Resurrection of Unbelievers
- Michael E.B. Maher
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves 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 condemnation.
(John 5:28-29)
In the previous section, we saw that the last major event before the second resurrection is the battle of Gog and Magog. Although Scripture does not reveal exactly how long after this event the second resurrection will occur, it cannot be long afterward. Even though the armies of Gog and Magog will have been destroyed, the remaining population of the earth is expected to be approximately 4.5 billion people. Therefore, in a manner similar to the first resurrection, there will still be unbelievers alive on the earth at the time of the second resurrection.
As the passage above declares, when the appointed time arrives, the Lord Jesus will call forth the unbelievers from their graves. Two things will happen simultaneously. First, the bodies of unbelievers who are alive at that moment will be instantly transformed into the form decreed by God the Father. Second, unbelievers who are suffering torment in Hell will be raised to re-enter their bodies, which will be transformed from the dust into the eternal form decreed by God.
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
(Revelation 20:11-15)
This passage reveals several key truths concerning the second resurrection. First, all unbelievers will be brought before God’s great white throne to be judged. All who stand before the throne will already have been condemned, for Jesus refers to this event as the resurrection of condemnation. The opening of the books indicates that unbelievers will be judged according to their works, which have been recorded in detail. This judgment will determine the degree of eternal punishment each individual will suffer. Once judgment is pronounced, all will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.
The phrase, “the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them,” refers not to the oceans of the world, but to the sea of nations alive on the earth at the time of the second resurrection.
"I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
(Daniel 7:9-10)
It is important to note that it is the saints who will judge both unbelievers and Satan’s angels on that day (1 Corinthians 6:2–3). God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will look on as the saints pronounce judgment. The multitudes standing before the throne will be unfathomable: all the saints, the children of God, and all of God’s angels will be present. As already noted, the number of unbelievers alone will exceed 100 billion people, and in addition to them will be the myriads of demons from Satan’s kingdom. This will truly be a momentous day on the eternal calendar.
Finally, the earlier passage states that at the conclusion of this judgment, Death and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire. This explains why Scripture declares that the last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15:26). At that time, the current heavens and the current earth will be done away with, which is why the passage declares that the earth and the heavens fled away from the face of God and no place was found for them.
God the Father will then create the new heavens and the new earth. The saints will witness this new creation as it takes place. At that point, the city of the New Jerusalem will descend from heaven to the new earth God has created, and the saints will dwell with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Jerusalem for all eternity (Revelation 21:1–5).
Resurrected Bodies of Unbelievers
"For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me," says the Lord, "So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the Lord. "And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.
(Isaiah 66:22-24)
The question is often asked: what will the resurrected bodies of unbelievers be like? In answer, the passage above from Isaiah describes the fate of unbelievers in God’s new heavens and new earth, following the resurrection of condemnation and the Great White Throne judgment. The Lord highlights three defining characteristics of the resurrected bodies of those cast into the Lake of Fire.
First, He describes their bodies as corpses, resembling those found in a morgue. Second, their bodies are infested with maggots that consume their flesh, yet are never themselves consumed. Finally, their bodies are engulfed in unquenchable fire. It is no wonder that Scripture declares they will be an abhorrence to all who see them.
As an aside, because these resurrected bodies will resemble lifeless corpses, they will contain no blood. Scripture teaches that the life of a living terrestrial body is in its blood (Leviticus 17:14), and this further underscores the deathlike nature of the bodies prepared for eternal judgment.
Michael E.B. Maher
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