We have seen in the previous articles that man's only hope is the resurrection. Also, we saw biblical proof that man is mortal--not immortal -and that he can only receive immortality as a gift from God by a resurrection from the dead.

The true, faithful Christians will be the first raised to life, and they will he resurrected to immortality at the second coming of Christ (See I Cor. 15:49-53; 1 Thes. 4:14-17).

The expression "this is the first resurrection" refers back to those in verse four who are raised to immortality at Christ's coming to become rulers with Him as kings and priests on the earth during the millennium.

But let us not fall into the common error of assuming that Paul and Christ meant the "just' and the "unjust" would be resurrected at the same time.

We have seen that the apostle John wrote of a "first resurrection" and a "second resurrection." So where does that leave us'?

Who are the "unjust" ones mentioned by Paul in Acts 24:15? Are those who died in sin really fully accountable for their actions in their "first life'' ? Have they ever had a chance for eternal salvation'?

Think for a moment. Could the untold billions who have lived and died possibly have received salvation? Have the vast majority ever had a chance to understand the Bible? Have they, then, really rejected salvation? No! Many individuals have lived their entire lifetimes without ever seeing a Bible or even hearing the name of Jesus Christ.

Are they forever doomed simply because they did not have the Word of' God, and did not know that Christ is the Saviour of all mankind? What nonsense!

Could countless billions of Hindus, Buddhists, Confucianists, Taoists, animists and others who have not known about Christ and salvation be held guilty or accountable to God for not having received that vital knowledge?

Or is it possible that they could receive salvation through some other person, or by a different way? The apostle Peter emphatically answers: "Neither is there salvation in any other. for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Human beings can only be saved if and when they learn of Jesus Christ as their Saviour who died for them, and then accept that supreme sacrifice in payment for their personal sins.

Christ said: "I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (John 10:9). He made it abundantly clear that anyone who "entereth not by the door [Christ] into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber" (verse 1)

There is no other "door" by which we can enter the Kingdom of God.

The scriptures plainly reveal that the time is coming when God will raise the "unjust" dead-those who through no fault of their own were deceived and never understood the way of salvation-and will at that time reveal His plan of salvation to them.

Don't forget this basic truth: It is "impossible for God to lie" (Heb. 6:18). And "the scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35): therefore, whatever God promises in His Word, He will do.

God's Word plainly says: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (II Pet. 3:9).

It is not God's will that heathen animists, pagan idolaters or other sincere people who may practice a false religion, should perish. A loving Creator wills that "all should come to repentance"---in His own time and way.

The apostle Paul was also inspired to write that God our Saviour "will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (I Tim. 2:4). He then went on to show that "there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time" (verses 5, 6).

It is God's responsibility to grant people the knowledge of the truth.

The vast majority who have ever lived and died were, through no fault of their own, deprived of this knowledge which would have made salvation possible in their first lifetime. It therefore becomes imperative that God give them their first real chance to hear, understand and follow God's way of salvation. But how? By raising them from the dead to renewed physical life in a second resurrection.

Millions of Christians erroneously believe that when one dies in sin he is lost forever. Many feel under a burden to see that Christ is preached to the non Christians in Africa, Asia and other parts of the earth-because they think that if these people die in sin, they will miss out on salvation forever.

In John 5:29, Jesus Christ spoke of "the resurrection of damnation." Nearly all modern translations correctly render this last word as "judgment" rather than "damnation."

But what does it mean to be resurrected to judgment? Most Christians woefully misunderstand. They think of "judgment" as only a time when a sentence is passed rewarding the righteous or condemning the guilty. But that is a false concept.

The more common meaning of the word krisis, translated "condemnation" in this verse, is judgment, as it is usually translated. This word refers to a process of evaluation rather than an act of punishment. Krisis means "the process of investigation, the act of distinguishing and separating, . . . a judging, a passing of judgment upon a person or thing" (W.E. Vine, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1985, p. 119). Krisis is to be distinguished from krima, which refers to "the sentence pronounced, a verdict, a condemnation, the decision resulting from an investigation" (ibid.).

Notice what the apostle Peter wrote: "For the time [beginning nearly 2,000 years ago] is come that judgment must begin at the house of God . . ." (I Pet. 4:17). What did he mean? He did not just mean condemnation had begun at God's house, the Church.

Rather he referred to the fact that God is now judging Christians. We who are true Christians are now having Our chance, and we will never have another. "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation ...?" (Heb. 2:3.) See also Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-29. God holds every Christian strictly accountable for his actions. He is now judging every believer according to His Word. But the vast majority of mankind, to this very day, do not understand or believe the truth of  God. They have been deceived by the devil (Rev. 12:9). And it is God's responsibility to someday see that these deceived billions become undeceived and are given their chance for salvation for He is not willing that any perish!

Notice the scripture: ""But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Corinthians 11:32). You see when we are judged we are "chastened" or receive God's correction of not going our ways but learning God's ways that we SHOULD NOT BE CONDEMNED!

Some are amazed to learn that Jesus made a number of statements in which he said that the peoples of Sodom, Gomorrah, Tyre, Sidon, Nineveh and those living in Christ's day will all rise up in the judgment together. Mercy will be shown to all, but the gentile cities Will find their judgment period more bearable than those who personally heard the teachings of Jesus Christ and yet rejected Him and His gospel.

Christ solemnly affirmed: "Verily I say unto you, it shall he more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city [which rejected His teachings]" (Matt 10:15).

Then Jesus warned Capernaum that if the mighty works done by him in that city had been done in Sodom, Sodom would have existed to that very day. "But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for thee'' (verse 24).

Furthermore, Christ made a similar pronouncement regarding Nineveh: "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas: and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here" (Matt. 12:41 ).

Jesus then explained that "The queen of the south Queen of Sheba shall rise  up in the judgment with this generation. and shall condemn it; for she came front the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here" (verse 42).

What did Jesus mean? Just this: ^- The Queen of Sheba, the peoples of' Nineveh, Tyre, Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah will find repentance easier in their "day of judgment" [time for their salvation] than will those who rejected Christ and His gospel message.

.Jesus Christ was not preaching a "new doctrine" when He spoke of the resurrection of the peoples of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was clearly indicated, if the people only had eves to see, in the I 6th chapter of the book of Ezekiel.

Much of the chapter relates to the people of Jerusalem (verse 2). It details their abominations, calling Samaria the ''elder sister" of Jerusalem, and Sodom her "younger sister" (verse 46). Then God points out that the sins the people of Jerusalem had committed were More abominable than those of her sisters Sodom and Samaria.

Finally, Ezekiel prophesies of the time when the Sodomites, Samaritans and the people of Jerusalem will all be brought up out of their captivity in  death and will finally receive salvation.

"When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them'' (verse 53). The peoples of Sodom and Gomorrah have been held captive in the grave for nearly four thousand years. But through Christ's death and resurrection all of those held captive in the grave will be released.

"... When he [Christ] ascended up on high [at his resurrection], He led captivity, captive .. (Eph. 4:8). Christ was held captive in the grave for three days and nights, but at His resurrection He "led captivity captive.'' He will do the same for all mankind in due time by resurrecting "all that are in the graves." He will set them free.

When God resurrects the peoples of ancient Sodom, Samaria and .Jerusalem, they will "return to their former estate" meaning that God will place them in the land where they once lived (Ezekiel 16:55).

Ezekiel also prophesied elsewhere of a coming resurrection of all the dead Israelites of past centuries.

The prophet first sees them as long dead in the "valley of' dry hones" (Ezekiel. .37:1-10) . Then he [God] said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.... Behold, O my people, I will open  your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves. O my people, and brought you out of your graves'' (verses 11-13).

Then God promises He will put His Spirit in them (giving them the prerequisite for salvation) and will place them in their "own land" (verse 14).

Just what is the "Great White Throne Judgment"? "The resurrection of the righteous will take place at the coming of Christ (I Thes. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:53), [the resurrection] of the unsaved at the Great White Throne Judgment after the Kingdom Age (Rev. 20:11-15)." (Unger's Bible Dictionary, 1966 ed., article, "Resurrection.")

God is great, merciful, loving, not willing that any should perish. He wills that all come to the knowledge of the truth and to true repentance. But he knows it is better that most people come to this knowledge of the truth in a better world than ours. That is why these people will be raised up in the second resurrection-a resurrection to a mortal, fleshly, earthly existence.

Here is how it is depicted in the 20th chapter of Revelation. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it.... And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God . . ." (Rev. 20:1 1, 12).

"The books [Greek, biblos-the very word used to describe the Bible] were opened" (verse 12). Those raised up at that time will have the books of the Bible opened to their knowledge and understanding. And also the "book of life" will be open so their names can be written in it when each repents of his sins, accepts Christ as personal Saviour, and receives God's Holy Spirit. Then they will be judged "according to their works" (verse 12).

Thus we see the "rest of the dead" raised to life, standing before God to be judged-but not to be condemned, as so many falsely assume. God will then judge those "unjust" dead, who are at that time raised to life, just as He now judges His own house-His Church (I Pet. 4:17). The book of life will be opened so they can all receive eternal life, if they will!

How thrilling to understand God's master plan which He is working out here below among mortal men.

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