Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:28-29)

Two Resurrections

One certainty is affirmed by Jesus and acknowledged by all men. Death is certain. No one can escape the reality that no man lives forever and, in the scheme of things, does not live very long. The grave has a voracious appetite that can never be satisfied, taking young and old, rich and poor. Men have tried to find a fountain of youth to turn back the hands of time, to slow the dying process, and to prolong life, but to no avail. All men die. Jesus reminded His disciples that death should not be a surprise to anyone. There is an hour when everyone will die regardless of where they are in life and who they are. The only exception that will take away the power of death is the coming of the Lord, but the conclusion remains the same. It’s what happens after death and the coming of the Lord that is the true meaning of life.

Men fear death and take no notice of what happens after death. For most, death is final. There is no life after death. When a man breathes his last, the body crumbles into dust, life goes on, and the existence of the human spirit is extinguished. Many believe in some form of an afterlife but seldom live as if there are consequences to what lay beyond the realm of the dead. If a man truly believes in life after death and reward and punishment await him on the other side of the grave, he will live accordingly. This does not guarantee hope of good things because living according to one’s answer to right and wrong may not justify him. The question remains if there is life after death and what happens to everyone when they die.

Jesus said all men die, but that is not the important lesson. The Lord makes an astonishing statement about all those in the grave. They are dead and have no life in them, but there is coming a time when those in the grave (those who are dead) will hear the voice of God and come forth or resurrect from the dead. The question of whether there is life after death is immediately recognized that death is not final. There is something else coming. Those who are dead will be able to hear the voice of God. When they hear the voice of God, the dead will do something remarkable. They will come forth to a world of blessing or a world of the most horrible horror. This suggests an experience after death that is real. Jesus said there would be two resurrections.

For all those who have obeyed the will of the Father (done good), hearing the voice of God will bring immeasurable joy and happiness. They will resurrect to a world of life. Death will be turned into life. The experience of death will be the fulfillment of the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. It will be real and full of inexpressible joy. Sadly, most will not enjoy resurrection. Jesus taught that few will be saved, and the majority will be lost. The common factor for all men is that everyone will resurrect, but the disobedient and those who have not done the will of the Father will be resurrected to condemnation. There will be life after death, but this life will be an unending experience of the most profound horror and fear in a world of total darkness. All men will experience resurrection, and most will be resurrected to the wrath of God, judgment, and damnation.

The gospel of two shows that life after death will only take two courses. One will be full of joy, and the other will be filled with terror. Which resurrection one experiences will depend on whether one decides to follow Jesus Christ and obey His word. There’s a great day coming when all that in the grave will hear the voice of the Lord and be raised up. What happens next is the deciding point in a man’s life when he hears the voice of God say, “Well done,” or “Depart from Me.” Which resurrection will be yours? You decide what that answer will be. Resurrection. It’s coming.