A Resurrection

 

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.