Part 4: Resurrection and Judgment
The first resurrection and judgment occurs when Christ returns. As I established before; those who are his will meet him in the clouds. Let’s take a closer look as to what happens to them at this time.
I now invite you to read 1st Corinthians 15:35-58. This chapter is quite the treasure trove of discussion on resurrection and judgment. Remember I quoted the first part already which dealt with the example of the resurrection of Christ: and the resurrection at his return.
Verse 35 goes along with this discussion. It reads “But some man will say, “How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?” The rest of this chapter answers this question quite well. Shall we go with Paul’s explanation or go with what people make up as they go? Let’s discuss Paul’s version and see how it matches up.
In verses 36 and 37 Paul uses the example of planting seed. A seed’s transformation is a great example of the death, burial, and resurrection of the believer. The seed is only dead when it is planted. In its proper time it will transform into something better and come to life out of the ground. Only after this does it become useful grain or wheat. A change will happen to the seed to bring it to life. That is the picture here.
Note the separation of categories of existence in verses 38-41. Just like there aren’t people out there who are half-fish or half bird: no one is half celestial or spiritual. This existence of man being a natural body and a spiritual body meaning he is two just doesn’t exist here. The body is a singular thing here which fits into a particular category. Saying man is both would be like trying to combine the sun and the moon into one sphere in verse 41.
Verses 42-44 show the difference between what someone is before and after the resurrection. You cannot achieve true glory, incorruption, or power before being resurrected. It doesn’t talk in a partial or divided way here either. You aren’t corruptible and incorruptible or natural and spiritual all at once while in the flesh.
You aren’t half weak and dishonorable until the second you die. You are completely so until you are one of the righteous resurrected by Christ. It is one or the other here with a clear point of separation. This point is the resurrection and nothing else.
Verse 44 says “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body.” This sounds much like the comparison to planting a seed above. One becomes the other. They are not two separate things. The body is only singular here.
The two different bodies are mutually exclusive and not two parts of the sum of someone. Why make the natural body spiritual if the spiritual body escaped the natural body at death? What kind of schizophrenic fantasy would this lead to with two spiritual bodies both being you?
In 45 and 46 it comes clear that Adam was the first man made and Christ was the first made spiritual. This again serves the greater general point of first being carnal and then made spiritual. In 46 note the words “not first” and “afterward.” You are not spiritual at first. Only later can you become this.
The prevalent view goes completely against this. To them you are a combination of physical and spiritual at first. At death, the physical part drops off like a cheap suit which you never really were. I just can’t see how being an immortal and spiritual soul trapped in carnal flesh to begin with jives with what Paul is saying here.
47-49 continue on this course. Pay particular attention to verse 49. Note “we shall also bare the image of the heavenly.” “Shall” shows a future hope. This whole discussion is bracketed in the context of resurrection as to when. You are not spiritual right now: only natural. I know it is more fun to just collect now rather than later. However; being turned spiritual, as Christ was, is a future promise and only to those who are his.
Verse 50 sets up a precondition for inheriting the kingdom. It states that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” Is this overcome by a spiritual you which was always there leaving behind the natural body? Or, does your natural body (you) get changed into a spiritual body. Let’s see which way Paul goes with this: shall we?
Verse 51 makes the point that the timing of salvation has nothing to do with when an individual believer dies. Some will be alive and some will be dead. But at a specific point; all who are his will be changed. Verse 52 describes this as “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.” This entire verse is completely consistent with the trump and description in 1st Thessalonians 4:14-18. Where does it ever speak of salvation or being a spiritual body before this time?
Pay particular attention to the last word in verse 51. Those who are being saved here are “changed.” This is how the precondition for inheriting the kingdom is met. The physical body will be changed into a better spiritual body. It is a transformation like a butterfly or seed to grain as earlier in the chapter. Nature is filled with pictures of a grand metamorphosis.
I must put a fine point on the word “changed” here and contrast it to the general teaching. They preach and teach a separation or split into becoming only spiritual from being both. The spiritual body simply becomes unattached from the physical body.
The physical body isn’t changed into something better. It is only discarded like something thrown in the trash. They believe that you are spiritual from the start and don’t need to become a spiritual body since you already are. This is similar to their belief that you are born immortal and don’t need to acquire that either.
If you are automatically born spiritual and immortal; nothing should stop you from inheriting God’s kingdom. This is where they turn God into J J of J J’s giveaway. Why worry about rising with the righteous to get these things once Christ comes. They are no longer a gift to the righteous but government cheese there for all. You even had to stand in line for the cheese. Actually they make these two gifts as natural and easy as breathing air. You simply start out spiritual and immortal covered in flesh by this.
Verse 53 reads “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” Again, the corruptible is putting on something new. How do you put something on which you already have? This would be like putting on a jacket you are already wearing. We aren’t automatically immortal beings who must shed the mortal part. We are quite mortal and must put on immortality as something new and better. Again we are talking about change here.
Only after doing this can death be overcome as in the closing verses of this chapter. Verse 54 states “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’” Death is quite real to those who have not yet become immortal. Note the word “when” here. It shows it is something yet to happen to those who are saved and not a precondition.
(Philippians 3:20, 21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.)
Note again the time we are looking forward to here is when Christ returns and not our death. Again, the vile body we are isn’t some useless thing to be discarded. It will be changed into something better by Christ at his return.
The phrase “that it might be” can only imply we don’t have a body like that at present. No one save for Christ is a spiritual body right now. Our body we see is what we are and not something holding something better. It needs to be changed into something better. Where is the two body (1 physical/ 1 spiritual) theory in all this? I just don’t see it!
(1st John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.)
The “He” in this verse is identified as Christ in verse 5. Yet again: “what we shall be” and “we shall be like Him” must be speaking of a future change. The when is “when He shall appear.” This is when the change to being a spiritual being like Christ happens.
Where in the Bible does it speak of this change happening before in any way, shape, or form? Why would anyone need be changed if they were already a spiritual body floating around the heavens with Christ prior to this? Most of the world has people being as Christ is long before his return.
(Matthew 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.)
I have heard someone who has died referred to as an angel. If people are spiritual beings like unto angels at death and flying around in heaven with them: why isn’t this discussed here? Why qualify being in this state as “in the resurrection?” Shouldn’t people be like this before the resurrection? There must be a change at that time and not before.
Hopefully now you can see that Christ’s return is what believers look toward as the day of their salvation and change. A huge resurrection will happen in accordance with this. This is part of something bigger. It is one of the two phases or times of judgment. It is one of the two great resurrections of the dead.
(Luke 14:14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.)
I realize that I am making the same point over and over again. But to me this is what you get when you put verses together on this matter and most still don’t get it. No matter how you want to cleverly define or spin it: going to a heavenly paradise at death would be a righteous reward or recompense.
Yet again death is not the time when a reward is promised to the righteous here. Going to heaven would also denote a judgment at that time. Unless you want to say that going to heaven or hell is a random act; a judgment must occur for anyone to go to either place.
Notice this time of recompense is called “the resurrection of the just.” The phrase “the resurrection” is quite singular. It is a singular time for the just to rise.
The phrase “of the just” shows that this must be part of a judgment. Those taking part must be deemed righteous by God to take part. This isn’t the resurrection of the random or the just who have already been rewarded in heaven. The “resurrection of the just” could only mean a time when those who are worthy are made to live out of death together.
(Acts 24:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.)
Paul is placing his hope in being part of the resurrection of the just. He isn’t placing it in going to heaven at his own time. This resurrection will be one of the two. The other is described here as the resurrection of the unjust. These will both be times of judgment and recompense for those in each category.
It is important to see here that both groups are pointed to a time specific resurrection to receive judgment. These two things (being brought to life and getting judged) are tied together. Each resurrection is for judgment. You can’t have a judgment pronounced on someone if they aren’t alive to hear it. This instant judgment of the dead people believe in just isn’t in scripture.
This whole idea gets rid of both phases. If some went to heaven and some hell: they are both alive and judged. Are you going to tell the guy flying around in heaven, “I will now resurrect you to tell you you’re one of the righteous” like he already doesn’t know this? Would you tell the poor person in hell “I will raise you from death to inform you you’re one of the wicked?”
How utterly meaningless are either of these resurrections and judgments in either case? Why bother? You can’t resurrect the living or judge the already judged. Are you going to tell them “you are really wicked now and super damned?” What kind of nonsense does instant judgment of the dead add up to given just this verse?
(Matthew 10:15 Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the Day of Judgment, than for that city.)
All of the wicked will receive judgment on the Day of Judgment and not before. In this case you have people from Christ’s days and the time of Abraham getting judged on the same day. The wicked from the book of Genesis had already been dead a long time when Christ said this. If they were punished right at death: why not compare their suffering while burning in hell? Why defer the comparison of suffering until the Day of Judgment?
(Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment.)
Notice the phrase “The Day of Judgment” here again. This phrase is quite singular and time specific. I just don’t see how this correlates with everyone getting judged given their individual time of death. People die every day. This would mean every day would be a day of judgment so why keep highlighting this one?
Also, don’t try and tell me going to heaven or hell isn’t the result of judgment. Are you telling me God forces someone into the fire for no apparent reason? I think I will leave extreme punishment with no verdict up to evil dictators. God does things only for good reason and using sound judgment.
Are you saying people just randomly go to heaven or hell only to get judged later? So I guess Hitler could be in heaven or king Solomon could be in hell and God will just straighten it out in the wash later. Does God get who goes to which place wrong? Is that the purpose of the Day of Judgment?
Will God have to kick people out of heaven on the Day of Judgment (WOOPS)? Will they swap with some of the righteous who accidentally went to hell? This whole belief is supposed to imply a final judgment at death so don’t get ridiculous and try and talk around it. Given this belief, thousands are judged every single day and aren’t getting held out until the day of judgment. Be honest enough to admit that is the bottom line of this belief.
(Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.)
(2nd Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished)
These again point to a day of judgment. The verse in 2nd Peter says “to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” The punishment doesn’t happen until the day of judgment. To say it happens prior to this day is to directly contradict this verse.
The word “reserve” isn’t consistent with any kind of active punishment or judgment. It can only imply setting someone aside to get it later. To have someone burning in fire until this day would be to get rid of the “to be punished” part. If constant burning in hell isn’t punishment then what in the world is it: a reward?
(1st John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.)
Much like the day of the Lord: those who are God’s have nothing to worry about on the Day of Judgment. Their final judgment will be sealed when they rise to meet Christ. Obviously the day of the Lord does include judgment as well. Some could say that I contradict my point on the Day of Judgment above by pointing out 2 days.
This is a noted exception in scripture to the main time of judgment. It isn’t something I just made up. Most people will rise in the Day of Judgment (the resurrection of the unjust) instead of the day of the Lord (the resurrection of the just).
A noted exception isn’t a contradiction. Say a man owned a large factory with hundreds of workers. Say he needs to shut the factory down but wants to start a new small business. He orders every worker to a meeting at five PM to inform them they no longer have a job. He will also discuss why and try to work out some compensation.
He then calls a few of his most trusted workers into his office for a small meeting prior to 5. He gives them the chance to keep working with him in his new venture. They can come to the meeting to assist him, but the meeting no longer really applies to them as they still have a job.
This wouldn’t take away from 5 pm being the hour of decision for most employees. It wouldn’t imply there would be a meeting every minute and the five pm was unimportant. It would just be one noted exception for one small group. The boss can arrange it how he wants. It would not be up to the employees to start showing up before five and demand some individual meeting.
The day of the Lord will be the only other time people receive judgment. This is spoken of in scripture so you must add this day to the Day of Judgment. This doesn’t open the flood gate where every day can be a judgment for thousands individually to suit an improper belief system. Let’s stick with scripture and the two times of final recompense it establishes. Unless you want to write your own story in: these times are it. There must be an order to belief. I am bound to believe in what the Bible speaks of and not something which would unwind it. The day of the Lord and the Day of Judgment are left meaningless by the whole heaven/ hell at death scenario. This whole thing is a made up story inconsistent with the Bible!
(2nd Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom)
This verse clearly defines two specific times of judgment. There will be a judgment at the time of Christ’s appearing. There will also be one just prior to the kingdom being ushered in to the earth. The timing of judgment revolves around these specific events and nothing and no one else.
At Christ’s appearing he will raise those who are his to meet him in the clouds. This judgment has absolutely nothing to do with whether they are alive or dead at the time. It says “judge the quick and the dead.”
Whatever state they are in at the time: all those judged righteous will be changed at his return. This is the judgment at his appearing. The fact that the righteous that have died and the faithful church receive their reward together is consistent with a number of verses. Most notably Hebrews 11:39, 40; 1st Corinthians 15; and 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18. Where does it ever speak of individuals rising to be with Christ one at a time? Where does it ever speak of them doing so before this time?
This first judgment leaves all who accept later plus all the wicked to be judged just before the kingdom comes. The fact that the wicked are judged together is consistent with Matthew 10:14 and 15 and 2nd Peter 9. All this leads nicely into the 19th and 20th chapters of Revelation.
~~~~~~~chapter 19~~~~~~~
Verses 7 and 8 identify this time as the marriage of Christ and the saints. Pay close attention to the imagery here. A marriage is a coming together. This runs right along with 1st Thessalonians 4:17 which states we shall “meet the Lord in the air” on the day of the Lord. To meet someone or come together with them (as in marriage) shows the saints weren’t with him before. This belief just isn’t true to the wording or imagery used.
The heavens rolling apart as a scroll in verse 11 is consistent with the day of the Lord. It is clear that this is when Christ returns. He is seen and described as he will look on that day.
In 14 the army that is with him is identified. The fine linen, white and clean, is a reference to verse 8 and must be the saints which rose to meet him. Note the sequence here. First, those who are righteous meet Christ. Then, the wrath and army is unleashed with no great time or secret chambers in between. Those who are his won’t need to be sealed away from the wrath as they will already be changed.
The close of this chapter (15-21) describes kings of the earth and armies fighting against Christ. This is again consistent with the day of the Lord. There just isn’t another day in scripture where:
Christ meets with those who are his
He returns to the earth and reveals himself
Death comes from heaven on God’s enemies in huge numbers
What other day would this be exactly?
~~~~~~~chapter 20~~~~~~~
Verse 4 reveals that those who rose to be with Christ will reign with him for a thousand years. This will take place on the earth. Nowhere does it say that they were taken away somewhere. There will be people still alive on the earth for them to reign over.
Verses 5 and 6 are huge and so consistent with everything that has brought us to this point of the discussion. Chapter 19 through 20:5 are identified here as the “first resurrection.” You just can’t have a resurrection prior to the first. The first of anything is just that: the first. No one was resurrected to judgment prior to the day of the Lord. No one was changed before this either (saving for Christ in both cases who was the firstfruits of those who slept). This is the “resurrection of the just” as mentioned before. Don’t you see how scriptures come together when you understand them this way?
These verses are also consistent with the ultimate punishment for the wicked I discussed earlier. Those who are a part of the first resurrection get to skip the “second death.” This is the end of the unjust.
I know this whole concept is very difficult for those who don’t believe that death is death. Many don’t really believe in the first death. However: the unrighteous will actually die twice. They die first for any number of reasons as this is our nature. Then they will be raised, judged, and destroyed by fire into an eternal death.
The folly of those who don’t believe in death is magnified in the second death. If death is just something for the physical body but not the ‘real you,’ why raise it back up and go through the whole charade again? Does the ‘real you’ I guess witness second hand your physical body getting raised and thrown in the fire for the second fake death? Or do they jump back in their body and come back out once it dies again? Then, what is the punishment for the real wicked person still supposedly alive? You are undoing not one but two deaths and the only final punishment as given by scripture with this (the second death).
Notice also in five that “the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” To say they were living in fire torture somewhere contradicts this. They will remain in the dead state they are in for a thousand more years. What made up story can you add to this for them to be alive and already being in fire?
Verses 7-9 describe Satan being loosed and deceiving people into fighting against the saints. Verse 9 makes it quite clear that the saints are on earth. As it says, “they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about.” It doesn’t say they went up into space and surrounded the place of the saints. It also says “fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” Those who are burned are circled around the camp of the saints who are with Christ. They are not with God as God brings death from above them from the heavens.
The thousand year reign is on the earth. It must be commonly known to people where the camp of the saints is at this time. It won’t be invisible or secret. This is consistent with part 5 where I will discuss the reward on earth for the righteous.
Verse 12 is talking about the Day of Judgment in Matthew 10:15. The dead at this point are all who didn’t raise a thousand years before, plus all who died during the thousand year reign. Unless you want to make this a “Weekend at Bernie’s” situation where the dead bodies are propped up; these people must have been resurrected. It says they “stand before God” and are being judged.
From the perspective of when it was said: this second resurrection is the resurrection of the unjust. The righteous that died up to and including the church age should have come up in the first. There will be righteous during the thousand years that can still make it. Most that rise at this time will be the unjust. All the wicked from the beginning will outweigh the few righteous of the thousand years. Now we have linked the resurrection of the just and unjust from earlier verses to Revelation 20.
Verses 13 and 14 are quite interesting. They describe the sea and hell delivering up their dead for judgment. This makes perfect sense if you look at hell how I defined it earlier. The dead will rise out of graves in the earth, from the water, in caves, or any number of other places.
Defining hell as a place of permanent fire torture of the wicked creates huge problems and inconsistencies here. First, they are being brought up to receive judgment here. Any sense of justice in any semi-civilized society recognizes that punishment shouldn’t come before judgment. If hell was punishment: shouldn’t this order have been reversed where they were judged and then thrown into hell? Here they are brought out of hell to be judged.
Also, hell is delivering up its dead that are in it. It is not a permanent place to stay for anyone. It even says “death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.” Is the fire of hell not hot enough or something? Is it just an appetizer or a warm up for the real thing? Whatever or wherever you want to say hell is; it is coming to an end here for those who were in it.
There is nothing to indicate in any of this that the lake of fire is anywhere but on earth. People compassed the camp of the saints on earth in 9. People are raised from water and earth in 13. If the judgment or lake of fire were off on some other world or in an alternate universe: wouldn’t that be worthy of at least some mention? Where is the subterranean fantasy art hell in all this?
Following along with this, all the righteous and the wicked will be in about the same place during the judgment. The difference between them will be who gets to stay and who burns away. The common beliefs in the world make the difference a question of where (heaven or hell). All will be on earth for the judgment so heaven and hell have nothing to do with it.
Verse 14 again calls the ultimate punishment the second death. The book of those judged righteous in 15 is called “the book of life.” It is not the book of heaven and the second hell in play here. The divide between the righteous and the wicked in judgment will be between life and death and not heaven and hell.
The Bible makes this point right through to the end of Revelation. The purpose of the lake of fire is to bring death and destruction on the wicked. The righteous get to skip this. The fire will fulfill its function in the context of the second death and not “hell.” Hell is a completely different and made up story. It isn’t the lake of fire or the second death the scriptures promise the wicked at the end of the thousand years. It is something much different. The next chapter of Rev. takes us nicely to part 5.