought to life in a condition just short of death. Those who were resurrected in the past were not brought back in the sickly condition that led to their death. Though not perfect at the time of their resurrection, they had a whole, sound body.

Manifestly the same body, of exactly the same atoms, could not be restored to life. Through the process of decay the human body is reconverted into organic chemicals that may be absorbed by vegetation. People may eat this vegetation. As a result, the elements making up the original person can come to be in other people. Obviously the same atoms cannot be in the original person and in all the others at the time of the resurrection.

Jehovah God, however, can reconstruct the same person in the resurrection. We are what we are because of our personality, experiences and mental growth, not because of the physical substance making up our bodies. Approximately seven years ago the molecules that made up your body were different from what they are today. They have been replaced. So the gradual turnover that is accomplished in about seven years of your life can be performed instantaneously in the resurrection.

While this may sound almost unbelievable, yet it is not too different from what takes place at the time of human conception. The tiny cell that is formed by the uniting of the sperm and the egg has the potential of becoming a person different from any other person that has ever lived. Within this cell there is, in effect, a pattern of what the person to develop from it will be like. This pattern becomes part of the body of the human that develops. Is it not reasonable, therefore, that man’s Creator can resurrect or recreate a body with the personality and life record of the dead person?

Thus resurrection or re-creation actually depends upon God’s memory of the life pattern of humankind. We can have confidence in that memory. Why, even imperfect men can preserve and reconstruct visible and audible scenes by means of videotape. How much greater is God’s ability to keep records, for he calls all the countless stars by name! (Ps. 147:4) Because of his perfect memory of life patterns and his purpose to resurrect the dead, Jehovah God could count faithful men like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as being alive.​—Luke 20:37, 38.

Truly there is abundant reason to believe in the resurrection or re-creation of the dead. Belief in the resurrection is based on God’s reliable promises, historically verified resurrections in the past and trust in God’s ability to preserve and reconstruct life patterns perfectly.