“One of the greatest difficulties in believing that the Lord will return before the millennium, is that it involves a totally different interpretation of passages of Scripture, upon which have been based what may be called household truths of Christianity, such for instance as the general resurrection and the general judgment, apparently held by all Christians since the times of the apostles. Many passages speak of “the resurrection” without the least intimation that there will be more than one, or that any particular resurrection is meant, and Acts 24:15 refers to “a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust,” implying that both will be raised at one and the same time. As to the general judgment, many passages speak of “the judgment,” it is “appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). A special day is also appointed for this (Acts 17:31). The quick and the dead are also spoken of together as being judged (2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). Is not all this upset and the passages strained to mean something else, if our Lord will return before the millennium, and only a portion of the dead arise at His coming?”
Unhappily it is too true that the terms “general resurrection” and “general judgment” are become household doctrines with many Christians. It is strange, that it should be so, seeing that neither of the terms occurs in Scripture. It also shows how readily certain statements are received and held as truths without the least trouble being taken to see whether they are really taught in Scripture or not.
We can easily understand that in some places, as in Acts 24:15, the fact that all mankind will be raised again, may be alluded to, without there being any occasion to speak of whether all will be raised at one time or not; whereas of other passages the whole force would be lost if the distinction between the just and the unjust was not kept in view.
In the first place it should be noticed that in some passages the true translation is not “resurrection of the dead” but “out of” the dead; that is, some are raised from among the dead, leaving the rest of the dead still in their graves. Now if God has made this distinction in His Word — and He has — it has surely been done to teach us the difference. Unhappily this distinction is not sufficiently noticed in the Authorized Version (KJV), but it has been shown in other translations. The Authorized Version does translate in several places “from the dead,” but it has not been sufficiently noticed that this means something quite different from a resurrection of the dead.
If we think of the resurrection of our Lord, it must be manifest to all that His resurrection was a rising from among the dead, as we read in 1 Corinthians 15:12,20; and if the same expression is used for any of God’s people, it must surely mean the same. Take, for instance, our Lord’s declaration that those who will be raised from among the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage: they are the sons of God (Luke 20:33,36).
In Acts 4:1, 2, we read that the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees were grieved at Peter and John because they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection from among the dead.
John 5:29 speaks of two distinct resurrections, the resurrection of life, and the resurrection of damnation (judgment). And what can be plainer than what we read in Revelation 20? “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection.” “The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” What can be the meaning of there being a first resurrection if there is to be but one? And what can “the rest of the dead” mean unless some will have been raised previously?
This seemed so plain and positive that we were a little curious to see how it could be otherwise explained. A commentary thus speaks of it: “It is called the first resurrection in contradistinction from the second and last — the general resurrection — when all the dead will be literally raised up from their graves, and assembled for the judgment (Rev. 20:12). It is not necessary to suppose that what is called here the “first resurrection” will resemble the real and literal resurrection in every respect. All that is meant is, that there will be such a resemblance as to make it proper to call it a resurrection — a coming to life again. This will be, as explained in the notes to verse 4, in the honor done to the martyrs; in the restoration of their principles as the great actuating principles of the church; and perhaps in the increased happiness conferred on them in heaven, and in their being employed in promoting the cause of truth in the world. This may explain how the term “the general judgment” has become a household dogma among Christians; but is it not arrived at by the shameful frittering away of the plain meaning of Scripture? With such treatment, alas! the inspired Word may be made to mean almost anything. Surely this is the straining of Scripture, rather than taking it to mean simply what it says.
As to there being a general judgment, only a few passages need be referred to. By comparing Matthew 25:31-46 with Revelation 20:11-15, in both of which we have before us a sessional judgment, it will be seen that they cannot refer to the same. One speaks of the living only — the nations — the other, the dead only; one speaks of some being blessed, and some being cursed; the other, all are lost; one speaks only of a particular sin — the treatment of the Lord’s brethren; the other, of men’s general sins, as detailed in God’s book of remembrance. How can the two possibly refer to the same occasion? and how can either refer to a general judgment of all mankind?
The Christian will not stand to be judged with the unconverted. Our Lord declared that they should not come into judgment (John 5:24). They will be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, but not to be judged for their sins; for the Lord Himself will sit on the throne, and He bore the punishment for their sins, and put them away forever.
In all that we have been looking at there is nothing that in any way interferes with the coming of the Lord being the true and blessed hope of the Christian. Indeed, there is one passage that so links the resurrection of the righteous dead with the rapture of the living, that if taken in its plain signification would remove many a difficulty and would furnish the Christian with the brightest of prospects: “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
May this be the living hope of all God’s beloved people!
From Things New and Old, vol. 33.