Introduction
The Bible teaches that the two resurrections that will occur at Jesus’ return will divide humanity into the saved and the damned, but are these the only groups that will be resurrected? When exactly will each resurrection occur? And who will be part of each? As we explore the Scriptures, we will see surprising details about these events and a little-known revelation that shows that some people will have a different fate than expected.
Different Resurrections
The Bible presents different resurrections . Many of us long to be part of the first resurrection, which will be attended by all those who will be saved and live forever. The apostle Paul tells us that this event will occur at the return of Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 – “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ will rise first.“
At that time, Christ will resurrect all the righteous to live eternally with Him. They will reign with Him for a thousand years (Revelation 20:5), and after that time, God will carry out the great judgment, where all the remaining people who have been lost will be resurrected to receive their due condemnation (Revelation 20:14-15).
Only Two Groups
The Bible divides the people who will be resurrected into two general groups. The first would be the resurrection of the righteous , which will occur at the second coming of Jesus, and the second group , the resurrection of the wicked , which will occur after the thousand years.
However, there are some exceptions that deviate a little from these two great events, and I would like to present one of these exceptions regarding the group of wicked people who should be part of the second resurrection, that is, the one that will occur after the thousand years.
Shortly before His death, when the high priest questioned Him to find out if He was indeed the Messiah, Jesus responded with the following words:
Matthew 26:63-64 – “But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, ‘I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ Jesus said to him , ‘You have said it; but I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.’“
A Group Apart Along with the First Resurrection
Notice that, by Jesus’ words, the high priest who was condemning Him would also see Him “sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven“. Unlike the thief on the cross who showed repentance for his works, there is no indication in the Bible that this high priest repented of his works. He certainly will not be part of the group of the righteous who are saved . Yet, Jesus stated that he will see His return on the clouds of heaven, an event that will accompany the first resurrection. This leaves very strong evidence that there will be two resurrections that will occur at the return of Jesus.
Even Those Who Pierced Him
There is another text in the Bible on this subject, and it says the following:
Revelation 1:7 – “Behold, he cometh with the clouds ; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him : and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so. Amen.“
In the text above, speaking about the return of Jesus, it says that “every eye will see him“, including those that The “pierced“, that is, all the people who were involved in the crucifixion of Jesus will be resurrected to see what they did with the Son of God , and within this group will certainly be part of the high priest who confirmed the death of Christ.
The High Priest Will Also Be There
The high priest had questioned whether Jesus was indeed “the Christ, the Son of God” Jesus claimed to be the one, but already knowing the hardness of his heart, he assured him that he would also see “soon the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven“.
But as we read in Revelation 1:7, it will not be just the high priest who will be part of this resurrection. Many will be resurrected to see who He really was. Instead of wearing the crown of thorns that they placed on His head, they will see Him wearing a crown of glittering gold . They will know with their own eyes that they treated the King of kings as a mere sinner destined to die in shame.
This group will involve the entire Roman class , such as the soldiers who wounded Him , Herod who despised Him, Pontius Pilate who was cowardly in following justice, the Jews who condemned Him , the priests who planned His death, and all the others involved . All of these will be resurrected for a short time , for they will die with the glory of Christ . Then, God will resurrect them again after the millennium so that they will receive the due condemnation of their lives.
This resurrection is different from the two main ones . It is an interesting detail that the Bible presents to us and we do not always pay attention to these facts.
Conclusion
The Scriptures reveal to us that the two resurrections that will occur at Jesus’ return will determine the eternal destiny of all humanity. In addition, God will momentarily resurrect a specific group of people who participated in Christ’s crucifixion so that they may witness His glory. May the Spirit of God guide our lives to walk in the paths of righteousness, and through the blood of Christ, we may be part of the first resurrection.
May God bless the reader.
