There is one thing that is impossible for God to do. What is it? Lie. Notice what Hebrews 6:18 says of him:
God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, cannot lie either. Of himself Jesus says at John 14:6:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus is the truth. That is, all that he speaks – as The Word of God – is from the God in which it is impossible for Him to lie.
So when Jesus makes the statement at John 5:28-29, we can rest assured that it is a truthful one. What did Jesus say?
Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
Jesus said a time is coming when ALL who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out.
Jesus did not say only those who claim they are his followers would be the ones coming out of their graves. Neither did he say that those who belong to some religious organization would be the only ones coming out of their graves. In fact, Jesus made no distinction; he said all would hear his voice and come out.
Looking At Examples of Those Jesus Resurrected
Many religious organizations within Christendom teach that if one does not accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they will be punished in an eternal hellfire. Other religious organizations claiming to be outside of Christendom teach that unless a person comes into God’s Earthly Organization – The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society – they will lose their lives. In fact, if they do not remain within the organization, they will lose their lives. Well, that simply does not fit in with what Jesus said at John 5:28-29. A brief look at who Jesus resurrected in his day will share light on the subject.
In Scripture we have the examples of Jesus’ friend Lazarus and the daughter of a synagogue leader. (Luke 11:5-15 and Luke 8:49-56)
While we are not certain if Lazarus was a follower of Christ, the daughter of the Synagogue leader definitely was not. Yet, Jesus resurrected her. Notice Matthew 9:18, 23-26:
While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
The Example of a Condemned Man
Another example of a resurrection for non-followers is seen in a promise given to a man who was about to die in the same hour as Jesus. This example is of a condemned man (an evildoer) who Jesus made a promise that he would be with him in paradise. This man was an evildoer and was never taught by Christ or baptized in “the way.” Plus, this man makes the statement “If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us.” This shows that this man was not a follower of Christ because if he was a follower, he would have known who Jesus was. Yet, Jesus promised this man he would be with him one day in paradise. Notice how Luke 23:39-43 reads and notice why Jesus made this promise to an evildoer.
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
The condemned man acknowledges that he and the other are deserving of their punishment; and goes on to say that Jesus had done nothing deserving of such a sentence to death. This man recognized that Jesus was indeed the Christ and that Jesus would have a future paradise. He asked Jesus to remember him. The keyword here is remember. Why would this condemned man ask Jesus to remember him? Because of the promise Jesus made at John 5:28-29:
Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
Remember him when the future great resurrection of all of mankind would occur.
It should be noted in Luke 23:39-43 a comma was misplaced. Jesus was not telling that condemned man that he would be with him in some heavenly paradise. Neither was Jesus telling this man that he would be with him on that very same say. That would not have been possible because when Jesus died he spend three days in his tomb and when his heavenly Father resurrected him after the three days Jesus did not ascend into heaven for another 50 days after that. Additionally, the condemned man would not have gone into heaven before Jesus either as Scripture at John 3:13 states:
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
So, what Jesus promised this man would be something yet future. What? The promised Great Resurrection of all of the dead. When would that resurrection be?
When Will The Promised Great Resurrection Be?
Since it has already been established that what Jesus promised a non-follower could not have occurred on the very same day of his death, it would have to occur when Jesus would set up his kingdom. Was this not what the condemned man asked of Jesus and was it not what Jesus promised him?
The error that those within Christendom and those claiming to be outside of it have made is that they make God’s Kingdom and Jesus’ Kingdom the same thing. God’s kingdom, which Jesus taught us to pray for will be an everlasting or indefinite kingdom. Jesus’ kingdom, on the other hand, has a definite time span assigned to it. In other words, Jesus’ kingdom has a beginning and an ending. How do we know this. Consider what is written about Jesus’ kingdom at Revelation 20:6:
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.
Notice the length given for Jesus’ kingdom: One thousand years.
A close examination of Luke 23:39-43 has the condemned man asking Jesus to remember him when he (Jesus) comes into his kingdom and Jesus responding to that man with the word “paradise.” This tells us that Jesus’ future 1000 year kingdom is the same as the paradise Jesus promised the man he would be in with Jesus.
This teaches us when The Great Resurrection of all of the dead will occur: It occurs when Jesus 1000 year kingdom starts. A close examination of Revelation 20:6 associates a first resurrection with that 1000 year kingdom. Jesus was promising that condemned man – who is in his grave to this day – that when he is installed as king over the earth for the 1000 years, it would be at that time that he would resurrect him – along with the rest of dead mankind – from the dead and he would be with him in his paradise or kingdom. That kingdom and event is far into the future. Something that many will find difficult to bear must occur first before Jesus’ 1000 year kingdom is established and he begins the resurrection. What?
All of Mankind Must Die
The Christian religious system teaches everlasting life in heaven for the faithful and everlasting punishment in a hellfire for the unfaithful. Other elements within Christianity teach that millions living today will never die. That is, they will live to see Christs coming and enter into God’s everlasting Kingdom. None of the aforementioned are Scriptural and true.
The idea that the faithful go to heaven and live in heavenly bliss forever and that the unfaithful are punished for all eternity in a hellfire dismisses the very teaching of a resurrection and the need for God’s kingdom to “come” to the earth. If the faithful are in heaven and the unfaithful are in an eternal hellfire, who will be on earth for Jesus to resurrect? Did he not promise a resurrection of all from their graves? Who will be on earth for Jesus to have a 1000 year kingdom over?
The idea that many living today will never die is the same lie Satan told the woman Eve. Satan told her that if she ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad, that she would not die. God told Adam otherwise. God told Adam that eating from that tree would bring death not only to him, but also to his offspring. Do we not all grow old, get sick, and die?
Adam’s disobedience brought the curse of death upon all of mankind. No where in Scripture do we see that curse lifted. Jesus’ arrival on the scene more than 2000 years ago did not lift that curse. Mankind continues to grow old, get sick, and die. Jesus simply made a way out for dying mankind. Jesus death made it so that should a person – born from Adam, die – would have a resurrection.
It is not possible to see God’s Kingdom unless one born of Adam dies first and is then resurrected. This can be seen in the discussion Jesus had with the Pharisee Nicodemus at John 3:3:
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus did not understand that Jesus was referring to being born again from the dead. Neither has what men call Christianity come to understand this. They reduce Jesus’ words down to making accepting him as Lord and Savior as being born again. This is not stated in Scripture. The “born-again” Jesus was referring to was a person being resurrected – brought back to life again – from the dead.
That resurrection (born again), would make it possible for a person to be able to see God’s kingdom. Jesus did not say that upon being resurrected that one would be in God’s kingdom, he said they would be able to see it’s coming from afar. Jesus’ 1000 year kingdom would lead all of resurrected mankind to God. In other words, the purpose of Jesus’ 1000 year kingdom is to restore mankind to his creator.
Jesus’ 1000 year kingdom is not God’s kingdom. When Jesus’ kingdom ends and mankind has been restored to his Creator, Satan is then released from his prison to establish a beastly system of rulership on earth vacated by Jesus’s kingdom that will have ended. Satan’s kingdom will mislead many among restored mankind in those future away from their Creator. Yet, after Satan’s beastly kingdom is put down and Satan is destroyed, do we see God’s Kingdom coming down. (Revelation Chapter 21)
Before all in their graves can be resurrected, all alive must die. There is no way around this. If Jesus died, all must die. Jesus purchased all of mankind with his death (spilled blood) and Jesus is mankind’s owner and Head. (1 Cor 11:3) No one is greater than his master. Therefore, no human can “not die” and have an experience different than Jesus. If he died, we all must die to. There is no escape from death in some rapture or concept of never having to die. Death must come to all so that all may be resurrected with new bodies suitable for entry into God’s kingdom. Those new bodies are the ones Jesus will prepare in his 1000 year kingdom that will enable one to enter into God’s kingdom after his ends.
Notice how this “born again” experience (the resurrection) is described by the Apostle Paul at 1 Corinthians 15:42:
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
When the dead are resurrected, they leave behind the corrupted body inherited from Adam. The Great Resurrection of the dead gives man a new incorrupted body; one that has no inherited sin in it and one that does not grow old and die.
What is important to grasp is that these incorrupted persons can still disobey God and corrupt these new bodies. Instead of Adam introducing the sin, it will be themselves corrupting their own bodies and making them sinful and objects to a “Second Death.”
Yet, Jesus 1000 year kingdom is a 1000 year period of grace. Jesus knows that the persons resurrected will bring with them bad personality traits that will cause them to corrupt their own new bodies. These will be forgiven during the 1000 year rule of Christ.
Since Christs 1000 year rule is for the purpose of restoring resurrected mankind to his Creator, Jesus is their teacher and will teach righteousness. Thus, after the 1000 year rule of Christ ends, resurrected mankind will have matured to something quite awesome to behold. He will be a new creature; unlike what we see in mankind today.
The ending of Christs 1000 year rule ends his role as mankind’s mediator between man and God. The new man in those days will be as Adam, a creature who stood before his God without the need of an intermediary.
Incidentally, Satan will be locked up during that 1000 year rule of Christ and will not be able to interfere with Jesus’ restoration work.
As it stands at present, the authoritative religious systems have a tight hold on what persons are to believe. They have effectively prevented what is written here from being understood. One should not be surprised at this because Satan stood up these religious systems for that very purpose.
In another article I will go deeper into what the First Resurrection is and who are the ones in it as well as the Second Resurrection and who are it’s partakers.
Neither God or his Christ established what men call Christianity. Jesus made no call for such a thing to be established and called such. If so, he would have established it when he was on earth and he would have directed his followers to call it Christianity. Jesus never did that. Instead his calling is stated at John 8:31-32:
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
That’s it. Jesus call was to discipleship to himself, not to membership in man-made organizations that claim to speak for him.
These words are faithful and true.
Written by one who is not a Christian, but by one who is a disciple of Christ.
