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In Matthew 22, Jesus places Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the center of future resurrection, demonstrating continuity with Jewish traditions, such as in the Testament of Judah, that identified resurrection with the patriarchs.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Testament of Judah 25:1
Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs
Pseudepigrapha
1 After this Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will rise to life, and my brothers and I will be heads of the tribes of Israel: Levi first, I second, Joseph third, Benjamin fourth, Simeon fifth, Issachar sixth, and so on all in order. 2 The Lord blessed Levi; the Angel of the Presence blessed me; the powers of glory blessed Simeon; heaven blessed Reuben; the earth blessed Issachar; the sea blessed Zebulun; the mountains blessed Joseph; the tabernacle blessed Benjamin; the lights of heaven blessed Dan; Eden blessed Naphtali; the sun blessed Gad; and the moon blessed Asher. 3 You will be the people of the Lord and speak one language, and the spirit of dishonesty of Beliar will no longer be there, for he will be thrown into the fire forever.
Matthew 22:32
New Testament
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 Now as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living!” 33 When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching. 34 Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together.
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Notes and References
"... The eschatological nature of this banquet is apparent from the inclusion of Israel’s great patriarchs of old, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They symbolize all those who remained faithful to God and have consequently been resurrected to new life. (The implication is spelled out in passages like Testament of Judah 25:1) But, who are the “many” coming from east and west to partake in the banquet? ..."
Gregg, Brian Han
The Historical Jesus and the Final Judgment Sayings in Q
(p. 300) University of Notre Dame, 2005
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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