Expectation of Miracles and Resurrection in Jewish Culture
The expectation of miracles and resurrection was deeply ingrained in Jewish culture during the Second Temple period. The concept of resurrection is rooted in the Old Testament, with passages such as Job 19:26, Psalm 16:10, and Daniel 12:2 affirming the idea [1]. The Jewish people expected a future resurrection, as evident in Martha's statement to Jesus, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day" (John 11:24) [1].
The Psalms express a strong sense of hope and expectation in God's redemption, with the Psalmist declaring, "I wait for Yahweh. My soul waits. I hope in his word" (Psalm 130:5) [2]. This hope is not limited to individual salvation but also encompasses the restoration of Israel. The prophet Hosea foretells a future time when "the children of Israel shall return, and seek Yahweh their God, and David their king" (Hosea 3:5) [4].
The idea of resurrection was not universally accepted among Jewish sects, however. The Sadducees denied the resurrection, as recorded in Matthew 22:23 and Acts 23:8 [1]. In contrast, the Pharisees and other Jewish groups believed in a future resurrection, which was a central aspect of their eschatology.
The Dead Sea Scrolls provide further evidence of the expectation of a messianic figure and a future resurrection in pre-Christian Jewish literature. The text of 11Q13 (Melchizedek) presents Melchizedek as a heavenly, angelic figure who will execute divine judgment at the end of the tenth jubilee [3].
The New Testament writers, including Paul, drew upon this Jewish background in articulating the Christian doctrine of resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul addresses the Corinthian church's doubts about the resurrection, arguing that Christ's resurrection confirms the reality of a future resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-20) [5]. The resurrection of Jesus is seen as a fulfillment of Old Testament expectations and a guarantee of the future resurrection of believers.
The concept of waiting on the Lord is a recurring theme in the Psalms, with the Psalmist praying, "Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake" (Psalm 69:6) [6]. This waiting is not passive but rather an active expectation of God's redemption and salvation.
The vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37 is often seen as a metaphor for the restoration of Israel, but it also indirectly supports the doctrine of resurrection [7, 8]. The passage assumes a future resurrection as a recognized aspect of Jewish belief, using it as an image for national restoration.
The Jewish expectation of miracles and resurrection provides the backdrop for understanding the significance of Jesus' teachings and actions. The concept of resurrection was not only a theological idea but also a lived expectation that shaped Jewish piety and hope.
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Resurrection, The — A doctrine of the Old Testament -- Job 19:26; Ps 16:10; 49:15; Isa 26:19; Da 12:2; Ho 13:14. A first principle of the gospel -- 1Co 15:13,14; Heb 6:1,2. Expected by the Jews -- Joh 11:24; Heb 11:35. Denied by the Sadducees -- Mt 22:23; Lu 20:27; Ac 23:8. Explained away by false teachers -- 2Ti 2:18. Called in question by some in the church -- 1Co 15:12. Is not incredible -- Mr 12:24; Ac 26:8. Is not contrary to reason -- Joh 12:24; 1Co 15:35-49. Assumed and proved by our Lord -- Mt 22:29-32; Lu 14:14; Joh 5:28,29. Preached by the Apostles -- Ac 4:”
- Psalms “I wait for Yahweh. My soul waits. I hope in his word. -- Psalms 130:5”
- Dead Sea Scrolls “Pesharim and Other Notable Texts (2nd-1st century BCE), section 8: Judah...until the Messiah of Righteousness comes, the Branch of David") -- one of the clearest messianic readings of this verse in pre-Christian Jewish literature. 11Q13 (Melchizedek): An eschatological text that presents Melchizedek as a heavenly, angelic figure who will execute divine judgment at the end of the tenth jubilee. Melchizedek is identified with the Elohim of Psalm 82:1 and is said to "atone for all the sons of light." This text provides essential background for the Christological use of Melchizedek in Hebrews 7. 4”
- Hosea “Afterward the children of Israel shall return, and seek Yahweh their God, and David their king, and shall come with trembling to Yahweh and to his blessings in the last days. -- Hosea 3:5”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 15:12: 15:12-34 Paul now makes the case for a future resurrection. 15:12-20 Christ’s resurrection confirms the reality of the future resurrection. 15:12 Some believers in Corinth apparently had a difficult time accepting the Jewish notion of a bodily resurrection of the dead, preferring instead the Greek notion of the immortality of the soul (cp. Acts 17:18, 32).”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 69:6: Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake,.... Of their expectation of redemption and salvation by the Messiah, they have been waiting upon the Lord for; when they shall see him in suffering circumstances, and even dead and laid in the grave, without any hope of his rising again; which was the case of the two disciples travelling to Emmaus, Luk 24:19; whose trust in him, and expectation of him, as the Redeemer of Israel, were almost gone. The people of God, and believers in Christ, are described by such that "wait on the Lord"; for th”
- Ezekiel (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Ezekiel 37:1: Here is, I. The vision of a resurrection from death to life, and it is a glorious resurrection. This is a thing so utterly unknown to nature, and so contrary to its principles (a privatione ad habitum non datur regressus - from privation to possession there is no return), that we could have no thought of it but by the word of the Lord; and that it is certain by that word that there shall be a general resurrection of the dead some have urged from this vision, "For" (say they) "otherwise it would not properly be made a sign for the confirming of their faith in the ”
- Ezekiel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ezekiel 37:10: Such honor God gives to the divine word, even in the mouth of a man. How much more when in the mouth of the Son of God! (Joh 5:25-29). Though this chapter does not directly prove the resurrection of the dead, it does so indirectly; for it takes for granted the future fact as one recognized by believing Jews, and so made the image of their national restoration (so Isa 25:8; Isa 26:19; Dan 12:2; Hos 6:2; Hos 13:14; compare Note, see on Eze 37:12).”