Judgment and Resurrection: Job 19:23-29

In our journey through prophecies from the Old Testament and how they relate to Jesus’ life and ministry, we have covered a lot. However, tucked within the Old Testament book of Job, and reemphasized a number of times during Jesus’ ministry, we have a prophecy that is very connected with Jesus, but one that has yet to take place.

In other words, while some people might like to think of prophecy as being a thing of the past, one of the greatest prophecies in the entire Bible is still to come – and this prophecy is one we can look forward to taking part in.

To discover this prophecy, let’s first look at one of the oldest books from the Old Testament. While not much is known about the exact date the book of Job was written, some people believe this book was recorded prior to Genesis being written.

However, regardless of when Job was written, a set of verses tucked within this narrative are amazing to focus on. In Job, chapter 19, starting in verse 23, and reading from the New American Standard Bible translation, Job tells his friends:

²³ “Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
²⁴ “That with an iron stylus and lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!
²⁵ “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
²⁶ “Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
²⁷ Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My heart faints within me!
²⁸ “If you say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’
And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find?’
²⁹ “Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves,
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
So that you may know there is judgment.”

In these verses from Job’s speech to his friends, we find an amazing declaration about his belief and trust in God. Also in this speech, Job clearly states that he knows his Redeemer lives. While this could be used as evidence of Jesus’ resurrection and presence throughout eternity, the description Job gives following that line is even more powerful.

The last phrase of verse 25 includes Job saying, “at the last He [referring to the Redeemer] will take His stand on the earth.” This is powerful, because Job looks forward to the end of time and to the point when God, or Jesus, judges the earth.

This is amazing, and to top it off, Job continues in verse 26 by saying, “Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God”. This statement speaks to Job looking forward to a physical resurrection. Job draws attention to after the point his skin is destroyed, which one could make the case as representing death. Job finishes the thought by saying “from my flesh I shall see God”. Job clearly states a belief in a physical resurrection that would be his for holding onto God even though God had appeared to turn His back on Job.

From this passage in Job, and specifically from these couple verses, we see foreshadowing of the judgment at the end of time, and of a physical resurrection that would take place.

Jumping forward to Jesus’ life and ministry in the first century, to a passage found in the gospel of John, we find Jesus push the religious leaders early on in His ministry with a powerful claim pointing forward to the end of time.

In John, chapter 5, starting in verse 24, Jesus tells the Pharisees and those present:

²⁴ “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

²⁵ Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; ²⁷ and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, ²⁹ and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

In this excerpt from Jesus’ challenge to the religious leaders, Jesus makes the case and claim that everyone has a resurrection to look forward to in their future. Whether the two resurrections Jesus describes are two perspectives of the same event, or if Jesus is describing two completely different events, from the way Jesus frames these two resurrections, it is advisable for everyone to seek to be included in the resurrection of life.

From the way Jesus and John frame this message, we are able to choose which resurrection we will be included in. Those who are included in the resurrection of judgment are described as those who committed evil deeds, while those who are included in the resurrection of life are described as having done good deeds.

Does this then mean that belief doesn’t matter?

No. Belief matters – especially belief in Jesus. A technical understanding of Jesus’ message would condemn all of us because we all have committed evil deeds. Belief in Jesus, and belief in the One who sent Him, as Jesus describes in verse 24, is the way to move from the resurrection of judgment to the resurrection of life. According to Jesus, the resurrection of judgment leads only to death. By believing in Jesus, and in God the Father who sent Him, our names, lives, and records are transferred over from death into life.

From Job’s declaration to his friends in the Old Testament moving forward to Jesus’ challenge to some religious leaders, we see the theme of resurrection for all of God’s people as a clear promise we can look forward to experiencing. While not all of God’s people will experience the death Jesus often described as a sleep, specifically the one that looks forward to resurrection, we can know and trust that if we do fall asleep believing in Jesus, the next voice we hear and the first face we see when we open our eyes will belong to Jesus.

While the resurrection Job looked forward to and the two resurrections Jesus describes are still to come in the future, let’s remember and trust the truth that God’s promises are trustworthy. We have spent almost an entire year’s worth of podcasts showing how prophecy and themes from the Old Testament were fulfilled and expanded by Jesus. Some of these prophecies Jesus willingly stepped into, and other prophecies Jesus would have had zero control over.

However, because Jesus came, lived, died, and was resurrected just like what was predicted and foreshadowed in the Old Testament, we can trust God has a grand conclusion to history planned. In God’s conclusion for history, while it may not be welcome news for some people, He will put an eternal end to sin, while stepping forward with all of His people into eternity.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open by challenging you, intentionally seek God first in your life. Trust in God’s promises and in Jesus’ sacrifice to cover your sins and believe that God wants you with Him in heaven. Jesus paid the penalty for sin and He offers you the opportunity to move from judgment to life when we choose to place our faith, hope, trust, and belief in Him.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself to grow your personal relationship with God. Through a personal relationship with God, discover just how much He loves each of us, and the lengths He was willing to go to redeem you and me from sin. Say thank you to Jesus by giving Him your heart, mind, and focus, and choose each day to live your life in a way that shows other people you are grateful for what Jesus did for you.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!