A Resurrection |
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Elder
Mark
Green |
Acts 24:15 "And have hope toward God, which they
themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of
the dead, both of the just and the unjust.”
There are different versions of the Premillenial doctrine,
but most of them that I have encountered have as a principle
feature the view that there will be some space of time
between the resurrection of the righteous and the
resurrection of the wicked. How that position could be
extracted from our text is more than I can see. “There shall
be A (singular) resurrection of the dead.” If there is
to be a single resurrection, then it would be impossible
that there could be a lapse of time within a single act that
manifestly happens very quickly.
Paul gives us further information as to whom it is who will
be raised in this resurrection. It will be “both” the just
and the unjust. Both categories of people will be raised
from the dead in this single resurrection.
Paul’s brother apostle John corroborates his words:
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which
all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall
come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection
of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection
of damnation” (John 5.28-29). I do not take John’s words
to mean that the Resurrection will require sixty minutes by
the clock to be completed.
What he means by “the hour” is that that will be the time
when it will happen. And notice that in that “hour” all the
dead are going to be raised; not two hours or two times, but
“the hour.” At that time (singular), “all that are in the
graves” shall come forth – both the righteous and the
wicked. All mankind who will have died in time shall come
forth from the graves.
Yes, dear saints of God, there is coming 'the' hour in which
there shall be 'a' resurrection of all who have died. Paul
said it, and John said it. There will be one resurrection,
and it is impossible to get a thousand years (or any other
amount of time) into either of those plain expressions.
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