John 5:28-29, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.”
Two classes of people are resurrected:
- Those that have done good believed in Christ and became footstep followers. They were made righteous through the merit of Christ’s sacrifice. By proving faithful (doing good) in this lifetime, their resurrection will be in heaven (Revelation 2:10).
- The second class refers to the remainder of humanity. They have not escaped the power of the wicked one and they shall come forth into a life of judgment (1 John 2:13-14).
The word translated as judgment in John 5:29 is the Greek word “krisis.” It does not mean condemnation or damnation. Krisis refers to a verdict reached by a trial. (See Strong’s Concordance or Thayer’s Greek Lexicon.) The decision could go either way: life or death. And this is exactly what the Scriptures have promised. “Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men…” Acts 17:31 (RSV)
During this resurrection of judgment, Christ will teach mankind righteousness. Isaiah 26:9, “…when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” Zephaniah 3:9 prophesied, "For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one accord.” “No longer shall each man teach his neighbor…saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me…for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:34 RSV).
Satan will be bound and unable to interfere with man’s progress. Each man will have the opportunity to grow in righteousness and to be healed. Revelation 22:1-3 (NKJV), “And he showed me a pure river of water of life… (there) was the tree of life,…The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse…”
Sadly, some will still oppose Christ’s rule. Ezekiel 18:20 (NKJV), “The soul who sins shall die…” Those will die a second time and cease to exist. Psalm 37:36 (ESV), “But he passed away, and behold, he was no more…he could not be found.”
Additional Resources:
Is the Judgment Day a time to be feared or is it actually something to look forward to?
PDF Booklet: "The Day of Judgment"Christian Questions Podcast:
Episode #1231: “What if I’m Not Good Enough for Heaven?”
Uncovering the destiny of humanity's billions who don’t go to heaven
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
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