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Unusual Question About Resurrection

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Wanda:

A thought occurred to me. People who die today and are revived by medical intervention, could we consider this a type of resurrection?

indianabob:
Hi Wanda,.

I think we would term that a "healing" as in the heart began pumping again without assistance from any artificial means.
A resurrection would require a whole new body, every molecule brand new if it is mortal and every spiritual part if it is immortal or undying.

Love to hear from the experts.
Indianabob

ZekeSr:
Hi Wanda,

It depends on how you first look at the definition of the word dead.

Clinically dead:
"As far as can be ascertained by a clinical examination the patient is dead. There is no pulse, no respiratory movement and no corneal reflex."
But that does not mean they were truly dead if they are revived.

Then, consider the several definitions of the word resurrection.
Resurrection:
1.
a.  The act of restoring a dead person, for example, to life.
b.  The condition of having been restored to life.

2.  Resurrection Christianity
a.  The return of Jesus to life on the third day after the Crucifixion.
b.  The restoration of the dead to life at the Last Judgment.

3.  The act of bringing back to practice, notice, use, or vibrancy; revival: the resurrection of an old custom; the resurrection of a decrepit neighborhood.

Personally, I would say it is closer to number 3 when speaking medically.

Mike

Wanda:
Thanks Bob and Mike.

What made me think of it in terms of resurrection, was if no one had intervened the person would have died, but giving it some thought, I realized it was God's will there was an intervention and it was not that person's time to die.

Everything that happens is for his glory and nothing happens unless he wills it so.

Johnny70:
Hi Wanda,
This is a great question for all of us to put their thinking cap on and examine what is required to create or engender a resurrection. The Bible says: “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5; Psalm 146:4) Therefore, when we die, we cease to exist. The dead can’t think, act, or feel anything. “To dust you will return”,God explained what happens when we die when he spoke to the first man, Adam. Because Adam was disobedient, God said to him: “Dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19) Before God created Adam “out of dust from the ground,” Adam did not exist. (Genesis 2:7) Likewise, when Adam died, he returned to dust and ceased to exist.
The same thing happens to those who die now. Speaking of both humans and animals, the Bible says: “They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust.”​—Ecclesiastes 3:19, 20.

I have no medical background but to me there is a very rapid pejorative deterioration when a human's blood is no longer circulating in their body and the lungs no longer have the capacity to supply the blood with oxygen. The time line likely varies but I understand that brain cells begin to die around 4 minutes and after 10 minutes an irretrievable condition is achieved (unless it is a special case such as hyperthermia which could add up to an hour).

But the subject here is - what is required for a successful resurrection where a human can live again? And Bob mentioned that every molecule would have to be made new again. The longer a person is dead the deterioration would be accelerated and very soon go way beyond what medical science could achieve in a restoration attempt. So would it be fair and safe to say that a human body would not have to reach a dust like state to require a God like regeneration. There are many examples in the Bible of people being supernaturally revived after being dead for varying lengths of time. So my question here - is at what point after a person dies and is brought back to life by God (even if only a hour plus after dying) does it qualify as a resurrection - in a legitimate Biblical definition or sense of the term?

John

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