The Starting Point of the Bodily Resurrection

Every movement has its starting point and its goal, and the movement itself consists in the transit or “going over”from the first of these to the second. Now, the movement of the bodies of men to life in the final resurrection, has its beginning or starting point in the state of death. Therefore, all men must die. Those who are alive on earth when the last day comes will die,and then rise in the general resurrection.

All human beings shall rise from the dust and ashes to which death and decay (or the final fire) reduces them. Scripture says (Gen. 3:19): “Dust thou art, and into dust thou shaltreturn.”

There is, in the dust and ashes to which bodies are reduced, no tendency towards reconstruction as human bodies. The divine plan and the divine power bring about the resurrection,uniting each soul with the dust and ashes which, by reason of the union, is constituted as the proper body of the vivifying soul.