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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 12

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XII.—Some Analogies in Nature Which Corroborate the Resurrection of the Flesh.

Consider now those very analogies of the divine power (

‹ Chapter 11 Chapter 13 ›

to

which

we

have

just

alluded

)

.

Day

dies

into

night

,

and

is

buried

everywhere

in

darkness

.

The

glory

of

the

world

is

obscured

in

the

shadow

of

death

;

its

entire

substance

is

tarnished

with

blackness

;

all

things

become

sordid

,

silent

,

stupid

;

everywhere

business

ceases

,

and

occupations

rest

.

And

so

over

the

loss

of

the

light

there

is

mourning

.

But

yet

it

again

revives

,

with

its

own

beauty

,

its

own

dowry

,

is

own

sun

,

the

same

as

ever

,

whole

and

entire

,

over

all

the

world

,

slaying

its

own

death

,

night

—

opening

its

own

sepulchre

,

the

darkness

—

coming

forth

the

heir

to

itself

,

until

the

night

also

revives

—

it

,

too

,

accompanied

with

a

retinue

of

its

own

.

For

the

stellar

rays

are

rekindled

,

which

had

been

quenched

in

the

morning

glow

;

the

distant

groups

of

the

constellations

are

again

brought

back

to

view

,

which

the

day’s

temporary

interval

had

removed

out

of

sight

.

Readorned

also

are

the

mirrors

of

the

moon

,

which

her

monthly

course

had

worn

away

.

Winters

and

summers

return

,

as

do

the

spring

-

tide

and

autumn

,

with

their

resources

,

their

routines

,

their

fruits

.

Forasmuch

as

earth

receives

its

instruction

from

heaven

to

clothe

the

trees

which

had

been

stripped

,

to

colour

the

flowers

afresh

,

to

spread

the

grass

again

,

to

reproduce

the

seed

which

had

been

consumed

,

and

not

to

reproduce

them

until

consumed

.

Wondrous

method

!

from

a

defrauder

to

be

a

preserver

,

in

order

to

restore

,

it

takes

away

;

in

order

to

guard

,

it

destroys

;

that

it

may

make

whole

,

it

injures

;

and

that

it

may

enlarge

,

it

first

lessens

.

(

This

process

)

indeed

,

renders

back

to

us

richer

and

fuller

blessings

than

it

deprived

us

of

—

by

a

destruction

which

is

profit

,

by

an

injury

which

is

advantage

,

and

by

a

loss

which

is

gain

.

In

a

word

,

I

would

say

,

all

creation

is

instinct

with

renewal

.

Whatever

you

may

chance

upon

,

has

already

existed

;

whatever

you

have

lost

,

returns

again

without

fail

.

All

things

return

to

their

former

state

,

after

having

gone

out

of

sight

;

all

things

begin

after

they

have

ended

;

they

come

to

an

end

for

the

very

purpose

of

coming

into

existence

again

.

Nothing

perishes

but

with

a

view

to

salvation

.

The

whole

,

therefore

,

of

this

revolving

order

of

things

bears

witness

to

the

resurrection

of

the

dead

.

In

His

works

did

God

write

it

,

before

He

wrote

it

in

the

Scriptures

;

He

proclaimed

it

in

His

mighty

deeds

earlier

than

in

His

inspired

words

.

He

first

sent

Nature

to

you

as

a

teacher

,

meaning

to

send

Prophecy

also

as

a

supplemental

instructor

,

that

,

being

Nature’s

disciple

,

you

may

more

easily

believe

Prophecy

,

and

without

hesitation

accept

(

its

testimony

)

when

you

come

to

hear

what

you

have

seen

already

on

every

side

;

nor

doubt

that

God

,

whom

you

have

discovered

to

be

the

restorer

of

all

things

,

is

likewise

the

reviver

of

the

flesh

.

And

surely

,

as

all

things

rise

again

for

man

,

for

whose

use

they

have

been

provided

—

but

not

for

man

except

for

his

flesh

also

—

how

happens

it

that

(

the

flesh

)

itself

can

perish

utterly

,

because

of

which

and

for

the

service

of

which

nothing

comes

to

nought

?