Christ tells us what will happen, there will be two resurrestions, one for the saints and one when the wicked are brought up for damnation.
John 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.
WE see the same by Paul in Acts..
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 unjust.
So both Jesus Christ and Paul spoke of two resurrections, the first being the resurrection of life for the just, and the second being the resurrection of damnation for the unjust. We also find it in Daniel,
Daniel 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.
So we see these in Revelation 20, the two resurrections, one at the beginning of the 1000 years, and the other at the end. If you die before Jesus Christ returns, what resurrection will you be in? Now is the time to make sure we are true believers in Jesus Christ and real followers of His Holy Word. Take a careful look and it becomes clear.
Revelation 20:1-15
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
We see in verse 6 that at the end, their will be the "first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power", which is "the resurrection of life". This one is of the righteous saints who he raises up and takes with him to heaven, and are reigning in heaven with Jesus. Then we have the other resurrection, "the resurrection of damnation" that is laid out...
Revelation 20:5
"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished."
The wicked have been struck down and are dead so their is no one for Satan to temp, but this changes after the 1000 years...
Revelation 20:7-8
"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth".
Although not explicitly stated, it is obvious the unrighteous dead were resurrected after the 1000 years ended and Satan can now go about with his deceptions. They are now bound to the second death in which they will perish as they are consumed in the lake of fire.
We, the saints have the resurrection of life, 'Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection'. on which 'the second death hath no power'. And the second resurrection, which is of the wicked, the "resurrection of damnation" or as Daniel says of, "shame and everlasting contempt" in which those not found 'in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.'
We see the saints go to Heaven at the Second Coming.
1 Thessalonians 4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
After the resurrection of the righteous dead, they and the living saints are caught up "to meet the Lord in the air". Then Christ will fulfill the promise He made, 'I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also'...
John 14:1-3
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Jesus described the place to which He will take His followers as "'My Father's house,'" where there are "'many mansions,'" or dwelling places. Here Jesus refers to the New Jerusalem, which does not come to this earth until the end of the millennium. At the Second Coming, then, when the righteous "meet the Lord in the air," their destination is heaven, not the earth that they have just left. Christ does not establish His kingdom of glory on the earth at this time. He does that at the end of the 1000 year millennium when we see the saints and Christ coming down, as the New Jerusalem comes to earth as foretold.
Revelation 3:12
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Revelation 21:2
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
John 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.
WE see the same by Paul in Acts..
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 unjust.
So both Jesus Christ and Paul spoke of two resurrections, the first being the resurrection of life for the just, and the second being the resurrection of damnation for the unjust. We also find it in Daniel,
Daniel 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.
So we see these in Revelation 20, the two resurrections, one at the beginning of the 1000 years, and the other at the end. If you die before Jesus Christ returns, what resurrection will you be in? Now is the time to make sure we are true believers in Jesus Christ and real followers of His Holy Word. Take a careful look and it becomes clear.
Revelation 20:1-15
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
We see in verse 6 that at the end, their will be the "first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power", which is "the resurrection of life". This one is of the righteous saints who he raises up and takes with him to heaven, and are reigning in heaven with Jesus. Then we have the other resurrection, "the resurrection of damnation" that is laid out...
Revelation 20:5
"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished."
The wicked have been struck down and are dead so their is no one for Satan to temp, but this changes after the 1000 years...
Revelation 20:7-8
"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth".
Although not explicitly stated, it is obvious the unrighteous dead were resurrected after the 1000 years ended and Satan can now go about with his deceptions. They are now bound to the second death in which they will perish as they are consumed in the lake of fire.
We, the saints have the resurrection of life, 'Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection'. on which 'the second death hath no power'. And the second resurrection, which is of the wicked, the "resurrection of damnation" or as Daniel says of, "shame and everlasting contempt" in which those not found 'in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.'
We see the saints go to Heaven at the Second Coming.
1 Thessalonians 4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
After the resurrection of the righteous dead, they and the living saints are caught up "to meet the Lord in the air". Then Christ will fulfill the promise He made, 'I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also'...
John 14:1-3
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Jesus described the place to which He will take His followers as "'My Father's house,'" where there are "'many mansions,'" or dwelling places. Here Jesus refers to the New Jerusalem, which does not come to this earth until the end of the millennium. At the Second Coming, then, when the righteous "meet the Lord in the air," their destination is heaven, not the earth that they have just left. Christ does not establish His kingdom of glory on the earth at this time. He does that at the end of the 1000 year millennium when we see the saints and Christ coming down, as the New Jerusalem comes to earth as foretold.
Revelation 3:12
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Revelation 21:2
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.