Afterlife IV – 2 Resurrections 2 Judgements & the 2nd death

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There is more to the afterlife than heaven & hell. Do you know about the 2 resurrections? How about the 2 judgments? Well, what about the 2nd death? God has so much to show us in His Word! Let’s gain this knowledge and be ready for the return of Jesus Christ!

Chris Fluitt

Welcome back To Redemption Church in Plano TX! This is the 4th week of the afterlife series. My name is Chris Fluitt; I am so happy to share the Word of God with you today. .

Do not fear! Someone told me the other day that they have fear about the afterlife and this was an area of great concern… but the knowledge of God’s Word has now brought them confidence after learning more about the coming rapture & millennial kingdom.

The Afterlife is a lot more than just Heaven & Hell

The afterlife is a little more complicated than you might think.

Most people are curious as to what happens after this life; be assured, the Bible gives us answers.

We have been working together to create an afterlife timeline.

 AFTERLIFE TIMELINE 4

If you have any questions about this timeline, you need to check out the first 3 messages.  You can find them all at www.redemptionplano.com.

I am certain that more than a few of you are going to learn something new about the afterlife, today.

Today I am taking about the 2 Resurrections, 2 judgments, & the 2nd death

Last week we talked about the 2nd coming of Jesus. God likes his 2’s.  If you read your 2nd (new) testament you will learn about the 2nd (last) Adam and all that He did to give you a 2nd birth.

Your Bible speaks of 2 Resurrections. I did not say Rapture.. I said Resurrections. There will be a series of Resurrections: specifically, 2 resurrections.

Daniel prophecies the resurrection.

Daniel 12:1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people–everyone whose name is found written in the book–will be delivered.(NIV)

So where on our timeline is this verse placed? 

AFTERLIFE TIMELINE 4   [What is “a time of distress not seen before?” The 7 year tribulation!]

Daniel 12:2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.(NIV)

Let’s point out 3 things!

  1. Resurrection from the dead is not just a New Testament idea. The prophets of old knew Messiah would raise the dead.
  2. Although this great number is Resurrected, they do not all go to the same place.
    1. Some to everlasting life (sounds like heaven)
    1. Some to shame & everlasting contempt (sounds like Hell)
  3. Remember that this resurrection is tied to end-time prophecy. The scripture in context was speaking of tribulation and of those that are delivered. That gives us a time frame.

{Other verses pointing to plural resurrections}

Luke 14:14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”(NIV)

Acts 24:15 and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.(NIV)

John 5:28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice (NIV)

John 5:29 …and come out–those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.(NIV)}

Revelation 20 marks the end of the tribulation and the beginning of the millennial reign… it says something curious.

Revelation 20:4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.(NIV)

We have touched this verse in the previous weeks. There are already “those” seated on thrones, who were given authority to judge. We feel like this is the prepared bride who was caught away/raptured by Jesus at some point around the Tribulation. (Remember that the Rapture is connected to Tribulation. Some people think the Rapture is Pre-tribulation, Mid-tribulation, Post-tribulation)

Let’s concentrate on something new in this verse. John the Revelator sees those who died because of their testimony… they had not yet worshiped the beast, or his image… had not received his mark… WHAT IS THIS TALKING ABOUT?

The beast is the Anti-Christ & his kingdom, a one-world government. Just as Christ is God incarnate… wrapped in flesh… the anti-Christ will be Satan incarnate. This verse is specifically talking about those who die because of their faith in Jesus during the TRIBULATION PERIOD.

What happens to these people in verse 4?  “They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years…

Revelation 20:5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.(NIV)

This happens after TRIBULATION. This happens near the beginning of the Millennial Reign. It matches up with Daniel… EXCEPT, DANIEL ALSO MENTIONED THOSE WHO ARE RESURRECTED TO SHAME AND CONTEMPT?

THIS RESURRECTION TO SHAME DOES NOT HAPPEN AT THE END OF TRIBULATION… WHEN DOES IT HAPPEN? Verse 5 tells you – The rest of the dead did not come back until the thousand years were ended…

I think we can add something to our AFTERLIFE TIMELINE 5

  1. The 1st Resurrection happens after the Tribulation… towards the beginning of the 1000 year Millenial Reign.
  2. The rest of the dead are resurrected after the 1000 year reign.

I see a rapture and 2 resurrections. Post tribulation rapture proponents will try to say that the rapture and the 1st resurrection are the same event… but I don’t see that in Revelation 20. There is already a prepared bride ruling and reigning with Christ – sitting on thrones of judgement.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who have part 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.(NIV)

Have you heard that if you miss the rapture you have no hope of heaven? Now don’t get me wrong YOU WANT TO MAKE THE RAPTURE!!! But if you don’t there is still hope of being in the first Resurrection. Here is what you would need to do…

  1. DO NOT TAKE THE MARK! DO NOT WORSHIP THE ANTI-CHRIST! DO NOT BOW BEFORE HIS IMAGE!
  2. BE WILLING TO DIE FOR CHRIST!

LET’S DO THAT NOW!  Let’s not give our life to any other thing and let’s be willing to do anything for Jesus.

Question – Who is the first person to ever be resurrected?

  1. The widow’s son that Elijah raised 1 Kings 17:17-24
  2. The son of the Shunammite woman whom Elisha raised 2 Kings 4:35
  3. In 2 Kings 13 the dead bones of Elisha raised a man to life
  4. In Luke 7:13-15 Jesus raised the widow’s son.
  5. Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter from the dead in Matthew 9:25
  6. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead in John 11:43-44
  7. Many saints resurrected at Jesus’ crucifixion in Matthew 27:52-53
  8. Christ’s resurrection in Matthew 28:5-7
  9. Peter raises a female disciple named Tabitha from the dead in Acts 9:36-42
  10. Paul was raised from the dead in Acts 14:19-20
  11. Paul raises Eutychus from the dead in Acts 20:9-12

So who was the first to be resurrected?  Paul says it is Jesus…

1 Corinthians 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.(NIV)

1 Corinthians 15:21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.(NIV)

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.(NIV)

1 Corinthians 15:23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.(NIV)

Christ is the first fruits of the resurrection. Verse 21 says the resurrection comes through Christ… Verse 23 says the resurrection comes in turns… first Christ… then those that belong to Him…

But why isn’t Elijah raising the widow’s son the right answer to who was resurrected first? Here is why… We must understand the Hebrew concept of resurrection.

1st – A true resurrection is one that returns a person to a permanent state of new life, one in which the person is never to be subjected to death again (Hebrews 9:27; Romans 6:8-9; 1 Corinthians 15:54).

Romans 6:9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.(NIV)

One day when Christ raises you from the dead you will never die again!  Death has no mastery over Christ!

2nd – resurrection is a transformation into a new body; one that is fundamentally different from the one that preceded it. Paul describes the nature of true resurrection in 1Cor 15, where he teaches that the body of a resurrected believer is a new, better form than his previous body. Paul says that mortality has put on IMMORTALITY!

As I say this… no one but Jesus Christ has ever been resurrected. He is alive forever. He has a glorified body.

The next people to experience will be either…

  1. Those dead & alive taken in the rapture.
  2. The 2 witnesses in Revelation 11

Those in the 1st resurrection will reign with Christ… just as those who were raptured will reign with Christ. The martyred in the tribulation join that 1st resurrection along with those who have been raptured…

2 Resurrections

Just as there are 2 resurrections… there are.. 2 Judgements

Romans 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.(NIV)

Who will stand before God’s judgement seat?  ALL

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.(NIV)

In the context of both these scriptures, it is clear that Paul is referring to believers, not unbelievers. The judgment seat of Christ is one of the 2 judgements.

Now we hate the word judgment… but this word’s etymology describes a place of reward, as in a place where those who might win an Olympic competition would stand before the judge to receive their reward. Those who stand before the Judgement seat of Christ will receive their reward for finishing the race.  This is where the overcomer receives crowns… this is where we are invited to sit in His throne… This is the place of rapture reward.

At the judgement seat of Christ we are saved by His grace and rewarded for faithfulness & obedience. We will also give an account and receive what is due us for what we did while in the body of Christ… whether good or bad.

  • The secret sin in your life… You will give an account of it.
  • The missed opportunities where you could have served Him, but didn’t
  • We will give an account of every idle word… every empty promise we made on earth (Matthew 12:36)
  • Every time we repented and walked back into sin
  • All our hypocrisy
  • All will be laid before the Judgement seat of Christ…

It will be evident that none of deserve to be there before His throne… It will be evident that we have fallen short of such glory (Romans 3:23). It will be evident that we are all sinners and deserve death (Romans 6:23)… But Grace is receiving what we did not… could not… deserve.  He rewards us at the Judgement seat of Christ!

AFTERLIFE TIMELINE 6

The Raptured are taken to the Judgement seat of Christ and receive Reward. They are taken to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9). It is a celebration. The Jewish wedding process parties and feasts for 7 days… I think this may correlate with the 7 year tribulation.  After the Marriage supper the raptured return with Jesus to earth and defeat the Anti-Christ, the false prophet, and his army… The raptured will then reign with Jesus along with the tribulation martyrs who are resurrected!

The tribulation martyrs resurrected do not stand before the throne judgment it seems… perhaps they gave their account in their tribulation trial period.

That is the 1st resurrection & the 1st Judgement…

Let’s read Revelation 20 after Satan is defeated at the end of the Millennial Reign and is finally thrown into the Lake of fire…

Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.(NIV)

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.(NIV)

Revelation 20:13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.(NIV)

Revelation 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.(NIV)

Revelation 20:15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.(NIV)

This tells us about the 2nd resurrection and the 2nd judgement known as the Great White Throne judgement.

Afterlife Timeline 7

Most people believe that everyone who stands before the Great White Throne in the 2nd resurrection are doomed to hell… I personally disagree. There are books recording every deed committed by those who stand before this throne.

Romans 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.(NIV)

Are you doing this? Stop it!  Repent!

This is heavy stuff. The deciding factor at this judgement seat is the Lamb’s Book of Life… Those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life join the Anti-Christ, the False Prophet, and Satan in the Lake of Fire… The Bible calls this the  2nd Death.

If you live this life without the Lord Jesus and you die… you will be resurrected for a 2nd death. The 2nd death is an existence completely devoid of the source of life – God.

But if you live this life and meet the Lord Jesus and become BORN AGAIN (John 3:5), then at the most, you will only die once. There is no 2nd death for those born again. You will always be in the source of life… God almighty

Now most people are going to disagree with what I have to say… so take it and measure it… but here it is.  Most people believe that everyone who stands before the Great White Throne are bound for hell… I offer a very different view…

I believe that not every believer is raptured… we have talked about that and the promise of the victorious overcomer and prepared bride. I believe that at the Great White Throne, God will be separating the Sheep from the Goats, as Jesus told us in Matthew 25:31-46…

The obvious implication left unsaid in Rev 20 is that those who were found in the Book of Life would receive eternal life at the Great white Throne. I believe that it stands to reason that there will be people at this judgment who do have their name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

At any rate… We don’t want to be there!  We want to be the prepared bride.  We want to be the ones laying down our lives for Jesus, our bridegroom, now.

We are about to have a time of prayer… but before we do… can you take a moment to be very honest… answer this question:

Are you prepared for the surprise appearance of the groom, Jesus Christ?

Are your ready for Your Afterlife?