Resurrection Realities - Part Two

The Appointed Day is also called the Day of the Lord and the Day of Judgment. Living or dead, believer or unbeliever, every person will be judged and will experience resurrection during that 1,000-year Day. The type of resurrection is what differs.

In the last blog we saw that believers are resurrected at the start of the Day of the Lord. We are judged as being His. We are born from the dead, overcoming death, as our Lord did, when we are raptured. Paul explains, "We shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed --in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet." 

Those believers who have already died and gone to Heaven shall be resurrected first, given new immortal bodies from the dust of the earth. Then those of us who are alive when He comes are instantly changed, receiving our immortal bodies.

All others will be judged and resurrected at the end of the Day of the Lord. That includes unbelievers, the Old Testament saints, those who accepted Jesus after the rapture, and those born during Christ's millennial reign over the earth.

Acts 24:14 describes two types of resurrection: the resurrection of the just and the unjust. The type of resurrection depends on whether or not the person's name is in the Book of Life, having received life in Jesus Christ (Rev. 20:12).

Those who now believe in Christ as the Savior receive the resurrection of the just, for they have been made righteous through the blood of the Lamb. They have received the forgiveness of their sins, for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). They live eternally with God.

Those who still reject Christ receive the resurrection of the unjust. They have chosen to reject reconciliation with God. They have chosen the ways of the world, which follows after Satan and ungodliness. John 5:28-29 calls this the resurrection of condemnation. They live eternally separated from God.

Then the final enemy -- Death and Hades (Hell) -- are cast into the Lake of Fire. Revelation 20 ends with these words: "This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire."

We always have a choice. Choices always have consequences.