The Gospel According To John
by Richard St.James
The Two Resurrections
Bible 1611.Com / Old Paths Bible Ministries © 2008There will be times that that we as believers in Jesus Christ will have to BELIEVE the BOOK and throw out the great BAPTIST confessions of faith. In this text we will see what the BIBLE … SCRIPTURE with SCRIPTURE says of the RESURRECTION.
John 5:25 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now
is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that
hear shall live.
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son
to have life in himself;
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is
the Son of man.
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are
in the graves shall hear his voice,
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.”
Some will hear the SON of GOD though they were dead, and yet they shall LIVE. These, that will hear, will have a part in the first resurrection. Some though they hear not, will nevertheless, come forth to a resurrection for eternal damnation. Which brings us to the point of confusion for so many in this day, because of the traditional view of the resurrection, as described in the great confessions of the faith, as only being ONE resurrection [GENERAL].
This is where the religious leaders of the Israel were frozen in their understanding. This also, is how it was … in Martha’s mind when Jesus came to her after her brother Larzaus died in John chapter eleven. Turn there in your Bibles to: [John 11:21-24].
“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Martha believed in the resurrection of the dead! She believed the dead shall rise again “at the last day”. Do you know something? Martha was acting on all she knew. She was standing by faith in the light she had received from believing the Old Testament.
The Law and the Prophets had given her the HOPE which would allow her to hang to her belief in the rising of the dead “at the last day”, [specifically, the resurrection of her brother Lazarus]. Now Martha, and all the Jews, believed in what is termed a GENERAL resurrection.
This is where the main line denominations are today. They believe there will be a general resurrection of the bodies of the just and of the unjust; the righteous in the likeness of Christ, but the wicked to shame and everlasting contempt.
Thus, the mass of Christianity is a frozen state, and has never has spent a day in their life searching the SCRIPTURE in this matter of the RESURRECTION.
The Great Confessions Of Faith
These following confessions speak of one general resurrection “at the last day” where the righteous go “to endless joy” and the wicked “to endless punishment.”• 1689 London Baptist Confession
• 1742 Philadelphia Confession
• 1833 New Hampshire Confession
• 1963 Baptist Faith Message
Let me read to you section eighteen of the New Hampshire Confession.
“18. Of the World to Come
We believe that the end of the world is approaching; that at the last day Christ will descend from heaven, and raise the dead from the grave to final retribution; that a solemn separation will then take place; that the wicked will be adjudged to endless punishment, and the righteous to endless joy; and that this judgment will fix forever the final state of men in heaven or hell, on principles of righteousness.”
This is how the 1963 Baptist Message reads in section ten of the same:
“X. Last Things
God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.”
Seen enough?
And so it is … for all those who fail to search the scriptures to see if a matter is true. Here is the question. Is there only one general resurrection “of the just and of the unjust”? Well, are the so-called great historical confessions of faith right, or are they wrong? Let’s see if the BOOK of GOD has given us further light.
Hung Up … At The Level of Martha’s Understanding
Now, Martha in John chapter eleven in her day did not have the benefit of a completed BOOK. [We do! Amen.] She did not have all sixty-six books of God’s word. [We do! Amen.] The twenty-seven books of the New Testament had yet to be given to man. This means that the book of Revelation was still future.Mary did not have this one particular book [The Revelation] in her hands in order to see all the truths concerning the number of the resurrections in the BIBLE, or the nature of those resurrections. [We do! Amen!] She didn’t know that one of the sons of thunder [the Apostle John] would be making a trip to heaven to be shown the things which must be hereafter.
[Revelation 4:1] “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” Behold what did John see?
The Two Resurrections
Contrary to all religious confessions of faith there is revealed in the BOOK two resurrections not one general resurrection.The Salient verses for the First Resurrection and Second Resurrection is Revelation 20:1-5
1 “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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.”Now read verse four and five:
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.”
Those, who are of the FIRST RESURRECTION, are all the saved from all the ages since Adam till the restoration of all things [The Millennium]. They are the REDEEMED! They are the SAINTS! And something else! There are THREE GROUPS of saints who are part of the FIRST RESURRECTION.
Three Parts To The First Resurrection
The key to understanding the two resurrections in the Bible is in the book of Revelation chapter twenty, verses, four and five. There are three groups of people that comprise this first resurrection.When Jesus Christ conquered DEATH and rose from the grave THE RESURRECTION of the SON of GOD was so powerful that Old Testament saints AROSE. The first part of the First Resurrection is:
1. The Old Testament saints [FIRST FRUITS]
[Ephesians 4:8-9] “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?” [Matthew 27:52-53]“And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
When Jesus Christ conquered death he went to the center of the earth and took captivity captive. This is first fruits of the harvest, the first group and part of the first resurrection. The second part of the First Resurrection is:
2. The Church Age saints [THE HARVEST]
[Revelation twenty, verse four: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.” The folks sitting on the thrones are the Church Age saints. That is us, friends … if you are saved. Jesus told his apostles about these thrones in Matthew 19:28: “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”The third part of the First Resurrection is:
3. The Tribulation saints [THE GLEANINGS]
[Revelation twenty, verse four: “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.” These are the saints who lost there lives during the seven period called The Tribulation.The Second Resurrection
Now, we are ready to read verse five of Revelation chapter twenty again. Are you ready? Friend! You do not want to be part of the second resurrection!5 “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.”
Those who do not have a part in the first resurrection will not live again … till after the Kingdom of Heaven age is over. They will be resurrected just in time for the Great White Throne Judgment.
Let’s read Revelation chapter twenty, verse twelve to fifteen: “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.”
To Sum Up … There Are TWO RESURRECTIONS
The First Resurrection is for the saved of all ages!There are three parts to the First Resurrection
1. The Old Testament saints [FIRST FRUITS]
There is two thousands years between the event of the first part of the
First Resurrection and the event of the second part of the First
Resurrection.
2. The Church Age saints [THE HARVEST]
There is seven years between the event of the second part of the First
Resurrection and the event of the third part of the First Resurrection.
3. The Tribulation saints [THE GLEANINGS]
There is one thousand years between the event of the First Resurrection
and the event of the Second Resurrection.
The Second Resurrection is for the un-saved of all ages … those not
found written in the book of life.
Now, friends recall what the Spirit of God recorded in John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
You want to be part of the First Resurrection! Amen!
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The Gospel According To John
John 5:1 After this there was a feast of the
Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
John 5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which
is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
John 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind,
halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool,
and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of
the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
John 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty
and eight years.
John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a
long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
John 5:7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the
water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming,
another steppeth down before me.
John 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
John 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his
bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
John 5:10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the
sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
John 5:11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said
unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
John 5:12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto
thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
John 5:13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had
conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto
him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing
come unto thee.
John 5:15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus,
which had made him whole.
John 5:16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to
slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father
worketh hitherto, and I work.
John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he
not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his
Father, making himself equal with God.
John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I
say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth
the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the
Son likewise.
John 5:20 For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things
that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these,
that ye may marvel.
John 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth
them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all
judgment unto the Son:
John 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour
the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father
which hath sent him.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word,
and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall
not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto
you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given
to the Son to have life in himself;
John 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also,
because he is the Son of man.
John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which
all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
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.
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and
my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will
of the Father which hath sent me.
John 5:31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
John 5:32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know
that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
John 5:33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
John 5:34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I
say, that ye might be saved.
John 5:35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing
for a season to rejoice in his light.
John 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the
works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that
I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
John 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne
witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen
his shape.
John 5:38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath
sent, him ye believe not.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
John 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
John 5:41 I receive not honour from men.
John 5:42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
John 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if
another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
John 5:44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another,
and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
John 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there
is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
John 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for
he wrote of me.
John 5:47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe
my words?