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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 31

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXXI.—Other Passages Out of the Prophets Applied to the Resurrection of the Flesh.

Unquestionably, if the people were indulging in figurative murmurs

‹ Chapter 30 Chapter 32 ›

that

their

bones

were

become

dry

,

and

that

their

hope

had

perished

—

plaintive

at

the

consequences

of

their

dispersion

—

then

God

might

fairly

enough

seem

to

have

consoled

their

figurative

despair

with

a

figurative

promise

.

Since

,

however

,

no

injury

had

as

yet

alighted

on

the

people

from

their

dispersion

,

although

the

hope

of

the

resurrection

had

very

frequently

failed

amongst

them

,

it

is

manifest

that

it

was

owing

to

the

perishing

condition

of

their

bodies

that

their

faith

in

the

resurrection

was

shaken

.

God

,

therefore

,

was

rebuilding

the

faith

which

the

people

were

pulling

down

.

But

even

if

it

were

true

that

Israel

was

then

depressed

at

some

shock

in

their

existing

circumstances

,

we

must

not

on

that

account

suppose

that

the

purpose

of

revelation

could

have

rested

in

a

parable

:

its

aim

must

have

been

to

testify

a

resurrection

,

in

order

to

raise

the

nation’s

hope

to

even

an

eternal

salvation

and

an

indispensable

restoration

,

and

thereby

turn

off

their

minds

from

brooding

over

their

present

affairs

.

This

indeed

is

the

aim

of

other

prophets

likewise

.

“

Ye

shall

go

forth

,

”

(

says

Malachi

)

,

“

from

your

sepulchres

,

as

young

calves

let

loose

from

their

bonds

,

and

ye

shall

tread

down

your

enemies

.

”

And

again

,

(

Isaiah

says

)

:

“

Your

heart

shall

rejoice

,

and

your

bones

shall

spring

up

like

the

grass

,

”

because

the

grass

also

is

renewed

by

the

dissolution

and

corruption

of

the

seed

.

In

a

word

,

if

it

is

contended

that

the

figure

of

the

rising

bones

refers

properly

to

the

state

of

Israel

,

why

is

the

same

hope

announced

to

all

nations

,

instead

of

being

limited

to

Israel

only

,

of

reinvesting

those

osseous

remains

with

bodily

substance

and

vital

breath

,

and

of

raising

up

their

dead

out

of

the

grave

?

For

the

language

is

universal

:

“

The

dead

shall

arise

,

and

come

forth

from

their

graves

;

for

the

dew

which

cometh

from

Thee

is

medicine

to

their

bones

.

”

In

another

passage

it

is

written

:

“

All

flesh

shall

come

to

worship

before

me

,

saith

the

Lord

.

”

When

?

When

the

fashion

of

this

world

shall

begin

to

pass

away

.

For

He

said

before

:

“

As

the

new

heaven

and

the

new

earth

,

which

I

make

,

remain

before

me

,

saith

the

Lord

,

so

shall

your

seed

remain

.

”

Then

also

shall

be

fulfilled

what

is

written

afterwards

:

“

And

they

shall

go

forth

”

(

namely

,

from

their

graves

)

,

“

and

shall

see

the

carcases

of

those

who

have

transgressed

:

for

their

worm

shall

never

die

,

nor

shall

their

fire

be

quenched

;

and

they

shall

be

a

spectacle

to

all

flesh

”

even

to

that

which

,

being

raised

again

from

the

dead

and

brought

out

from

the

grave

,

shall

adore

the

Lord

for

this

great

grace

.

Notes

1
Mal. iv. 2, 3.
2
Isa. lxvi. 14.
3
Isa. xxvi. 19.
4
Isa. lxvi. 23.
5
Ver. 22.
6
Isa. lxvi. 24.