The Resurrections of Scripture

Transcript

GRM 990
11/25/2007
The Resurrections of Scripture
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh


We've been studying I Corinthians together and we are in chapter 15, so you might turn there in your Bibles. When you came in you received a chart, and if you've been here for a number of times we've used this chart before. And let me just ask, if you would, when we use it today, put it in your Bible, not because it's added to the inspired portion but because we're going to be referring to it from time to time over the next several studies we do in I Corinthians 15. What I want to do today is just highlight certain points in I Corinthians 15, beginning with verse 20. This is out of verses 20-28, but we're not going to do the details in I Corinthians 15. Just want to establish the flow of the chart that I've given you and then I want to move out beyond I Corinthians 15. In I Corinthians 15 Paul is concerned with the resurrection of believers, but I want to look more broadly with you in our study today on the subject of the resurrections of scripture, and establish that as a framework. And in this context he also talks about the kingdom. In verse 24 he'll talk about when He hands over the kingdom to His God and Father, and everything being put in subjection. So we're going to do the same thing with the kingdom, and we will probably take a couple of studies to distinguish between two of God's kingdoms in scripture and clarify what the Bible says about the kingdom. The kingdom of God is sometimes referred to in the Old Testament, then particularly the earthly kingdom that will be established under the authority of the Messiah. And with those items as background, the matter of the resurrections and the matter of the kingdom, then we will come back to I Corinthians 15 and walk through the details, focusing specifically on what Paul is focusing on in his letter to the Corinthians.

Look at I Corinthians 15:20. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, after that those who were Christ's at His coming. Then comes the end when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and all power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet, but when He says all things are put in subjection, it is evident that He has excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.

The chart on the resurrections that you have, you'll note across the top, Christ the firstfruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end. And I think that covers the span of the resurrections that the Bible talks about. It begins with Christ and concludes with the resurrection of the wicked. Now you may note there is a difference between two copies of the chart, and as I looked at the two charts that I had made copies of I noticed there was a difference. And I realized on the one I had drawn a line connecting Christ's resurrection as part of the first resurrection on the bottom. Other charts don't have that line, they just connect the first resurrection, the first stage and second. It's not a big difference and doesn't really make any difference to what we're going to say. I didn't have any particular purpose in doing it, but not paying attention to what I was doing. My confession is over.

Christ is the firstfruits, that's foundational and basic. We're not going to attempt to prove Christ' resurrection, Paul has already covered that, he's offered the witnesses to the resurrected Christ in I Corinthians 15:5-8. I just listed the chapters of the Bible there, each of the four gospels conclude with an emphasis on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Obviously there are numerous other passages like I Corinthians 15 that could have been on the sheet there.

Then from the cross and the resurrection you have the church age. So you have Christ the firstfruits, after that those that are Christ's at His coming. And I've broken the Second Coming down into two stages, the first stage in the air we call the Rapture, the second stage His return to earth. We're not going to have much to say about the first stage in our consideration today, because I Corinthians15:50-58 will discuss in some detail the resurrection of the church. So we will wait until we get to that section to deal with the details of the Rapture, or the resurrection of the church. The coming to earth is the time when Old Testament saints will be resurrected, tribulation saints. That seven-year period is also known as the 70th week of Daniel, the tribulation. It divides into two 3½ -year segments. It comes from Daniel 9:24-27. Seventy sevens means seventy seven-year periods, 490 years, are determined for the nation Israel. The last of those seven-year periods is yet before us, and that seven-year period culminates with the return of Christ to earth. Then you have 1000 years, the Millennium, and then you move into the eternal phase of the kingdom.

So I want to pick up and walk through what the Bible says about the resurrections so we are clear. Even though Paul is just talking about the resurrection of believers in I Corinthians 15, we're going to look beyond that. I Corinthians 15:23, each in his own order—Christ the firstfruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming. Then comes the end when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father. Now I think that covers the entire scope of the resurrections. He indicates there is an order, there are various companies in the resurrection unfolded in scripture.

Before we look at the resurrections, let's just clarify what we're talking about when we talk about death, because he's talked about those who are asleep in verse 20, Christ has been raised from the dead, the fristfruits of those who are asleep. And that expression is a euphemism used to refer to the death of believers, God's people. It has nothing to do with soul sleep, but at death a believer's body, in effect, can be said to be asleep. Like when you're asleep you're not using your body for a time, it is relatively inactive. And then it wakes up and becomes active again. That's a picture of what the death of a believer is and his resurrection. His body is asleep, but he as a person is not.

James 2:26, James writes, just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. And in this comparison or analogy we're interested in the first statement, which is as clear a definition of physical death as you could have in the Bible. The body without the spirit is dead. When your spirit moves out of your physical body, you will be said to be physically dead, or your body is asleep. Now note, your spirit has moved out, it's no longer in that body. It is not sleeping with the body, but what has brought about that moment of death. You know, many of you have been there, you're in a hospital room and you monitor the machine and then it comes to a flat line and they say, they're gone. And if it's a believer, that's true, they're gone, they've left their body. That's what occurred at physical death.

Back up to Acts 7. This records the stoning of Stephen and verse 59, they went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, Lord, Jesus, receive my spirit. You see Stephen understood, they're stoning him. Terrible way to die, they just kept throwing stones at you, hitting your body, hitting your head until you're dead. Stephen knew he was on the verge of physical death, he said, Lord, receive my spirit. He knew he was on the brink of the time when he as a person, when his spirit would leave his physical body. And that happens, so the end of verse 60 tells us he fell asleep. His spirit left his body, now his body is asleep.

Back up to Luke 23. Here you have Jesus Christ on the cross and on the verge of His own physical death. And so verse 46, Jesus crying out with a loud voice said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. Having said this, He breathed His last. He died. You see again, I commend my spirit into your hands, my spirit will not leave my body and come into your presence. His physical body will not hang on the cross dead, lifeless, asleep, if you will. It will wake up in three days and His spirit will move back into His body.

Look in Luke 16. Here Jesus tells the account of a rich man and a beggar. And both of these men died. Verse 22, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom, the place where Abraham is, Abraham the righteous. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment. You'll note, both of these men experienced physical death, neither of these men, the righteous beggar nor the unrighteous rich man, neither of them ceased to exist. The rich man's body was buried, but his spirit has left his body, he is personally alive, alert, aware, and he is in torment. The beggar, whose name is given as Lazarus, has left his body and gone into a place of blessing and glory, the place where Abraham is. The rich man is in Hades, so let me just make a note. Hades is not hell, this will come out a little bit later in our study today. Hades is the place where the wicked, the unbeliever, the unsaved person goes upon death to await final sentencing to hell. Hades is a place of torment and suffering, very much like hell. We are told in verse 24, the rich man cried out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue. I am in agony in this flame. You'll note he has the ability to suffer tremendously as a person, even outside of his body. He is in torment, he is in pain, he is in Hades. I often use the example with you. It's like being in jail waiting to go to prison. What's the difference between being in jail and being in prison? You get a cell, it may be about the same size, you are confined, you have the same restrictions. Well you get sentenced to life in prison, you usually don't get sentenced to life in jail. Jail is of limited duration, the place where you might be waiting for your final sentencing to prison. That's what Hades is, it's the place where those who have not experienced God's salvation go upon death, and they will await their coming resurrection, as we'll see in a moment, and sentencing to hell. There will be the same kind of torment in hell, it will just be permanent.

Turn over to II Corinthians. The point we wanted out of that is that at death the spirit leaves the body and that's true for God's children as well as unredeemed people. Death is not the end. The spirit leaves the body at death for every human being, whether they have been saved by God's grace through faith in Christ, or not. In II Corinthians 5 Paul speaks about death. The end of chapter 4 he talked about his physical body was deteriorating and he goes on in the first part of chapter 5 to compare our physical bodies like a tent that we are living in. And at physical death we move out of the tent and the tent is folded up, it is not being used. Another picture or analogy. It's asleep. Or if you want to use the picture of living in a tent, then you leave the tent. Some people have summer homes, and they go to that home and they spend some time there, then they close it up for the winter. They don't live there. And at a later time they move back into that house. Same kind of picture Paul is talking about. II Corinthians 5:6, therefore, being always of good courage and knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. Paul says as long as I am living in this physical body on earth, I can't be in the presence of the Lord. So verse 8, we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. There is no such thing as soul sleep. Paul is confident. He says, you know what would be better? If I experienced physical death, because you know what will happen to me at physical death? I will leave this body, I'll be absent from my body. Sometimes at funerals I've noted, we have the body of so-and-so here, but that person is not here. When Paul died his body was there, but he wasn't. He was absent from the body, but he was at home with the Lord.

Look in Philippians 1. Paul is in prison when he writes to the Philippians, it's one of the prison letters. He realizes that it could turn out that he would be executed as a prisoner. He doesn't think it's going to happen on this occasion, but he's open to the possibility. Verse 21, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, in this physical body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. If I continue to live, I don't die, I'm not executed here, I can continue to labor, have a fruitful labor. But I don't know which to choose, I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better. He's talking about how he looks at physical death, it's leaving this body and going to be with Christ. Yet to remain on in my physical body is more necessary for your sake. And we know what that's like, the Philippians would have great sorrow if Paul were to die on this occasion. And they would miss out on the benefit of his ministry to them. But from Paul's perspective, he'd be a lot better off to be with Christ in glory, than to be on this miserable earth. Now we're just making the point what physical death is, it's when a person moves out of their body. Now what happens at resurrection is that person will come back into that body. The body will be raised from the dead and that person will move back in. All redeemed people, saved people, believers will be raised from the dead and the believer will move back into that body, and unsaved people will have their bodies raised and they will move back in.

But look at the resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Come to John 5. This is a context of Jesus' earthly ministry and the Jews are seeking to kill Him. Up in verse 18, for this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him because He was making Himself equal with God. And He goes on to tell them that the one who hears His word and believes in Him has eternal life. We want to come down to verse 28, do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come forth. So you'll note, there'll come a time when Christ, the Son of Man, the end of verse 27, will call the dead to life. Those who did the good to a resurrection of life, those who committed evil to a resurrection of judgment. So on your chart where I have said first resurrection, that's one of the names used, you can also call that the resurrection of life. That's the first resurrection, it's a resurrection of life. And then after the 1000 years you have unbelievers, that's a resurrection of judgment, according to John 5:29. Now the same resurrections given different names. You'll note the point here, there is going to be a resurrection of life for believers, and a resurrection of judgment for unbelievers. And their character is manifest in their deeds as consistent with scripture.

Now some take from a passage like this and say there is just a general resurrection, it will happen all at the same time because Jesus doesn't indicate here that there will be any difference in time. No, but that's not unusual. For example the Old Testament talked about the first coming of Christ and the second coming of Christ, but it didn't say they would be separated by 2000 years or more. That was later revelation. Peter said that's why Old Testament prophets couldn't understand how the Messiah could suffer and die and also rule and reign in glory. Now we understand. He suffered and died and is raised from the dead, and in 2000 years later, at least so far, He returns and establishes a kingdom. So we have passages in the Old Testament and here like in the gospel we talk about the fact of the resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous. Now later revelation will reveal that there's going to be a separation of 1000 years between these two resurrections. And we'll get to that in a moment, but just note here, there is clearly going to be a resurrection of everyone who has ever lived and died, whether they have believed in the truth of God or they have not. Righteous and unrighteous will be resurrected.

Turn over to Acts 24. Paul has been arrested by the Romans, he is on trial before Felix, giving his defense. The Romans arrested Paul because the Jews were after him, trying to kill him, and so the Roman commander intervened and he ends up being sent before Felix the governor, and he's offering his defense. Look at verse 14. The Jewish accusers are present in the presence of Felix the governor, and they make their accusation and then Paul gives his defense. We'll pick up in the middle of that defense, verse 14, 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, having a hope in God which these men cherish themselves. Now note this, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. What we just want to pick up is there is no doubt the Bible clearly indicates the righteous and the wicked both will be resurrected. Again at this occasion Paul makes no distinction or separation between the resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the wicked. Right now we're just noting the fact of both resurrections.

Now in the order of resurrection we have first Christ, He's the firstfruits. The firstfruits, those ears of grain brought in and presented before the Lord. They were an indication of a coming harvest of like grain. So Christ's resurrection is an indication of a coming resurrection, like His. The particular focus for us, of course, is with believers. So it's Christ the firstfruit, after that those who are Christ's at His coming. I believe that scripture indicates that the coming of Christ has two phases or two aspects. The first stage is in the air called the Rapture, and the second stage when He comes to earth. So the next event in the order of resurrections after Christ is the church. And we're going to skip over that and any evidence that is separated from the second stage until we get to the last part of I Corinthians 15. So we're not ignoring that, or its importance, it's just that Paul develops so much of that in I Corinthians 15. We'll just wait until we get there. You have I Corinthians 15, you have I Thessalonians 4, you could add Romans 8 :18-25.

We'll skip through the seven-year tribulation. As we'll see we believe that there is a separation of seven years between the first phase of Christ's coming and the second phase or second stage. At the end of the 70th week of Daniel, Jesus Christ returns bodily to earth to establish His kingdom. On that occasion believing Jews from the Old Testament, all Old Testament saints, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Isaiah, Daniel, other Old Testament saints will be resurrected, bodily resurrected. Those who died as believers in that seven-year tribulation will be raised from the dead. And those along with church saints will comprise the first resurrection.

Let's look at Israel's resurrection. Come back to Isaiah 25. There are a number of passages we could look at, but I've just limited them, really, to two from Isaiah here. These are not the only passages in the Old Testament that refer to coming resurrection. But in Isaiah 25:8, this is in the context of the coming kingdom. And we'll have something to say about these matters when we talk about the kingdom and the earthly kingdom that will be established. Because we're told in verse 6, the Lord of Hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain, and so on. We're interested in verse 8, He will swallow up death for all time. I Corinthians 15:24 says the last enemy that will be destroyed is death. So keep that in mind, keep this verse in mind, we'll refer to it in a little bit. He will swallow up death for all time, the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces. He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. Behold this is our God for whom we have waited, that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited, and so on. But you'll note the resurrection, and death will be over. He will have swallowed up death for all time. Now all sorrow, all pain, everything associated with that will be gone.

Turn over to Isaiah 26:19. Your dead will live, their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn. The earth will give birth to the departed spirits. Here we're talking about resurrection. Your dead will live, their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust awake and shout for joy. The earth will give birth to the departed spirits. So anticipating a time of Israel's resurrection. Obviously we're talking about the nation Israel in Isaiah, both in chapter 25 and here in chapter 26. The church is not in view and not mentioned at all in the Old Testament. Look at verse 20, come, my people, enter into your rooms. Close your doors behind you, hide for a little while until indignation runs its course. For behold the Lord is about to come out from His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for her iniquity and so on. That's the 70th week of Daniel in verse 20, that seven-year period. So Israel is promised resurrection and hope, but for a time you better hide. There's a time of indignation coming, a time of sorrow, a time of judgment on an unbelieving world and on an unbelieving nation, Israel. But after that their corpses will rise, the dead will live, departed spirits will move back into the resurrected bodies.

Turn over to Daniel 12, one of the great verses on the resurrection of the dead. And again it establishes the context here for Israel. Daniel 12 opens up, now at that time Michael. And what is that time? The end of chapter 11 has been talking about that 70th week of Daniel and the events closing out those 3½ years. And at that time Michael the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people will arise. There will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 24 in speaking about this period of time? Unless He intervened at the end of that seven-year period, there wouldn't be anybody left alive on the face of the earth. People are dying and being killed between the diseases and wars and so on, if He didn't bring that to an end after seven years the earth would annihilate itself. So you see it's a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time. At that time your people, and your people are the Jews, he's speaking to Daniel. Your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. And we'll see that book, it's the book of life. So believing Jews will be rescued at this time by the intervention of Christ. That will include those who are alive on the face of the earth. Jews who survive this seven-year tribulation. And then note verse 2, many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. You see it's the fact of resurrection both for the righteous and the unrighteous, the righteous to everlasting and the unrighteous to disgrace and everlasting contempt. People say, well there is just a general resurrection, it all happens at the same time. Well revelation is not complete. All that is revealed to Daniel here is both the wicked and the righteous are going to be resurrected. Now the righteous, and from a future revelation we can see verse 2, many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake. These to everlasting life, but those who aren't resurrected at that time to everlasting life are going to be raised to disgrace and contempt. That will be 1000 years later, we'll see that clearly set out in a moment. So you see again, Israel is promised resurrection, but even the nation Israel, there is a distinction made—the resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the wicked.

Come over to Luke 14. And we won't go through the details of what He is talking about here, but He is basically talking about as believers we are to have our focus on the rewards and promised blessings that God will give to those who obey Him. But look at the end of verse 14, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. What I do now I don't do looking for earthly recompense primarily, I'm doing this to please God who will reward me in due time. What I want you to note is Christ here tells them that you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. And we're not taking the time now, but we have on other occasions filled in a chart like this and shown in connection with each of the resurrections there is also a judgment of the people in the context of that resurrection. And here He talks about being repaid at the resurrection of the righteous, so focusing particularly on one aspect of the resurrection—the resurrection of the righteous.

Look in John 11. This is in the context of the death of Lazarus. Lazarus, the friend of Christ, has died. His sisters, Mary and Martha, of course are devastated by the loss of their brother. Martha said to Jesus, verse 21, Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. So she has confidence in Christ, faith in Him. Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. Note what Martha says, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. So you see here she as a Jew in Israel knew there was a coming bodily resurrection. Her brother would be raised in that resurrection. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, because He will overcome death, He conquers death. And so we are assured to be part of the resurrection of the righteous. And the one who believes in Him will never die. And she indicates her belief in Him as the Son of God and so He raises Lazarus from the dead. That's not a resurrection in the context we're talking about, that's a resuscitation back to physical life. We're not going through to make a distinction, but some of these resurrections, like in the gospels they restored people to their normal physical life. When Lazarus was raised from the dead, he will have to die again at a future time. And there are others like that in the New Testament, that were just restored back to physical life but will die a normal physical death. When we talk about the resurrection, we're talking about there will be no more death in the sense of physically dying again.

Let's go to Revelation 20. And here we get some of the details filled in we didn't get previously. We will be talking about some of these matters when we talk about the coming kingdom in our future studies here. Revelation 20. Now Revelation is unfolded sequentially, in other words, one event follows another. People get into total confusion because they come to the book of Revelation and think it's a series of things that we can't make sense out of and you don't take literally. No, there is a series of judgments unfolded, you start with seven seals, really six and out of the seventh will come the next series, and they happen one after the other. And out of the seventh seal you have seven trumpets that sound and bring judgment and they follow in order. Out of the seventh trumpet come the seven bowl judgments. Each of these judgments are numbered, so you're just moving through. You could set out a timeline like we have on the resurrections for the book of Revelation. You come to chapter 19, Christ returns to earth in glory. Chapter 20 you have the establishing of His kingdom. We are told six times in the first seven verses that we are dealing with a 1000-year period of time, the millennium, chileos, the Greek word. You have chileasm, chileasts, people who believe in the 1000 years. So we're told, verse 1, I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and satan, and bound him for 1000 years. Shut him in the abyss, he would not deceive the nations any longer until the 1000 years were completed. Now we're interested in verse 4 here, and I saw thrones and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus, because of the Word of God and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, had not received the mark on their forehead or their hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has 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. When the thousand years are completed satan will be released and so on.

Now we're not going to get into a discussion of the thousand years in particular, we'll do that when we talk about the kingdom, but I see no reason and no foundation and no support for taking the thousand years any other way. How many times does God have to say it? Well if He only said it once we'd say, if He only had said it twice. Well He said it twice. Or maybe if He said it three times, He said it three times. Maybe four, four times. What about five? Five. Six? Six. For some people it's not enough. I can't tell you the number of commentaries I have on my shelf that say well a thousand years doesn't mean a thousand years here. What about if He had said it twenty-five times? What's the number you have to have for it to mean what it means?

So we have now revealed clearly the time gap between the resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the wicked, the resurrection to life and the resurrection to judgment. Verse 4 we're told about those who are raised came to life, the end of verse 4, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power. The second death is hell, we'll see that in a moment. So the first resurrection is a quality of resurrection. We could split it into two phases. We don't have to get ino disagreement over that, we do agree that everyone who is saved, has received righteousness from the living God, will be part of the first resurrection. Anyone who is not part of the first resurrection is going to hell. No one who is part of the first resurrection is going to hell because verse 6 says that no one who is part of the first resurrection will experience the second death, which is hell. They'll rule and reign with Christ during His thousand-year millennium. So it couldn't be any clearer. I mean, people say to me, why do some commentators say there is just a general resurrection that happens at the same time: I don't have the foggiest idea how they can be so stupid. I mean, what do you say? You could have your child sit down and read this and say, what do you think that means? I mean, the rest of the dead aren't raised until the thousand years are over. Verse 5, the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were complete. So I take it that means there are a thousand years separating the resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the wicked.

So that's why we have on our chart the first resurrection includes all believers from all time. Here in verse 4 he focused particularly on those who had died and then beheaded during the 70th week of Daniel, that seven-year period divided into two 3½ year periods. Why? Because Revelation 6-19 is about that seven-year period. So you are particularly interested in that in the book of Revelation. But we're also told that the first resurrection includes everyone who is righteous. The wicked will be raised at the end of the thousand years, the end of the millennium.

Okay, let's talk about the resurrection of the wicked. What happens, the thousand years are completed, that thousand-year reign of Christ. Satan has been bound, he's not been freed. We'll talk about what that means when we talk about the kingdom. Some people have a terrible time saying in verse 1 that satan was bound with a great chain, you can't bind an angel with a chain. Okay, you're telling me God can't bind satan then, there will be no way to restrain him forever. How do you keep him in hell? If God can't restrain him with a chain, I guess he can't restrain him, right? We really have trouble. I mean, silliness. Verse 7, when the thousand years are completed satan will be released. He goes out and deceives the nations and then verse 9, they come up to surround, to try to dethrone Christ who is ruling from Jerusalem, fire comes down from heaven and destroys them. Verse 10, the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are also. How do they get there? Back at the end of chapter 19 verse 20, when Christ returned to earth. Verse 20, the beast was seized and with him the false prophet who performed signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast, those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. That doesn't mean they were burned up and gone, because a thousand years later we read, verse 10, the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also. And they will be tormented day and night into the ages of the ages. There is no stronger way to say eternity in the Greek language. We say forever and ever in our translation, day and night forever and ever. Into the ages of the ages, their torment doesn't cease. So that's what hell is like.

Now we have the final resurrection. Then comes the end, I Corinthians 15:24 told us. And with that conclusion of that phase of the kingdom you have the resurrection of the wicked. Then I saw a great white throne, Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away. No place was found for them. I saw the dead, the great and the small standing before the throne. The books were opened, another book was opened which is the book of life. The dead were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds. The sea gave up the dead which were in it, death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them. Remember what we said about Hades in Luke 16? That's where the wicked go upon death when they leave their body. Now the wicked are called out of Hades, moved back into their bodies which have been raised from the dead. Doesn't matter where they died. People were buried at sea and the fish came and ate the body. And we say, how will God raise that? I don't know, but He does, because the dead bodies that were buried at sea now are called back. They are resurrected. Do you think God has to have a preserved corpse to raise them? I guess only the Egyptians and a few other people who knew how to mummify bodies so there would be something left to be raised would experience resurrection. I don't have to understand how God does everything that only God could do, but I believe it's true when He tells me. Wherever they are, they gave up. And they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. Everyone raised from the dead at this judgment, everybody who had been in Hades awaiting this resurrection, is thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. You'll notice there are two sets of books here—the books that contain all the works they've done and the book of life that contains the names of those going to heaven who have been redeemed. Their works are there, not because anybody is going to be saved by their works, but to reveal their true character and determine their judgment and where in hell they are going. Everybody who is not in the book of life is going to hell. That's the second death.

We say, well that's annihilation, they're destroyed. Turn back to Matthew 10. Jesus talking in the context of coming persecution and so on and being a disciple. And in verse 28, do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul. But rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Somebody can kill my physical body, they can't kill my soul, can't kill my spirit. Somebody shoots me and I die, my soul will move out of this body. But there is one able to destroy both body and soul in Gehenna, in hell. We're talking about hell here, in Gehenna, in hell. That's the living God. Well destroy means they cease to exist. No. The smoke of their torment goes up into the ages of the ages, they are tormented day and night into the ages of the ages. The rich man lifted up his eyes in Hades being in torment. We have a beginning, we have no ending. That's true for the righteous and the unrighteous, true for the saved and the unsaved. Isn't it amazing? The Bible says of unbelievers, there is no fear of God before their eyes. Jesus said you better fear my heavenly Father. Don't fear men, fear the God who is able to destroy your body and soul in hell. Don't fear those who can torture your body and ultimately put you to death. They can't touch your soul, but there is One who will judge you body and soul alike, and He is able to destroy body and soul in hell.

When he talks about destroy, he's not talking about annihilating. Death in the Bible is never annihilation. Come back to Revelation 21. Death in the Bible is always separation. What was physical death? James 2:26, the body without the spirit is dead. When your spirit is separated from our body, that's physical death. But you haven't ceased to exist. Spiritual death in the Bible, we were dead in our trespasses and sins. Didn't mean we didn't exist, it means we were separated from God. Your sins have separated between you and God. An eternal death, the second death, is simply separation from God for eternity in hell. So at the end of Revelation 20, everyone who is not found in the book of life is cast into the lake of fire, where they are tormented with the beast, the false prophet, the devil and his angels day and night forever and ever. Oh, I don't like to believe in a God who would torture people, torment people forever and ever. It's the only God there is. You don't believe in Him, you will appear at this judgment. Verse 12, I saw the dead, the small and the great, standing before the throne. You might say, I was at Indian Hills one time, they read that verse to me. Here you are. Nobody escapes it, nobody escapes judgment. You either come to believe in Christ and have your sins judged by Him taking your place, or you will go to hell for them. There are no other options. We fear men, but we are afraid to tell them about Christ for how they may treat us. Don't fear men, don't fear those who could do something to your body. Fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.

In chapter 21. We read in I Corinthians 15, and this chart follows that, then comes the end when He will deliver the kingdom over to His Father. The last enemy that will be destroyed, I Corinthians 15 says, is death. Then we read in Isaiah 25 of when there will be no more death and all tears will be wiped away. Look in Revelation 21. Now we've moved through the thousand-year kingdom, the first phase of the eternal kingdom, the judgment of unbelievers has taken place, now we have a new heavens and a new earth. Look at verse 4, God Himself will be among His people and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death, there will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain. The first things have passed away. So Isaiah 25:8 now is realized. There will be death in the thousand-year kingdom. They come through that, the first portion of the kingdom that Christ establishes, the judgment of the wicked takes place, now death is removed. All the wicked are in hell, wicked angels and wicked people. And all the righteous have been glorified to enjoy the presence of God along with an element of people who are in their physical bodies but were righteous. And we have to talk about them as a separate and distinct people.

That's God's unfolding plan, as one old writer, Gaebelein, wrote it, The Plan of the Ages, wrote a book entitled that. Here is the plan of the resurrections. They are simple, they are clear, the fact of the resurrection of the wicked and the resurrection of the righteous is clearly established. How it unfolds, and we go back as believers to the resurrection of Christ, which gives us the hope that some day we will be resurrected to glory. And that's what Paul will develop when we get back to I Corinthians 15.

The issue comes, what is your relationship to Jesus Christ? You will be resurrected, you know. When you experience physical death you will leave your body and you will open your eyes, either like that beggar, in the presence of God's glory, or in the place of endless torment. You will be resurrected, and you will spend eternity in heaven or hell. There are no other options. You say, I'll take my chances. You understand, there are no chances. The verdict has already been given. I mean, do you want to bet all that you own and all you have on yesterday's football game? I'll give you ten to one that so-and-so ........... You say, I already saw it, they lost. That's the way it is, the verdict has already been given, you've already been judged in that sense. He who has not believed in the Son has been judged already because He has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. The verdict has already been handed down. You will have to appear for sentencing. But you understand, it's settled. Unless you believe in Jesus Christ, you have no hope. But you will be resurrected. For those who have believed in Him we have a blessed hope, and we'll talk more about that in future studies.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your Son. Thank you that He came, He suffered and died and was raised from the dead, the victor over death, the victor over sin, the victor over the devil, the victor over the world. And thank you, Lord, that by faith in Him we enter into that victory. Thank you for the blessed hope, the anticipation we have some day of being glorified in the glory of His presence, the glory of your presence. Lord, I pray for any who are here, perhaps they come every Sunday, perhaps they are visiting today. Doesn't matter. They've heard the truth but they've never believed it, they've never repented of their sin and placed their faith in your Son. What a hopeless, awful position to be in, under condemnation, doomed to hell. Thank you, Lord, that this is a day of opportunity, today is the day of salvation. May this be a day when they believe. We pray in Christ's name, amen.