Only two men ever possessed life in the fullest sense—Adam, before his transgression and the subsequent dying process, and the man Christ Jesus (Genesis 5:5; 1 Timothy 2:5, 6). Adam was judicially dead from the moment of the sentence, "For the wages of sin is death…" (Romans 6:23). The spark of life possessed by mankind, which flickers for a few years, is merely a dying condition not being recognized by God’s justice as fully constituting life (Job 5:7; Psalm 51:5; Luke 9:59, 60).
Today, only those who have become united to the Son of God, the Redeemer of men, the Life-giver, have been begotten to a new life (1 John 5:12; Titus 3:5-7). These are saved from death as yet only “by hope” and cannot experience the actual delivery from the power of death until the “first resurrection” (Philippians 3:10-12; Romans 8:22-25; James 1:18; Revelation 14:4; 20:6; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23). These are begotten to a new nature by faith in and obedience to God during this present Gospel Age (Matthew 7:14; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2 Peter 1:3, 4). They have been called to the “high calling” offered only during this “acceptable time” (Romans 8:28, 29; 2 Timothy 1:8-10; Philippians 3:13, 14; 2 Corinthians 6:1, 2).
But some may ask: what about the resurrection of the widow’s son (1 Kings 17:22) by Elijah? or the resurrection of Tabitha (Acts 9:40) by the Apostle Peter? These and other resurrections recorded in the Bible were merely resuscitations. Those did not receive healthy, healed bodies. (See Isaiah 35:5-10). All of these people died again.
Presently, has God begun to resurrect people? No. The resurrection of mankind will occur after Armageddon. Zephaniah 3:8, “Therefore wait for Me,” says the LORD, “until the day I rise up for plunder; my determination is to gather the nations…to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger….” Afterwards, Jesus will establish His righteous reign on earth. Remember the Lord’s prayer: “…thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) When Jesus reigns, He will be the one to resurrect people on earth. (John 5:28, 29)
During Christ’s wonderful reign, the knowledge of the Lord will fill the whole earth (Habakkuk 2:14; Isaiah 11:9). Then the obedient of mankind shall be lifted up completely out of sin and death by a process of restitution lasting 1,000 years. Their being "made alive", restored to full perfection of life such as Adam had before sin entered, will be a gradual operation attained to by the close of that period (Luke 19:10; Acts 3:19-21).
