Everyone will be raised up from the dead one day, but not everyone will share the same

destiny. Daniel 12:2 summarizes the two very different fates facing mankind: “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.” The resurrection of the dead is one of the
foundational doctrines of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:13-14; Hebrews 6:1-3). Whether
you arise in the First or Second Resurrection depends now how you respond to the grace
of God. If by faith and obedience to His word, then well. But if by disbelief and
continued rebellion, then woe unto you.
The First Resurrection
1. Involves witnesses of Jesus. "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment
was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of
Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his
image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they
lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Revelations 20:4)
2. Will occur before the Millennium. (Revelations 20:4)
3. "And they lived and reigned." (Revelations 20:4)
4. Judged. (Revelations 20:4)
5. Became priests and rulers with God and Christ. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part
in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests
of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Revelations 20:6)
6. God's sons. "He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he
shall be my son." (Revelation 21:7)
7. Over them the second death has no power. (Revelation 20:6)
8. Enjoy eternal life. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal." (Matthew 25:46)
9. Happy and holy. (Revelation 20:6)
The Second Resurrection
1. Involves those deceived by Satan and unbelievers. "And shall go out to deceive the
nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them
together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. But the fearful, and
unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whore mongers, and sorcerers, and
idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelations 20:8; 21:8)
2. Will occur after the Millennium. "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." (Revelations 20:12)
3. The dead. (Revelations 20:12)
4. Judged. "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered
up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their
works." (Revelations 20:13)
5. Tormented night and day. "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be
tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence
of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they
have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever
receiveth the mark of his name." (Revelations 14:10-11)
6. There was no place for them. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it,
from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for
them." (Revelations 20:11)
7. Cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death. "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." (Revelations 20:14-15)
8. Suffer everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:46)
9. Weeping and gnashing of teeth. "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer
darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 25:40)
Avoid the Second Resurrection by all means possible by calling upon the only saving
name of the Lord Jesus in all things. "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized,
and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Neither is there salvation in any
other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God and the Father by him." (Acts 22:16; Acts 4:12; Colossians 3:17)