Resurrection of the dead
Job 14:7-9 "For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. 8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; 9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant."
Oftentimes, God will use the things of nature to teach us his precepts in the word of God. When a tree is cut down, the Bible tells us that the root thereof will wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground. The same is true for a man when he dies. His body ceased to live physically. Yet, the same Bible also tells us in Job 14:7 that there is hope for that man i.e. he shall live again even as the tree that was cut down shall bud through the scent of water.
John 4:10 "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."
What is the water that will cause the dead to live again? It is not physical water, but “living water”(John 4:10). Jesus taught in the Parable of the Sower that there are four types of ground whereby the hearts of every man and woman may be represented:
the wayside ground;
the stony ground;
the thorny ground;
the good ground.
Of all the four types of heart, only the "good ground" heart having heard the word, will keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience (Luke 8:15). The heart of a born again believer is like the ground by the rivers of water, as in:
Psalms 1:3 "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
The best type of soil for planting crops is the "alluvial soil". According to www.sciencedirect.com, alluvial soil has the highest productivity with respect to other soils. It is present mostly along rivers and is carried by its streams during weathering of rocks. The honest and good heart of a born again believer is like the alluvial soil by the rivers of water. This is the most productive type of ground whereby the "seed" ("the word of God" Luke 8:11) when sown will take root and bear fruit: some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundredfold.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."
The good ground is always by the waters and by the river. In Genesis 2:10 "... a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads." Eden has a river which went out to water the garden. There, it was parted and became into 4 heads: Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel and Euphrates. Notice the pattern of the number 4 in this passage, synonymous to the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Compare this to:
John 7:38 "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
The good ground heart of a born again believer is like Eden, out of which flow rivers of living water: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. A born again believer who died physically is like a tree that was cut down. Though he be dead, yet through the scent of “water” (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), he shall live again. This in itself is a prophecy of the first resurrection. Actually, this does not only apply to a born again believer, but it is also true of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially if we were to consider it along with:
Job 36:17 "But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee."
Job was a foreshadow of the Son of man Jesus Christ in that he fulfilled the judgment of the wicked. Though without sin, the judgment of God took hold on the sinless Lamb of God for the sake of whosoever believeth in him: past, present and future. He died as a man and was buried, but on the third day, he rose from the dead by the power of God.
Daniel 9:26 "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself…"
Referring to the Messiah (Jesus Christ), he was “cut off”, but not for himself. He was cut down as a tree, not because of his own sins (for he had none), but for the sake of whosoever believeth in him, that they should not perish but have everlasting life. Therein is a picture of the gospel embedded in this passage of Scripture. Paul further tells us in:
1 Corinthians 6:14 "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power."
This is where we know that God who raised up the Lord Jesus Christ, will also raise up the dead in Christ by the same power. It is the will of God that every born again believer who died bodily be raised up from the dead, and this is also where we know that the “scent of water” (Job 14:9) is in fact, referring to the power of God. What did the Bible tell us about the “power of God”? The first-mention of this term is found in:
Matthew 22:29 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God."
Scriptures can be read, and the power of God can be known. Here, Jesus compares scriptures to the power of God. In fact, we also find a second witness in:
Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
This verse tells us that the word of God is “powerful” i.e. the power of God is in the scriptures. This is the very power that had raised Jesus up from the dead, and the same power that will also raise up the dead in Christ. Paul further tells us in:
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
This is my third witness, and it goes along with what we have established earlier from scripture that “water” is a reference to the gospel of Christ: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The word of God is also compared to water in this passage of Scripture, in:
Isaiah 55:10-11 "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
The word of God is active and alive. It is out of the mouth of God that the will of God is accomplished through his word that goeth forth, even the raising of the dead according to Scripture. Notice in this passage of Scripture that “the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud...” (Isaiah 55:10) It is the word of God which came down from heaven that watereth the earth and produce life. The same word of God will also resurrect the dead in Christ and bring them back to life according to Scripture.