How many resurrections and judgments are there?
The Bible actually speaks of several resurrections and judgments. The most significant (other than Jesus' of course) are two resurrections and at least two judgments that will take place in the end times - one resurrection and judgment for believers and a separate resurrection and judgment for unbelievers. Daniel 12:2 speaks of those who will be resurrected to eternal life (the just) and of those who will be resurrected to damnation or judgment (the unjust).
The Believers Resurrection and Judgment - All believers who have died will eventually face what is sometimes called the Bema Judgment Seat of Christ. This believer’s judgment cannot result in a loss of salvation or eternal life. It is a judgment of our works that will result in additional rewards for believers. This judgment will happen sometime after the resurrection of believers. The resurrection of believers will happen in conjunction with the rapture. It will also take place before the resurrection and judgment of unbelievers discussed below. It should be noted that since believers have eternal life at the moment they receive Christ this “resurrection” isn’t to bring the believer back to “life,” it is to provide the believer with his/her resurrection or glorified body with which to spend eternity.
The Unbelievers Resurrection and Judgment - Unbelievers who have died will be judged separately from believers at what is called the Great White Throne Judgment. The purpose of this judgment will be to essentially demonstrate to unbelievers that their rejection of Christ left them no hope of eternal life and their end will be the Lake of Fire, sometimes called Gehenna or hell.
Revelation 20:13 states, “The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.”
This is not a reference to different places people have been held after death and before the resurrection. It is simply a way of telling us that no matter how a person’s body saw corruption (decayed or perished) God would resurrect them and they would not escape judgment.
It doesn’t matter if a person’s body perished or was buried in the “sea,” was buried in an earthly grave, or perished by some other means ("death") they will be resurrected to face judgment. So all the unjustified dead on land or in the sea, wherever they may be, are to be resurrected to "judgment" in the future.
This unbeliever’s judgment will be preceded by their resurrection. The unbeliever’s resurrection happens after the millennial reign of Christ and after the believer’s resurrection. It should be noted that this is probably better thought of as a “resurrection of the dead” (i.e., those who have died without Christ) as opposed to a “resurrection from the dead.” Those who have died without Christ are not given a second chance. This resurrection is for the purposes of their final judgment and will presumably provide them with some kind of “form” with which to spend eternity in the Lake of fire. The Bible doesn’t give details on this point.
What we do know is that neither the believer’s or unbeliever’s resurrection and judgment happen immediately after a person dies. They happen some time in the future.
Mark Carrara
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