Resurrection is a final, eternal raising from the dead into a life that never ends, while being brought back to life is a temporary return to mortal life that ends in death again.
Les Feldick makes this distinction central to his teaching. He says the widow's son under Elijah and Lazarus were merely brought back to life and later died again. Resurrection began only with Christ, who rose never to die again, and believers will share in that same final, eternal resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:20 — This verse identifies the risen Christ as the firstfruits of them that slept, the starting point of resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:35 — This verse directly raises the resurrection question: how are the dead raised up and with what body do they come?
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:20: "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." In the same resurrection chapter, Paul records the question: "But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?" (1 Corinthians 15:35). The chapter goes on to describe a resurrection body: "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:" (1 Corinthians 15:42). These verses show that Scripture connects resurrection directly to Christ and to a transformed, incorruptible body. Christ is presented as the firstfruits of the resurrection, and the question of the resurrection body is treated as a central part of the doctrine.
Les Feldick repeatedly stresses that the word resurrection is often misused. He points to the widow's son under Elijah and Lazarus in Christ's earthly ministry as examples of people who were "merely brought back to life" and who later died again. Resurrection, he insists, is something that only began with Christ. Christ arose from the dead into eternal life, never to die again, and that is the resurrection believers will one day share. He cautions that calling Lazarus resurrected is scripturally inaccurate because resurrection is final and eternal. Les also teaches that the resurrection body is not an invisible, angelic existence; it will be a body like the Lord Jesus had after His resurrection. He adds that God will reconstruct a resurrected body even from the original particles of a person's remains.
Les Feldick teaches that Lazarus was not resurrected. He was merely brought back to life and later died again. Resurrection, by contrast, means rising from the dead into eternal life and never dying again. Since Lazarus died again at some later date, what happened to him was a temporary restoration to mortal life, not resurrection.
Scripture asks, "How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?" (1 Corinthians 15:35). Les Feldick explains that believers will not be invisible spirit beings or exist like angels. They will eternally exist in a body on the same order as the Lord Jesus in His forty days after His resurrection. He also teaches that God will take at least some of the original cells of the body and reconstruct a new resurrected body.
Les Feldick points out that practically no other religion on the planet has resurrection as the very basis of its beliefs. Christianity is unique because the core of the Gospel is that Christ was raised from the dead. Resurrection means that this life does not end at the grave; there is a life for eternity, and the only way believers can enjoy that eternal existence is to experience biblical resurrection.
The Millennium Explained: What Revelation 20 Really Teaches
down. And isn't that true? I mean there is just seemingly no solution to the world's problems. Well it's all because we're winding down and we're getting closer and closer to the time when of course Christ will first take us out, we trust, and unto Himself, because a lot of things have to take place between us and the Lord before He comes back to rule.
Resurrection Defined
Les gives the core definition: being raised from the dead only to die again is not resurrection; resurrection means rising to eternal life and never dying again, as Christ did.
Resurrection Is Final
Les stresses that resurrection is final and began with Christ. He specifically corrects those who say Lazarus was resurrected, since Lazarus died again.
The Resurrected Body
Les answers the objection about resurrection by teaching that believers will not be invisible spirits or angels; they will have a body like Jesus' resurrection body.
Brought Back vs. Resurrected
Les connects resurrection to eternal life and to the question in 1 Corinthians 15 about how the dead are raised and with what body they come.
Resurrection Unique to Christianity
Les emphasizes that resurrection is unique to Christianity and is the basis of everything Christians believe, unlike a mere return to this present life.
Resurrection Began With Christ
Les teaches that resurrection never took place until Jesus was raised from the dead, and that Christ's resurrection opened the door to the whole doctrine of life after death.
God Reconstructs the Body
Les teaches that even if a body has turned to dust or been consumed, God knows the original particles and will reconstruct a new resurrected body.
1 Corinthians 15:20: But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
This verse establishes Christ as the first and the pattern for resurrection to eternal life.
1 Corinthians 15:35: But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
This verse raises the practical question about the nature of the resurrection body.
1 Corinthians 15:42: So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
This verse teaches that the resurrection body is incorruptible, unlike the mortal body that dies again.
No, according to Les Feldick, Lazarus was not resurrected. He was merely brought back to life and later died again. Resurrection began with Christ, who rose from the dead never to die again.
Les teaches that resurrection never took place until Jesus was raised from the dead. Christ was the first to be resurrected, and His resurrection opened the door to the whole doctrine of life after death.
No. Resurrection is final and eternal. Those who were brought back to life in Scripture, like the widow's son and Lazarus, later died again. Resurrection means rising to a life that never ends.
Watch the Teaching: The Millennium Explained: What Revelation 20 Really Teaches