The Bible clearly teaches that there will be a bodily resurrection of the dead in the future (Job 19:26-27; Isa. 26:19; Matt. 27:52-53; 1 Cor. 15:5-8). Daniel was told that his people (the Jews) will be raised from the dead at the time of the end—a phrase that refers to the coming of their Messiah at the end of the Tribulation period (Dan. 12:1-2).
Paul was talking about the church and speaking by the Word of the Lord when he said the dead in Christ (Christians not Jews) will be raised; the living will be changed and all Christians will be caught up (raptured) into heaven together (1 Thess. 4:13-18). This will take place before the Tribulation period.
God made an everlasting covenant to give all of the Promised Land to Abraham and his descendants forever (Gen. 17:7-8). He said the covenant would go through Isaac (Gen. 17:18-21). And later, He said the covenant would go through Jacob (Gen. 28:13; 35:10-12).
Jacob had 12 sons (Gen. 29:31-30:24; 35:16-19). One of his sons was named Joseph. This is the one that was sold into slavery by his brothers for 20 pieces of silver (Gen. 37:28). He was framed by Potiphar’s wife and cast into prison (Gen. 39:7-20).
He accurately interpreted dreams for Pharaoh’s butler and baker (Gen. 40:1-19) and was eventually brought out of prison to interpret a dream for Pharaoh (Gen. 41:1-37). On this occasion, Pharaoh made him the second most powerful man in all of Egypt (Gen. 41:38-45).
Joseph assumed power in Egypt at the age of 30 (Gen. 41:46). He lived 80 more years and died and the age of 110 (Gen. 50:22).
Just before his death, Joseph called some of the Hebrews together and said, “I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence” (Gen. 50:24-26).
Notice, that Joseph knew about the everlasting covenant that God made to give the Promised Land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Gen. 17:7-8). We would expect him to know this because Jacob was his father.
Also, notice that Joseph said the time would come when God would cause the Hebrews to leave Egypt and return to the Promised Land; and he wanted his bones taken back to the Promised Land for burial. He believed God would fulfill His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob so this was an act of faith. In fact, it is the reason why Joseph is mentioned in the faith chapter (Heb. 11:22).
The book of Exodus picks up where the book of Genesis leaves off. That is to say, with the death of Joseph (Ex. 1:6). Then it skips down to the birth of Moses, the man who would see that Joseph’s bones were taken to Israel (Ex. 2:1-10).
Moses was born in the land of Egypt and raised in the royal palace. He killed a man and fled into the land of Midian (Ex. 2:11-15). He spent 40 years there and left only after God called him to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt and back to the Promised Land. (Ex. 3:1-10).
He reluctantly obeyed but when the time came for the Hebrews to leave, Moses directed them to take the bones of Joseph with them (Ex. 13:19). They took the bones to the Promised Land and Joshua had them buried at Shechem (Josh. 24:31-32).
Dr. J. Vernon McGee wrote:
Why remove his body and bury it in the land? If Joseph knew he would be raised from the dead someday and taken up to heaven, what difference would it make if his launching pad was in Egypt or in the land of Israel? Well, the fact of the matter is that he was not expecting to go to heaven. He expected to be raised in the resurrection of his people in the land for the Millennium—and then for all eternity (Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Volume I, Genesis-Deuteronomy, p. 244)
The Jews don’t expect to be raised when the church is raised (at the Rapture). They expect to be raised when their Messiah comes to establish His millennial kingdom on earth, and they want to be raised in the Promised Land at that time.
On January 9, 2015, four Jews were murdered by Islamic Jihadists at a Jewish deli in Paris, France. Even though these four Jews lived in France, their family asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow them to be buried in the Promised Land. They were taken home for burial and laid to rest in Jerusalem on Jan. 14, 2015.
Mr. Netanyahu said, “To all the Jews of France, all the Jews of Europe, I would like to say that Israel is not just the place in whose direction you pray, the state of Israel is your home.”
Israeli Pres. Reuven Rivlin said, “This is not how we wanted to see you come home, to the State of Israel and to Jerusalem, its capital. We wanted you alive, we wanted you for life.”
Jews have been going home since the days of Joseph and Moses because they believe in the coming of their Messiah, the resurrection of the dead, an earthly millennial kingdom and they want to be raised in the Promised Land at the start of that wonderful kingdom.
Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck