Muslims do not believe that Jesus was the Son of God or that He was sacrificed for our sins, and the Bible is absolutely clear that salvation can only come through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). On the other hand, God is merciful and "not willing that any should perish" (2 Peter 3:9). It seems contrary to His goal to condemn over a billion Muslims to hell without giving them a real chance to choose salvation. God will judge Muslims and all people fairly, and the biblical teaching of the resurrections is the key to understanding how this will be accomplished.

God has a purpose in bringing all of these people, including Muslims, back to mortal life in the second resurrection.

Hebrews 6:1-2 identifies the "resurrection of the dead" as one of the foundational teachings of Jesus Christ, and Revelation 20:4-15 describes at least two different resurrections. In Revelation 20:4-6, Jesus revealed that a resurrection will occur immediately when He returns to the earth, which He calls the "first resurrection."

"Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:6, emphasis added throughout).

Anyone in this first resurrection will have eternal life, meaning that the "second death" will not affect them. Muslims cannot be a part of this first resurrection because they do not believe in Jesus as the Son of God and their Savior—but that does not mean that they are without hope! The concept of the second death is crucial to understanding the fate of Muslims in the second resurrection.

After the 1,000-year reign of Jesus with the resurrected saints, Revelation 20:11-15 states that everyone who has ever lived will be brought back to life. Unlike the first resurrection, these people are not resurrected to eternal life but are instead given a second mortal life during which they stand for judgment before God. Since they have yet to receive eternal life, they are still in danger of the second death.

God has a purpose in bringing all of these people, including Muslims, back to mortal life in the second resurrection. It will be their opportunity to have their eyes opened, thus fulfilling the prophecy that "every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God" (Romans 14:11, Isaiah 45:23). Isaiah 65:20 indicates that everyone who is raised in the second resurrection will have the chance to come to know God and to choose life by walking in His ways. No one will miss their opportunity for eternal life just because the gospel never reached them before Jesus' return or because their eyes were not open to fully comprehend the truth.

There may still be Muslims, along with people of all faiths, nations and times, who refuse to accept God even after He opens their eyes to the truth in the second resurrection. They will not burn forever in hell, but will instead die the second death along with anyone who rejects God at that time. The second death is not eternal torture, but rather the permanent destruction of the person in the lake of fire, as described in Matthew 10:28 and Revelation 20:14-15. For more information about the mortality of the soul and what it means for someone to be thrown into the lake of fire, see our free booklet Heaven and Hell: What Does the Bible Really Teach?