Is there more than one resurrection?
What does God’s word say about the resurrections?
What are the rewards or punishments of those resurrected?
Will those in the graves be resurrected?
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
(John 5: 24,25,28) All scripture quotes are from the NIV and all underlining was added.Will there be different rewards?
Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
(Revelation 22:12)What stipulation is made here for our resurrection?
You, however, art controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ…And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your moral bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
(Romans 8:9,11,13.14)We must have God’s Spirit living within us.
Who was the very first to be raised from the dead to eternal life?
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
(I Corinthians 15:20-23)Christ is the first, then when he comes again those who belong to him. Others have been raised from the dead before but not to eternal life, just a normal physical life.
Our hope is in Messiah’s resurrection.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation this is ready to be revealed in the last time.
(I Peter 1:5-7)Who will be resurrected first of humanity?
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
(I Thessalonians 4:16)The dead in Christ will rise first, the word first indicates there will be another resurrection. The first resurrection will meet Messiah in the clouds.
Where then does Messiah go after the saints meet him in the clouds?
On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.….Then the Lord my God will come and all the holy ones with him.
(Zechariah 14:4,5)I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
(Job 19:25)Messiah will stand upon the earth.
What about those in Christ who are alive at his return?
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
(I Corinthians 15:51-53)Some will not die but will be changed instantly at Messiah’s return.
The immortal saints will rule the nations under the Messiah.
To him that overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations.
(Revelation 2:26)These converted saints, now immortal, will rule the nations-nations of mortals-under Messiah.
What is the reward for the Laodiceans that overcome?
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
(Revelation 3:21)His kingdom will be a lasting kingdom.
Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.
(Daniel 7:27)What kind of new civilization shall now be upon the earth?
In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many people. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
(Isaiah 2:2-4)All nations (still human) will stream to Jerusalem. God’s law will go out. No more war.
Many will be healed.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that
Way.
(Isaiah 35:5,6,8)Even the nature of the animals will be changed.
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain. For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
(Isaiah 11:6,9)How long will this time period last?
Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
(Revelation 20:6)Where is Satan during this millennial time period?
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
(Revelation 20:1-3)Satan will be unable to deceive the nations for a thousand years.
A resurrection prophesy in Ezekiel
…This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoke, and I have done it, declares the Lord.
(Ezekiel 37:12-14)This appears to be a different resurrection, which is a resurrection to mortal life. God is giving Israel his Spirit and placing them in their own land. Would he not do the same for those who never even heard of the name of the Messiah?
….they came to life and stood up on their feet-a vast army.
(Ezekiel 37:10)It was a huge number that was resurrected.
Satan is released for a short time
When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth-Gog and Magog - to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand of the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown....
(Revelation 20:7-10)Is their another resurrection after the 1000 years?
(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.
)… (Revelation 20:5)The great white throne judgment
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the book.
(Revelation 20:11,12) Were these resurrected given an opportunity to apply God’s way? Some never knew about Messiah.Is this group separate from the above group?
The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
(Revelation 20:13-15)Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. It appears this is a group who refused to repent during their life time and the whole group went into the lake of fire. Note: scripture says the lake of fire is the second death. It does not say eternal life in hell fire.
Who will be the judge?
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
(II Timothy 4:1)What is the fate of the wicked?
Surely the day is coming: it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire says the Lord Almighty, Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things, says the Lord Almighty.
(Malachi 4:1-3)The wicked will be ashes.
Is there more after the final judgment?
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, :Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed way.
(Revelation 21:1-4)