Universal Resurrection

[Mike Tang]

Hi,

The bible says there will be a Universal Resurrection of the dead and living when Jesus returns.

Can someone please explain how it works.

Is it Jesus who will resurrect everyone at His Second Coming?

And how come it says a 1000 year period?
Is that the New Heaven/Earth (remade Universe)?

And does that happen after the Universal Resurrection?

Thank you for any clarification!

 

[St_Worm2]

Hello @Mike Tang, here are a couple of short articles for you to consider (with links to other short articles at the bottom) that may be helpful to you as a place to start. Just FYI, if there is a video included with the article, the text of the article and the text of the video are the same.

BTW, the bodily resurrection will be for those in the tombs/all who have died (not for those who are still alive), for both saint and reprobate as you said .. John 5:25-29.

What are the New Heavens and the New Earth? | GotQuestions.org

What is the first resurrection? What is the second resurrection? | GotQuestions.org
​

God bless you!

--David

 

[ewq1938]

Hi,

The bible says there will be a Universal Resurrection of the dead and living when Jesus returns.

Two issues there. There is no "universal resurrection" There are two resurrections:

Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

First resurrection: "to everlasting life"
Second resurrection: "to shame and everlasting contempt"


Joh 5:29 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.

First resurrection: "resurrection of life"
Second resurrection: "the resurrection of damnation"



What we learn from both verses is that there are two resurrections. One resurrection is to life and the other resurrection is to damnation and contempt.



We also see here that the saved/righteous are resurrected first, and at some time later the unsaved are resurrected and judged.

What these verses do not tell us is how much time is inbetween the two. For that we have to go to Revelation 20 where Christ tells John there is a thousand years inbetween. "the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished". There we have the dead separated into two groups. One who are saved and will be resurrected and judged first, like Dan 12:2 and Joh 5:29 show, and the other group that has to wait until the thousand years are finished before they are resurrected and judged.

Hi,

The bible says there will be a Universal Resurrection of the dead and living when Jesus returns.

Secondly, the living don't experience a resurrection because they aren't dead. The living are changed from mortal to immortal.

Is it Jesus who will resurrect everyone at His Second Coming?

No. Only the dead in Christ are resurrected. Also, according to Revelation 20, Satan must be cast into the LOF before the unsaved dead resurrect.

And how come it says a 1000 year period?
Is that the New Heaven/Earth (remade Universe)?

The thousand years is how long the rule of the rod of iron over the nations will last. The NHNE only takes place once the GWTJ in Revelation 20 is completed. Then we see in Revelation 21 that the NHNE happens.

 

[mlepfitjw]

Hello Mike, I believe that Jesus Christ when he enters a persons life, that the new heavens, and new earth is a metaphorical sense of a new perspective of life all together. Making the earth, and sky look new because of being spiritually awaken.

This might sound like nonsense and I could be totally wrong too.

That is how I believe it though -- because at the end of this life we go on to being into the Kingdom of God, which seems a lot different than Earth. -- at least to me because according to the bible God will be giving us new spiritual (homes) bodies.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Hi,

The bible says there will be a Universal Resurrection of the dead and living when Jesus returns.

Can someone please explain how it works.

Is it Jesus who will resurrect everyone at His Second Coming?

And how come it says a 1000 year period?
Is that the New Heaven/Earth (remade Universe)?

And does that happen after the Universal Resurrection?

Thank you for any clarification!

When the Lord returns, He returns as judge of the living and the dead. All of the dead will be raised, those that are Christ's will be raised up in glory to transformed new life in the Age to Come, while the wicked are raised up to judgment--and it's God's business how that happens.

There are several interpretations about the 1000 years.

The two most frequently encountered views are:

Amillennialism, which is generally the more mainstream and traditional view, as it is subscribed to by Catholics, Orthodox, and the majority of Protestants (Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, et al). Amillennialism understands the 1000 years as symbolic, not a literal rule of Jesus on earth; but the rule of our Lord from heaven at the right hand of the Father through His Church by the preaching of the Gospel to all nations. From His ascension until His return.

Premillennialism, which is subscribed to by many modern Protestants, largely through the influence of Millennarian groups and teachings from the 19th century, holds to the belief that the 1000 years are a literal period of time between Jesus' return and the Last Judgment. A number of early Christian writers also subscribed to a view similar to Premillennialism known as Chiliasm.

And yes, there will be a renewal of all creation--a new heavens and a new earth. The Christian hope in resurrection isn't just that we ourselves will experience the resurrection of the body, but that the whole of creation shall be redeemed, healed, transformed, and made new. You can see this in St. Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 8, where he speaks of the groaning and longing of creation for redemption and the freedom of God's children--the resurrection of the body that is to come.

The historic and mainstream Christian view can be summed up as this:

The Lord will return, we don't know when.
He returns as Judge of the living and the dead.
There is the resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous.
God makes all things new, and there shall be everlasting life in the Age to Come.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Freedm]

Hi,

The bible says there will be a Universal Resurrection of the dead and living when Jesus returns.

Can someone please explain how it works.

Is it Jesus who will resurrect everyone at His Second Coming?

And how come it says a 1000 year period?
Is that the New Heaven/Earth (remade Universe)?

And does that happen after the Universal Resurrection?

Thank you for any clarification!

I think you'll quickly find that the questions you ask are some of the most hotly debated questions in all of Chirstendom. You'll be hard pressed to find even two people who'll give you the exact same answer.

 

[CMDRExorcist]

Besides faith vs. works (and everything in between in that argument), I can’t think of a single topic that’s of greater debate and discussion than this one. Looking forward to the countless perspectives to come.

 

[sovereigngrace]

Hi,

The bible says there will be a Universal Resurrection of the dead and living when Jesus returns.

Can someone please explain how it works.

Is it Jesus who will resurrect everyone at His Second Coming?

And how come it says a 1000 year period?
Is that the New Heaven/Earth (remade Universe)?

And does that happen after the Universal Resurrection?

Thank you for any clarification!

Hi Mike!

Yes, I agree!

• There is nowhere in Scripture that talk about "resurrection days" (plural).
• There is nowhere in Scripture that talk about "judgement days" (plural).

Acts 17:30-31 reinforces my supposition: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

He has not appointed days but "a day" (singular).

NASU says: "He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness."

NLT says: "he has set a day for judging the world with justice."

Jesus said in Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”

It is not just the righteous living and the righteous dead that are raised - as you argue, everyone must be raised because Paul says everyone is judged when Jesus comes and introduce His eternal kingdom.

In 1 Peter 4:1-5 Peter contrasts the righteous and the wicked, and then concludes: “Who shall give account to him (Christ) that is ready to judge the quick (or the living) and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5).

2 Timothy 4:1 identifies the actual time when Adam's race will stand to account before the throne of God, saying, “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.”

Adam’s race – in total – is therefore judged “at his (Christ’s) epifaneian (or) appearing and his kingdom.” Everyman that has ever lived from the foundation of the world will be then brought before the final judgment bar of God to account for their earthly lives. This is undoubtedly an all-inclusive general judgment. The persons involved and the occasion referred to could not be clearer.

1 Corinthians 4:5 tells us: “judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

When you place Revelation 20:11-15 together with all the other Second coming passages you see that it correlates beautifully with them. In fact, it mirrors them in remarkable detail. You would search in vain to find any Scripture that corroborates the idea of another judgment day 1000 years after the coming of the Lord. Scripture does not divide the judgment of the righteous and the wicked by a protracted period of time. Premillennialism does.

The reading declares: “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. 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. 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. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 22:12 states: “behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

 

[sovereigngrace]

Two issues there. There is no "universal resurrection" There are two resurrections:

Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

First resurrection: "to everlasting life"
Second resurrection: "to shame and everlasting contempt"


Joh 5:29 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.

First resurrection: "resurrection of life"
Second resurrection: "the resurrection of damnation"



What we learn from both verses is that there are two resurrections. One resurrection is to life and the other resurrection is to damnation and contempt.



We also see here that the saved/righteous are resurrected first, and at some time later the unsaved are resurrected and judged.

What these verses do not tell us is how much time is inbetween the two. For that we have to go to Revelation 20 where Christ tells John there is a thousand years inbetween. "the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished". There we have the dead separated into two groups. One who are saved and will be resurrected and judged first, like Dan 12:2 and Joh 5:29 show, and the other group that has to wait until the thousand years are finished before they are resurrected and judged.





Secondly, the living don't experience a resurrection because they aren't dead. The living are changed from mortal to immortal.



No. Only the dead in Christ are resurrected. Also, according to Revelation 20, Satan must be cast into the LOF before the unsaved dead resurrect.



The thousand years is how long the rule of the rod of iron over the nations will last. The NHNE only takes place once the GWTJ in Revelation 20 is completed. Then we see in Revelation 21 that the NHNE happens.

I totally disagree. The Bible makes it clear that Christ is "the first resurrection" (Acts 26:23 and Revelation 20:6), "the firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18), "the firstfruits of them that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20), "first begotten of the dead" (Revelation 1:5). Positionally, we have our part in His life, death, resurrection, ascension and glorious reign through regeneration - being "in Christ." This means the lake of fire (the second death) has no claim over us. Our sin was buried with Christ and when He arose we arose. He was our representative. He was our substitute. The company that have their “part” in the first resurrection in Revelation 20:6 are all those that are spiritually raised “in Christ” from the grave of their sin.

 

[Timtofly]

Hi Mike!

Yes, I agree!

• There is nowhere in Scripture that talk about "resurrection days" (plural).
• There is nowhere in Scripture that talk about "judgement days" (plural).

Acts 17:30-31 reinforces my supposition: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

He has not appointed days but "a day" (singular).

NASU says: "He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness."

NLT says: "he has set a day for judging the world with justice."

Jesus said in Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”

It is not just the righteous living and the righteous dead that are raised - as you argue, everyone must be raised because Paul says everyone is judged when Jesus comes and introduce His eternal kingdom.

In 1 Peter 4:1-5 Peter contrasts the righteous and the wicked, and then concludes: “Who shall give account to him (Christ) that is ready to judge the quick (or the living) and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5).

2 Timothy 4:1 identifies the actual time when Adam's race will stand to account before the throne of God, saying, “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.”

Adam’s race – in total – is therefore judged “at his (Christ’s) epifaneian (or) appearing and his kingdom.” Everyman that has ever lived from the foundation of the world will be then brought before the final judgment bar of God to account for their earthly lives. This is undoubtedly an all-inclusive general judgment. The persons involved and the occasion referred to could not be clearer.

1 Corinthians 4:5 tells us: “judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

When you place Revelation 20:11-15 together with all the other Second coming passages you see that it correlates beautifully with them. In fact, it mirrors them in remarkable detail. You would search in vain to find any Scripture that corroborates the idea of another judgment day 1000 years after the coming of the Lord. Scripture does not divide the judgment of the righteous and the wicked by a protracted period of time. Premillennialism does.

The reading declares: “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. 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. 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. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 22:12 states: “behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

Acts 17:30-31 reinforces my supposition: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

That one day was the Cross.

 

[sovereigngrace]

Acts 17:30-31 reinforces my supposition: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

That one day was the Cross.

Not so. Multiple Scriptures show the judgment to occur on the last day - Jesus return. The above Scripture i presented forbids your argument.

 

[Timtofly]

Not so. Multiple Scriptures show the judgment to occur on the last day - Jesus return. The above Scripture i presented forbids your argument.

Your argument is that God did not appoint the Day of the Cross to judge the world, through the death of the anointed One, and then physically resurrected the anointed One as proof?

Which covenant do you go by then? The one of the Law and Death?

 

[hedrick]

One of the problems in this discussion is inerrancy, which requires us to assume that all writers have the same opinion, and thus interpret them in ways that in some cases likely misrepresent their intention.

Paul sees resurrection as only applying to those who are in Christ. 1 Cor 15:22-23 says “for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” This shows resurrection as applying to those who are in Christ. (I’m assuming a non-literal “all” in 1 Cor 15. If it’s fully universal, then chapter 15 describes universalism, not resurrection of the damned.) This is not a surprise, since his description of resurrection in 15:23 ff describes resurrection as a new glorified body that restores the image of God and involves all of us in the triumph of Christ over death.

As I’m sure you know, there were various concepts of eschatology in 1st Cent Judaism. While that may well be reflected in differences among the NT writers, I think most of the NT is consistent with this view, and of the damned being destroyed. That’s my understanding of most passages on judgement in the Gospels, and also of the Revelation. It may well differ from the statements quoted above from Daniel. I think universalism is also a possible reading of Paul. But it’s an unlikely reading of others, e.g. Matthew.

However further discussion should probably happen in Controversial Christian Theology, because of CF rules.

 

[Timtofly]

One of the problems in this discussion is inerrancy, which requires us to assume that all writers have the same opinion, and thus interpret them in ways that in some cases likely misrepresent their intention.

Paul sees resurrection as only applying to those who are in Christ. 1 Cor 15:22-23 says “for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” This shows resurrection as applying to those who are in Christ. (I’m assuming a non-literal “all” in 1 Cor 15. If it’s fully universal, then chapter 15 describes universalism, not resurrection of the damned.) This is not a surprise, since his description of resurrection in 15:23 ff describes resurrection as a new glorified body that restores the image of God and involves all of us in the triumph of Christ over death.

As I’m sure you know, there were various concepts of eschatology in 1st Cent Judaism. While that may well be reflected in differences among the NT writers, I think most of the NT is consistent with this view, and of the damned being destroyed. That’s my understanding of most passages on judgement in the Gospels, and also of the Revelation. It may well differ from the statements quoted above from Daniel. I think universalism is also a possible reading of Paul. But it’s an unlikely reading of others, e.g. Matthew.

However further discussion should probably happen in Controversial Christian Theology, because of CF rules.

A single double resurrection is part of Amil eschatology. Some to everlasting life and the rest to eternal damnation. A resurrection to damnation is not much of a resurrection, but changing location from sheol to the lake of fire tends to happen at the GWT. Then they want to wait for everlasting life to only then happen at the GWT.

 

[sovereigngrace]

A single double resurrection is part of Amil eschatology. Some to everlasting life and the rest to eternal damnation. A resurrection to damnation is not much of a resurrection, but changing location from sheol to the lake of fire tends to happen at the GWT. Then they want to wait for everlasting life to only then happen at the GWT.

The general resurrection at the second coming is the GWT Judgment.

 

[Timtofly]

The general resurrection at the second coming is the GWT Judgment.

11 Next I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened; and another book was opened, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
13 The sea gave up the dead in it; and Death and Sh’ol gave up the dead in them; and they were judged, each according to what he had done.
14 Then Death and Sh’ol were hurled into the lake of fire. This is the second death — the lake of fire.
15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was hurled into the lake of fire.


The word resurrection is not found once in these verses.

 

[sovereigngrace]

11 Next I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened; and another book was opened, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
13 The sea gave up the dead in it; and Death and Sh’ol gave up the dead in them; and they were judged, each according to what he had done.
14 Then Death and Sh’ol were hurled into the lake of fire. This is the second death — the lake of fire.
15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was hurled into the lake of fire.


The word resurrection is not found once in these verses.

Read it carefully and you will see the general resurrection/judgment.

 

[Timtofly]

Read it carefully and you will see the general resurrection/judgment.

I read it as careful as the whole of chapter 19 and 20. I accept a 1000 year period, which is clearly there. A general resurrection not so much.

You choose what you see. I choose what is written.

 

[sovereigngrace]

I read it as careful as the whole of chapter 19 and 20. I accept a 1000 year period, which is clearly there. A general resurrection not so much.

You choose what you see. I choose what is written.

You locate it in the wrong place and argue a doctrine with zero corroboration.

 

[Timtofly]

You locate it in the wrong place and argue a doctrine with zero corroboration.

According to you. You did not write the Bible.

Revelation 20 is not a doctrine. It is a portion of God's Word that you chose to interpret as you see fit.