Explaining the Resurrection - 2

Explaining the Resurrection - 2

Another Perspective

Hypothesis: "The sixth-year blessing" which occurred repeatedly over centuries (not just once) proves that biblical miracles are not subjective interpretations of rare natural phenomena, but real acts of God's sovereign power. Let us examine this with Scripture.

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1. The sixth-year blessing: Repeated miracles as the norm

Leviticus 25:20-21 is not a one-time story, but a legal statute for as long as Israel dwelt in the land of Canaan. This means:

Every 7-year cycle, in the 6th year, God miraculously gave a 3-year harvest (the 6th year itself + the 7th Sabbath year + the 8th year. Chronologically it needs to be noted, but the point is: extraordinary yield).

Implication:

If this miracle occurred every 7 years for hundreds of years (during the judges, the kingdom, until the exile), then miracles are a reliable pattern of God's work, not a once-in-a-lifetime anomaly.

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2. Comparison with other "unreasonable" miracles

a. The sun stood still (Joshua 10:12-14)

"The sun stood still in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day."

Similar logic to Leviticus 25:

Nature: the sun's orbit cannot stop.

God's purpose: to give Israel time to destroy their enemies.

Result: natural law was suspended for the sake of God's promise.

Biblical note: "There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man." Meaning: this is extraordinary, but within the same framework as the sixth-year blessing God acts outside normal boundaries.

b. Aaron's staff budded (Numbers 17:8)

"On the next day, the staff of Aaron... had sprouted, put forth buds, produced blossoms, and borne ripe almonds."

Similarity:

Dead wood → sprouted, blossomed, and bore fruit overnight.

This completely surpasses botanical laws.

Leviticus 25 surpasses agronomic laws (land producing 3 times more without being sown).

Pattern: God gives life from what is naturally dead/unproductive.

c. Balaam's donkey spoke (Numbers 22:28)

"Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam..."

Similarity:

Animals cannot speak → God's word gave the ability to speak.

Just as the sixth-year harvest surpassed the land's capacity.

Key principle: All creation is subject to the command of its Creator, whenever He wills.

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3. Examining the hypothesis: Why does this refute naturalistic views?

Naturalistic/skeptical views usually say:

"Biblical miracles are legends, or exaggerated natural events (for example: solar eclipse → 'the sun stopped'; fog → 'the sea parted')."

Refutation from the hypothesis (the sixth-year blessing):

Naturalistic Claim | Biblical Fact That Refutes It

The sixth-year blessing was just an ordinary super harvest. | An ordinary super harvest cannot provide a 3-year yield without spoilage, especially occurring every 7 years for centuries with perfect accuracy.

Miracles only happened once, then were retold. | Leviticus 25 is a recurring law. This is not a heroic story, but routine instruction that presupposes God's intervention every 7 years.

Nature has fixed laws that cannot be violated. | The Bible does not deny that God usually works through natural laws but when His will differs, nature obeys.

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4. Theological foundation: God's power vs. Natural law

Key verse: Psalm 148:5-6

"All things came into being by His command; and He established them forever and ever."

Explanation:

God established natural laws not because He is bound by them, but as an expression of His sovereignty.

Natural law = "God's custom" in ordinary providence.

Miracles = "intentional exceptions" for the purpose of redemption or revelation.

Romans 4:17:

"God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist."

This is the definition of God's power: able to do what is ontologically impossible for creation.

The sixth-year blessing is merely a small example of that great principle.

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5. Application to the resurrection of Jesus

If the sixth-year blessing occurred dozens or hundreds of times in Israel's history, then:

There is no reason to say "Jesus' resurrection is impossible because no dead person can come back to life."

Rather: Jesus' resurrection is the culmination of the sixth-year blessing pattern namely God giving life in the midst of a situation that is barren/unproductive/totally dead.

John 2:19 actually says: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

Just as the land that was not sown in the 7th year still produced because of God's command, so Jesus' dead body rose because of the Father's command.

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Conclusion

The sixth-year blessing is not a "rare natural phenomenon" but a repeated act of God's power that surpasses the seemingly fixed laws of nature.

Therefore:

1. Other miracles (the sun standing still, the staff budding, the donkey speaking) do not need to be explained naturalistically.

2. Jesus' resurrection fits into the same pattern only on a definitive and eschatological scale.

3. The objection "miracles are unreasonable" collapses because He who established natural law is also free to temporarily suspend it for His purposes.

Shalom, Lord Jesus, protect and bless us all. Amen. 🙏

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