The Resurrection of the Good and Bad and the Day of Judgement
The resurrection of the righteous and wicked is mentioned by Christ at John 5:28-29 and by the prophet Daniel at Daniel 12:2.
To see about the state of the dead see: The Soul and Spirit
If we go by the surrounding timeline of events in Daniel, the resurrection happens after the standing up of Michael (Many believe that Michael is Jesus (Yeshua)) and the destruction of the king of the north. This is a time when the knowledge of Yahweh becomes abundant. This would also correlate to after the destruction of the opposers of God’s (Yahweh’s) incoming kingdom rule, as mentioned in Revelation 19:11-21, Daniel 2, and Psalms 2. See What happens with Jesus’ coming?
It is important to remember that Yahweh doesn’t delight in the destruction of the wicked, as mentioned in Ezekiel 18. He desires the bad to turn to doing good – To be saved. This appears to be a primary reason for those asleep in death, to be brought back to life – To learn about Yahweh and turn around to doing good. The good will naturally receive rewards, as the end of Daniel (Daniel 12:13) shows us by what is told to Daniel.
Interestingly, Isaiah 65 indicates that someone could be 100 years old yet appear as a child and Revelation 21 shows how previous death is done away with upon the arrival of God’s kingdom.
Regarding those resurrected who choose a wicked course over a righteous one, it appears that if they do not die during Christ’s day of Judgement, they probably will at the end of the 1,000 years with a final test as mentioned in Revelation 20:7-10. There’s no resurrection from that type of death as symbolized in Revelation as a lake of fire. The devil and his angels are tormented by knowing that their future will be permanent destruction, as symbolized by the lake of fire, and are doing everything in their power to drag humanity down with them.
There should be no fear for a truly righteous one to think that they would turn to practicing evil and lose Yahweh’s favor. So much is based upon the heart condition. One will follow their true heart. This will be evident in one’s actions over a course of time. There’s tremendous wisdom in Jesus’ simple yet strong words to love God and neighbor at Matthew 22:37-39.
21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires.
26 For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself. 27 He also gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man.
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he spoke of the temple of his body.
17 Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, Isaiah 53:7-8 that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”
This is an interesting passage. Apparently, Christ had the authority to raise himself. But the command from him had to come before he died. The dead are “asleep, unconscious.” How long before Lazarus came back to life did Christ have to say the words? The power to raise the dead seems to be not restricted by time of command.
23 how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”
21 “But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die. 22 None of his transgressions that he has committed will be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done, he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” says the Lord Yahweh; “and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?
28 Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice, 29 and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.
45 He will plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
12 “At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there will be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. At that time your people will be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine as the brightness of the expanse. Those who turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many will run back and forth, and knowledge will be increased.”
13 “But go your way until the end; for you will rest, and will stand in your inheritance at the end of the days.”
20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.
2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.”
7 And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up over the width of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God and devoured them. 10 The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’(Deuteronomy 6:5) 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’(Leviticus 19:18)
In several passages, Jesus explicitly affirms His belief in the resurrection of the dead. Here are a few key examples:
- John 11:25-26 – Jesus says to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” This statement shows that Jesus identifies Himself as the source of resurrection and eternal life.
- Luke 20:37-38 – When questioned by the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, Jesus responds by referencing Moses at the burning bush, saying, “But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” Jesus affirms here that the patriarchs, though dead, are alive to God, indicating the reality of resurrection.
- Matthew 16:21 – Jesus predicts His own death and resurrection: “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things… and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” This statement reflects His belief in both His personal resurrection and the general concept of resurrection.
- Matthew 22:31-32 – In a similar exchange with the Sadducees, Jesus says, “But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” Again, Jesus affirms the resurrection by stating that God is a God of the living.
These passages collectively show that Christ not only believed in the resurrection but taught it as a central aspect of His message.
Christ speaks of Judgment Day in several key passages throughout the Gospels, indicating that He believes in it as a future event where all will be judged according to their deeds. Here are some notable instances:
- Matthew 25:31-46 – The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats is one of the clearest examples. Jesus describes the final judgment when He, as the Son of Man, will return in His glory: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats…” This passage goes on to describe how people will be judged based on their actions, particularly in how they treated “the least of these,” with eternal life for the righteous and eternal punishment for the wicked.
- John 5:28-29 – Jesus teaches about the resurrection and judgment, saying: “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.” This passage clearly shows Jesus’ belief in a day of judgment where all people will be raised from the dead and judged.
- Matthew 12:36-37 – Jesus speaks of a day of accountability, saying: “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Here, Christ directly refers to a “day of judgment” where even people’s words will be evaluated.
- Matthew 13:40-43 – In the Parable of the Weeds, Jesus describes how at the end of the age, the wicked will be separated from the righteous: “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil… Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.“
- Matthew 16:27 – Jesus says: “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” This statement highlights that judgment will be based on one’s actions, and it will occur when Christ returns in glory.
These passages demonstrate that Jesus not only believed in Judgment Day but also consistently taught about it as a future event where all would be held accountable for their deeds.
Judgement day and the resurrection go together.
Christ makes a strong comparison between the religious leaders of His day and the people of Sodom when speaking of the Day of Judgment. This occurs in Matthew 11:23-24 and Luke 10:12-15, where Jesus rebukes cities that rejected His message despite witnessing His miracles.
Here is the relevant passage:
- Matthew 11:23-24 – Jesus is speaking to the unrepentant cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum:
- “And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.“
- Luke 10:12-14 – Jesus speaks similarly in this passage, addressing the rejection of His message:
- “I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.“
In these verses, Jesus condemns the cities and their religious leaders for their lack of repentance despite witnessing His miracles and hearing His teachings. He declares that the notoriously wicked city of Sodom, which was destroyed for its sins, will fare better on the Day of Judgment than those who rejected Him, emphasizing the gravity of rejecting the message of salvation.
The comparison highlights that accountability is greater for those who have been given more light (i.e., the miracles and teachings of Jesus) and still refuse to repent.
In addition to comparing the unrepentant cities to Sodom, Jesus made several other striking comparisons regarding those who did not recognize His miracles and teachings. He often highlighted the seriousness of rejecting the revelation they had been given. Here are some of the key comparisons:
- Comparison to Tyre and Sidon
- Matthew 11:21-22 and Luke 10:13-14:
- Jesus rebukes the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida for not repenting after witnessing His miracles:
- “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.“
- Tyre and Sidon were ancient Gentile cities known for their wickedness, yet Jesus says they would have repented if they had seen the miracles He performed. This underscores the greater responsibility of the people in Chorazin and Bethsaida for their failure to respond to the signs they had been given.
- Jesus rebukes the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida for not repenting after witnessing His miracles:
- Comparison to Nineveh
- Matthew 12:41 and Luke 11:32:
- Jesus compares His generation to Nineveh, a notoriously sinful city that repented at the preaching of Jonah:
- “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.“
- Nineveh repented when Jonah preached to them, despite only hearing a simple message of impending judgment. In contrast, the people of Jesus’ time had witnessed His miracles and heard His teaching firsthand, yet many still refused to repent. Jesus points out the greater responsibility they had because of the greater revelation they had received.
- Jesus compares His generation to Nineveh, a notoriously sinful city that repented at the preaching of Jonah:
- Comparison to the Queen of the South (Queen of Sheba)
- Matthew 12:42 and Luke 11:31:
- Jesus references the Queen of the South, or the Queen of Sheba, who traveled from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon:
- “The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.“
- The Queen of Sheba made a long journey to hear Solomon’s wisdom, yet the people of Jesus’ time, who had direct access to someone “greater than Solomon” (Jesus Himself), did not recognize or accept Him. Jesus uses this comparison to show how much more responsible they were for their unbelief.
- Jesus references the Queen of the South, or the Queen of Sheba, who traveled from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon:
- Comparison to Lot’s Wife
- Luke 17:28-32:
- Jesus compares the generation of His time to Lot’s wife and the people of Sodom:
- “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all… Remember Lot’s wife!“
- Here, Jesus warns against the complacency and lack of awareness of God’s coming judgment. He uses the example of Lot’s wife, who looked back at Sodom longingly and was turned into a pillar of salt, to warn His hearers not to be attached to the things of this world and to recognize the signs of His coming.
- Jesus compares the generation of His time to Lot’s wife and the people of Sodom:
- Comparison to Capernaum
- Matthew 11:23-24:
- Jesus also singles out Capernaum, the city where many of His miracles took place:
- “And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.“
- Jesus emphasizes that even Sodom, infamous for its wickedness, would have repented had it seen the miracles performed in Capernaum. This shows the heightened guilt of those in Capernaum for their refusal to acknowledge Jesus’ miraculous works and message.
- Jesus also singles out Capernaum, the city where many of His miracles took place:
In these comparisons, Jesus underscores the seriousness of rejecting Him, especially in light of the extraordinary miracles and teachings He performed. Those who had greater exposure to His works and message bore a heavier responsibility, and their judgment would be more severe than that of historically sinful cities and people.
This day of Judgement is real just as the resurrection is real.