For the first 26 years of my life, I did not give much thought to the distant future. I didn’t give much thought to death and dying! It did seem a little strange that everyone went to heaven. I never heard a funeral in which the minister said, “This guy has gone to hell”—no matter how loathsome his reputation.
I gave no more than a passing thought to the billions of people who know nothing about Christ. They were pagans and Christianity had condemned them to hell. It seems every religion condemns everyone else to hell!

What’s all this about resurrections?

As I began to study the Bible, I was enthralled with the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to which over 500 people bore witness (1 Corinthians 15:6). But that wasn’t the only resurrection I discovered. I found scriptures about the “better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35)—the “first resurrection” (Revelation 20:5). In fact I was surprised to find the concept of “resurrection” tied to everything the Bible says about our afterlife.

I found scriptures telling of the resurrection of the whole nation of Israel—people who had not followed God’s ways and were in fact cut off from God (Ezekiel 37). Romans 11:26 tells us that all Israel will be saved—that is a future event, since most of Israel caused God such grief that He divorced Himself from the nation (Isaiah 50:1).

Most Christians believe that God is fair and just, but they can’t really answer the question, What happens to those who die never having learned about Christ? God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). It follows that since God is perfectly just, fair and reliable, He will not allow anyone to be condemned who has not had a full and complete chance to be saved. All humans must have a chance to receive eternal life.

No chance?

Most of mankind has not known God or Jesus Christ and has had no chance whatever to be saved. That is the only conclusion one can reach. Pagans have no chance, babies have no chance, mentally infirm people have no chance, the ignorant have no chance, those born into evil have no chance and so on. The list just grows.

Most of mankind has never had a chance to repent and accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which is the only way one receives eternal life (Acts 4:12). Wow! This was big stuff! With an Almighty God—One who is seated on the throne of mercy and One who loves the whole world—it cannot be permitted that people who never had a chance should be relegated to no future.

The Scriptures help us to understand that there will be a resurrection to physical life of all those who never had a chance. They must have a chance that is perfectly equivalent to all those who have their names written in the Book of Life. Skin color, geographic location, language, culture—all do not, and cannot, matter.

What a delight to understand that the dead who are not in the first resurrection will live and will know the truth! God will open their graves and then their minds, and they will understand (John 5:24-29). Not a great deal is written about this momentous event, but God’s fairness would be contradicted if humans were relegated to “hell” without ever being able to make a choice. Satan is God’s adversary and he would like humans to think God is unfair and unjust.

The Bible teaches that there is no work, device, knowledge or wisdom in the grave where we all go (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10). Our thoughts perish. Those who have died “in Christ” will be raised in the first resurrection that takes place at His second coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This is a resurrection with a new body composed of spirit that never dies (1 Corinthians 15:50-55).
All who have not died “in Christ” and who have never been called by God and never received a chance to be converted must be resurrected and then be given that chance. This can be called the second resurrection since it is not the first, but another. This resurrection is to physical life to allow humans to be reeducated in the way of God. This resurrection comes after Jesus Christ has ruled the earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:5).

The books of the Bible will be opened to their understanding, and they will be given time to live what they have learned and to be judged “by the things which were written in the books” (Revelation 20:12). The Book of Life will also be opened to allow new names to be written in it.

The second death

The second death is mentioned in Revelation 20:6, 14-15. This death is reserved for people who have been offered the sacrifice of Christ to cover their sins, but who have then rejected that offering. Hebrews 6:4-6 tells us about the result of finally rejecting God’s loving offer. God will only grant eternal life to those whom He has tested and who have proven to be faithful to Him and His will. Until humans prove that to God, they cannot be given eternal life. God will not have another Satan on His hands.

This is a logical and loving solution and conclusion to God’s efforts. Only people who have been given a full chance and who have failed by their own choice will be in the second death. This is an act of supreme love and mercy on God’s part.

Surely there will be very few people who will turn away from this wonderful work God will do. The vast majority of mankind who have died in their sins will wake up, be reeducated, understand the purpose of life and the purpose of Jesus Christ and repent and be baptized. This will be the great harvest that is reflected in God’s Holy Days and that the Bible talks about (Matthew 13:36-43).

There is still time, while you draw breath, to be part of the first resurrection—the better resurrection. You can know and you can join the throng that is walking with Christ. Request our free booklets, What Happens After Death? and God’s Holy Day Plan—The Promise of Hope for All Mankind. You will come to a greater love and appreciation of our Great Creator. He is just, fair, loving and perfect in every way.

What a delightful and exciting plan! Truly God is most wonderful. He is worthy of honor, praise and worship for all eternity.