14.

1^st Resurrection & 2^nd Resurrection

Daniel 12:2 summarizes the two very different fates facing mankind: "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Everyone will be raised from the dead, but not everyone will share the same destiny. The New Testament reveals the further detail of separate resurrections for the just and the unjust.

Revelation 20:4-6 mentions a "first resurrection" and identifies those involved as "blessed and holy." The second death (the lake of fire, Revelation 20:14) has no power over these individuals. The first resurrection, then, is the raising of all believers. It corresponds with Jesus' teaching of the "resurrection of the just"(Luke 14:14) and the "resurrection of life" (John 5:29).

The first resurrection takes place in various stages. Jesus Christ Himself (the "first fruits," 1 Corinthians 15:20), paved the way for the resurrection of all who believe in Him. There was a resurrection of the Jerusalem saints (Matthew 27:52-53) which should be included in our consideration of the first resurrection. Still to come are the resurrection of "the dead in Christ" at the Lord's return – the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and the resurrection of the martyrs at the end of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 20:4).

Revelation 20:12-13 identifies those comprising the second resurrection as the wicked judged by God at the Great White Throne Judgment prior to being cast into the lake of fire. The Second Resurrection, then, is the raising of all unbelievers; the second resurrection is connected to the second death. It corresponds with Jesus' teaching of the "resurrection of damnation" (John 5:29).

The event which divides the first and second resurrections seems to be the Millennial Kingdom. The last of the righteous are raised to reign "with Christ a thousand years" (Revelation 20:4), but the "rest of the dead [that is, the wicked] lived not again until the thousand years were finished" (Revelation 20:5).

What great rejoicing will attend the first resurrection! What great anguish at the second! What a responsibility we have to share the Gospel! "And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire" (Jude 23).

The 1^st resurrection includes the redeemed of all the ages, but the timing of the resurrection of these people varies, based on whether they are:

1.     Saints who died in Christ prior to the Rapture,

2.     Believing Saints living at the time of the Rapture,

3.     Martyred Saints who gave up their lives for Christ during the Great Tribulation, and

4.     Old Testament Saints

All of them will take part in the Resurrection of Life (“blessed are they who take part in the 1^st resurrection”).

The resurrection of judgment will include the unredeemed of all ages will happen at the end of the Millennium during what the Bible calls the Great White Throne Judgment (2^nd resurrection). They will be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity.

There will be two distinct groups occupying the earth during the Millennial Kingdom. Those with glorified bodies and those with earthly bodies.

           Those with glorified bodies consist of the Church, (believers who have died in Christ and believers who are alive at the Rapture) will receive their glorified bodies at the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23, 51-53). Old Testament saints will receive their glorified bodies upon resurrection after Christ returns to earth(Revelation 20:4-6).

           Those who have earthly bodies, who lived through the Tribulation and on into the Millennial Kingdom, can be subdivided into two groups: believing Gentiles and believing Jews (Israel).

Who will have what type of body?

Natural Bodies    – Surviving Tribulation Saints (“the sheep”)                   –         Israel (Surviving Tribulation Jews)

– Children produced by “natural” Millennial parents

Glorified Bodies   – The Raptured Church

– Martyred Tribulation Saints

– Old Testament Saints

Matthew 25:31-46 – This passage is commonly called the separation or judgment of the “sheep” and the “goats.” The sheep and goats refer to righteous and unrighteous Gentiles. Christ will judge the unrighteous gentiles (“goats”) and they will “go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). Therefore, no unbelieving Gentile will survive to live on into the Millennial Kingdom. The righteous Gentiles or “sheep”, will live on into the Millennial Kingdom. They will give birth to children and will populate the earth. However, these are not the only ones who will be producing children during the Millennial Kingdom.

           The impression is given that when Christ returns, all Israel will trust Him (Zechariah 12:10). They, too, will not receive glorified bodies (as did those who were raptured prior to the Tribulation and those resurrected afterward). They also will produce children during the Millennial Kingdom.

Occupying the Millennial Kingdom:

1)     Raptured Church (believers who have died in Christ and those alive at time of Rapture)

2)     Believing Gentiles (who survived the Tribulation, a.k.a. “the sheep”)

3)     Believing Gentiles (martyred during the Tribulation)

4)     Israel (Jewish remnant)

5)     Old TestamentSaints

Note: Believers with glorified bodies will not be reproducing in the Millennial Kingdom. There is no marriage after this life (Matthew 22:30).

           Children born of the “naturals” during the Millennial Kingdom will have the responsibility of faith in Christ as all people of past ages have. Unfortunately, not all of the children that are born during the Millennial Kingdom will come to faith in Christ. Those that do not will be led away by Satan into rebellion against God at the end of the Millennial Kingdom when Satan is let loose for a short time (Revelation 20:7-10).

     At the beginning of the Millennium, only believers will be alive (Revelation 19:17-21), some who live through the Tribulation period and some who come back with the Lord at His Second Coming. It will be a time of unparalled peace in history (Isaiah 2:4; Joel 3:10; Micah 4:3). Jesus will be ruling on the throne of David, imposing a benevolent theocracy on all of His creation. Jesus will ensure that everyone has every need fulfilled, while not tolerating the sin so prevalent in today’s society (Psalm 2:7-12; Revelation 2:26-29; 12:5; 19:11-16). We can only imagine such a time of “Heaven on earth.”

           The believers who live through the Tribulation will be mortal (“naturals”). They will live and repopulate the earth during the Millennial Kingdom. Without the devastation of sin taking its toll, we can imagine the population increase during the Millennium will be enormous. All those who are born during this time will enjoy the benefits and blessing of Christ’s reign on the earth, but they will still be born with a sin nature and they will still have to freely repent and believe the gospel, personally choosing Christ as Savior and Lord.

           Yet, at the end of the Millennial reign, Satan is loosed and is able to deceive a vast multitude to follow him in one final rebellion against the Lord of Glory and His saints! It seems that the further humanity gets from the end of the Tribulation and the start of the Millennium, the more they will ‘take for granted” how good they have it and some may even harbor doubts about the goodness of God.

           Even the number who rebel with Satan are said to be “as the sand of the sea” (Revelation 20:7), they may still be a minority compared to the number who do not rebel. It will be a large number of souls who join Satan. Undoubtedly, one of the primary reasons God gives us this picture of what will happen in time is to demonstrate the deep-seated sin nature inherent in all of humanity (Jeremiah 17:9).

Additionally, God is trying to tell us something about His nature as displayed during the Millennium. His grace and goodness will be on display continually. But at the end of the 1,000 years, He will have zero tolerance for rebellion. When it happens, He will show no mercy and offer no “second chances.” At that time, He will be quick to judge and the final rebellion of Satan and sinful man will over in a flash of fire.

           After this, the final judgment of the dead takes place, The Great White Throne Judgement (Revelation 20:11-15).

           Eternity can thus begin with every aspect of sin gone for all time!