Simple Truths Regarding the Resurrection

1. By “the resurrection,” I am speaking of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, as well as the final resurrection of saints and sinners. The physical bodies of every saint and sinner will be resurrected, or brought to life again.
2. The resurrection is clearly taught in the Old Testament. In Psalm 16:10, David prophesies concerning the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Job prophesies concerning the bodily resurrection of the saints in Job 19:25-26 – “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” It is no wonder that Martha told the Lord that, though her brother Lazarus had died, she expected to see him again “in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24).
3. Jesus Christ, after having died, was buried. Three days after His burial, Christ rose again from the dead. His resurrection was physical, meaning that the same physical body that died and was buried was the same physical body that resurrected. After Christ resurrected, the disciples believed that the resurrected Christ was just a spirit, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses claim. Christ, however, corrected them, saying, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39).
4. Because Christ’s resurrection from the dead was a physical, bodily resurrection, believers will experience a physical, bodily resurrection from the dead, as our physical bodies will be changed into a body like His body (Philippians 3:21).
5. Christ taught that believers experience a spiritual resurrection when they believe. In John 5:25, Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” From this, it is clear that some who are dead (in trespasses and sins; Ephesians 2:1) will hear the voice of the Son of God, and live.
6. Christ, also in John 5, taught the physical resurrection of every individual. In John 5:28-29, Jesus said, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
7. Between the first resurrection and the second resurrection is a period of one thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6).
8. When speaking of the physical resurrection of all men, Christ said it this way in John 5:28-29 – “The hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth.” Since Christ stated that all men would be resurrected in a certain hour that is coming, some have concluded that both the just and the unjust will resurrect simultaneously. This is not so. A few verses earlier, in John 5:25, when speaking of the spiritual resurrection of believers, Christ stated that “the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” Let me ask a question. As for this “hour” in which people hear the voice of the Son of God and live, how long has this “hour” lasted? Those who lived during Christ’s time lived in that “hour,” and that “hour” is still going today. Those who hear His voice today are still resurrected from the death of trespasses and sins. As for the spiritual resurrection of believers, the “hour” in which “they that hear shall live” has spanned more than two thousand years. And, all believers who have passed from death unto life did not do so simultaneously. Therefore, as for the physical resurrection of all men, it is no contradiction to believe that there is a thousand years between the resurrection of life and the resurrection of damnation. Revelation 20 clearly teaches that the resurrection of life and the resurrection of damnation will occur at different times, not simultaneously.
9. The individuals who believe in a “general resurrection,” or the resurrection of all men simultaneously, have great difficulty with Luke 14:14, where Christ said, “And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” Listen to what Christ said – “Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” If the just and the unjust are raised simultaneously, then Christ’s statement is senseless. Since I believe that none of Christ’s statements are senseless, I must believe that the just and unjust must be raised at different times. If the just and the unjust are raised together, it would have made much more sense for Christ to speak simply of being recompensed at the resurrection. Instead, Christ specifies which resurrection at which we will be recompensed – the resurrection of the just.
10. In I Thessalonians 4, Paul the apostle speaks of the rapture of the church and the resurrection of the righteous that occurs at that time. In I Thessalonians 4:16-17 – “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” In this passage, the “dead in Christ,” that is, those saved individuals who have died, will rise first. Then, we Christians who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. Not one mention is made of unbelievers. Very odd indeed, if in fact believers and unbelievers are raised from the dead together. One may object that the context of the immediate passage is concerning the rapture of the church, and since the rapture does not concern the lost, Paul would naturally speak only of the saved. However, if the saved and the lost are raised simultaneously at the rapture, then the rapture would concern the lost, for they, too, would be raised from the dead at that time. Hence, Paul’s statement that the “dead in Christ shall rise first” would be senseless and inaccurate: senseless, because it makes no sense to specify the “dead in Christ” if the unsaved dead are raised at the same time; and inaccurate, because it would not only be the “dead in Christ” that are raised from the dead at the time of the rapture, but the unsaved dead as well. Paul’s use of the term “dead in Christ” shows that the unsaved dead are not raised at the same time as the “dead in Christ.” Someone else may object that Paul is writing to a church, and would therefore only speak of the rapture as it relates to the church. There would be no need, then, to mention the lost in a discourse addressed to a church. This objection is unsubstantiated because, just a few verses later, Paul speaks of the lost in regard to the day of the Lord, saying that “they shall not escape” (I Thessalonians 5:3). He goes on to speak of those who “sleep in the night” and those who “are drunken in the night” (I Thessalonians 5:7). When Paul speaks of the day of the Lord in chapter five, he has no trouble mentioning the lost, because they will “not escape” the day of the Lord, as it will come upon them suddenly. He does not mention any resurrection of the unsaved in chapter four because, at the rapture, only the “dead in Christ” will be resurrected.
11. When the saved are resurrected, we will go to the judgment seat of Christ to be “recompensed at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14; Romans 14:10; I Corinthians 3:11-15; II Corinthians 5:10). When the lost are resurrected, they will go to the great white throne judgment to be judged. Their final destiny is the lake of fire, which is the second death (Revelation 20:11-15).
12. The most important aspect of the study of the resurrection is to remember, first, that the resurrection of the just is a resurrection to eternal life; and second, that the resurrection of the unjust is a resurrection to damnation (John 5:29). The only way to avoid the condemnation of the resurrection of the unjust is to believe on Jesus Christ for salvation. In John 5:24, Jesus promised that those who believe on Him need never fear the condemnation of the second resurrection – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Winning souls to the resurrection of the just should the priority of every Christian. Rather than arguing with amillennialists about a general resurrection, why not contend with the lost regarding their souls? If they die lost, it won’t matter when they come out of the graves; but it will matter that they will eternally condemned to die forever in the lake of fire.