WEEKEND Edition 3/4 October 2026 “Final Resurrections?” (1 Cor. 15:22-26 & Rev. 20)

Good weekend to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,

30 days from today will be November 3 and that will be an important day in America. Why? It’s called the ‘mid-term elections’ and thousands of people across America will be voted into and out of public office, including several State Governors, and many people elected to Congress and the US Senate.

While the US Presidency is not up for election this year, all eyes will be on many elections across the country and American political power may be very different 31 days from today, than it is today. That may have major implications for our world since the foreign policy of the United States affects almost every nation in the world. 

Many Christians will be watching these mid-term American elections with a watchful eye upon the possible implications for Biblical prophetic future events. In the past few days, we’ve been looking closely at the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Corinth in the mid first century.

Evidently many were asking questions about future global events Jesus had talked about, and so Paul, as led by the Holy Spirit, was bringing some clarity. Specifically in 1 Corinthians 15 Paul wrote a great deal about the resurrection of Jesus Christ being a ‘firstfruits’ because ALL human beings will eventually experience God’s resurrection to life after death, each of us receiving an immortal, resurrected body similar to what Jesus received in His resurrection. Yesterday we looked at Jesus’ next return and the resurrection of all deceased and living Christ followers at that moment. (1 Thess. 4:13-18)

But today, let’s consider the future resurrections for millions of people who will be living AFTER that glorious 1 Thess. 4 rapture/resurrection event, many of whom will trust Jesus Christ to be their Savior! These people would include the martyrs of the Tribulation period referred to in Rev. 20:4, who will reign with Christ. And also, the 144,000 Jewish witnesses, referred to in Rev. 14:1-5. And a great multitude of other people, both Jews and Gentiles, who will trust Jesus as their Savior during the Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom.

Yes, they too will ALL be resurrected from the dead, by the power of God, and they will appear before the glorious throne of King Jesus giving Him praise, along with ALL the Redeemed of all time, and then they’ll be escorted into God’s eternal kingdom presence with His great blessing! (Matt. 25:31-34) 

But that leaves one more group of humans which is by far the LARGEST group of people. Do you know who they are? All those, from all time in history, who have NOT trusted God for their redemption, the forgiveness of their sins. (John 3:36) These people, during their lifetime, rejected Jesus Christ’s claim that HE is the ONLY way to God. (John 14:6) 

This huge throng, the vast majority of all humans who have ever lived, will be resurrected by God and gathered before the Great White Throne of Judgement, with Jesus as the Holy Judge. There the books will be opened, including the book of life.

These will be judged, individually, for their wickedness and their refusal to acknowledge their sin and trust God’s offer of salvation. Their names will NOT be found in the Book of Life because they never accepted God’s offer of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone. These unredeemed will be escorted from that judgment into their eternity of “perish” apart from God in a place of torment. (Rev. 20:11-15; Matt. 25:41)

Paul concludes this summary of future resurrections with this powerful statement in 1 Cor. 15:24-26: “Then the end will come when He [King Jesus Christ] hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. [of the dark kingdom] For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

That final act by King Jesus of destroying death is confirmed in Revelation 20:14 and is very important. Why? You’ll recall, my friends, death was God’s promised curse on humanity IF Adam turned away from God and rebelled in the perfect Garden of Eden. (Gen. 2:17) Death has been therefore the inescapable human destiny for every person from the day of Adam’s rebellion until that future day when King Jesus finally destroys death!

But here’s an important question: what gives Jesus Christ the authority and power to destroy death and imprison Satan in hell for all eternity future? Oh my friends that is the ultimate significance of the VICTORY Jesus gained in His obedient, atonement death on the cross. It is also a new supremacy granted to Him from God the Father in His victorious resurrection from the dead and His ascension to His throne in heaven! (Heb. 1:3,4; Phil. 2:8-11) 

From that future moment, when King Jesus thrusts ‘death and Hades’ into the lake of fire, (Rev.  20:14) for the rest of all eternity future, evil, sin, death, Hades, Satan and all demons will be confined to immortal torment in hell! King Jesus Christ will reign, with the Redeemed people of God, all in our glorified, immortal bodies, enjoying a Jesus restored new heaven and a new earth. (Rev. 21 & Isaiah 65:17-25)

Aren’t you glad to know that your future is secure with Jesus if He is your Savior? The Lessons Learned notes today will be very helpful, as will a wonderful worship song, “All Hail King Jesus” which celebrates His victory! And let’s return here tomorrow to finish 1 Corinthians 15 together. There is yet a great deal of hopeful truth which Paul wrote, and we will want to understand.