WHAT is the resurrection of Judgement?
First let us make clear what the resurrection of judgement IS NOT, it is not what is commonly taught and believed in the professing church, a resurrection of damnation as is incorrectly translated in our common bibles. It is the professing church, the church nominal who preach the resurrection of damnation, that is according to their belief the dead will rise from the grave (this rising from the grave itself they believe to be the resurrection) some will be judged worthy of life and go to heaven, and some will be judged dammed and will go to hell (to them a place of endless torment in one form or another). They each have different ideas as to what happens to the rest (those not worthy of heaven, but neither of hell). From this alone we can see that the professing church has very little understanding of both the word “resurrection” and its true implications and the word “judgement”.
So what then is the resurrection of judgement?
As we learned from our previous posts the word “resurrection” implies much more than simply the awakening from the state of death, but includes a full recovery, a full and complete raising up again to all that was lost; not merely a partial raising (or temporary resuscitation of life), to a part of what was lost, but a full raising again, clear up to that position and condition of perfect manhood, mentally, morally and physically, which father Adam once had prior to his
The term “judgment” signifies more than simply rendering a verdict. It includes the idea of a trial (period) and a decision based on that trial. This is true of the English word “judgment” and also the original Greek word translated as “judgment”.
WHEN does it take place, and WHO will participate?
The Scriptures speak of a great judgment or trial day in the future and show that all mankind will have their complete trial and final sentence in that day. The term “day” signifies a definite period of time. For example, we speak of “in Washington’s day” and in Scriptures we have the “day of salvation” or the “day of trouble”, etc. all of which encompassed much more than one literal day.
The scriptures also teach there have been other judgment days in which certain elect classes have been on trial.
The first great judgment (trial and sentence) was at the beginning, in Eden, when the whole human race (as represented in Adam) stood on trial before God. The result of the trial was a guilty verdict; disobedient, unworthy of life. The penalty was death. The Jewish Age was another Judgment Day in which the class spoken of in the Bible as “the house of servants” was tried and judged.
The Gospel Age is another Judgment Day in which the Church was tried, judged, and sentenced as either worthy or unworthy of being “joint heirs with Christ”.
At the time of the resurrection of judgement, all of mankind will be tried again. This time it will be individually. Each will be judged worthy or unworthy of eternal human life on earth. The sentence of those judged worthy will be:
“Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt 25:34)
And to the unworthy it will be complete destruction in the second death:
“Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt 25:41)
WHY is it necessary, more particularly why must it take place?
It is necessary because until an individual has been restored to perfection he has no hope of passing the final test in his fallen condition. Christ has proven once and for all that only a perfect man with knowledge (experience in the case of mankind) of both good and evil is capable of upholding the law, and thus overcoming.
"By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many." (Isa 53:11) It was from lack of knowledge of God that the first Adam in his perfection was weak.
HOW will the resurrection of judgement be accomplished, that is how will it be carried out, is there some order to it, and WHERE does it take place, is it localized or is it worldwide?
In our next post we will address the second part of this question first as this is easily attested to by the scriptures themselves, whereas the first part concerning the “how” is a bit more speculative in nature and will require a bit more study.
