John 5:24-29 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (25) Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. (26) For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, (27) and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. (28) Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice (29) and come forth-- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”
An earlier passage of scripture quoted, spoke of a first resurrection. In order for there to be a first resurrection, there must of a necessity also be a second resurrection. Our Lord Jesus, in the above passage of scripture, spoke about these two resurrections, for He called the first, the resurrection of life, and the second, He called the resurrection of condemnation. In the previous section, we mentioned the fact that all children in heaven, will be among the rest of the dead that will live again after our Lord’s millennial reign on the earth. But even though they will partake of the second resurrection, theirs will obviously also be a resurrection of life and not a resurrection of condemnation. And so, we come to the resurrection of condemnation. Jesus said that those who have done evil will be raised on that day. So, who are the ones that heaven classifies as having done evil? Jesus answered that question for us in the preceding verses of scripture quoted, for He said that all that believe in Him, would not come into judgment but would have passed from death into life. And so, very clearly it is all the unbelievers, which will partake of the resurrection of condemnation.
Michael E.B. Maher
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