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Thread ID: 7256 | Posts: 4 | Started: 2003-06-10
2003-06-10 22:50 | User Profile
[url=http://members.aol.com/twarren13/amil5.html]A Present or Future Millennium?[/url]
by Kim Riddlebarger
é May / June 1994, Modern Reformation / ACE
Most American Evangelicals are firmly committed to the idea that an earthly millennial age will begin immediately after our Lord Jesus Christ's Second Advent. Since premillennialism is so dominant in American church circles, many who encounter historic Protestantism for the first time are quite surprised when they discover that all of the Protestant Reformers and the entire Reformed and Lutheran traditions are amillennial. Amillennialism is that understanding of eschatology which sees the millennium not as a future golden age as does premillennialism (the age of the church triumphant), but instead as the present course of history between the First and Second Advent's of our Lord (the age of the church militant). And indeed, I am sure that there are many readers who will express shock and disappointment upon learning of my own amillennial convictions. But I am convinced, however, that many readers simply do not understand the basic end-times scenario found in the New Testament. Part of the problem is that dispensational premillennial writers have completely dominated Christian media and publishing. There are literally hundreds of books, churches, and parachurch ministries all devoted to taking premillennialism and the "pretribulation" rapture idea to the masses. And so, I can only lament the fact that my own tradition has done so little to produce popular books introducing and defending amillennialism. It is my guess that many who read this article will have never heard the case for the classical position held by the church regarding the return of Christ and the millennial age. ÃÂ Another problem encountered when examining this subject is that discussions of it often generate a great deal of heat but not very much light. One local prophecy pundit has quipped that the people in heaven with the lowest IQs will be amillennial. Hal "Late Great" Lindsey goes so far as to label amillennialism as "anti-Semitic," demonic and heretical.1 It is not uncommon to hear prophecy teachers label amillennial Christians as "liberal" or to accuse them of not taking the Bible literally. The result of such diatribes is that American Christians cannot help but be prejudiced by such unfortunate comments, and many simply reject outright (without due consideration of the other side) the eschatology of the Reformers and classical Protestantism-an eschatology that is amazingly simple, biblical, and Christ centered. And so, if you should be in that camp, instead of simply turning me off at this point, please bear with me, hear my case, and then decide for yourself on the basis of Scripture. ÃÂ Unfortunately, it is all too fashionable to interpret the Bible in light of the morning newspaper and CNN. Yes, it is fun to read the Bible through the filter of every geopolitical crisis that arises in our modern world. This adds relevance to the Bible, we are told. It most assuredly sells thousands and thousands of books and provides for slick programs on Christian TV and radio documenting every move by the European Economic Community, and every possible technological breakthrough that may prepare the way for the coming Mark of the Beast. These sensational end-times dramas heighten the sense of urgency regarding the coming of our Lord. They supposedly give the church missionary zeal. But however fascinating these schemes may be, I do not believe that they accurately reflect the Biblical data. ÃÂ There is, in addition, a quite serious side effect produced by this approach to Bible prophecy: The Bible no longer speaks for itself because it is twisted into a pretzel by each of its interpreters, who do their best to show that the upheaval of the nations described in the Book of Revelation has nothing whatsoever to do with the original reader in the first century struggling under Roman persecution, but is instead somehow related to the morning headlines. How many times can we tell our hearers that Jesus is coming back soon (No, we really mean it this time!) and then tie that message to a passing despot like Saddam Hussein or a tenuous political figure like Mikhail Gorbachev? How do we keep those who need to hear about Christ's Second Advent the most from becoming increasingly cynical about the message of his coming? But then again this too is a sign of the end, for scoffers will come and say "where is this 'coming' he promised?" (2 Pt 3:34) How tragic that prophecy speculators actually contribute to the very skepticism they themselves acknowledge as a key sign of the end. The classical Protestant tradition has helpful answers to these problems, as it does to many other crises facing the modern Church that, by and large, have been forgotten by today's Evangelicals. ÃÂ All of the Protestant Reformers, were they to come back to give us counsel in these areas, would insist that we must start with the notion that the Bible itself must be read with the analogia fidei (the analogy of faith), meaning that Holy Scripture must be allowed to interpret Scripture. In other words, we must inductively develop a biblical model of eschatology by utilizing all of the passages that relate to the return of Christ, the resurrection, the judgement, the millennium, and so on. We should never study eschatology merely by finding Bible verses (often out of context) that we think describe current events. And so, by utilizing the analogy of faith, we begin with the clear declarations of Scripture regarding the coming of our Lord and use them to shed light on passages that are less clear. Following this method, we can clear up many of the bizarre mysteries fabricated by modern prophecy devotees, who insist upon making unclear and difficult passages the standard by which we interpret clear and certain verses. If this basic hermeneutical principle is followed, we will soon find that we can no longer interpret all of the Bible by the Book of Revelation. Instead, we must read the Book of Revelation through the rest of the Bible. Historic Protestants would also insist, for example, that Revelation interprets the book of Daniel and not vice versa. The New Testament must be allowed to interpret the Old. There is nothing particularly difficult or profound in this, and following this basic principle of Bible study facilitates a clearer understanding of Bible prophecy. ÃÂ If we begin with clear passages of Scripture, we can construct a very simple, basic model to help us with the "weirder," tougher passages. One such approach is known as the "two-age" model. Both Jesus and Paul, for example, speak of "this age" and the "age to come" as distinct eschatological periods of time (Mt 12:32; Lk 18:30; 20:3435; Eph 1:21). For both our Lord and the apostle, there are two contrasting ages in view. The first age (spoken of as "this age" in the New Testament) is the present period of time before the Second Coming of Christ. The second age, a distinctly future period of time, is referred to as "the age to come." When these two ages ("this age" and "the age to come") are placed in contrast with each other, we are able us to look at the qualities ascribed by the Biblical writers to each in such a way that we can answer questions about the timing of the return of Christ and the nature and timing of the millennium. ÃÂ When we look at the qualities ascribed to "this age" by the biblical writers, we find that the following are mentioned: "homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields-and with them persecutions" (Mk 10:30); "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage" (Lk 20:34); the scholar, philosopher and such wisdom are of this age (1 Cor 1:20); secular and religious rulers dominate (1 Cor 2:68); "the god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers" (2 Cor 4:4); this age is explicitly called "the present evil age" (Gal 1:4); ungodliness and worldly passions are typical of it (Ti 2:12). All of these qualities are temporal, and are certainly destined to pass away with the return of our Lord. "This age" is the age in which we live, and is the age in which we struggle as we long for the coming of Christ and the better things of the age to come. ÃÂ By marked contrast however, "the age to come" has an entirely different set of qualities ascribed to it: There will be no forgiveness for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mt 12:32); it is preceeded by signs (Mt 24:3); it is characterized by eternal life (Mk 10:30; Lk 18:30); is also denoted as a time when there is no marriage or giving in marriage (Lk 20:35); and it is which is characterized by "life that is truly life" (I Tm 6:19). These qualities are all eternal, and are indicative of the state of affairs and quality of life after the return of Christ. In other words, these two ages, the present ("this age") and the future (the "age to come") stand in diametrical opposition to one another. One age is temporal; the other is eternal. One age is characterized by unbelief and ends in judgement; the other is the age of the faithful and is home to the redeemed. It is this conception of biblical history that dominates the New Testament. ÃÂ It is also imperative to see that the same contrasts which Jesus and Paul make between these two ages are in turn related to the one event that forever divides them, the return of Christ. This line of demarcation is expressly stated in Scripture. "The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. . . This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous" (Mt. 13:3949). These statements are the type of clear and unambiguous texts mentioned earlier. Notice that according to this text judgement occurs immediately at Christ's return, not after a one-thousand year millennium (as in the premillennial scheme). This is not the only line of Biblical evidence, however, for in addition to this we can find other such statements about the coming of Christ that fit very clearly into the twoage model. ÃÂ According to Scripture, the resurrection of both the just and the unjust occurs simultaneously. Jesus expressly states that he will raise believers up on the "last day" (Jn 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 11:24). Thus we told quite clearly that the resurrection of the just occurs on the last day, at the end of this age. In addition, Jesus also proclaims that "There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day" (John 12:48). Notice that the very same event is also said to be the time of judgment for those who reject Christ. Add to these important passages those additional verses that, relate the trumpet of God to the "last day" and to the return of Christ. The return of Christ will occur "in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" (1 Co. 15:52; cf. 1 Thes 4:16). Notice that there are no gaps of time indicated between the resurrection and the judgement. These texts collectively speak of the resurrection, the judgment, and the return of Christ as distinct aspects of but one event, occurring at precisely the same time (cf. Mt 25:3146). Premillennialists, who often chide amillennialists for not taking the Bible "literally" and who champion what they call the "literal" interpretation of Scripture, must now insert a thousandyear gap between the Second Coming of Christ (and the resurrection) and the Final Judgment to make room for the supposed future millennial reign of Christ! And this, ironically, when the clear declarations of Scripture do not allow for such gaps. ÃÂ Thus, we can conclude that "this age"--the period of time Peter calls the "last days" (Acts 2:17), and which Jesus characterizes as a period of birth pains of wars, earthquakes, famine, and distress (Mt 24, Mk 13)-ends with the return of Christ, the resurrection and the judgement on the "last day." An event that, by the way, Peter describes like the "day of the Lord [which] will come as a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare" (2 Pt 3:10). It is only after this that the age to come will be a present and visible reality. Notice that the focus is not upon a half-way kingdom and somewhat improved temporal age on the earth. (i.e., a future millennium) Instead the biblical focus is upon the consummation and the summing up of all things with the creation of the new heavens and the new earth! The return of Jesus Christ is the key event in biblical prophecy. For when our Lord Jesus Christ returns, the end of the age, the resurrection, the judgment, and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth are at hand! ÃÂ Thus the two-age model is very simple in its structure and is based on texts that can only be described as clear and straight forward. This enables us to make the following conclusions about the nature of the New Testament's teaching regarding the return of Christ and the timing of the so-called "millennial age." ÃÂ First, the "last days" began with the coming of Christ and will continue until Christ returns (Acts 2:17; Heb 1:2). This period of time, "this age," is destined to pass away, and is characterized by war, famine, environmental distress, persecution and even the martyrdom of God's people (Rv 20:46). While there is every likelihood that this distress will increase in the period immediately before the return of Christ, no one knows the day or the hour of our Lord's return. Further, Jesus' birth pain imagery most likely means that we should expect alternating periods of peace and intensifying evil that will cause many to unduly speculate about the immanent return of Christ. These are sharp, stabbing birth pains, but not they are not the birth itself. Therefore, our preoccupation should not be with signs of the end, but instead we must be consumed with the task assigned to the church in the last days: the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom. ÃÂ Second, the return of Christ clearly marks an end to the temporal nature of life as we know it- "this present evil age." At his return, Jesus will raise the believing dead, judge all men, and send the wicked into the fires of Hell. The elements of this Earth burn up and the new heavens and earth will be established. This scenario completely destroys much of contemporary evangelical prophetic speculation, which advocates a "secret" coming of Christ and the "rapture" of believers (and what text can be adduced to argue that Jesus comes back secretly?) a full seven years before the final judgement at Christ's bodily return. Does Jesus come back once or twice, with one of them being secret? Such speculation is nonsense when viewed in light of the clear gospel texts cited above, which universally describe the return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead and the judgement of believers and unbelievers as parts of one event. This senario also destroys the idea of a future earthly millennial reign of Christ after he returns in judgement. Since this supposed thousandyear reign occurs after the eternal destiny of all men and women is forever settled in the judgement, the very thought of Jesus ruling over a world wherein there are still men and women in natural bodies repopulating the Earth is simply not supported by clear texts (remember the one about no marriage?). ÃÂ If the millennial reign described in Revelation 20 is actually referring to a future period of time, another even more significant problem arises. At the end of the one thousand years, John tells us that there is a great apostasy (a second fall if you will) while Jesus is ruling the nations with the rod of iron (Rv 20:710). This sounds much more like something that would happen in this age, and when viewed against (2 Thes 2:112) an often overlooked parallel passage where a great apostasy occurs before the man of sin is revealed (v. 3), the case for a present millennial age becomes even stronger. Since there can be no people on earth in natural bodies after the judgment (which occurs when Christ comes back according to the clear texts we have seen above), these apostates can only be those same believers that Jesus raised from the dead at his return. In other words, if premillennialism is correct, then it is glorified saints follow Satan and revolt against Christ! But are we really to believe that evil is not finally conquered at Christ's return-even where Jesus is physically reigning and judgement has already occurred? Of course not, and this is self-evidently refuted by the analogy of faith, which expressly tells us that Jesus will destroy all of his enemies and hand the kingdoms of the world over to his Father (1 Cor 15:24) at his second coming. On closer investigation, we see that the events in Revelation 20 do not take place on the Earth at all, for the thrones described in that passage are in heaven, and not on the Earth. Furthermore, in a book such as Revelation, where numbers are always used symbolically, it makes much more sense to argue that the one thousand years are symbolic of the period of time between the first and second comings of Christ, rather than see them as a literal future period with a second fall during Jesus' kingly rule after the judgment. Thus the existence of evil and the supposed apostasy of glorified believers in a future millennial age poses a very difficult problem for all forms of premillennialism. ÃÂ Third, and most importantly, the two-age model places its entire focus upon Jesus Christ and his second coming and not on idle speculation regarding world events. In the classical Protestant model, the next event on the prophetic calendar is the return of Jesus Christ to Earth. In fact, Jesus may even return before you finish reading this article! The eschatological cry of Protestant orthodoxy has always been, "Maranatha Come quickly Lord Jesus!" As with many other things in life the simplest approach may be the best. The two-age model is clear, biblical, and Christ centered. It refuses to allow undue speculation about current events to overturn the clear teaching of Scripture. It is a shame that it has been lost to so many Christians.
Notes 1. Hal Lindsey, The Rapture (New York: Bantam Books, 1983), p. 30. Resources For Further Study Anthony Hoekema, The Bible and the Future (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1980). Arthur Lewis, The Dark Side of the Millennium: The Problem of Evil in Revelation 20:110 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980). Kim Riddlebarger, For He Must Reign, Cassette Tape Series (available through The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals).
Dr. Kim Riddlebarger is a graduate of California State University in Fullerton (B.A., Westminster Theological Seminary in California (M.A.R.), and Fuller Theological Seminary (Ph. D.). Kim has contributed chapters to books such as Power Religion: The Selling Out of the Evangelical Church, Roman Catholicism: Evangelical Protestants Analyze What Unites & Divides Us, and Christ The Lord: The Reformation & Lordship Salvation, and is currently the pastor of Christ Reformed Church in Placentia, California. ÃÂ The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals exists to call the church, amidst our dying culture, to repent of its worldliness, to recover and confess the five "solas" of the Reformation, and to see them embodied in our doctrine, worship, and life. For more information about Alliance resources, conferences, or broadcasts, call 215-546-3696. The web site address for this document is: www. remembrancer.com/ace.
2003-06-11 00:09 | User Profile
I first heard of Dr. Riddlebarger today as he was being interviewed on Hank Hanegraaf's [url=http://www.equip.org/bam/index.asp]Bible Answer Man[/url] radio program.
Riddlebarger, brought up and heavily trained in dispensationalism, has a book out, [url=http://www.discerningreader.com/casforamkimr.html]A Case for Amillennialism[/url], that is making a tangible impact. I did a quick google and came up with the article posted above, presumably written before he obtained his doctorate.
While listening to the radio show, one comment Riddlebarger made was quite interesting. He claimed that even among American protestant christians, dispensationalists were a small minority. I realize that the interest in this topic is low among those that visit these pages, but I was wondering if anyone either had access to or knew where I might be able to acquire the hard numbers on this fact. I will be looking for it myself, but if anyone else has it or knows where it can be found, please post here or send me a note or email.
Even more encouraring is Hank Hanegraaf relaying the information that he is currently working on a book on eschatology. No doubt this will cause fits for Dr. Jack van Impe, Hal Lindsey, TBN and their fellow-travelers. :th:
2003-06-11 02:59 | User Profile
Originally posted by Texas Dissident@Jun 10 2003, 20:09 ** I first heard of Dr. Riddlebarger today as he was being interviewed on Hank Hanegraaf's [url=http://www.equip.org/bam/index.asp]Bible Answer Man[/url] radio program.
Riddlebarger, brought up and heavily trained in dispensationalism, has a book out, [url=http://www.discerningreader.com/casforamkimr.html]A Case for Amillennialism[/url], that is making a tangible impact. I did a quick google and came up with the article posted above, presumably written before he obtained his doctorate.
While listening to the radio show, one comment Riddlebarger made was quite interesting. He claimed that even among American protestant christians, dispensationalists were a small minority. I realize that the interest in this topic is low among those that visit these pages, but I was wondering if anyone either had access to or knew where I might be able to acquire the hard numbers on this fact. I will be looking for it myself, but if anyone else has it or knows where it can be found, please post here or send me a note or email.
Even more encouraring is Hank Hanegraaf relaying the information that he is currently working on a book on eschatology. No doubt this will cause fits for Dr. Jack van Impe, Hal Lindsey, TBN and their fellow-travelers. :th: **
Um, Tex, here's a start, anyway. It might be a small stretch, but at the very least 75% of these 16 million SBC members could be called dispensationalists. I would be interested to see how Riddlebarger documents his claim.
Another writer who approaches dispensationalism from a viewpoint similar to Riddlebarger is Randall Balmer. His book "Growing Pains" got me in some serious hot water with my wife's folks; Ma decided Mr. Balmer was a heretic in no short order after reading about his journey in faith and meditations on grace.
Now, you heard of these folks here, right?
[url=http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/default.asp]http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/default.asp[/url] About Us - Meet Southern Baptists Since its organization in 1845 in Augusta, Georgia, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has grown to over 16 million members who worship in more than 42,000 churches in the United States. Southern Baptists sponsor about 5,000 home missionaries serving the United States, Canada, Guam and the Caribbean, as well as sponsoring more than 5,000 foreign missionaries in 153 nations of the world.
The term "Southern Baptist Convention" refers to both the denomination and its annual meeting. Working through 1,200 local associations and 41 state conventions and fellowships, Southern Baptists share a common bond of basic Biblical beliefs and a commitment to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world.
2005-10-20 03:14 | User Profile
[quote=Texas Dissident][B][URL="http://members.aol.com/twarren13/amil5.html"]A Present or Future Millennium?[/URL][/B]
According to Scripture, the resurrection of both the just and the unjust occurs simultaneously. Jesus expressly states that he will raise believers up on the "last day" (Jn 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 11:24). Thus we told quite clearly that the resurrection of the just occurs on the last day, at the end of this age. In addition, Jesus also proclaims that "There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day" (John 12:48). Notice that the very same event is also said to be the time of judgment for those who reject Christ. Add to these important passages those additional verses that, relate the trumpet of God to the "last day" and to the return of Christ. The return of Christ will occur "in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" (1 Co. 15:52; cf. 1 Thes 4:16). Notice that there are no gaps of time indicated between the resurrection and the judgement. These texts collectively speak of the resurrection, the judgment, and the return of Christ as distinct aspects of but one event, occurring at precisely the same time (cf. Mt 25:3146)[I].[/I]
John is the only writer of Scripture to use the term ââ¬Åfirst resurrection.ââ¬Â It is found in Rev. 20:4-6. [SIZE=2][B]4[/B][/SIZE][B] . . . And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. [SIZE=2]5[/SIZE] The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the [U]first resurrection[/U]. [SIZE=2]6[/SIZE] Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years. [/B] The fact that there is a ââ¬Åfirstââ¬Â resurrection mandates that there be a second to follow at a later time. John makes the point that the first resurrection occurs a thousand years prior to the general resurrection, which he talks about later in the chapter. In verse 5 he tells us specifically that ââ¬Åthe rest of the deadââ¬Â would remain dead for a thousand years after the first resurrection. He does not define ââ¬Åthe rest of the dead,ââ¬Â but he does make it clear that those who are raised in this first resurrection are believers in Christ. He calls them ââ¬Åblessed and holy,ââ¬Â and he calls them ââ¬Åpriests of God and of Christ,ââ¬Â called to reign during the thousand years. Therefore, we can say with certainty that [U]no unbelievers[/U] are raised in this first resurrection. John is silent, however, on another intriguing question: [B]Are [U]ALL[/U] Christians raised in the first resurrection, or just a portion of them?[/B] For the answer to this question, we will look at other passages shortly. Meanwhile, let us make the point that John is here talking about ââ¬Åresurrection.ââ¬Â By the Hebraic view, this refers to a bodily resurrection from the dead, NOT oneââ¬â¢s justification by faith, or going to heaven, or some other spiritual experience. Remember that John himself was a Hebrew, and his writings pointedly denounce the Greek world view that had crept into the Church through what is called ââ¬ÅGnosticism.ââ¬Â Thus, when John talks about the resurrections, one should not adopt a view contrary to what John believed and taught in his other writings.
In Rev. 20 John continues his thought, telling us of a second resurrection that includes ALL the dead who were not raised in the first resurrection. [B][SIZE=2]11[/SIZE] And I saw a great white throne, and Him who sat upon it ... [SIZE=2]12[/SIZE] And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deedsââ¬Â¦ [SIZE=2]15[/SIZE] And if anyoneââ¬â¢s name was NOT found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.[/B] This is clearly a picture of the great judgment, at which time all sinners will be judged who were not raised in the first resurrection. There are also TWO BOOKS present: the ââ¬Åbooksââ¬Â and ââ¬Åthe book of life.ââ¬Â All are judged by that which is written in ââ¬Åthe books.ââ¬Â It is a common misconception that these books are the records of every deed done by humanity. Some teach that God keeps a record book on each person in the world. However, this really misses the point. These are the books of the Law, by which all sin is judged. John tells us that ââ¬Å[I]sin is lawlessness[/I]ââ¬Â (1 John 3:4), and Paul adds, ââ¬Å[I]where there is no law, neither is there violation[/I]ââ¬Â (Rom. 4:15). In other words, the Law of God is what defines sin and righteousness. It is the divine standard by which the works of men are measured. Without a law, there is no crime committed. Thus, the Law is what God uses to judge humanity for sin, or as Paul puts it, ââ¬Å[I]the law brings about wrath[/I]ââ¬Â (Rom. 4:15). So the logical conclusion is that the ââ¬Åbooksââ¬Â out of which God judges men are the books of the Law, to which men are held accountable as the divine standard of right and wrong, sin and righteousness. God needs no record book on each person, because in each court case, witnesses will be called to testify (Matt. 12:41, 42). But he does need the books of the Law in order to judge righteously, for ââ¬Å[I]where there is no law, neither is there violation[/I]ââ¬Â (Rom. 4:15). But ââ¬Åthe book of lifeââ¬Â is also present at this great judgment. If only unbelievers were here to stand before God for judgment, then why would the book of life be there? Furthermore, Johnââ¬â¢s wording makes it plain that some Christians will indeed stand before God at this judgment. He tells us that only those [U]NOT[/U] found written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire. The clear implication is that many ARE found written therein. Is it possible, then, that the general resurrection will include both Christians and nonchristians? We cannot be positively sure from Revelation 20 alone, but the passage does clearly imply this. For clear proof we must go to some other passages.
Both Jesus and Paul talked about the general, or second resurrection of the dead. There are two very clear statements about this. The first records the words of Jesus in John 5:28, 29. [SIZE=2][B]28[/B][/SIZE][B] Do not marvel at this; for [U]an hour[/U] is coming in which ALL who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, [SIZE=2]29[/SIZE] and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.[/B] Here is a resurrection in which both the good and the evildoers shall be raised to life. Both are said to be raised at the same time, for He says, ââ¬Åan hour is coming.ââ¬Â While the word ââ¬Åhourââ¬Â does not necessarily refer to a sixty-minute period of time, it does indicate that both the good and the evildoers are raised in the same resurrection. The primary difference between the two classes is that the good will be raised to ââ¬Ålife,ââ¬Â while the others will be raised to ââ¬Åjudgment.ââ¬Â Actually, Jesus probably was loosely quoting Daniel 12:2 which we quoted earlier. The similarity of their statements can hardly be missed. Whatever we say about these passages, one thing is clear: neither Daniel nor Jesus were referring to the FIRST resurrection, which John said was to include [B]only believers[/B]. They could only have been referring to the general resurrection of ALL the dead, small and great, who stand before God. It is thus clear that at the great white throne the believers are found written in the book of life, while the unbelievers, or evildoers, are judged out of the law books. A double witness of this is found in Paulââ¬â¢s defense before Felix, who was the Procurator of Judea at the time. Acts 24:14, 15 says, [B][SIZE=2]14[/SIZE] But this I admit to you, that according to the way which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law, and that is written in the Prophets; [SIZE=2]15[/SIZE] having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that [U]there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked[/U].[/B] Thus, Paul clearly speaks of a single resurrection in which both ââ¬Åthe righteous and the wickedââ¬Â are raised. This cannot be the first resurrection, wherein only those ââ¬Åblessed and holyââ¬Â shall be raised. Paul must be referring to the general resurrection of ALL the dead, small and great, including both righteous and wicked peopleââ¬âall who did not inherit the first resurrection. Paul makes it very clear (as does Jesus) that in this general resurrection there will be found both Christians and nonchristians. The Christians will be found written in ââ¬Åthe book of life;ââ¬Â the rest will be judged and ââ¬Åcast into the lake of fire. And so it is clear that there will be Christians raised in BOTH the first and the second resurrections. Those raised in the first will reign with Christ for a thousand years; the others will miss this, yet will receive life (immortality) at that later time. Hence, the Scriptures make a distinction between the Overcomers and the Church in general.
[URL="http://www.gods-kingdom.org/Resurrection/PurposeResurrection.html"]www.gods-kingdom.org/Resurrection/PurposeResurrection.html[/URL]
[URL="http://www.gods-kingdom.org/FFI/2005/September2005.htm"]www.gods-kingdom.org/FFI/2005/September2005.htm[/URL]