The Resurrection

Throughout its pages, the Holy Bible gives hope to all of humanity, by speaking of the resurrection of the dead.

At Job 14:13-14, Job prayed to God:  “13 Oh that you would hide me in Sheol *(Hell or the grave).  That you would conceal me until your wrath returns to You.  That you would set a limit for me and remember me!  14 If a man dies, will he live again?  All of the days of my struggle I will wait, until my change (release) comes.”

Jesus Christ spoke of the resurrection of the dead.

At Matthew 22:31-32, Jesus said:  “31 But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God:  32 ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC AND THE GOD OF JACOB?’  He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

Jesus also spoke of a time when all the dead would be raised.

At John 5:26-29, Jesus said:  “26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;  27 and He gave him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.  28 Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,  29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment (damnation, condemnation).”  

Having been given life in Himself by His Father, Jesus Christ is given authority to resurrect and judge the dead.  All of those resurrected will be judged by their deeds, both good and evil, and face the prospect of life (eternal life) or judgment (eternal damnation).

2 Corinthians 5:10 states:  “For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body (get his award for the things done in the body), according to what he has done (practiced), whether good or bad.”

Romans 14:10-11 states:  “. . . For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. . . 11 So then, each one will be accountable (will render an account, shall give an account of himself) to God.”

Matthew 12:36-37  states:  “I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account of every careless word you utter (speak),  37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Matthew 16:27 states:  “For the Son of Man is coming in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds (what he has done).”

The Apostle Paul also referred to the resurrection of the dead.

Acts 24:15-16 states:  “15 Having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked (good and bad, just and unjust).  16 In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience, both before God and before men.”

The Resurrection of the Church

The Bible speaks of a first resurrection.  This resurrection consists of the saints or holy ones, those who comprise Christ’s church.

The Apostle Paul spoke of this first resurrection at 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16:  “14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.  15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  17 Then we who are alive and remain (survive) shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

The Apostle Paul at 1 Corinthians 15:20 & 23 states:  “20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.  23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ.”

Paul also speaks of the first resurrection at 1 Corinthians 15:51-53:  “51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep (not all of us are going to die), but we will all be changed (transformed, we shall all be given new bodies), 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed (transformed, we who are still alive shall suddenly have new bodies too).  53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

The deceased saints or holy ones, those who have fallen asleep in Christ, are resurrected first and given immortality with Christ.  Afterward, those who are alive and are remaining on earth will be caught up (raptured) and transformed to be with the Lord.  The resurrection of the sleeping saints (the dead in Christ) takes place at the coming of the Lord, not before.

The Book of Revelation also speaks of the saints who have fallen asleep in death and are at rest in their graves.  They are blessed and shall receive a reward, immortality.

Revelation 6:11 states:  “And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”

Revelation 14:13 states:  “And I heard a voice from heaven saying,  ‘Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’  ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.'”

The Apostle Paul referred to the saints, some of whom had already fallen asleep in death.

1 Corinthians 15:6 states:  “And after that He (Christ) appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep (died, some have fallen asleep in death, some have gone to their rest).”

Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was killed and fell asleep in death.

Acts 7:59-60 states:  “59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’  Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’  Having said this he fell asleep (he died, he fell asleep in death, he went to his rest).”

 The Judgment of the Church 

The judgment begins with the church or household of God. 

The Apostle Peter at 1 Peter 4:17-18 states:  “17 For it is time for judgment to begin (for the time has arrived for the judgment to beginwith the household of God (the church); and if it begins with us (if our turn comes first, and if even we who are Christians must be judged), what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel (the good news) of God (what terrible fate awaits those who never believe in the Lord)?  18 And if it is with difficulty that the righteous are being saved (if the righteous man is being saved with difficulty), what will become of the Godless man and the sinner?”

 Christ Jesus will judge His church or saints.  Each saint will render an account to Christ for the works done while in the body.

2 Corinthians 5:10 states:  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body (flesh).”  (Previously cited)

Romans 14:10 & 12 states:  “10. . . For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; 12 So each of us shall give an account of himself to God.”  (Previously cited)

Hebrews 9:27-28 states:  “27 And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes the (certain) judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time (at the end of the world, at the end of the ages, at the end of this old order), not to deal with sin (not to bear sin, not as a sin bearer) but to save those who are eagerly (ardently, constantly, patiently) awaiting Him (looking for, expecting Him).”

The Apostle Paul wrote at 2 Timothy 4:1:  “I charge you in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ, who is (destined) to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing (coming) and His kingdom. . .”

1 Corinthians 4:5 states:  “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and disclose the purposes of the heart.  Then each one will receive commendation from God.”

1 Corinthians 3:11, 13, & 15 states:  11 “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Christ Jesus.  13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

At Matthew 25:19, Jesus predicted the settling of accounts with His servants after a long time, upon His return or second coming:  “19 Now after a long time the Master of those servants (Christ) came and settled accounts with them.”  (Rd. Matthew 25:14-25, “Parable of the Talents”)

After standing before Christ in the judgment, the holy ones (or saints) are declared righteous and justified by their faith.  They are saved by God’s grace.  There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:1-2 & 9 states:  “1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.  9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”

Romans 8:1 states:  “Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Having been declared righteous and justified by their faith in Christ Jesus, these resurrected saints receive grace and are saved from God’s wrath and condemnation.  They are awarded eternal life and given peace with God through his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:21 states:  “So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The First Resurrection 

In the book of Revelation Chapter 20, the Apostle John refers to two resurrections.  There it states that blessed and holy are those who are part of the first resurrection.  As we have already established from scripture, the saints or holy ones, those who have fallen asleep in Christ are raised first.  Having gained immortality with Christ, the second death has no authority or power over them.  These holy ones will rule with Christ as kings, judges, and priests, during His thousand-year reign on the earth.

Revelation 20:6 states:  “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power (no authority), but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”

Revelation 20:4 states:  “4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to themAnd I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

Revelation 5:10 states:  ” You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon (on, over) the earth.”

The Second Resurrection

After speaking of the saints who comprise the first resurrection and rule with Christ on the earth for a thousand years, John goes on to state at Revelation 20:5:  

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed (ended).”

This is the second resurrection, which involves the rest of the dead.

The Great White Throne Judgment

In Revelation Chapter 20, John has a vision in which all of the rest of the resurrected dead are seen standing before a great white throne.  Seated upon the throne is the Supreme Judge of the living and the dead, Christ Jesus.

Revelation 20:11-13 reads:  “11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.  12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books* were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.  13 And the sea (oceans) gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades* (Hell) gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.”

The meaning of the Greek word “Hades,” translated “Hell” in English, is literally the grave or pit as originally translated from the Hebrew word “sheol.”*  (See Footnote) 

Simply put, the earthly graves (Hades or Hell) gave up the dead that were in them as did the watery deep or sea.

Note that the dead were judged, “according to their deeds.”  Some translations render this passage at Revelation 20:13 as saying that the dead were judged, “by what they had done.”  Done when?  The dead were judged by what they had done in their former lifetimes.

The Apostle Paul confirms this at 2 Corinthians 5:10:  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done in the body (flesh), whether good or bad.”  (Previously cited)

Hebrews 9:27 states:  “And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes (the) judgment.” (Previously cited)

At Romans 2:6, the Apostle Paul states:  “For He (God) will render to every man (or person) according to his works (according to his deeds, according to what he has done).”

At Revelation 20:14-15, it goes on to state that if anyone is judged and not found written in the book of life, they will be thrown into the lake of fire, the second death.

Revelation 20:14-15 reads:  “14 . . . this is the second death, the lake of fire.  15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Those who are judged adversely and not found written in the book of life, are thrown into the lake of fire.  They are sentenced to eternal damnation as signified by the second death, with no chance of a future resurrection.  Conversely, those who are judged favorably and have their names written in the book of life, are awarded life.

It should be noted that the “Great White Throne Judgment,” is just that, a judgment!  It is not a court of universal damnation for all of those who have been resurrected out of hades (hell or the grave) and the oceans (the watery deep).  This resurrection will include millions of people from throughout history.  Many of those who are resurrected may have never heard the gospel concerning our Lord Jesus Christ.  They may have lived exemplary past lives, without ever knowing the true God and the One whom He sent forth, Jesus Christ.  (See John 17:3)

The books or scrolls that are opened will provide a record, documenting all of the deeds that were done in the past or former lifetimes of those resurrected.*  

Isaiah prophesied concerning the role that Christ would play as Judge, during this final judgment.

Isaiah 11:2-5 states:  “2 And the Spirit of the LORD (Yahweh) shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.  3 And His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.  He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide by what His ears hear, 4 but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.  5 Righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of His loins.”

 After the final  judgment, Revelation 20:14 goes on to state:

“14 Then death and Hades (Hell) were thrown into the lake of fireThis is the second death, the lake of fire. ”

After the resurrected dead have faced judgment, hades or hell (the grave) will no longer be needed as an intermediate or temporary holding place for those who have died once, a first time.  (Hebrews 9:27)  Figuratively speaking, by being thrown into the lake of fire, hades or hell will be done away with.  Gehenna (the second death or lake of fire) will be the final destination for all of those who are judged adversely and condemned, without any hope of a future resurrection from the dead.

In this regard Unger’s Bible Dictionary states:  “Gehenna, moreover, is not to be confused with Hades or Sheol which describe the intermediate state of the wicked previous to the judgment and the eternal state.”

 Anyone, not having their name written in the book of life, will be thrown into the lake of fire!  The Great White Throne Judgment will be a final judgment, awarding eternal life for those who did good deeds or eternal damnation for those who did evil deeds.

The Future Resurrection 

As Jesus said:   “. . . the hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; those who did good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who did evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment (condemnation).”  (John 5:28-29)

Daniel 12:2 states:  “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”*

As Christians, those who comprise Christ’s church, we can know and have full confidence that we will be part of the first resurrection and gain a heavenly reward.  In this way we are awarded immortality and avoid the latter judgment.

As the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:10-14 & 20-21:  “10 That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.  13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

*In a great majority of cases sheol, in the Old Testament, is used to signify the grave; and it can have no other meaning.  Job 14:13 – Unger’s Bible Dictionary page 1012.

*Hell (conceal).  Hebrew “sheol;” translated “grave,” 1 Samuel 2:6; “pit,” Numbers 16:30; “hell,” Job 11:8.  Webster’s Bible Dictionary page 667. 

*Hades:  The Hebrew sheol is the equivalent for Hades, and is likewise the subterranean abode for all the dead until judgment.

*Note:  Hell, a term which in common usage designates the place of future punishment for the wicked.  Other meanings in many instances are expressed by this term, which must be recognized to prevent mistakes and confusion.  In some cases it refers to the grave, in others to the place of disembodied spirits without any necessary implication as to their happiness or unhappiness.  – Unger’s Bible Dictionary Page 467.

*Many see in this passage reference to three books: the book of life, the book of memory, and the book of works.

*Some theologians & scholars have speculated that the verses found at Daniel 12:2 & 13 might indicate the possibility of a third resurrection, comprised of the faithful men of the Old Testament.  If this were so, such a resurrection would most likely occur during the 1,000 year reign of Christ.  Faithful men such as King David and John the Baptist would then receive their reward on earth, during the millennium; prior to the final resurrection of the rest of the dead and the Great White Throne Judgment, which take place after the thousand years have ended.

Print in red intended for clarification /or various renderings from other translations.