p. 1 | THE FINAL RESURRECTION

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 19, 1869

THE FINAL RESURRECTION.

THE apostle tells us that while all who have died by Adam shall be made alive by Christ,—every man must be raised in his own proper "band," "company," or "order," as the different soldiers in an army have each their own regiment, or company, in which they properly belong.

The classification presented by the apostle is as follows:

1. "Christ the first fruits,"—he being the leader in the grand army of the resurrected ones.

2. "Then they that are Christ's, AT HIS COMING;"—the blessed and holy, who have part in the first resurrection.

3. "Then," after that, "THE END," or last remnant of the dead shall arise; "to telos," "THE END," being used among the Greeks to describe the last squadron or division in an army, the soldiers stationed at the extreme end of the wings. And the words being explained in this passage (1 Cor. xv, 24), by the learned lexicographer, Dr. Wahl, as signifying "ultima mortuorum pars, The last part of the dead," and by Bretschneider, "Ultimi, reliqui homines, The last, the remainder of mankind." These are those who are not "Christ's," and do not rise "at his coming"; but who are called to Judgment "when he delivereth up the kingdom to God, even the Father," who shall put down every foe beneath his feet.

Having in time past laid before our readers the numerous scriptures which speak of "the resurrection of the just," and of "the blessed and holy" to immortal life, we shall proceed to refer to a few of the passages which declare the resurrection of the unjust to shame, contempt, condemnation, and perdition.

I. Isaiah xxvi, 19: "Thy DEAD men shall live, together with my DEAD BODY shall THEY arise. Awake and SING, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs. AND the earth shall cast out THE DEAD. Come, MY PEOPLE, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord COMETH out of his place to PUNISH the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also shall disclose her BLOOD, and shall no more cover her SLAIN."

This passage shows: 1. That God's dead men shall live; 2. That they shall rise with the dead body of the prophet Isaiah; 3. That those saints, thus dwelling in the dust of death, shall awake and sing; 4. After the saints have thus awakened from death, the earth shall cast out the DEAD, the r'phah-eem; or as Bishop Lowth translates it, "the deceased tyrants" who yet remain in their graves after God's dead men shall live again. This Hebrew word, r'phah-eem, is entirely different from the word translated "dead," in the first part of the passage. It is never used to designate the righteous dead. It is found in several passages in the Old Testament, and is always used with reference to the ungodly. 5. God's people are invited to enter into their chambers, and shut their doors about them, and hide themselves till the indignation be overpast; 6. The reason for this is, "The Lord cometh out of his place to PUNISH the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;" 7. In order that he may do this, the earth shall disclose her blood, and NO MORE COVER HER SLAIN.

No language need more clearly teach that all the vast multitudes will issue forth from their graves, and come to Judgment at the call of God.

II. Dan. xii, 2, 3: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and EVERLASTING CONTEMPT. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."

This passage speaks of the multitudes of the dead. Two classes sleep in the dust: two classes shall awake from their chambers there: some of them to everlasting life, and some to a different destiny—to shame and everlasting contempt. The statement is too plain for explanation, and it is easier to believe it than to explain it.

III. John v, 25-27: "The hour is coming, and now is, when the DEAD shall HEAR the voice of the Son of God; and THEY THAT HEAR shall LIVE. For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute JUDGMENT also, because he is the Son of Man. Marvel not at this; For the hour is coming, in the which ALL that are IN THE GRAVES shall HEAR his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; AND THEY THAT HAVE DONE EVIL, unto the resurrection of DAMNATION [Judgment]."

From this we learn: 1. That in the days of Christ's ministry, dead men were to hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that heard were to live. This had its literal accomplishment in the resurrection of the ruler's daughter, the widow's son, Lazarus of Bethany, and many bodies of the saints which slept, that arose from the dead after the resurrection of our Lord. 2. The reason for this is,—the Father who hath life in himself, hath given to the Son to have life in himself, thus granted him the power of bestowing life on those who hear his voice. And, further, God hath given him AUTHORITY also to EXECUTE JUDGMENT on the ungodly. 3. This fact of the resurrection of persons who had died, wonderful as it is, is but the foreshadowing of a greater manifestation of divine power, because the time is coming when ALL that are in the graves shall HEAR his voice and shall COME FORTH. 4. Those who are to come forth are divided into two classes. 5. They that have done good are to come forth unto the resurrection of life—which to them is the beginning of life eternal. 6. They that have done evil are to come forth unto the resurrection of judgment, or condemnation, and are doomed to meet the judgment which Christ has authority to execute upon them.

In this passage the prediction of the resurrection of those "that have done evil," is as clear and explicit as the prediction of the resurrection of those that "have done good." All "the dead" shall "HEAR;" all "that hear shall LIVE;" "ALL that are in the GRAVE SHALL HEAR;" all that hear "shall COME FORTH;"—they that have done good shall have a resurrection to eternal LIFE; they that have done evil shall have a resurrection unto that ETERNAL JUDGMENT, which shall be followed by the second death in the lake of fire. Rev. xx, 11-15.

IV. Acts xxiv, 14, 15: "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets; and have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that THERE SHALL BE A RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, both of the just and UNJUST."

In the presence of his accusers, Paul confessed his faith, which was that held by the Jewish nation as a whole. Minor sects have departed from the nation's hope. The Pharisees held the resurrection of the just, but denied the resurrection of the unjust. The Sadducees, growing more faithless still, denied the resurrection of anybody. But the Jewish nation held the faith which Paul believed, and allowed, or expected, the things which he also expected,—namely, that there should be a resurrection of the dead, not of a single class, but of the dead as a whole, of both classes, "both of the JUST and of the UNJUST." And in this apostolic faith and hope, all the sacred writers concur. Our limits do not allow the quotation of all their words, hence we come to this closing testimony:

V. Rev. xx, 11-14; xxi, 1: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away; and there was

found no place for them. And I saw the DEAD, SMALL AND GREAT, stand BEFORE GOD; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were JUDGED out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged EVERY MAN according to their WORKS. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. . . . And there shall be NO MORE DEATH."

This closing revelation of God concerning death and the dead, concentrates and completes the inspired testimony upon this momentous theme. From a careful perusal of this whole chapter, we learn the time and manner of the fulfillment of all the ancient prophecies concerning the resurrection.

1. We were told of the resurrection of God's martyred saints;—they lived and reigned with Christ; God's dead men live, and awake and sing; his people's graves are opened, and they are caused to come forth out of their graves, ransomed from the power of the grave, redeemed from death, awakening with God's likeness, and rising to everlasting life, seeing God in their flesh, at the resurrection of the just, attaining unto the resurrection out from among the dead, when the dead in Christ shall rise first, with those that are Christ's at his coming; they that have done good coming forth to the resurrection of life; not coming into judgment, but being accounted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection FROM THE DEAD to the angelic glory of those who cannot die any more, and with all the blessed and holy that have part in the first resurrection, being exempted from the power of the second death; and living and reigning with Christ the thousand years, while the rest of the dead live not till the thousand years are finished.

2. After this thousand years have expired, the rest of the dead, small and great, without distinction; all that are in death's power, in the earth, or sea, or hades; all that are in the graves; the prisoners that have been gathered into the pit; the dead tyrants that have oppressed God's people; the unjust, "the end," or last portion of the dead who are not Christ's, and who do not arise at his coming; the wicked, who are reserved to the day of wrath; the unjust, who are reserved unto the day of Judgment to be punished; all the ungodly, who have spoken against Christ; the men who crucified him and pierced him; the workers of iniquity, who ate and drank in his presence; the men of Sodom, and Nineveh, and Jerusalem; Balaam, who cursed Israel; Caiaphas, who condemned Christ; all that are in their graves; shall hear his voice, and come forth, some to shame and everlasting contempt; they that have done evil to the resurrection of judgment; when the great white throne is established, and every man shall give an account of himself to God.

3. This vast multitude, "the rest of the dead," having been delivered up by the sea, and death, and hades, at the call of Him who gave his life a ransom for ALL, that he might abolish death, and destroy death, and him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and who is the Saviour of all, especially of those that believe; now live again, when "the thousand years are finished;" the obedience of One having restored to all the life forfeited by one man's disobedience; that as by Adam all died, so by Christ are all made alive; the righteous being hidden in the chambers of glory, and the wicked left to meet the wrath of him who cometh forth to punish the iniquity of the inhabitants of an earth which now at last shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

4. The dead from earth and ocean being thus delivered up by death, and made alive by Christ, and finding no refuge in that day, must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, where God shall bring every word into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil, every man giving account of himself to God, for all his words, and acts, they being convinced of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him; and being judged according to the deeds done in the body, and out of those things written in the books.

5. Whoever is not found written in the book of life, is cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death. Not being counted worthy of that age, and the resurrection out FROM the dead to die no more; failing to share the privilege of the blessed and holy, who have part in the first resurrection, and on whom the second death has no power; shrinking from the toils of those overcomers who shall not be hurt of the second death; having sown to the flesh, they can only reap corruption in the harvest day. Having neglected to seek for glory, and honor, and immortality, they can only arise in shame, and corruption; and having followed the course of the earthly Adam, they prove that in the resurrection, "As the earthly, such THEY ARE THAT ARE EARTHLY SHALL BE," (while "as the heavenly, such also they that are heavenly shall be.") Having turned away from righteousness and committed iniquities, and died in them, for their iniquities which they have committed they must die. And as it was only appointed to men once to die, this second needless calamity, self-imposed, in defiance of the commands and entreaties of Him who has said, "Turn ye, for why will ye die," and in spite of the prayers and tears of those who have labored to save souls from death; this second death; this wages of sin; this sorer punishment, is inflicted upon them by the command of Him who hath said, The soul that sinneth, it shall die, and who will render indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, to every soul of man that doeth evil; and treasureth up unto himself wrath against that day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Then the cowardly, the faithless, the abominable, and the vile, shall depart into the everlasting fire, and have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

6. Death and hades, these awful shades of woe and horror, the personifications of mortality and desolation; Death, the tyrant, and Hades, the prison-keeper, now robbed of all their treasures by Him who bears their keys, and lives to die no more;—emptied of everything precious,—with the last remnant of their wrathless, godless spoil, go tottering beneath the victorious Conqueror's curse down to the abyss of everlasting ruin in the lake of fire, while all the ransomed host of God break forth in songs of exultation and thanksgiving to Christ their redeeming King.

7. The old creation passes away. The new heavens and earth shine in the glory of Jehovah's smile. The King makes all things new. Pain is past. Sorrow and sighing are fled away. Sin and curse are gone, and "THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH."

The city of God descends; the tabernacle of God is with men. The jubal trump proclaims a sweet release, and the long ages of sinless, deathless, tearless, sorrowless rapture, unfold their brightening vistas before the vision of the ransomed saints of God.

Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously, and every creature in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, shall praise the Lamb who died for us. The ages of bondage and woe are past forever. The yoke of slavery is broken. The fire of God's wrath has devoured his foes. And they shall no more arise to afflict and oppress his saints. The woes and sorrows of a weary world are forever past and gone, and the day of rest and blissfulness has come.

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

"Oh, long expected day begin, Dawn on this world of woe and sin! With joy we tread the sacred road That leads to rest, to rest with God." —The Christian.