Resurrection - Then What?

What happens after Jesus returns and raises me from the dead?

"...forasmuch as He assigns a day in which He is about to be judging the inhabited earth in righteousness by the Man Whom He specifies, tendering faith to all, raising Him from among the dead...in the day when God will be judging the hidden things of humanity, according to my evangel, through Jesus Christ...for all of us must be manifested in front of the dais of Christ, that each should be requited for that which he puts into practice through the body, whether good or bad." (Acts 17:31; Romans 2:16; 2 Corinthians 5:10)

Then what?

"...each one's work will become apparent, for the day will make it evident, for it is being revealed by fire. And the fire, it will be testing each one's work -- what kind it is. If anyone's work will be remaining which he builds on it, he will get wages. If anyone's work shall be burned up, he will forfeit it, yet he shall be saved, yet thus, as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

Note the judging is for handing out rewards, not punishment. OK, so how should I live now knowing this?

"...I am entreating you, then, I, the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all humility and meekness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit with the tie of peace...be ambitious to be quiet, and to be engaged in your own affairs, and to be working with your hands, according as we charge you, that you may be walking respectably toward those outside and you may have need of nothing." (Ephesians 4:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

God Is For Us

Life and death. These are choices that God has reserved for Himself. And we should remember that "God is for us"...

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered him over for US ALL, how will He not also with him freely give US all things?" (Romans 8:31-32)

People do not get to choose whether they will be born, nor do they choose whether they will die. At best, people may choose the timing of death by their lifestyle - either sooner or later - but eventually we ALL die.

"And inasmuch as it is appointed for people to die once and after this - judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those awaiting him." (Hebrews 9:27-28)

What happens after death has been the great question for most people. The word judgment is "krisis" in the Greek language of Scripture, and simply means in this context, "a Devine decision". So what is the Devine "judgment" that awaits people after death?

Jesus the Christ "will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin" to those "who sleep in death"...and those "awaiting" his return.

"...in my father's house are many dwelling places...I go to prepare a place for you...I will come and get you, so that you may be where I am...Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death...for the Lord himself will come down from heaven...and the dead in Christ will rise...and so we will be with the Lord forever. Comfort one another with these words." (John 14:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Depending on where and in what religious environment people are born, they will grow up being taught something about life after death. The Bible clearly teaches that "God is for us" - not against any of us. All people are the beneficiaries of the "love of God", and will not be condemned by what they grow up believing. The Good News for all is that we are the "elect" of God, elected "for salvation without reference to sin" when Jesus appears the ”second time for salvation“.

"Father forgive them...Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is he who died, yes, rather who was raised, and who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Luke 23:34; Romans 8:33-36)

Jesus forgave from the cross all those who crucified him, and in that death, saved them. Yep, God is for us all, even the bad guys - so we will all win the victory over sin and death!

The Hidden Good News

"But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

Let’s be clear about some terms used above.

1. The "gospel" is the good news that there is life after death.

2. That good news is "veiled" to those who think in death they or others perish.

3. The term “perishing” means to die and stay dead.

4. Those "blinded" are those "who do not believe" that there is life after death for mankind.

The good news was and will always be hidden (veiled) to those who do not believe in life after death (the gospel). They are blinded by the present age where life does in fact come to an end in death. They do not believe that there is life after death.

The good news is also hidden to those of the various religions of the world. Though most adhere to some form or another of life after death, they limit the scope of that life to a few chosen devotees to that particular religion. Everyone else will perish, or far worse in some religious doctrine. Again, their minds are blinded to the fact that the good news of life after death is for all mankind and God intends to save all from death to life, from sinner to saint, from perishable flesh to imperishable spirit, from mortal to immortal, from a son of Adam to a son of God.  

Christ Jesus was raised to show us the certainty of the good news. Don’t take my word for it, read it for yourself…

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep…For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive…Now if there is no resurrection…let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die…Do not be misled…the body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body...The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven…And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man… Listen, I tell you a mystery...we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable…When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory...thanks be to God! He gives us the victory...” (1 Corinthians 15:20-57)

If A Man Dies, Will He Live Again?

The question of all questions...asked by Job

"If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my struggle I will wait Until my change comes." (Job 14:14)

Jesus gives the simple answer...“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26)

The simplicity of those words are overwhelming to me. And the fact that almost all Christians fail to see the simple truth is equally overwhelming. But they read into those simple words the idea that one must believe in Jesus before the resurrection in order to be among those who never die after the resurrection. The Bible says no such thing.

“I am the resurrection and the life”

Jesus says that the life mankind receives after resurrection is from him.

“He who believes in me, though he may die”

Jesus says that those who believe in him now will die.

“And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die”

All that believed in him at that time are now dead, so he was talking about "whoever lives and believes" after they die.  All of us believers today will also die for "it is appointed unto men once to die” (Hebrews 9:27).

So, how many people will be resurrected to life after they die? ALL if the Bible is true.

“As in Adam all die, even so in Christ, shall all be made alive…that God may be All in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-28)

Since everyone is to be resurrected, how many of them will believe in Jesus at that time?ALL if the Bible is true.

“Look to me and be saved, ALL the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by myself, the word has gone forth from my mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to me EVERY knee will bow, EVERY tongue will swear allegiance.” (Isaiah 4522-23)

“…as I live, says the Lord, EVERY knee shall bow to me, and EVERY tongue shall give praise to God." (Romans 14:11)

“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

“Come, let US bow down in worship, let US kneel before the Lord our maker” (Psalm 95:6)

“Then I heard EVERY creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and ALL that is in them, saying: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13)

Do not allow the teachings of men to rob you of the simple truth that Jesus is "the resurrection and the life" and he has promised that "death shall be swallowed up in Victory"...for Jesus is the Savior of the World that God loves.

None Shall Perish - All Come to Repentance

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9)

It appears obvious to me that the word “perish” as used in Scripture simply refers to a person staying dead after becoming deceased. If there is no resurrection then death wins and nothing follows. However, the above Scripture says that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish” and that all “come to repentance”. There will be "victory" over death, our "last "enemy.

So, what is God saying in the above verse? He says that NONE will perish and that ALL will come to repentance….because it is the WILL OF THE LORD as Paul tells Timothy...

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for ALL…For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; WHO WILL HAVE ALL MEN TO BE SAVED…For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for ALL...” (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

There is a term for those who do not agree with what God says in Scripture…the term is “unbeliever”, and there are many unbelievers,even those with their names on various church roles. 

Yet though they do not believe now, they will, when in fact God has seen to it that none “perish” and that all have “come to repentance” at the "resurrection of  both the righteous (believers) and unrighteous (unbelievers)" as Paul explains…

“And I (Paul) have a hope in God…that there is going to be a resurrection, both of the righteous and the unrighteous…” (Acts 24:15). “…we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people…” (1 Timothy 4:10). “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ the Lord” (Romans 6:23). “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive….The last enemy that will be abolished is death…so that God may be all in all…when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “death is swallowed up in VICTORY.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-54)

"...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

When people experience tough times, the best remedy is a strong dose of faith in the TRUTH of God relating to life after death. When we get a glimpse at what comes next, for all mankind, the battles we have to endure in this life become bearable.

For you who are struggling with tough times now and are uncertain why or what will happen next, take comfort in this.  Christ Jesus suffered also, even death on a cruel Roman cross.  He was rejected and abandoned even by the very disciples who had been following him for three and a half years.  But he forgave them.

Later, in the midst of the suffering of his fellow Jews, Peter said to them...

"Rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy." (1 Peter 4:13)

And Paul could say to all men in the midst of his terrible suffering... 

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)

Life after death.  That is our hope, and it is the promise of God for ALL. But many people can't grasp onto this hope in times of trouble because they do not trust the very institution that should be a source of comfort in times of trouble - the church.  Why? It is simple.  The doctrinal error of eternal conscious torment, or Hell, that permeates these institutions.

The idea that an otherwise loving God would condemn even one person to endless and conscious torment PREVENTS people from trusting both Christ and the institutions that bear his name. Some may give Him lip service out of fear, but they do not love Him.  They fear Him. Many attend, sing, pray, confess, and profess out of the fear of what might happen if they do not - rather than out of love for the One who loves and saves sinners.

 Well, God WON'T eternally torment anyone.  It is a lie, and those who promote such are destined to be "ashamed" when they appear before Him to give an account for their life and beliefs. Personally, I would rather be a pigmy from the deepest and darkest part of Central Africa on that day than to be one of those who promoted such a heretical and God dishonoring doctrine.  The doctrine that robs sinful people of the hope and truth of the Gospel which would enable them to bear the burdens of this life.

“But the God of all grace, Who has called us to His age-lasting glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you” (I Peter 5:10).