The Two Resurrections Panel – Byron K, Randy S

This transcript was generated automatically. Its accuracy may vary

Short Summary
The panel discussion explored the biblical doctrine of two resurrections, emphasizing the necessity of resurrection due to Adam’s sin and the resulting penalty of death for all humanity. It highlighted the distinction between the heavenly resurrection for the faithful, tied to God’s covenants and grace, and the earthly resurrection that offers all others a future opportunity to learn righteousness and choose eternal life. The discussion also connected these resurrections to foundational doctrines such as ransom, restitution, and reconciliation, underscoring God’s love, justice, and plan to restore mankind.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of Panel Discussion on the Two Resurrections and Related Bible Doctrines

Introduction:
– The discussion revisited familiar Bible topics repeatedly because repetition deepens understanding.
– Reasons for repetition include: individuals gaining more insight on second hearing; multiple perspectives enriching a topic; and apostles’ instructions to continually remind believers of core doctrines.
– Peter’s exhortation (2 Peter 1:12-13) emphasizes readiness to remind established truths.
– Paul also stresses reminding basic doctrines (Romans 15:15).
– The session focused on the “three Rs” of Christian doctrine: Ransom, Resurrection, Restitution.

Definition and Necessity of Resurrection:
– Resurrection (Greek: *anastasis* – Strong’s 386) means “raised to life.”
– Death entered the world through Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12, Easy English Bible).
– Because all have sinned (except Jesus), death is universal.
– God’s purpose in allowing free moral agency was to enable genuine choice rather than robotic obedience.
– Genesis 1:28 shows God’s command for Adam to multiply and have dominion; disobedience led to death.
– Jesus’ statement to the Sadducees in Matthew 22:31-32 (KJV) affirms God as God of the living, implying resurrection.
– Genesis 3:13-15 introduces the first hint of resurrection promise: enmity between the serpent and the woman’s seed, with the seed bruising the serpent’s head (a death blow).

Promises of Resurrection through Biblical Patriarchs:
– God’s promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), Isaac (Genesis 26:3-4), and Jacob (Genesis 28:13-14) include blessings to their seed and all families of the earth.
– These promises are future-oriented, implying resurrection because the recipients were not alive to receive them.
– The promise to Jacob (Israel) emphasizes an earthly resurrection blessing.
– The Abrahamic covenant also speaks of the “seed” as Christ (Galatians 3:16) and includes believers as part of this seed (Galatians 3:27, 29).

Free Will and Choice:
– God places life and death, blessing and curse before individuals (Deuteronomy 30:19).
– Freedom of choice is a fundamental gift, allowing true love and obedience rather than forced compliance.
– The earthly resurrection offers everyone a chance to choose life after experiencing life’s challenges and the Millennial Kingdom’s perfection.

The Doctrine of the Ransom:
– The ransom is a substitutionary sacrifice (Greek *anti-lutron*), meaning one life given in place of another.
– Jesus Christ is the only perfect man qualified to be this ransom (1 Timothy 2:6).
– Psalms 40:6-8 (NIV) shows Jesus’ willing obedience to God’s will.
– John 3:16-17 emphasizes God’s love and the purpose of Christ’s mission to save, not condemn, the world.
– Several scriptures affirm the ransom:
– Romans 5:15 – Grace through Jesus contrasts Adam’s offense.
– 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NLT) – Christ’s precious blood is the ransom.
– 1 Corinthians 6:20 (Amplified) – Bought with a price.
– Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45 (Amplified) – Jesus gave His life as ransom for many.
– Psalm 49:7 – No one else can redeem another.
– Acts 4:10-12 – Salvation only through Jesus.
– Three key points about the ransom:
1. It must be substitutionary.
2. It must be voluntary.
3. It must be complete and cover all mankind.

Two Resurrections and Their Covenants:
– John 6:44 states no one can come to Jesus unless drawn by the Father, indicating covenant relationship.
– Three major covenants discussed:
1. Abrahamic Covenant – earthly promises to seed and land.
2. Law Covenant (Mosaic) – given for Israel; a “schoolmaster to bring to Christ” (Galatians 3:19-24).
3. New Covenant – future spiritual covenant to write God’s law on hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
– These covenants correspond to the two resurrections:
– Earthly resurrection linked to Abrahamic and Law covenants.
– Heavenly resurrection linked to New Covenant and the “seed” who is Christ.
– Ephesians 1:3-5 highlights the predestination of a heavenly group, chosen by God’s will.
– The heavenly resurrection requires faith and following Christ’s example (Psalm 40:6-8).
– Salvation by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:4-8).
– Paul’s allegory in Galatians 4:21-28 contrasts two sons (Ishmael by slave Hagar, Isaac by free Sarah) representing two covenants and corresponding to two resurrections.
– Revelation 14:4 speaks of “firstfruits” who follow Christ and are raised heavenly.
– 1 Corinthians 15:20-24 explains Christ as firstfruits, then those “in Christ,” then the rest of mankind.

Restitution and Reconciliation:
– Restitution means restoration of all things as in the Garden of Eden (Acts 3:19-21).
– Isaiah 35:8-10 describes the “highway of holiness” where redeemed walk in joy without sorrow or danger.
– Many have never known Christ’s name; resurrection provides a chance to learn truth (1 Timothy 2:3-6).
– Reconciliation means being restored to harmony with God (Romans 5:11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
– Believers have the ministry of reconciliation to share the good news of the kingdom and eternal life opportunity.

Summary Takeaways:
– Resurrection is a blessed hope for all who have lived.
– 1 Corinthians 6:14 comforts believers that God will raise the dead by His power.
– Revelation 21:1-4 beautifully illustrates the two resurrections:
– The “new heaven and new earth” with the holy city (New Jerusalem) coming down symbolizes the heavenly resurrection (bride of Christ).
– God dwelling with those resurrected on the earth, wiping away tears, ending death and sorrow, symbolizes the earthly resurrection.
– The discussion encourages faith and hope in God’s loving plan to restore all mankind.

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Key Bible Verses Referenced:

– 2 Peter 1:12-13 (NASB)
– Romans 15:15 (NASB)
– Acts 24:15 (NASB)
– Romans 5:12 (Easy English Bible)
– Matthew 22:31-32 (KJV)
– Genesis 3:13-15
– Genesis 12:1-3; 26:3-4; 28:13-14; 22:15-18
– Galatians 3:16, 27-29
– Deuteronomy 30:19
– Psalms 40:6-8 (NIV)
– John 3:16-17 (NASB)
– Romans 5:15
– 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NLT)
– 1 Corinthians 6:20 (Amplified)
– Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45 (Amplified)
– Psalm 49:7
– Acts 4:10-12
– John 6:44
– Galatians 3:19; 4:21-28
– Jeremiah 31:31-34
– Ephesians 1:3-5; 2:4-8
– Revelation 14:4
– 1 Corinthians 15:20-24
– Acts 3:19-21 (KJV)
– Isaiah 35:8-10 (NASB)
– 1 Timothy 2:3-6
– Romans 5:11
– 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
– 1 Corinthians 6:14
– Revelation 21:1-4

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Summary Keywords:
Two resurrections, ransom, restitution, resurrection definition, Adam’s sin, free will, covenant, Abrahamic covenant, Law covenant, New covenant, substitutionary ransom, Jesus Christ, first fruits, earthly resurrection, heavenly resurrection, grace, faith, reconciliation, restoration, kingdom of God, biblical promises, scriptural proof, hope, eternal life, New Jerusalem, resurrection judgment, Bible doctrines.

Transcript

We’re looking forward to sharing some scriptures and thoughts this afternoon on the two resurrections, and I think we’ve all enjoyed this week so far. I particularly enjoyed the discussion yesterday between Brother Mezra and Brother Ensley, and I was taking a few notes and I was writing them down. I said, well, we’re going to talk about that scripture.

We’re going to talk about that thought, and I kept writing them down, and half of our thoughts were on my page before we. Before they ended their presentation, and so it brought a thought into my mind.

Why do we repeat these same discourses and topics over and over again? Are our minds that weak that we can’t remember them? And before we get into our topic, I want to suggest three reasons why that’s important, why we hear them over and over again. One is on an individual level, and that is brethren giving the same. Brethren giving the same discourse more than one time.

Everyone in this auditorium has heard some brother give a discourse more than once, and every time I’ve talked about this and shared this thought, the response is always the same. I always get more out of the second time than the first time, and I feel that way, too. So even in repetition, amongst a message from one brother from the platform, there’s a reason for repetition, but there’s another reason for repetition. When you have something like a dialogue or in a study, and that’s the same topic.

But brethren coming from a little different perspective, I think that’s healthy. We’ve got a class in Seattle that encourages different thoughts and kind of strange questions sometimes to stimulate conversations, and that’s really important. It’s not a bad thing, and I’ll give you an example of two brethren looking at the same topic.

Years ago, I was invited to speak at Asilomar, and I chose the topic of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, and my discourse was immediately following Brother Jim Parkinson, and when Jim Parkinson got up to serve, the chairman said, brother Jim’s topic today is the letter to the Ephesians. Okay, we’re both going to talk about the same thing, and I thought, he’s going to say everything that I’m going to say.

And I could probably just take the afternoon off. But the interesting thing was what Brother Jim talked about came at a different angle and perspective than what I talked about, and so that’s important, too, and the third thing I want to mention is the statement of the apostles on repeating the Gospel message. Here’s what Peter had to say about it.

In second Peter 1, 1213, Peter says, Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right as long as I am in this earthly dwelling to stir you up by way of reminder. So here’s Peter saying, you know all this stuff, and as I look out on this audience, I see the same faces I’ve seen for 40 years. You all know this stuff, but we’re happy to get assignment to share it again.

And Paul says the same thing about the importance of reminding us of the basic doctrines that were given in Romans 15:15. Paul says, But I have written you very boldly to you on some point so as to remind you again because of the grace that was given to me from God. So the repetition of basic doctrines is a message from the apostles. The apostles are representatives of Jesus Christ. He gave it to them to give to us.

And not once, but twice, three times, four times, as long as we’re alive. Peter says, so we’ve been giving a topic today that you’ve heard about, and we’re going to talk about some basic doctrines. You can’t talk about two resurrections without talking about other doctrines, and in January, Sister Marjorie and I were fortunate to served at the Australian convention and they asked me if I would take a study in the youth camp on the basic doctrines, and they said, we’re going to tell the kids the basic doctrine are the three Rs.

Because they’re in school, they might understand three Rs. So ransom, resurrection, restitution. We want you to talk about those three things. So we talked about them. We’re going to talk about basic doctrines today because Brother Randy and I don’t think we can talk about the two resurrections without addressing some of the doctrines that go around it.

So with that little preamble, Brother Randy, I think we got the best topic this week. I think so, too. We were very excited when we got the assignment to dig into it and find the scriptural proof what we believe about the resurrection. Yeah, that’s right, and you were mentioning before we started that we’re going to be backing up everything we have by a lot of scriptures.

We’re giving you a lot of scriptures, and on the program, Acts 24:15 is referenced from the NASB. So all of our scriptures we’re going to try to keep in the nasb. Anyone from a different translation we’ll note at the time. But let’s start by reading Acts 24:15 from the NASB as a starting point.

And there we read this, having a hope in God which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection, both the righteous and the wicked, both the righteous and the wicked. Randy, what do you think about that? Go to our neighbors and other church members. Think about that. Well, they tend to limit those that would benefit from a resurrection.

They limit it to heaven or hell, and not very many make it to heaven. Only their lunar group, for the most part, receive a heavenly resurrection. Yeah, so we’re talking about two resurrections here, and our neighbors down the street and the different churches that surround us would say, yeah, there’s two resurrections. You either go to heaven or go to hell.

And who goes to heaven? Well, those. Some of them limit it to those who go to our church. That’s it.

What a cruel God that is when you think about it. Because that leaves 99% of the world going to be tormented forever. That’s not very good.

So why don’t we start with the definition? I looked up the word resurrection in Strong’s. It’s Strong’s 386. I think we all know the word. It’s anastasis.

It means raised to life. Again, resurrection, literally a resurrection from death. The Bible states clear that no one can escape the penalty of death. No one can escape death, and that’s an important background to our discussion today.

Romans 5:12, taken from the Easy English Bible, says it was because of one man, Adam, that sin came into the world. Death was the result of Adam’s sin. Because of that, death came to all people because everyone failed to obey God. So this is an important biblical concept to start with. Everyone who lives has disobeyed the heavenly Father.

You agree with that? I left out Jesus, but we’re going to get to. Jesus wasn’t disobedient. Adam wasn’t until he was. But here Paul says everyone’s disobedient.

That means everyone goes into death.

So, brother Randy, why is there even a need for a resurrection? You know, we might ask ourselves, God is all powerful, all loving. Why didn’t he make 20 billion loving creatures who obeyed him? And leave out all the evil and sorrow, that pain that’s gone on for 6,000 years? Well, we’ll get to it a little bit later.

But through free moral agency, God wanted mankind to choose their course in life. Not to be, you might say, like a bunch of robots that are programmed to act a certain way. This is a choice that God wanted his people to make. But I have a couple other points here, okay? In Genesis 1:28.

God tells Adam to multiply and fill the earth and establish dominion over it. He was to learn obedience. When Adam just disobeyed, he lost the right to life and plunged the human family into a curse of death. Speaking to the Sadducees in Matthew 22:31 and 32, and I think this is from King James says, but regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read, and what was spoken to you by God? I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. The first hint of a resurrection came with God’s death sentence to Adam. Found in Genesis 3, 13, 15. It says, and the Lord God said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, that the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle and above every beast of the field. Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life, and I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. A head wound is a death wound.

This is a hint that a seed will destroy the serpent. It indicated God had a plan to restore mankind to an earthly resurrection based on worldwide conditions like in the Garden of Eden. Yeah. Thank you very much. So when did this hint of a future resurrection or this future promise become a reality and become a promise?

You know, salvation was promised first to Abraham. You know that, and then to Isaac and then to Jacob through his seed. This is a scriptural account to Adam from Genesis 12:1 3. God says, now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house unto a land I will shew you, and I will make of thee a great nation.

And I will bless thee and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing, and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So to bless all the families of the earth natural requires them to be raised from the grave.

It required a resurrection. Next comes the promise made to isaac. In Genesis 26, 3 and 4, it says, sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee and will bless thee. For unto thee and unto thy seed I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham my father, and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries, and thy seed, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Sounds very similar, doesn’t it?

Now, most Bible students that we meet with believe that the stars of the heaven are the first reference to a heavenly resurrection. But this promise of heaven was not given directly to Isaac, but to his seed, and that’s important. But here’s a promise of two resurrections in the future. The third promise is made to Jacob and found in Genesis 28, 13 and 14.

And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord, God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac, the land whereupon thou liest, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed, and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south, and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Now, this promise made to Jacob is clearly related to a designated land where he had traversed in his lifetime. He was to get all this land.

Jacob’s name, we know, later became changed to Israel, and thus we find the first promise to Israel’s resurrection blessing is an earthly one. This earthly blessing was also included in the original promise given to Abraham after offering his his son Isaac in Genesis 22:15 18, where Israel and then the world are referred to as the sand of the seashore. Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, by myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed, I will greatly bless you and will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, as the sand which is on the seashore, and your seed shall possess the gates of their enemies.

And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because you have obeyed my voice. So we notice in all of these promises made to these fathers of faith. The importance of the promise is that the fathers of faith didn’t receive them. It was their offspring that received them. So all these promises were future.

And that means because they are future, they could only be applied after a resurrection of the dead. Because one of the scriptures brother Ranney just read said, God’s not God of the dead, but of the living. So they had to be resurrected. Yes, we mentioned before that God intended for man to have free moral agency, and that was so. Or Free will.

God created man with the mental capacity to exercise the freedom to choose and the responsibility to bear the consequences. The Garden of Eden set the precedent of choice. When God gave Adam the choice of life or death, God said, and the Lord God commanded the man, saying, from thee any tree of the garden you may freely eat, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. For on the day that you eat from it, you will certainly die. That’s Genesis 2:16 and 17.

Adam made his choice, although without a knowledge of what death and suffering men. God consistently places the choice between obedience and life and disobedience and death in the hands of the individual. One example was given to the nation of Israel in Deuteronomy 30, and verse 19 says, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have placed before you, you, life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.

From God’s perspective, freedom of choice is viewed as a fundamental gift that gives humans the dignity of agency Rather than forcing compliance. God allows individuals to choose their own course, transforming obedience from forced servitude into genuine expression of love. God wanted mankind to choose to worship him, not to be forced to do so.

In the kingdom, everyone who has ever lived will have the freedom to choose or forfeit the life after experiencing both the pain and suffering during this present evil world and perfection during the thousand years of Christ’s millennial reign. Earthly resurrection will provide this ultimate freedom of choice to everyone who has ever met Brother Byron. We have these scriptures promising resurrection blessings, but how does God plan to set out to accomplish this?

Well, that’s why we’re here, isn’t it, to discuss these things? Well, here’s where the doctrine of two resurrections folds into other basic Bible doctrines, and I kind of think of them as a mother in wrapping her arms around her children. Which one is her favorite? Do you have a favorite child?

Do you have a favorite basic doctrine from the Bible? But there is one that’s most important. You know, Brother Russell called it the hub of all the rasm, and that’s the ransom we mentioned earlier, the importance of sin and death entering the world because of the disobedience of one perfect man. Now, looking to the Greek word for ransom in this sense of the world is to distinguish between two Greek words, lutron, which refers to a ransom price paid to release a cross captive or slave, and anti lutron, which goes a step further, which means a substitutionary ransom. In other words, an Exchange, where one life is given directly in place of another life.

So you can see there’s a little difference there. The Word’s only found once in the Bible, and that’s in first Timothy 2, 6, and we’re going to talk about that a little bit later. Now, where did this idea of the ransom come? We first find it in the Psalms.

The psalmist declares this in Psalms 45, 8, where he says, lord, my God, no one can compare with youh. You have done many wonderful things. You have planned to do these things for us. There are too many of them for me to talk about. You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings.

You didn’t require burnt offerings and sin offerings. You opened my ears so that I could hear you and obey you. Then I said, and here’s the Logos speaking, the Son of God. Here I am. It is written about me in the book.

My God, I have come to do what you want. Your law is in my heart, and that’s from the NIV translation. So here’s Jesus in his pre human form, volunteering to be the ransom, the corresponding price of a pearl, perfect life given directly for another. Because there were no other perfect lives to offer.

This offer was made not for any glory or honor for Himself, but for delight to do the Father’s will. Thus it’s in complete harmony with the Father’s manifestation of his love for the human family described in John 3:16, 17, which the world knows. John 3:16, but I think they aren’t familiar with the 17th verse. John 3:16 17 says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through him.

That requires resurrection from the grave. So, brother Randy, maybe you could speak a little bit more about the concept of the ransom and why it’s so logical. Well, it’s logical because, as you mentioned, a substitutionary sacrifice was needed. Adam was a perfect man, and in order to redeem mankind, it required another perfect man. Man.

The second man is the Lord from heaven. I think Paul says that in First Corinthians 15, Jesus became a man to be the ransom in support of Jesus being the substitutionary ransom for Adam. Paul writes in Romans 5:15, but the gracious gift is not like the offense. For if by the offense of the one, the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many. Peter proclaims the Same message in 1st Peter 1:18:19 from the new Living Translation for you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you have inherited from your ancestors.

And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. Paul repeats this corresponding price doctrine in 1st Corinthians 6:20 from the Amplified since you were bought with a price, you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made his own. So then honor and glorify God with your body, and Jesus himself repeats this truth in Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45 when he said, just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life, a ransom for many.

Again, that’s the Amplified okay, thank you. Well, let me add a couple more if we can. We said we were going to give you scriptures. We want scriptural proof for what we’re saying here.

We want to look at the fact that it was only Jesus Christ that could be this ransom. There was none other. So here’s a couple of scriptures to us. Prove that. Psalm 49:7 says, no one can by any means redeem another or give God a ransom for him other than Jesus Christ, who was a perfect man.

No other man who’s ever lived can do that. In Acts 4:10 12, after Jesus raised a person from the dead says, let it be known to all of you that and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead by his name, this man stands before you in good health. He, Jesus Christ is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone, and there is salvation in no one else, and there is no other name under him, Heaven that has been given among mankind by which must be saved.

So there are really three important points we want to mark here. The first is the price had to be a substitutionary ransom. It couldn’t be just a payment. It had to be substitution. In other words, it had to be a perfect man.

The second point, it had to be a voluntary price by that second man. Jesus didn’t do it for any glory of his own. He did it to bring glory to the Heavenly Father, and we’ve had mention of that during this week of convention that we don’t come here for any glory for ourselves, and if we find ourselves doing that, we need to step back and Remember why Jesus gave his life for us.

He didn’t do it for himself. He did it to glorify God and all the blessings we have through the Holy Spirit. We need to give thanks and not take any credit for ourselves, and the third point is it was a complete sacrifice. It was complete ransom for everyone who has ever, ever lived.

So let’s move on to another feature of the two resurrections. Randy Jesus said in John 6:44, no one can come to me unless the first Father who sent me draws him. Now we describe this as being in covenant relationship with God. So brother Randy, how would you explain the role of God’s covenants as they relate to two resurrections? Well, there are three major covenants that God made that Bible students discuss.

There were individuals who made direct covenants with God, but these three major ones are the Abrahamic Covenant, the Law Covenant, and the New Covenant. The Law covenant was given to Moses on the mount for a reason. Through the law comes the knowledge of sin, as Romans 3:20 tells us. Paul says it was a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ. Galatians 3:19 and 24 reads, it was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made.

And it was ordained by the angels in the hand of a mediator. Wherefore the law was Israel’s schoolmaster to bring them unto Christ so they might be justified by faith. The new covenant is to be modeled after the law covenant in the kingdom by requiring obedience to God’s laws. This was to be the covenant that will not only bless Israel, but will extend to all mankind. This is also an earthly resurrection promise.

Jeremiah 31:31 34, very familiar to us, describes the process of teaching mankind to bring them back to God through this new covenant arrangement. It reads this way, Jeremiah 31:31 34 behold, the day is come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant they break, although his husband unto them saith the Lord, but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law on my inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people, and they shall teach no more. Every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they shall all Know me from the least of them unto the greatest them, saith the Lord, following forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more. That was mentioned, I think last night that God is going to forget the sins that mankind committed in this present life.

These two covenants include would include every human being who has ever lived. A complete ransom for all. So Brother Bryrand, was a heavenly reward, a heavenly resurrection even necessary? Well, we could poll the audience, but I’m going to give their answer. No, it wasn’t.

And here’s the beauty of today’s discussion. This is the reason why we came to Olympia, Washington this week to discuss all the aspects of God’s love and his his favor showed towards us so we might fellowship and worship Him. The first two covenants to Israel and the world in general were sufficient to redeem all mankind from the penalty of death, and you know, if we would have been included in that, we would have been very happy. If that would have been God’s plan, it would have been fantastic to be part of that.

But.

We’re thankful to our loving heavenly Father to be part of that great reward of eternal life on a perfect we would have been. But it was because of grace and love that God offered a heavenly reward. Paul speaks of a predestined group chosen by God’s good pleasure to join him and His Son in helping to bless families of the earth, and this was spoken of a little bit last night too. I want to read two scriptures for you.

Ephesians 1:3 5 reads this. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. Why that we should be holy and blameless before him in love? He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ 2 himself according to the good pleasure of his will. I love that phrase.

He made a portion of a heavenly reward at the good pleasure of his will. It’s got nothing to do with us. It all is God’s plan. The us referred to here are those who are drawn by God and accept Jesus invitation and are faithful unto death. Jesus said if anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.

Well, that’s different than those who will be resurrected on earth. They just have to live their life and die and they’ll be resurrected. But we have things to do while we’re here on earth serving our Heavenly Father, seeking a heavenly Resurrection means giving up our will and surrendering all to serve God, just as the Logos had done, as written in Psalm 48 mentioned before. I delight to do your will, my God. Your law is within my heart.

That’s the whole basis of our part in the heavenly resurrection. In Ephesians 2, 4, 8. This is from King James. Paul says, but God, who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved is even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are saved, and hath raised us up together and made us sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ.

For by grace ye are saved through faith and not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. So we can see the different requirements for resurrection for those who will be included in the heavenly resurrection. So we aren’t saved by following the works of the law, but by grace we’re saved through faith. We turn again to Paul, who differentiates between the earthly and the heavenly covenants, comparing them to Abraham’s son, one from a slave woman, Ishmael, and one from a free woman, Isaac.

And this is a beautiful part that Paul gives us because he attaches the two resurrections to two different covenants here, and that’s what we talked about earlier. All these basic doctrines are wrapped up together. So this is what Paul says. Galatians 4, 21, 28.

He says, Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman. But the Son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, and the Son by the free woman through the promise. This is speaking allegorically, for these women are two covenants, one coming from Mount Sinai, giving birth to children who are to be slaves. She is Hagar.

Now this hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is enslaved with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free. She is our mother. For it is written, rejoice, infertile one. You who do not give birth, break forth and shout, you who are not in labor.

For the children of the desolate are more numerous than those of the one who has a husband, and you, brothers and sisters like Isaac, are children of promise. So here’s the two covenants. See how God brings these basic documents and layers them over top of each one. He tells us these two resurrections are shown in two covenants, one through Ishmael, one through Isaac.

So I, you know, I could go on a little bit here, but Randy, I want to turn it back to you, so, and maybe a couple other scriptures on this point. Yeah. First scripture I have is Revelation 14:4, referring to those who are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus in this age, that are to receive this grace from God. It says, these are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins.

These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. So they’re going to be raised with Christ. We’ll get that a little bit later and see that not Christ alone was a first fruit, but the entire body of Christ is a first fruit. The resurrection First Corinthians 2, 9, 10 reads, but as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. So the promise of a heavenly resurrection is revealed to us by God’s Holy Spirit, and we’ve heard that talked about this week. The Holy Spirit enlightens our minds to understand these things.

Hebrews 3:1 states, Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling. Consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. So it is a heavenly calling. We have been invited through Christ. Romans 5:8.

But God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The word commendeth in the new American standard says demonstrates his own love. He demonstrated his love by sending his Son to die on behalf of all mankind, as First John 3, 16, 17 tells us. First John 4:10 tells us, God is love. Reads, herein is love.

Not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. The word propitiation means satisfaction according to Strong’s also appeasement. Christ’s sacrifice covers all sin. First John 2. 2 shows two salvations, and hence two resurrections.

This text also uses the word propitiation, and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Thank you, Randy. So far we’ve defined what resurrection is. We’ve spoken of its necessity and purpose. We’ve Spoken of the need for a ransom, and we’ve spoken of the covenants.

To give a better understanding of our topic of the two resurrections. We’ve also mentioned Abraham’s seed, but we really haven’t touched on it very much, and here’s another basic doctrine that we hold dear to our hearts, and that’s the seed. You want to start us in discussion the seed and how it applies to our topic. Yes, we mentioned before the Law Covenant and the New Covenant, but the Abrahamic covenant we didn’t specifically talk about.

But the Abrahamic covenant has two features. Number one was Abraham’s seed was to inherit the land of promise, and this is in Genesis 17, verse 8. It says, and I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God, and God.

This indicates there is to be an earthly resurrection. Genesis 22:18 says, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. You read that before. The second feature is the seed. The apostle Paul In Galatians chapter 3 explains, the seed is Christ.

In Galatians 3:16, Paul writes, Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. But he does. He goes further explaining, the church is a part of this seed. Galatians 3:27 and 29.

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, and if ye be Christ, then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. It is spiritual. It is referred to as the Sarah or grace feature of the Abrahamic covenant. We should also look at some scriptures that support the doctrine of two resurrections together. For the sake of time, maybe we can look at two.

Okay, well, we read one already with the assigned topic scripture. So let me read John 5:28 and 29, and it’s great if you can have a topic and have it encapsulated in one scripture. John 5, 28, 29. We’re familiar with this. It says, do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, and those who committed the bad deeds to a resurrection judgment.

You know, in these two verses, John really summarizes our topic for this hour. The resurrection is not just for one set of people. It doesn’t exclude anyone. But the two resurrections are identified here. One to resurrection of life, which refers to a heavenly resurrection identified by the covenants which we just touched on and the seed of Abraham.

And the second resurrection is a resurrection of judgment, not condemnation, and we’re so thankful when we come together that we can tell that to each other, remind each other that at convention, and we do that every time we meet, there will be a resurrected. These second ones, who are said to be under judgment rather than condemnation, will be resurrected on earth and have a thousand years to learn of God’s love and then choose their own judgment. Eternal life or forfeiture of life. God’s going to leave it up to them after opening their minds to his purposes for them.

Yes, and the churches teach that they’re resurrected only to be sent back to hell to burn forever. So that’s a great promise that we have in the Scriptures that explains that is not the true case. I have another scripture. Let’s hear it.

That’s First Corinthians 15:12, 24. In the King James, Paul gives a lengthy discourse to show that there is to be a resurrection because Christ was raised from the dead. He argues that if Christ was not raised, we are yet in our sins. Verses 20 to 24 says Christ is raised, and there is an order to the resurrection. Christ was the first to be raised.

He calls it the first fruits, as I mentioned before, but not Christ alone. Verse 23 reads, Christ the firstfruits afterward, they that are Christ at his coming. This shows two resurrections.

In short, the church is included. James 1:18 says, of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. That’s the Church being raised with Christ. The heavenly reward afterward, those that are Christ at his coming. It’s the Greek word parousia, which should be present during Christ’s presence.

The remainder of mankind will be raised and learn righteousness. Christ purchased the world of mankind, and in verse 24, which was discussed last night about what happens when the kingdom has accomplished its purpose, it will be delivered up to God. It reads, then cometh the end when he shall have put delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. So this shows the two resurrections.

First the Church, then the world of mankind. Thank you very much. Well, we mentioned earlier the doctrine of two resurrections is intertwined with other basic doctrines. We spoke of the ransom earlier, but there are others. We’d like to just touch on with the short amount of time we have left.

Brother Randy, how about telling us maybe one of the other basic doctrines that are connected to two resurrections? Well, the two resurrections connect very nicely to the promise of restitution. You mentioned the three Rs, ransom, restitution, resurrection. So restitution ties in very nicely. Acts 3:19 21 from the king James says, repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Here Peter refers the hope of resurrection by using the word restitution. This means all things will be restored as they were the Garden of Eden. These times of restitution were spoken by the mouth of all God’s holy prophets. It says, repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out.

The first to have their sins blotted out are those called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Later. The world of mankind will have the opportunity of repenting and being blessed as they walk up the highway of holiness, and I want to talk about this highway. Isaiah 35, 8:10 tells us about this highway, and this is the new American standard.

A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the highway of holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one who walks that way, and fools will not wonder on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravi vicious animal go up on it. They will not be found there, but the redeemed will walk there.

And the redeemed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with joyful shouting, and everlasting joy will be upon their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. What a wonderful promise. That is what the kingdom of Ranger is going to be like.

No lion Satan will be bound. He won’t be there to deceive us and deceive mankind.

The other thing I want to talk about is that many in the world have never known the name of Christ. So they will have to be resurrected and come to a knowledge of the truth, and Brother George Balco talked about the other night an accurate knowledge of the truth. There are many truths in the world, but they’re not necessarily accurate and they’re not necessarily good. But in First Timothy 2, 3, 6 tells us Christ Christ paid the ransom, the anti lutron or substitutionary price for Adam, so that all will have a resurrection and learn how to live in harmony with God.

It reads in 1st Timothy 2, 3, 6. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who of all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, one mediator between God and man men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. Brother Bryan, can you give us another? Yeah.

Let me add reconciliation to what we’re talking about here. The word in Greek means atonement or restoration. I love Brother Russell’s description of what this means. Brother Russell says it it is the satisfaction of justice and the restoration of God’s creatures to harmony with himself. I love that thought of being restored into harmony back to God.

Romans 5:11 says, and not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received reconciliation, and another scripture on this is Second Corinthians 5, 18, 19, and it reads, now all things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and he has committed to us the word of reconciliation. In other words, we’ve been reconciled already and have this ministry of reconciliation to go out and preach it to anyone who has a hearing ear. We can tell the good news of the kingdom where perfection will reign and all will have an opportunity for everlasting life, and now, Brother, I see the chairman’s here, so maybe we can wrap up by just a couple of takeaways from our discussion.

What would be your takeaway? Well, what a wonderful blessing to know these doctrines, especially the promise of resurrection ransom. A last scripture that has become a great blessing is one that was sent to me at the death of my mother. It gave me a lot of comfort and it promises resurrection. First Corinthians 6:14.

And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his power. Not only will the church be raised, but all that have ever lived also. That’s a great scripture, and what a great scripture of comfort that you received. Another great scripture as a takeaway from this that I would refer to as and it’s been mentioned this week, and it’s a favorite of many of us, is Revelation 21:1 4 and really kind of wraps up and summarizes what’s going to happen because of these two resurrections?

Revelation 21:1 4 says, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea, and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. There’s an evidence of the first resurrection, the heavenly resurrection, as the bride of Christ. Coming down from where? From heaven.

Because it is a heavenly calling.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, those who are resurrected on the earth, and he will dwell among them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself will be among them, and here’s the beautiful part we almost have memorized.

And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no longer any death. There will be no longer any mourning or crying or pain. The first things have passed away. I love the illustration of the two resurrections mentioned here.

First, the bride adorned for her husband coming down from heaven after their resurrection to a heavenly promise, and then the illustration of God dwelling with those of the earthly resurrection and wiping away everything that has caused a tear to flow for all their lifetime. So, dear brethren, we pray, this consideration of the two resurrections we find in the Bible has been encouraging and helpful to you, and we.

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