Acts 24:15
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 unjust.
(A premillennial lens will argue that “a resurrection” could still mean “a resurrection for the just and a separate resurrection for the unjust”, seemingly supported by passages like Revelation 20:4-5, 13. Indeed, the original Greek does not offer indefinite articles like “a” the way the English does. It is more accurate to say people will be raised “by resurrection”, which can be either plural or singular.)
John 5:28-29
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 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.
(Again, here premillennialism will argue this could be pointing to two separate resurrections separated by 1,000+ years. Only one hour is referenced however.)
John 6:39-40
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
(One resurrection, at the last day. Here our Lord is referring to believers being raised up on the last day.)
John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:54
Whosoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 11:24
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
(Seems to clearly indicate first-century Jews understood there would be a single resurrection “at the last day”.)
John 12:48
He that rejects me and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Matthew 13:36-43
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that sows the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
(Here it sure seems the wheat and the tares are divided during one harvest, not two separate harvests. A time separation of 1,000+ years has to be forced into the text.)
Matthew 13:47-50
47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
(Again, it seems the good and bad fish are divided during one severing, not two separate events. A time separation of 1,000+ years has to be forced into the text.)
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
(That’s one judgment; not one partial judgment and then 1,007+ years later a more complete judgment.)
(2 Peter 2:9, 2 Peter 3:7, 10-13 are excluded from this list as they are most likely referring to the incoming day of the Lord judgment that fell upon Israel and Jerusalem between 66-70 AD. Revelation 20 will be dealt with separately, as it requires additional explanation.)
7 replies on “One Resurrection or Two? Scriptures Supporting Amillennialism”
Why have you left this verse out? Does this verse not prove there was already a resurrection of the dead of sorts? How do we separate as Amillenialists the resurrection the Bible clearly tells us already occurred, and the final resurrection? How do we know that the judgment of everyone who had passed away wasn’t a spiritual resurrection? I am fascinated by this by I also find merit in the preterist and some of the hyper-preterists arguments. The fact you ignore this verse makes me think you are not telling me the whole truth.
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Matthew/27/type/kjv
Greg, I put your question up to the Amillennism Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/amillenialism/). Here are some of their responses:
Jimmy: “Quick take: it was a local occurrence, not to be compared to the 2 resurrections; similar to Lazarus. Even those folks will have to be raised again, and since they are labeled as Saints, they already are born again.”
Patrick: “It was indeed a local occurrence. Perhaps alluding to what will one day take place at the consummation of all things upon His 2nd Advent? RC Sproul addressed this once in particular, but I cannot find the sermon.”
Simon: “If we take it like that, then they were multiple also in the days of our Lord and these people all died, so technically they were ‘resuscitations’ not everlasting resurrections.”
It makes sense this was some sort of minor resuscitation. That the account seems to be only mentioned in Matthew also lends credit to this being a somewhat minor occurrence that is understandably overshadowed by Christ’s own journey from crucifixion to resurrection.
When I read this verse I can’t help but think of the 7 trump blasts of Revelation. How do we know which trump blast is being spoke of? If Revelation is about the judgment of Israel and the 7 trump blasts refer to God’s judgments upon them, then it seems like it is possible that a judgment of some sort may have already occurred?
1 Corinthians 15:52
Verse Concepts
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Resurrection,-Of-The-Dead
This verse seems to indicate there is 2 resurrections:
The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Second-Resurrection
If this is so, who were the first of the dead to be resurrected? Was the first resurrection those mentioned in Matthew and it was a spiritual resurrection? How does Amillennialism deal with these tough passages?
Have you considered 2 Thess 2:1-3? These verses refute any possibility of a Pre-Trib Rapture as verse 3 says “For that day (the Rapture) will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed”
1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
Those of the Early Church Fathers saw that there are two judgements, the righteous and of the wicked, it was the Gnostics who placed one resurrection and judgement at the end of the millennium. The Gnostics denied Christ and those who were to be resurrected, to have their reign on the earth, as per Old and New Testament prophecies, as their focus was on a heavenly dwelling.
Lactantius says:
After these things, the lower regions will be opened and the dead will rise again. The same King and God will pass judgment on the dead. . . . However, not all men will be judged by God at that time. Rather, only those who have practiced the religion of God. Sentence cannot be passed to acquit those who have not known God. They are already judged and condemned. For the Holy Scriptures testify that the wicked will not rise to condemnation [Ps. 1:5]. Therefore, only those who have known God will be judged. And their deeds, that is, their evil works, will be compared and weighed against their good ones. . . . But when He will have judged the righteous, He will also test them with fire. Those persons whose sins will exceed [their good works] either in weight or in number will be scorched by the fire and burned. However, those who are filled with complete justice and maturity will not feel this fire. For they have something of God in them that repels and rejects the violence of the flame. Lactantius (c. 304–313, W), 7.216, 217.
Russell, are you saying Gnostics wrote the end of Revelation 20?