Resurrection of Life and Resurrection of Judgment
Introduction. There is not much written in the Old Covenant about the resurrection. There is a glimmer in Daniel, “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.” and “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Dan. 12:2, 13). Even the faith of the early Patriarchs in “a city whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:13), was not revealed until the NT was written. Details of the resurrection were kept “secret from the foundation of the world” (Mt. 13:35; Rom. 16:25-27). Only “by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” do we know them today (2Tim. 1:10).
In one of Jesus most comprehensive statements, He revealed: “the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His 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.” (Jn. 5:28-29). While He called it “the hour” here, in other places He called this the “day of judgment.” (Mt. 10:15; 11:22; 12:36).
What is most important and revealing is the difference in the resurrection for those who did good and those who did evil. There are not two separate resurrections since all will hear His voice at the same “hour” and come forth. They are called the “resurrection of life” and “resurrection of judgment” because there will be both separation and different destinations. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory,” “He will sit on the throne of His glory.” “He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” (Matt. 25:31-46) This is not symbolic language. It is Jesus own explanation of what will occur when the hour comes when all hear His voice and come forth. It is this separation and what happens after that led Jesus to call them by different names.
The difference in the names centers on two things. First, for those who experience “the resurrection of life” He will say: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Second, for those who must endure the resurrection of condemnation He said, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Mt. 25:43-46). The latter “go away into everlasting punishment,” while “the righteous into eternal life.” In this way Jesus defined and explained what He meant by both terms.
In His parables Jesus continued to reveal more and more about the “hour” of His second coming and what would follow. “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Mt. 13:41-42).
This sets up the framework to understand and fit all that has been revealed. As more details are revealed, we gain a clearer understanding. As Jesus was ascending back into heaven, the apostles were told: “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11). Later John was told, ““Every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him” (Rev. 1:7). Every man, woman and child will be present and witness His return. All in the tombs come forth.
Angels will be given a very prominent role in the resurrection of life and of judgment. “The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” (Mt. 16:27). In the parable of the tares: “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Mt. 13:41-43). Later in the parable of the dragnet He added, “At the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just.” (Mt. 13:49).
It will all begin without any warning. As Jesus commanded His disciples to “let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master,” He gave a short parable about how servants should wait for their master. He concluded in the parable: “if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched.” In His application He said: “therefore be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Lk. 12:35-40). Was He speaking of His own coming? Paul told those in Thessalonica, “you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night, while Peter said, “but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” (1Th. 5:2; 2Pet. 3:10). Thus this final day and hour will begin like any other day and any other hour. There will be no warning signs! Jesus commands all disciples to always be ready.
As the moment arrives, the Holy Spirit revealed the details. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1Cor. 15:52-53). He also said, “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (1Th. 4:16-17). Putting all of this together as best we can, in an instant, depicted by “the twinkling of an eye,” the trumpet will sound, and either at that same moment, just before or just after, the shout of Jesus and the voice of the archangel will be heard.
The only example we have of the trumpet sound was on Mount Sinai. God told Moses: “When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.” It was described as “the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder” (Ex. 19:13, 19). This can help us visualize the trumpet sound to come. In the same “twinkling of an eye” will come the shout of the Lord and the voice of the archangel. Since Jesus had already revealed all in the tombs will hear His voice and come forth, this shout will start the resurrection. As they begin to come forth, the archangel’s voice may be the marshaling of the angels to begin their work of separation. Yet as it is all “in the twinkling of an eye,” we may not be able to distinguish them distinctly.
As the trumpet blasts and the words of Jesus and the archangel are spoken, the earth and the works therein begin to dissolve and melt. “The day of the Lord will come,” and “the heavens will pass away with a great noise.” As the heavens “be dissolved” and “the elements will melt with fervent heat,” “the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him.” (Mt. 25:31-32). How much of this passing away, dissolving and melting we will see is not revealed. But as “we meet the Lord in the air,” the material creation ends. All that God did as recorded in Genesis is removed and all that remains are the souls of all those who have ever lived.
God showed these things to John in a vision: “I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.” (Rev. 20:11-13). Nearly everything in this passage was already confirmed. Jesus sits on a throne and the heavens and the earth do flee away (dissolve and melt). All who are in the graves will stand before God and all the dead will be judged according to their works. The only thing John adds are the books containing these works and the Book of Life.
Further confirmation of what John saw was given by Jesus when He revealed that “in the day of judgment,” all our words will be remembered: “for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Mt. 12:36-37). The Holy Spirit further confirmed this vision: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2Cor. 5:10). As we all appear before the judgment seat of Christ and the great white throne, we will received recompense for what we have done. Every idle word, all our thoughts and deeds are recorded and will be revealed. For when “the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts.” (1Cor. 4:5).
Conclusion. Through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, God has given us many details of the resurrection. For some, it will be a resurrection of judgment and condemnation. For these there will be weeping, gnashing of teeth and a great bitter sorrow. For others, it will be a resurrection of life - a day of praise, glory and honor. The choice is ours: “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (Jn. 12:47-48)
In one of Jesus most comprehensive statements, He revealed: “the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His 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.” (Jn. 5:28-29). While He called it “the hour” here, in other places He called this the “day of judgment.” (Mt. 10:15; 11:22; 12:36).
What is most important and revealing is the difference in the resurrection for those who did good and those who did evil. There are not two separate resurrections since all will hear His voice at the same “hour” and come forth. They are called the “resurrection of life” and “resurrection of judgment” because there will be both separation and different destinations. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory,” “He will sit on the throne of His glory.” “He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” (Matt. 25:31-46) This is not symbolic language. It is Jesus own explanation of what will occur when the hour comes when all hear His voice and come forth. It is this separation and what happens after that led Jesus to call them by different names.
The difference in the names centers on two things. First, for those who experience “the resurrection of life” He will say: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Second, for those who must endure the resurrection of condemnation He said, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Mt. 25:43-46). The latter “go away into everlasting punishment,” while “the righteous into eternal life.” In this way Jesus defined and explained what He meant by both terms.
In His parables Jesus continued to reveal more and more about the “hour” of His second coming and what would follow. “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Mt. 13:41-42).
This sets up the framework to understand and fit all that has been revealed. As more details are revealed, we gain a clearer understanding. As Jesus was ascending back into heaven, the apostles were told: “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11). Later John was told, ““Every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him” (Rev. 1:7). Every man, woman and child will be present and witness His return. All in the tombs come forth.
Angels will be given a very prominent role in the resurrection of life and of judgment. “The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” (Mt. 16:27). In the parable of the tares: “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Mt. 13:41-43). Later in the parable of the dragnet He added, “At the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just.” (Mt. 13:49).
It will all begin without any warning. As Jesus commanded His disciples to “let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master,” He gave a short parable about how servants should wait for their master. He concluded in the parable: “if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched.” In His application He said: “therefore be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Lk. 12:35-40). Was He speaking of His own coming? Paul told those in Thessalonica, “you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night, while Peter said, “but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” (1Th. 5:2; 2Pet. 3:10). Thus this final day and hour will begin like any other day and any other hour. There will be no warning signs! Jesus commands all disciples to always be ready.
As the moment arrives, the Holy Spirit revealed the details. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1Cor. 15:52-53). He also said, “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (1Th. 4:16-17). Putting all of this together as best we can, in an instant, depicted by “the twinkling of an eye,” the trumpet will sound, and either at that same moment, just before or just after, the shout of Jesus and the voice of the archangel will be heard.
The only example we have of the trumpet sound was on Mount Sinai. God told Moses: “When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.” It was described as “the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder” (Ex. 19:13, 19). This can help us visualize the trumpet sound to come. In the same “twinkling of an eye” will come the shout of the Lord and the voice of the archangel. Since Jesus had already revealed all in the tombs will hear His voice and come forth, this shout will start the resurrection. As they begin to come forth, the archangel’s voice may be the marshaling of the angels to begin their work of separation. Yet as it is all “in the twinkling of an eye,” we may not be able to distinguish them distinctly.
As the trumpet blasts and the words of Jesus and the archangel are spoken, the earth and the works therein begin to dissolve and melt. “The day of the Lord will come,” and “the heavens will pass away with a great noise.” As the heavens “be dissolved” and “the elements will melt with fervent heat,” “the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him.” (Mt. 25:31-32). How much of this passing away, dissolving and melting we will see is not revealed. But as “we meet the Lord in the air,” the material creation ends. All that God did as recorded in Genesis is removed and all that remains are the souls of all those who have ever lived.
God showed these things to John in a vision: “I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.” (Rev. 20:11-13). Nearly everything in this passage was already confirmed. Jesus sits on a throne and the heavens and the earth do flee away (dissolve and melt). All who are in the graves will stand before God and all the dead will be judged according to their works. The only thing John adds are the books containing these works and the Book of Life.
Further confirmation of what John saw was given by Jesus when He revealed that “in the day of judgment,” all our words will be remembered: “for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Mt. 12:36-37). The Holy Spirit further confirmed this vision: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2Cor. 5:10). As we all appear before the judgment seat of Christ and the great white throne, we will received recompense for what we have done. Every idle word, all our thoughts and deeds are recorded and will be revealed. For when “the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts.” (1Cor. 4:5).
Conclusion. Through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, God has given us many details of the resurrection. For some, it will be a resurrection of judgment and condemnation. For these there will be weeping, gnashing of teeth and a great bitter sorrow. For others, it will be a resurrection of life - a day of praise, glory and honor. The choice is ours: “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (Jn. 12:47-48)
- with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds": 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness — indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God. (Rom. 2:5-11).