Jesus Is Coming Again Pt. 17 The Resurrection Of Life or The Resurrection Of Damnation! You Must Choose!

In our last post, the apostle Paul addressed some misconceptions that the Thessalonian Christians had concerning the death of a saint. 

Death is likened to falling asleep and awaking in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, death is nothing to fear for a believer in Christ.

Now, we move deeper into Paul's marvelous teaching about the rapture of the church of Jesus Christ. 

Christians have hope for a future reunion with deceased believers. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14)  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 

Christians have hope because Jesus was raised from the dead, and so shall each believer in Christ be raised up from death. 

The pagans had a great fear of death, and the dark, unknown underworld dominated by various false gods. This is why they mourned long and loudly for loved ones who died. They had no hope.

In a most remarkable contrast, a Christian who has had a loved one die, has great hope. God has promised that we will be reunited with our loved ones who died believing in God. 

Salvation is contingent upon believing that Jesus Christ died for our sins. Jesus' death, burial and resurrection secured salvation for all who will hear and heed the gospel. 

He arose from the grave. If you do not believe these truths, then you cannot be born again.

Here is the unshakable, unchanging promise of God. All believers who die in Christ, since the time the gospel was preached, Jesus will bring with Him when He returns. 

All our deceased loved ones who were in Christ, will be brought back by Jesus. What a powerful promise and source of great hope!

Those who hear and believe are saved and receive eternal life. 

John 5:24  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. 

Here is the test for salvation through faith in Christ. Those who hear His word through preaching of the gospel, and believe on the Father who sent His Son, Jesus Christ, have everlasting life. No condemnation rests upon the believer in Christ. 

The dead will hear the voice of Jesus and live. 

John 5:25  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. 

When this glorious day arrives, Jesus says that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God calling, and those who hear, shall live eternally.

The first resurrection, the resurrection of life!

John 5:28-29  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29)  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. 

When Christ returns and calls out with His voice for the dead to arise, those who died "in Christ" shall hear His voice. They shall come forth from the grave alive, just as Lazarus came forth alive after being buried for 4 days (John 11).

This is the first resurrection, the resurrection of life. Those who died in their sins and did evil, will not hear the Lord's voice at the first resurrection. 

Revelation 20:4-6  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5)  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6)  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

The timing of the first resurrection begins with the "rapture" of the church that Paul is writing about to the Thessalonians. 

The first resurrection will not be finished until the last tribulation saint has been martyred, after seven years of tribulation on earth. 

Those are the souls of believers who witnessed for Christ during the tribulation age. 

Tribulation saints will be beheaded, for the sake of the gospel. They will refuse to worship the Beast of the Antichrist, and refuse to take his mark in their hands or foreheads. 

Thrones of power and judgment will be given to them as a reward for their faithfulness. When they are raised from the dead, this will mark the end of the first resurrection, the resurrection of life. 

Then, they also will be raised up to serve God eternally (See Revelation 20:1-6). 

Final rebellion and swift, final judgment. 

Revelation 20:7-10  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8)  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9)  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10)  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Notice that there is another resurrection, the resurrection of damnation.  Revelation 20:5 tells us that this resurrection will not occur until after the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ is complete. 

There will be one final effort of rebellion against God, by Satan, who is let loose after being imprisoned for 1,000 years. 

Fire comes down from God that utterly consumes them and Satan is also cast into the lake of fire forever. 

Revelation 20:11-15  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12)  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13)  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14)  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15)  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 

The second resurrection, the resurrection of damnation, is connected with the Great White Throne Judgment where King Jesus will judge the evil done by all sinners and Christ rejecters. 

They will bow down and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, before being cast into the lake of eternal fire (See Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 20:7-15).

Read those verses carefully, because they tell us the fate of every man, woman or young person who refuses to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Do you have family members who do not know Christ? This horrible fate of burning in unrelenting flames is what awaits them. 

You surely do not want any of your loved family members or friends, to die and end up in this terrible place. 

Our duty is to share the gospel of Christ with them and trust God to prick their hearts and to show them their need of repentant faith in Christ. 

Bob