CHAPTER 5: HUMANS TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD

This present age is near its end. The deceptive and destructive reign of its ruler, Satan, has once again led the human race down a path of self-destruction. But this time God won’t flood the world to start over (see Genesis 6:5, 13; 9:11).

However, God will intervene before it’s too late. “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved” (Matthew 24:21-22; for details of how this age will come to its end, see our online article “When Will the World End?”).

The Bible teaches us that, beginning with the return of Christ, there will be a series of three resurrections.

It begins with “firstfruits” and the first resurrection

The first resurrection marks the beginning of when humans will be changed into immortal spirit beings—members of the divine family of God.

Actually, Christ was the first of these firsts. As the apostle Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [died]. For since by man [Adam] came death, by Man [Christ] also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.”

Paul goes on to explain that God’s saints who are still alive when Christ returns will likewise be changed into spirit at that time. “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (verses 51-52).

Paul also gives the sequence of events in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”

God’s servants don’t go to heaven. Instead, Christ will come down from heaven to the earth. The resurrected saints will first meet Him in the clouds, and from there, Christ will go to the Mount of Olives (where He left the earth from when He returned to heaven; see Acts 1:9-12; Zechariah 14:3-4). This is also where He will defeat the armies gathered to fight against Him (Revelation 19:19).

Satan will be bound so he can’t deceive people for a thousand years (Revelation 20:2-3).

Then Christ—with His spirit-composed saints—will begin ruling on the earth. In addition to immortality, the reward of the saints will include the privilege of reigning with Christ!

Notice Revelation 20:6, especially the second part of the verse: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

Why do humans die?

God intentionally created humans to have limited life spans. Unlike angels, humans were designed to be very short-lived; we are fashioned literally out of elements of the earth.

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). God informed the first humans, “For dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

That would be the end for every human, for everyone has violated God’s law. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). What a human reaps for having sinned (violating God’s law)—even just once—is not eternal life in some place of punishment. It is death. God has never canceled any of His perfect laws, nor has He changed this death penalty for breaking His law.

But in God’s great plan, Jesus Christ, the One through whom God created all things and whose life is worth infinitely more than the sum total of the human race, became a human in order to die, thus paying the death penalty for any human who repents.

Repentance—which includes embracing God and His law—is required in order to have this payment applied. God also requires baptism. (For more information about this process of conversion, see our free booklet Change Your Life.)

When God’s terms are met, then the rest of Romans 6:23 comes into play: “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We can never earn eternal life, but God is willing to grant it to those who desire to live forever on His terms. Lucifer and a third of the angels were not willing to continue embracing God’s terms. God will not bring others into His family who will make the same choice as Satan and his demons.

Humans to be elevated above angels

Living forever means living as a spirit being. God made humans to be temporarily lower than the angels, but God’s plan is for humans to one day be above angels. The first to rise from this human state to a spirit, glorified state above angels was Jesus Christ Himself when He was resurrected and then returned to heaven.

Remember the levels of existence, or kingdoms, mentioned in Chapter 2? First, there is the animal kingdom (including all physical creatures other than humans). Above this is the human level of existence. Above this is the angelic level of existence. And above the angels is God’s level of existence. We can also think of these as families or realms.

So, if God’s plan is for humans to ascend above the angelic realm, what is that realm? It is the God family! Since the beginning of His human creation, God’s plan has been for humans to one day enter into His own divine, spirit-composed God family! Recall how God created every life-form to reproduce “according to its kind” in Genesis 1. The pinnacle of God’s creation was humanity, made in God’s image, according to God’s likeness—made to be like God (Genesis 1:26-27).

The ultimate fulfillment of this begins with the resurrection of God’s saints, or “firstfruits” (James 1:18; Revelation 14:4), at Christ’s return. Pointing to that resurrection, the apostle John said to God’s Church, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

A human embryo is already its parents’ child—by virtue of the seed of conception by the parents—before it is ever born into the human family. But only after birth is the unique appearance of that child seen. In the same way, God’s human firstfruits are already His children—by virtue of the seed of begettal by God’s Spirit—before they are born into the God family. But, as John said, “It has not yet been revealed what we shall be,” because we are not yet born into the God family.

When Christ is “revealed” (when He returns to earth and “every eye will see Him,” as Revelation 1:7 says), then the first resurrection takes place, and that resurrection is to divine, immortal, spirit life in the God family. Then—being “like Him”—we will see Him in His full glory!

When Christ returns, He will reign over the earth for 1,000 years. Although little is mentioned in the Bible about those living into or born during this Millennium, the books of the Bible will be opened to them. The veil that hid God’s way of life and purpose from mankind will have been taken away (2 Corinthians 3:16). In His own time, God will elevate those who are faithful to also become spirit-born children of God.

Then Satan will be released for a short period of time (as we will see in the next chapter) before being banished for the rest of eternity.

The second resurrection

The next major event in God’s plan will be the resurrection back to physical life for the rest of the human race. In this world under Satan’s reign, the vast majority of people from all human history have never had the opportunity to fully understand God’s truth or receive salvation. The fact that some are “firstfruits” implies a much larger harvest to follow.

Revelation 20:5 says, “But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.” This is a parenthetical statement, within the context of the first resurrection mentioned in the previous verse.

The first resurrection will occur when the saints rise to eternal spirit life at Christ’s return to earth. After 1,000 years, the rest of humanity will be resurrected. Thus, it is the second resurrection. In this resurrection, multiple billions of humans will all have the chance to learn God’s law and embrace it and be offered forgiveness and the gift of eternal life.

Verses 11-12 of this chapter tell us more about the second resurrection. “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it . . . And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.”

Here we see a resurrection back to life—a life that will then be under judgment. We are informed in Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” For the vast majority of humans, the second resurrection will be their day of judgment.

The Book of Life is also opened during this period, in order to begin adding names to it, as all those humans begin learning and practicing God’s truth in their new life.

In Matthew 11:22-24 and 12:41-42, Jesus showed that people from different time periods would be raised back to life concurrently. Inhabitants of the cities of Tyre, Sidon, Sodom and Nineveh are all mentioned as one day standing in judgment before God (and alongside Christ’s contemporaries).

This second resurrection is described graphically in Ezekiel 37, where God showed the prophet a vision of what that resurrection will be like. While humans from all races, nations and periods of history will be resurrected at that time, God showed Ezekiel just one nation (Israel) and one location. Yet even the house of Israel, with its long history, will likely number into the billions. This is the famous “valley of dry bones” prophecy. (If you haven’t before, take the time to read this detailed prophecy for yourself.)

Again, this is a resurrection to physical life. “Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. Also He said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live’”’” (verses 8-9). Notice that these newly resurrected bodies require “breath” (air) to live.

“Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves” (verse 13). They—and billions of other humans—did not truly know God in their lifetime in this world. They will learn all about Him in the second resurrection.

Furthermore—and very importantly—they will have the opportunity to have the Spirit of God imparted to them, just as the firstfruits had. “I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it” (verse 14).

All people will have a complete chance to become spirit-born members of God’s family.

The third resurrection and lake of fire

Christ will reign on earth through the Millennium and on through the second resurrection and Great White Throne Judgment period. All those resurrected humans who choose to live God’s way will have their names written in the Book of Life, which means they will be given immortal, spirit life in the family of God.

But some will choose to reject God’s laws and way of life. And there are some who have already had the opportunity in this life, but knowingly, willfully rejected God and His truth.

Revelation 20:14-15 reveals the next step: “Then Death and Hades [the Greek word for the grave] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second [permanent] death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 21:8 says, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

The incorrigibly sinful obviously do not rise in the first resurrection. The second resurrection is for those who have not had their chance at salvation in their first life. Humans who had their chance in this life—and lost it, by ultimately rejecting God—will not rise in either the first or second resurrection. Therefore, there is a final—or third—resurrection in which those people will rise and subsequently have their lives formally, and permanently, terminated.

Hebrews 10:26-27 alludes to this resurrection: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”

The lake of fire will ultimately engulf the entire earth. As 2 Peter 3:7 says, “But the heavens and the earth . . . are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” Verse 10 describes it: “The heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”

Those who ultimately reject God will be burned up. The Bible does not teach that they will live forever in some ever-burning hell. For more understanding about what the Bible really teaches about hell and heaven and the mortality of man, see our free booklet The Last Enemy: What Really Happens After Death?

God’s ultimate plan for humans

But the earth is not to remain a smoldering orb in the future. God is going to replace the earth and the heavens. On this beautiful new earth, God’s Kingdom will be planted for the rest of eternity, and a brand-new capital city will be established upon it.

Jerusalem was the capital of God’s covenant nation, Israel. In the Millennium, and through the Great White Throne Judgment period, Jerusalem will be the capital of the earth and the residence of Jesus Christ, the King of the world (see Isaiah 2:3, for example.) And the capital of the new earth will again be Jerusalem.

But it will be an amazing capital, far more amazing than anything the earth has ever seen. Its measurements, described in Revelation 21, translate into approximately 1,500 miles in each direction—width, length and height! Such an enormous edifice will be the capital of not only the earth, but all God’s creation, including the heavens. And it will also be God’s home.

“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). Verses 9-27 of this chapter describe this incredible city. (For more information, see our online article “New Jerusalem.”) Verse 12 says that 12 angels will be stationed at the 12 gates to the city, again showing that angels will remain active in God’s service.

And then, the Father Himself will dwell on earth with the spirit-born members of His divine family! “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God” (verse 3).

Romans 8 contains a prophecy of what the future holds. God’s incredible plan for humans—and the whole creation—is summarized by the apostle Paul:

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (verse 18). Daniel 12:2-3 echoes this truth: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”

The apostle Paul continues in Romans 8: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (verses 19-23).

Paul is reminding Church members that the physical creation is—by design—temporary. It is “winding down,” gradually decaying, following the physical law of entropy. Left alone, stars would continue to burn out and the universe would eventually contain only cold, dark galaxies, full of decaying planets.

Its future is bleak; thus, the metaphor of groaning and laboring with birth pangs. This expression means that the creation is anticipating deliverance from its current state—that something will renew it. Indeed, God will make it all brand-new! Consider these prophecies:

And this renewed, never-decaying, never-dying creation will be inherited by God’s spirit-born family members. Remember what Hebrews 2:6-8 said, in explaining King David’s prophetic words about humans one day having all God’s creation put in subjection under them. Again, God’s plan is for humans to be born into the divine God family and then to ultimately have dominion over God’s entire creation for eternity. And it is a very vast creation!

Looking forward to that time, Revelation 21:4-5 contains some of the most encouraging words in the entire Bible: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’”