Resurrection Or Resuscitation?

Q

I have a thought to share about raising the dead. I first heard reports of this modern miracle from a missionary in Africa about four or five years ago. I believe him. The people that were raised from the dead in Christ’s time and in ours probably go straight to heaven during the natural course of their lives (in our case the rapture and in the case of the saints who came out of their graves with Christ’s ascension). I am not sure about the people raised from the dead back in Christ’s time, but the one’s now being resurrected probably will not experience the sting of death again as the rapture should take them. I don’t know— just a thought.

A

There’s a difference between being raised from the dead and being resurrected. Those like Jairus’ daughter, the widow’s son and Lazarus who were raised from the dead were actually resuscitated and all died again later. So far only Jesus and the believers who came out of their tombs in Matt. 27:52-53 have been resurrected, meaning they will never die again. The miracles we read and hear about from Africa and the far east are all resuscitations. You’re right in saying that if they’re raptured first, they won’t die again. Otherwise they will.