What are the two resurrections Jesus describes in John 5:29?
John 5:29 names two resurrections: those who have done good come forth unto the resurrection of life, while those who have done evil come forth unto the resurrection of condemnation. These are two distinct groups of people who will be resurrected.
Les explains that John 5:29 corrects a common misunderstanding from verse 28. Although all in the graves will hear His voice and come forth, Scripture does not teach a single general resurrection. Instead, Jesus distinguishes two resurrections: those who have done good come forth unto the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil come forth unto the resurrection of condemnation. These are two distinct groups of people. Les notes that John’s Gospel alone might seem to place both resurrections at the same time, but Paul’s epistles, such as I Corinthians 15, reveal many things the rest of Scripture does not touch on.
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.
More Questions
What does John's Gospel alone seem to teach about the timing and outcome of the resurrection?
If you sit on John's Gospel alone, it seems like there is just one resurrection at the same time, with the lost going to their doom and the saved going to their glory.
Who are the people who have done good in John 5:29?
When Jesus says in John 5:29 that those who have done good will come to the resurrection of life, He is referring to those who have become people of faith.