There is Only One Resurrection

[dwight92070]

Jesus tells us that there is only one physical resurrection, which literally occurs on the last day.

"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 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." John 5:28-29

So He's talking about all of mankind here - which includes both the righteous and the unrighteous and it happens in a single hour in a single day called the last day. There will be no more days after this - except in the New Heavens and the New Earth.

"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day." John 6:39

"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." John 6:40

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." John 6:54

The famous sisters, Mary and Martha, knew about the last day. Jesus told Martha, "Your brother will rise again." Her response? "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." John 11:23-24

Paul also spoke of this day in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. He referenced specifically the resurrection of the righteous and the rapture, but you can be sure that he knew that the unrighteous would be raised in that same hour.

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those (the righteous) who are asleep (dead), so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. (the unrighteous) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him (the 2nd Coming) those who have fallen asleep in Jesus (the righteous) (He will bring their spirits, not their bodies- to be united with their resurrected glorified bodies).

"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive (the righteous), and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep." In other words the dead in Christ will be united with their glorified bodies coming out of the tombs first. Then after that those believers who are alive at His 2nd Coming will be changed instantly into their glorified bodies and will be caught up (raptured) to meet the Lord and the other believers who were dead, in the clouds. All of this happens on the last day.

What happens to the unrighteous who have also been raised from the tomb and reunited with their old earthly bodies - NOT new glorified bodies? Well we know that they will NOT be meeting us in the clouds. So apparently, they will remain on the earth, awaiting judgment. Matthew 25:31

The last day will be an AWESOME DAY. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 On that day, His 2nd Coming, the following will occur:

The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels (their could be millions of them) in flaming fire.

He will also bring with Him all the souls/spirits of the righteous who have previously died, but now have just "put on" their new glorified bodies.

He will deal out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Paul says back in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God.

His return will be a FEARFUL and TERRIBLE day for the unrighteous, but an awesome and glorious and joyful day for the righteous.

It will be a LOUD and POWERFUL day, filled with awesome sights, when Jesus returns for His own - and yet DOOM and weeping and gnashing of teeth for those who rejected Him.

 

[Joe]

Jesus tells us that there is only one physical resurrection, which literally occurs on the last day.

"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 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." John 5:28-29

So He's talking about all of mankind here - which includes both the righteous and the unrighteous and it happens in a single hour in a single day called the last day. There will be no more days after this - except in the New Heavens and the New Earth.

"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day." John 6:39

"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." John 6:40

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." John 6:54

The famous sisters, Mary and Martha, knew about the last day. Jesus told Martha, "Your brother will rise again." Her response? "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." John 11:23-24

Paul also spoke of this day in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. He referenced specifically the resurrection of the righteous and the rapture, but you can be sure that he knew that the unrighteous would be raised in that same hour.

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those (the righteous) who are asleep (dead), so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. (the unrighteous) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him (the 2nd Coming) those who have fallen asleep in Jesus (the righteous) (He will bring their spirits, not their bodies- to be united with their resurrected glorified bodies).

"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive (the righteous), and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep." In other words the dead in Christ will be united with their glorified bodies coming out of the tombs first. Then after that those believers who are alive at His 2nd Coming will be changed instantly into their glorified bodies and will be caught up (raptured) to meet the Lord and the other believers who were dead, in the clouds. All of this happens on the last day.

What happens to the unrighteous who have also been raised from the tomb and reunited with their old earthly bodies - NOT new glorified bodies? Well we know that they will NOT be meeting us in the clouds. So apparently, they will remain on the earth, awaiting judgment. Matthew 25:31

The last day will be an AWESOME DAY. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 On that day, His 2nd Coming, the following will occur:

The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels (their could be millions of them) in flaming fire.

He will also bring with Him all the souls/spirits of the righteous who have previously died, but now have just "put on" their new glorified bodies.

He will deal out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Paul says back in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God.

His return will be a FEARFUL and TERRIBLE day for the unrighteous, but an awesome and glorious and joyful day for the righteous.

It will be a LOUD and POWERFUL day, filled with awesome sights, when Jesus returns for His own - and yet DOOM and weeping and gnashing of teeth for those who rejected Him.

I enjoyed the post brother! It was very edifying, as I have the same understanding with one exception; for those mentioned in Revelation 20:4: "the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

Curious to know your thoughts of Revelation 20:4-6 that mentions a first resurrection for the martyrs who will be beheaded for their witness to Jesus and the Word of God, but the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished?

To me there are two resurrections; one for those beheaded for their witness in Rev 20:4, and a second at the last day for everyone else.

Rev 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (5) But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (6) Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

God Bless

 

[dwight92070]

Thank you Lord. I'm glad to hear that. Regarding Revelation 20:4-6, obviously that is a difficult passage. I have received much help in understanding this chapter from Steve Gregg - thenarrowpath.com. I don't just take everything he says as automatically true. In fact he encourages us not to, but to study the Scriptures ourselves. On the other hand, I don't know another Bible teacher with such knowledge and wisdom.

Here is my current understanding (and I am always open to consider other opinions):

The first resurrection refers to being born again. It's a spiritual resurrection, not the one and only physical resurrection.
Remember Revelation is FILLED with symbolism and yet there are also literal passages (Chapters 1-3 and other places too)

We have "passed out of death into life." John 5:24
"even when we were dead in our transgressions, (He) made us alive together with Christ ... and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2: 5-6
"when you were dead, ... He made you alive together with Him, ..." Colossians 2:13
"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Col. 3:1
"but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, ..." Romans 6:13

The 1000 years is symbolic for the entire church age, from Christ's first coming to His 2nd coming. Obviously, we are IN the church age now. All Christians who "came to life", verse 4, i.e. were born again during the entire church age are currently reigning with Christ (seated us with Him in the heavenly places).

(If the Lord had given us an exact number of years for the church age, instead of 1000, then we would be able to figure out exactly
what year the Lord would be returning - and of course He doesn't want us to know that.)

The last sentence of verse 5 and the first sentence of verse 6 describe this 1st resurrection: "This is the first resurrection. (This refers to the last phrase of verse 4, NOT to "The rest of the dead ...") (We will discuss "the rest of the dead ... in the next paragraph.) Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death (the lake of fire - verse 14) has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years." (Again, the church age)

Obviously we skipped over the first sentence of verse 5 which says:
"The rest of the dead (the unsaved) did not come to life (resurrected) until the thousand years were completed."

Remember that the BOTH the righteous and the evil will be PHYSICALLY resurrected at the one and only physical resurrection, (John 5:28-29) which will happen on the Last Day, when the 1000 years are completed, also called the 2nd Coming of Christ.
If you put this first sentence of verse 5 in parentheses it will help, because it seems to be a parenthetical thought - that is from ("The rest of the dead" ... to "were completed".)

The last sentence of verse 5 does NOT describe the first sentence of verse 5, rather it describes the last sentence of verse 4.

Sorry this is confusing, but the wording there is also confusing, and yet this is my understanding of it.

 

[Red Baker]

@dwight92070 @Joe

Sorry this is confusing, but the wording there is also confusing, and yet this is my understanding of it.

Actually this is not confusing, but the truth, it may be confusing to many who have only heard premillennialism taught, etc., be what the case may be.

The "Idealist" of "allemmiansism camp" are the saints that have a strongest handle on the truth concerning eschatology, for they alone allow scriptures to be their interpreter, by comparing scriptures with scriptures, here a little, and there a little until the spiritual end-time puzzle comes together concerning the end-time events as God's word prophesies.

The preterists must rely heavily on history for their support, which means they must step outside of the scriptures to even get a little support, which should be a warning sign that their house is nothing more than a house of cards, certainly not the truth of God's word, and will certainly fall just a matter of when.