Hello everyone,
Why are there two resurrections? Why not just one? Why doesn’t God simply resurrect good people and leave the bad to rot in their graves? That might sound harsh, but it also seems logical, doesn’t it? After all, isn’t Yehovah God all-powerful, all-seeing, and all-knowing? Wouldn’t he already know who deserves life and who doesn’t?
So, why are there two resurrections?
Well, that kind of reasoning is very human. It’s built on a number of assumptions about what it means to be good or evil, and even about what it means for God to be all-seeing and all-knowing. But we don’t want to rely on human assumptions. We want to get God’s view.
In the previous video, we learned that we can’t even take common terms like death, life, good and evil for granted. Those words mean something different when viewed from God’s perspective.
Let’s apply that knowledge now as we explore the two resurrections. You likely already know that Jesus wasn’t the only one to speak about them. Both Luke and the Apostle John wrote about two resurrections. We’ll save John’s reference in Revelation for a future video. For now, we’ll focus on what Jesus said, then we’ll tie in what Luke wrote.
I’d like to use Smith’s Literal Translation because we’re dealing with the meaning of words.
“Wonder not at this: for the hour comes, in which all they in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall go forth; They having done good, to rising up of life; and they having done bad, to rising up of judgment.” (John 5:28, 29 SLT)
“Rising up” is the literal meaning of the Greek word most translations render as “resurrection”. Notice that people rise up from being dead in their tombs to being alive. But to rise up or be resurrected from physical death to physical life is not what separates these two resurrections, is it? These two groups of people rise up to different eventualities. Some rise up to life. Life in this sense is what God views as life. These ones rise up to eternal life. The others do not rise up to everlasting life. They are still dead in God’s eyes. To gain the life that those in the first resurrection obtain, these ones in the second group must be judged.
But on what basis will they be judged? We’ll get to that later in this series. For now, I think we can all agree we’d rather be in the first resurrection so we won’t have to undergo judgment as Jesus said at John 5:24. But to be in the first resurrection, we must do good. What does that mean?
Jesus says that those who have done good things before they died, rise up to life, that is, eternal life, but those who did bad things—some translations say, evil or wicked things—end up in the resurrection of judgment, whatever that entails. It certainly isn’t a desirable outcome, is it?
But how do we define “good” and “evil” in this instance? From a human perspective, most of us would not consider ourselves to be evil or wicked people. But what would God say about us?
Let’s go to Luke’s account, where two resurrections are also mentioned. Luke, who also wrote Acts, recounts an event where the Jews plotted to murder the Apostle Paul. This was done with the knowledge and support of the Jewish religious leaders. When the plot failed, these same leaders, including High Priest Ananias, stood before the Roman procurator Antonius Felix to accuse Paul.
As part of his defense, Paul says:
“…this I confess to thee, that according to the way which they call a sect, so serve I the God of the fathers, believing all things written in the law and the prophets: Having hope to God, which they themselves also admit, a rising from the dead about to be, both of just and unjust.” (Acts 24:15 SLT)
Other Bible versions use “righteous” and “unrighteous” which are synonyms of “just” and “unjust”.
This is remarkable. Paul is trying to find common ground with the very people who want him dead. He shows them that he believes what they claim to believe. The idea of two resurrections wasn’t new. It was evident to priests and Pharisees from their reading of the law and the prophets. What they didn’t understand was what it meant to be “just” or “unjust.”
To be just or righteous in their view was to keep the law code. They considered themselves to be the most righteous of men, but Jesus exposed their wickedness.
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.” (Matthew 23:23)
“Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:28)
This is where each of us must be very careful to weigh ourselves morally in the eyes of God. We don’t like to think of ourselves as being evil. None of us wishes to believe that we’ll come back in the resurrection to judgment. We might look at our lives and conclude that we are basically good people. We don’t commit wicked acts. We don’t hurt others. We try to be loving, kind and considerate of all people.
But…while any person might look at your life and say that you are a good person, what is the basis for being called “good” according to Jesus? He says that those who have done good things will be resurrected to life. They do not go through the judgment that evildoers face. Jesus tells us:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24 ESV)
But that’s not “good” as we define it. It’s not relative goodness, like what Paul refers to in Romans:
“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.” (Romans 5:7 NIV)
But when we speak of the first resurrection to life, we are not referring to relative goodness, but to the highest standard. We are, after all, speaking of the ultimate reward: Eternal life. So, it is God’s definition that we look for, and we can get that from what Jesus said on two occasions:
“Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 18:16, 17 NIV)
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.” (Mark 10:17, 18 NIV)
Jesus Christ does not consider himself to be good. How can that be? How could the Son of God who had never once committed a sin not be considered to be good? What is more, if Jesus wasn’t good, then what hope do you and I have of being considered good from God’s point of view? How can we be part of the resurrection of life for those who have done good if even Jesus didn’t measure up?
The answer is actually quite reassuring. We find it at Hebrews 5:7-9 which reads:
“During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (Hebrews 5:7-9 ESV)
The One who saved Jesus was his Father, Yehovah. And the reason he was saved was that he continued to obey his Father even through unimaginable suffering. He learned what obedience really meant through the things he suffered. And because he endured and didn’t give out, he was made perfect. Perfect doesn’t mean sinless. Adam was sinless, but not perfect. When Adam was presented with a test of his faith, he disobeyed God, and so he sinned. From our human perspective, it might seem trivial. All Adam did was take a bite out of a piece of fruit. Yet that single act of disobedience has resulted in all the suffering of humanity throughout thousands of years of history. That was wickedness, pure evil. That is how Yehovah sees things.
Jesus was only made perfect when he was tested and passed that test. He was tempted by the devil and then tortured and humiliated by the Romans at the behest of the Jews. From that point on, Jesus was good. He was resurrected to life.
If we want to be part of the resurrection of life, then we must do good, as Jesus did good. What that means is, like Jesus, we obey God through suffering. We’re told this again and again:
“But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps.” (1 Peter 2:20, 21 BSB)
“And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:17 BSB)
“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10 ESV)
We all must suffer tribulation for ten days, ten meaning a complete period of time, enduring to the end of our life.
There are those who claim that all you have to do to be saved is to believe in Jesus. That’s true, but what those ones who want to avoid suffering fail to acknowledge is that simple belief is not enough. Belief in Jesus means suffering as he suffered. It means following in his life course and enduring tribulation because the devil means to break us.
“If we say that we remain in union with God, we should live just as Jesus Christ did.” (1 John 2:6 GNT)
And this means persecution.
“Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12 NLT)
Enduring as our Lord did makes us “good” in the eyes of God. It is our obedience to him that is counted as goodness. These are the ones who make up the first resurrection and inherit life in the kingdom of God with Jesus as his co-heirs. But they have a very specific mission. In Revelation we read this:
“You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:10 NIV)
“Blessed and holy are those who share 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 NIV)
We now have a slightly better understanding of the what and how of the First Resurrection, but not the Why? Why is there a first resurrection? What purpose does it serve?
When God created Adam and Eve, he said nothing about some of their children forming a kingdom with his Son and acting as priests for a thousand years. There was no need for a priest, or a mediator, or a ruler. Yehovah God was all things to his human children. He was God, he was ruler, he was father, he was life-giver. They talked with him like any child speaks with his Father. He instructed them and trained them, because he wanted to see them grow. He purposed that they should fill the earth and hold in subjection all the creatures alive on the land, in the sea, and in the air.
That relationship was lost, but nothing God purposes to do can be truly lost, because God cannot fail. So what was lost would be restored again. And that is why there is a first resurrection, to make that possible.
Paul says that:
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13 NIV)
But then Paul explains the problem this presents when he continues:
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14, 15 NIV)
Does it seem unfair to you that everyone who has ever lived or is living now doesn’t get the same chance we have to be part of the first resurrection?
I assure you that it is not unfair at all. In fact, it is the only way to be fair to every human who has ever lived. Think about it: How will it be possible to fulfill the words we’ve just read in this world we live in? How can everyone be preached to, so that all hear, so that all may believe? And even if it could be done now, what about the billions who’ve died without ever be able “to call on the name of the Lord”.
We say that humans have free will, and it is true that being made in God’s image means among other things, having free will, but do we really have it? I mean, after being lied to and deceived, abused, and pressured in a world driven by Satanic forces, can we truly say that everyone who has ever lived has a real chance at calling on the name of the Lord? Let’s be realistic about this.
Those few whom God has called to take part in the first resurrection are the means by which he offers everyone an equal opportunity to know him and accept him, if they choose to do so.
This is what is explained in Ephesians:
“He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.” (Ephesians 1:9, 10 NASB 1995)
The Greek word translated here as 'administration' is oikonomia, which refers to the management of a household. The children of God who make up the Kingdom of priests under Jesus Christ are the means by which God’s family is brought back together. He is already the Father of those who dwell in the heavens—the angels—and he will once again become the Father of all humanity through this household administration, which will come into effect at the fullness of the appointed times.
To sum up what we’ve considered so far:
Yehovah lost his human family to sin. But his word never fails, and he will reclaim that family. Even before the first offspring of Adam and Eve was conceived, God purposed to establish an administration through which all people would have the opportunity to hear his invitation and be truly free to accept it, if they choose to.
Those who take part in the first resurrection make up that administration. They are able to serve in this role because they have been fully tested, and their loyalty to God is assured. Like their Lord, Jesus, they have been made perfect to serve as priests in the Kingdom, and do not pass through judgment.
There is still much more to explore. We have yet to examine the details surrounding the second resurrection to judgment. We’ll continue our discussion in upcoming videos.
Thank you for your attention and support.