October 15: TWO TYPES OF RESURRECTIONS
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2
The Bible speaks of two group resurrections, one for the saved and one for the lost. The Creator’s ability to call the dead back to life is so powerful that when Jesus gave a demonstration of that power, He knew to call His friend by name, lest an entire crowd of dead people be raised in that moment! [Jesus] cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43). Earlier Jesus had spoken of the two resurrections: “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear [My] voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation” (5:28-29). Later we are told that the two resurrections are a thousand years apart (Revelation 20:4-6). The first resurrection occurs at the return of Jesus (John 14:3; 1 Corinthians 15:23, 52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16), who will take His bride in a great processional to the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, where He has prepared a special place for each of His faithful ones. After a thousand years, the heavenly city will descend to the earth and settle upon a great plain prepared by the Lord (see Zechariah 14:4,10). The earth is to become the permanent home of the capital city of the Universe.
The second resurrection is that of the wicked. They will find themselves in attendance at the great white throne judgment (Revelation 20:11). Everyone who has ever lived will be present; the saved inside the city, and the unsaved outside of it. Everyone, without exception, will agree that God is fair and just—every knee shall bow (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10). This is a poignant moment that has long been anticipated. Satan, true to his character, will then attempt to rally the unsaved around his cause. The watching universe will see that Satan and his followers are bent on evil – to have things their way and not God’s way. None of the condemned can say that they did not have multiple opportunities to be saved. Satan’s cause is a lost one…already, as in right now.
There is a special, temporary resurrection of some wicked at the time of the Lord’s return. Let us look closely at this. When on trial before Caiaphas, Jesus was silent as various false witnesses bumbled about with worthless, conflicting testimonies. Caiaphas, very irritated, demanded of Jesus: “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!” (Matthew 26:63) Jesus broke His silence and answered: “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (v.64) Now when the apostle John saw the vision of Jesus coming with clouds (clouds of angels!), he wrote: Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him… (Revelation 1:7). Oh, how different it could have been for Caiaphas and his ‘posse’ if they had simply believed the abundant evidence and testimony of the Lord. Beloved, it matters what you and I believe!
“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” John 14:11