NOT long since, with a friend, I visited a most beautiful and for many years, widely celebrated cemetery where are lying thousands of sleeping ones, —some beneath imposing shifts of granite or marble, thus perpetuating the memory of those loved and honored here, while others with but a simple marble slab, are already forgotten and passed by unnoticed, by the throng. Alas! death has brought all to one common level.
“The paths of glory, lead but to the grave,” and all are alike, awaiting resurrection.
But there are two distinct resurrections, —one is for the just, the other for the unjust.
The resurrection of the just, takes place at least, one thousand years preceding the resurrection of the unjust: 1. Thess. 4:16,17: “For 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 rain 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.”
Rev. 20:4-64And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed 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. (Revelation 20:4‑6): “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
“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.”
After the resurrection of the just, many of those graves, which are now filled, will then be vacant; for all those sleeping saints, now occupying them, will then, have answered to the trump of God and assembling shout and will be gathered around the Lamb, in glory. But thousands of graves, will still be filled; for one thousand years, the wicked dead—those who have not put faith in the blood of Jesus—will lie there, awaiting their solemn doom, at the end of which time, they will be raised—solemn, solemn thought—to meet a holy, holy God, to undergo righteous and eternal judgment.
Rev. 21:88But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8): “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Dear reader, should the Lord call you from earth—if you should be called today—would it be with you “absent from the body, present with the Lord,” or would it be “the blackness of darkness forever?”
For the believer—one who knows Jesus as a present and eternal Saviour—death hath no terror: but for those who are strangers to the love of God and work of Christ, it is the portal through which they pass, into outer darkness. Jesus has died; on that aul cross, He sustained the judgment of God against sin. God accepted that work, raised Him from the dead and placed Him in glory, a living Saviour.
If you would know the resurrection of the just and not of the unjust—if you would know the resurrection of life and not of judgment, receive Jesus, receive Him now; for “as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” C. R. B.
ML 07/23/1899