Final State

Dan. 12:2 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.

John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 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.

Acts 24:15 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.

The author was once confronted with these verses as an argument against the resurrection of the wicked. His reply took the form of the present treatment. Frankly, if he had believed in a general resurrection, he would have been wholly at loss for an answer to the argument.

Revevelation 20:5, 6 speaks of the "first" resurrection, in which only the righteous participate. Our opponents, of course, as already noted, seek to rob these verses of their manifest meaning. But let it be noted that our interpretation of them fits in exactly with the simple meaning of other passages already cited, while our opponents must try to explain the verses away with no specific scriptural support.

Rev. 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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.

The presence of the book of life at this judgment gives no evidence whatsoever that any written therein will be there. It will be there as evidence that the wicked have not their names there.

Again we may cite Malachi 3:1-5 as referring to both advents of Christ, notwithstanding their separation as to time. As John A. Broadus aptly says, the purification mentioned in these verses "does not simply mean that He would purify individuals by consuming what was faulty in them, but Malachi 4;1-3 shows it to mean that he would purify the nation by consuming the wicked individuals like ‘stubble,’ and then the truly righteous of the nation would rejoice and prosper." Thus the passage cannot be applied wholly to Christ’s first advent. Furthermore, in Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist associated baptism "in the Holy Spirit and in fire," where the next verse shows that the baptism in fire does not allude to the tongues of fire on the Day of Pentecost, but to the fire of judgment. Thus again two things separated by centuries are mentioned together as though they would occur at the same time.

Alvah Hovey remarks very fairly concerning these verses: "Whether the resurrection of the two classes here mentioned will take place at the same time, or at different times, is not made perfectly certain by this language; but if there is nothing elsewhere in the New Testament inconsistent with the view that the resurrection of both will be at the same time, this is, certainly, the most obvious interpretation of the language here used." We agree; but we insist, and believe we have shown, that there is that in the New Testament that is inconsistent with a general resurrection.

In the light of other such instances of association, no argument can be found here against our position as to the temporal separation of the two phases of the second advent. This association becomes even more natural, if, as we believe, the first resurrection is a continuous one, beginning with the appearance of Christ in the air and continuing as saints die throughout the great tribulation and on through the millennium. Note in Revelation 11:11 the resurrection of the two witnesses after three days. Note also, as already pointed out, that none of the righteous will be found in Hades at the time of the resurrection of the wicked. Revelation 20:14.

The only sensible view is that these brethren of Christ are believing Jews, who will preach the gospel during the great tribulation period. Under the beast none can befriend these Jewish missionaries except at the risk of death, and none dare to do it except believers. Thus it will be possible to make an infallible separation on this basis; not that good treatment of the Jews is that which will save the Gentiles, but rather that which will indicate that they are saved. The sheep here are those who are to be saved during the great tribulation. This judgment is manifestly of nations as individuals and not in the aggregate. A nation as such, apart from the individuals that compose it, cannot be cast into "everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (vs. 41). For Old Testament reference to this judgment see Joel 3:2,11-14.

In Matt. 25:31-46—	In Rev. 20:11-15—
1. None are mentioned except the living.	1. None are mentioned except the resurrected dead.
2. The judgment is explicitly connected with the second coming of Christ.	2. No mention is made of the second coming of Christ in immediate connection with the judgment.
3. There is no hint of the millennium, nor even any perceptible place for a millennium of righteousness preceding this judgment.	3. It is definitely stated that the judgment comes at the end of the "little season" during which Satan is loosed after the millennium.
4. Nothing is said about the judgment of Satan.	4. The judgment and perdition of Satan are clearly revealed.
5. The basis of judgment is the treatment accorded Christ’s brethren.	5. No mention is made of the brethren of Christ.
6. Two classes are distinguished, sheep and goats—saved and lost.	6. No mention is made of any except those cast into the lake of fire.

Furthermore, we find the beast and false prophet are already in the lake of fire before this judgment begins. Our opponents have no explanation of this fact, since the beast (being manifestly the same as the man of sin) is to be destroyed at the second coming of Christ. If this judgment occurs at the second coming of Christ, how account for the fact that the beast and false prophet are already in the lake of fire?

Note in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 how Paul uses "we" in connection with the appearing of Christ. The words, "the time of the dead that they should be judged," in Revelation 11:18 do not mean that the wicked dead will be resurrected and judged at the time referred to. This verse finds its simple explanation in Revelation 6:10, where the souls of martyrs under the altar cry, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not JUDGE AND AVENGE OUR BLOOD ON THEM THAT DWELL ON THE EARTH." The slain martyrs are at this time to be judged in the sense of being vindicated in the wrath of God upon the nations of the earth.

But neither these passages, nor any others, teach that all these are to be judged at the same time and in the same manner.

We have dealt with this judgment already. It is to come, according to this passage, at the appearing of Christ—the first phase of His coming.

This passage, in substance, is parallel with Isaiah 24:17-22; 26:20, 21; 34:1, 2; 66:15, 16, 24; Zechariah 14:12-15; Matthew 25:41-46; 2 Peter 3:7. This destruction will take place in connection with the battle of Armageddon. But there is here no annihilation. This is plain from Isaiah 24:22 and 66:24.

Thus the "second death" no more implies non-existence than does the sinner’s present state of spiritual death. Mark 9:48, 49 shows clearly that the wicked in Gehenna retain conscious existence. "Salted with fire" may mean that the fire will have a preserving quality like salt.

Finally, the fact that there are to be degrees of punishment, because of which it will be "more tolerable" for some than for others (Matt. 11:20-24), shows that the final punishment of the sinner is not annihilation; for in such a case all sinners would suffer the same penalty, and it would be nonsense to speak of annihilation as being more tolerable for some than for others.

Perhaps "glory" is the one word that best describes the eternal bliss of the righteous. See Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Colossians 1:27; Hebrews 2:10; 1 Peter 5:1. This glory will consist of being "glorified together" with Christ, sharing equally with Him all His acquired glory, that is, the glory that will accrue to Him because of His obedience here on earth and His redemptive work. We are joint-heirs with Him to this glory. See Romans 8:17.

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