GETTING ADAM’S CHANCE

THE CREATION OF NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH

If we do not understand that God has set two different hopes before the human family, we will not understand the purpose of God that is written in the Bible.  Let us read what Isaiah writes about this issue in 65:17-25:

¹⁷ “For here I am creating new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart. ¹⁸ But exult, YOU people, and be joyful forever in what I am creating. For here I am creating Jerusalem a cause for joyfulness and her people a cause for exultation. ¹⁹ And I will be joyful in Jerusalem and exult in my people; and no more will there be heard in her the sound of weeping or the sound of a plaintive cry.”

²⁰ “No more will there come to be a suckling a few days old from that place, neither an old man that does not fulfill his days; for one will die as a mere boy, although a hundred years of age; and as for the sinner, although a hundred years of age he will have evil called down upon him. ²¹And they will certainly build houses and have occupancy; and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat [their] fruitage. ²² They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they will not plant and someone else do the eating. For like the days of a tree will the days of my people be; and the work of their own hands my chosen ones will use to the full.

²³ They will not toil for nothing, nor will they bring to birth for disturbance;  because they are the offspring made up of the blessed ones of Jehovah, and their descendants with them. ²⁴ And it will actually occur that before they call out I myself shall answer; while they are yet speaking, I myself shall hear. ²⁵ “The wolf and the lamb themselves will feed as one, and the lion will eat straw just like the bull; and as for the serpent, his food will be dust. They will do no harm nor cause any ruin in all my holy mountain,” Jehovah has said.

These words got a small fulfillment when the Jews returned from Babylon in 537 BCE.  But the real fulfillment will come in the future, as Peter confirms in 2 Peter 3:13:

¹³ But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.

What was the hope of Peter and those to whom the letter was written? We read in 1:4:

⁴ Through these things he has freely given us the precious and very grand promises, that through these YOU may become sharers in divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Isaiah writes about new heavens and a new earth, and he describes how people will live on the new earth. Peter also writes about new heavens and a new earth, an he refers to  the new heavens where the Christians will receive divine nature. Revelation 7:4 and 14:1 show that 144,000 humans will be changed and receive divine nature, while Revelation chapter 20 shows that humans without number will live on the new earth.

Isaiah wrote to people who had the hope of living on a new earth, and Peter wrote to people who had the hope of coming to heaven. This reminds us that when we read a passage in the Bible, we must always ask to which group the words are directed. That can solve many problems. It also will solve the problem mentioned in the introduction: how can God judge people for what they have done on the earth, when they are acquitted from all their sins when they die?

THE PURPOSE OF JUDGMENT DAY

Judgment Day is a familiar word for most people. And they have a vague view of what will happen on that Day. Many people think that they will stand before God and that they will be punished for all the bad things they have done. This is very far from the truth.

The relationship between the two different groups that will be saved, and how Jehovah deal with the two groups in a similar way and in a different way will best be understood when we understand the different sides of Judgment Day. I use the following illustration:

Two men have a strained relationship. One of them is found dead, and the other man is arrested and accused of murder. This man says to the prosecutor that if he is allowed to leave the jail, he will be able to produce evidence showing that he is not guilty. This request is denied, and he is sentenced to death for a murder he did not do.

All readers realize that this is a miscarriage of justice. The accused person should, of course, have been allowed to produce evidence for his innocence. The whole human family, all the descendants of Adam, are in a similar situation. Each individual is sentenced to death because he or she has inherited sin that he or she has not asked to inherit. How can each one of us who are sentenced to death prove that we are innocent, that we personally do not deserve the death penalty? Paul expresses the situation we all experience in Romans 7:14-25:

¹⁴ For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am fleshly, sold under sin. ¹⁵ For what I am working out I do not know. For what I wish, this I do not practice; but what I hate is what I do.  ¹⁶ However, if what I do not wish is what I do, I agree that the Law is fine. ¹⁷ But now the one working it out is no longer I, but sin that resides in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, there dwells nothing good; for ability to wish is present with me, but ability to work out what is fine is not [present].  ¹⁹ For the good that I wish I do not do, but the bad that I do not wish is what I practice.  ²⁰ If, now, what I do not wish is what I do, the one working it out is no longer I, but the sin dwelling in me.

²¹ I find, then, this law in my case: that when I wish to do what is right, what is bad is present with me. ²² I really delight in the law of God according to the man I am within,  ²³ but I behold in my members another law warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to sin’s law that is in my members.²⁴ Miserable man that I am! Who will rescue me from the body undergoing this death? ²⁵ Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, then, with [my] mind I myself am a slave to God’s law, but with [my] flesh to sin’s law.

These words show that we are in the same situation as the man who was sentenced to death. Because of inherited sin, we are “in jail” and we are not allowed to leave jail to prove our innocence. What would it mean to leave jail and prove our innocence? To prove our innocence we must have Adam’s chance. What does this mean? It would mean that we no longer had our inherited sin, that we were perfect like Adam, and that we, in this condition  got the same chance as Adam to obey God’s laws or not. Because we cannot get rid of our inherited sin, this is impossible.

The purpose of Judgment Day is that all Adam’s descendants get Adam’s chance!

The marvelous purpose of Jehovah God is as follows:

• When Jesus Christ died, he bought Adam and all Adam’s descendants.
• All Adam’s descendants die because of inherited sin.
• Because death is the punishment of sin, when a person dies, he is acquitted from all his sins.
• Because of the ransom sacrifice, all human descendants of Adam, except those who have sinned against the holy spirit, will get a resurrection on Judgment Day.
• Because they have paid for their sin with their death, all the sins they did before their death are blotted out.
• Humans are raised with the same personality they had before they died. Therefore, they are still imperfect sinners after their resurrection.
• The ransom sacrifice of Jesus will be applied to humans on earth, and over a thousand years, they will be led to human perfection.
• At the end of the thousand years, all humans are perfect and without sin.
• Satan will be loosed from the abyss, and all humans will get Adam’s chance, either to follow Satan or to worship Jehovah.
• Those who follow Satan have done the same as Adam did, and they will be eternally annihilated.
• Those who follow Jehovah have proven their innocence, and they will live forever on the paradise earth.

When we learn about this purpose of Jehovah, and how he has arranged that each one of Adam’s descendants personally will get Adam’s chance, we agree with Paul in his exclamation of the greatness of Jehovah God in Romans 11: 33-36:

 ³³ O the depth of God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How unsearchable his judgments [are] and past tracing out his ways [are]!  ³⁴ For “who has come to know Jehovah’s mind, or who has become his counselor?”  ³⁵ Or, “Who has first given to him, so that it must be repaid to him?”  ³⁶ Because from him and by him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

The purpose of the thousand year-long Judgment Day is that all Adam’s descendants shall get Adam’s chance — as perfect humans without sin to choose whether they will serve Jehovah or not.

THE LENGTH OF JUDGMENT DAY

The word “day” has different references in The Bible, from the time of the daylight to the creation days of several thousand years. It is obvious that because of all the things that will happen on Judgment Day, as described in the points above, Judgment Day must be much longer that 24 hours.

We need not be in the dark with respect to the length of Judgment Day, for Revelation 19: 19-21 (above) and 20:1-4 (below) say:

¹⁹ And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage the war with the one seated on the horse and with his army. ²⁰ And the wild beast was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who render worship to its image. While still alive, they both were hurled into the fiery lake that burns with sulphur. ²¹  But the rest were killed off with the long sword of the one seated on the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth. And all the birds were filled from the fleshy parts of them.

¹ And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.  ² And he seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. ³ And he hurled him into the abyss and shut [it] and sealed [it] over him, that he might not mislead the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After these things he must be let loose for a little while.

⁴ And I saw thrones, and there were those who sat down on them, and power of judging was given them. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed with the ax for the witness they bore to Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had worshiped neither the wild beast nor its image and who had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for a thousand years.

The great tribulation is described in Revelation chapter 19, and verses 19-21 describe how God’s enemies will be destroyed. After this, the Devil will be hurled into the abyss for a period of a thousand years, according to 20:1-3. And then, those who have received a heavenly resurrection as spirits will start their judging, and they will rule as kings with the Christ for a thousand years. This shows that Judgment Day is one thousand years long.

THE RESURRECTION ON JUDGMENT DAY  

Jesus used the word Judgment Day several times, and others occasionally referred to this Day as well. But the only place where there is some description of this day is in Revelation chapter 20. In addition to this, we can construe what will happen on Judgment Day on the basis of how the ransom sacrifice will be applied, and on the basis of some scattered expressions referring to that Day.

Luke mentions Judgment Day in Acts 17:31:

³¹ Because he has set a day in which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has furnished a guarantee to all men in that he has resurrected him from the dead.”

These words show that Judgment Day does not occur in the spiritual realm, but all humans who are living on the earth will be judged on that “Day.” The ransom sacrifice is also implied by the words that the resurrection of Jesus is a guarantee for a judgment in righteousness, because his resurrection was necessary to make the ransom sacrifice valid.

We should keep in mind that judging is not the same as a court case, where a person is declared guilty or not guilty. In a long period, there were judges in Israel. They were leaders who protected the people from their enemies, and they helped the people in many different ways. In a similar way, Jesus Christ and the 144,000 who will serve as judges, priests, and kings, will help those who are living on the earth on Judgment Day.

THE LIVING AND THE DEAD THAT WILL BE JUDGED 

From the time of Adam, it is likely that around 30 billion of Adam’s descendants have lived and died. In connection with these, I quote Hebrews 9:27, 28 (above) and 2 Timothy 4:1 (below):

²⁷ And as it is reserved for men to die once for all time, but after this a judgment, ²⁸ so also the Christ was offered once for all time to bear the sins of many; and the second time that he appears it will be apart from sin and to those earnestly looking for him for [their] salvation.

¹ I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is destined to judge the living and the dead, and by his manifestation (epifaneia) and his kingdom.

Hebrews tells us that those of Adam’s descendants who have died will receive judgment afterward, and this requires a resurrection. Paul says that Jesus will judge both the living and the dead, and this is connected with the manifestation of Jesus. There is strong evidence that Jesus has returned and is present, and that his kingdom was established in the year 1914 CE. At the end of his presence, the great tribulation will come, and this can be connected with his manifestation (epifaneia). Because the judging is connected with his manifestation, the “kingdom” naturally refers to the thousand-year Judgment Day when Jesus will reign as king.

The important point here is that Jesus will judge the living and the dead. The dead are those that are in the sea and in hades, mankind’s common grave. But who are the living ones? As mentioned, the judging of Jesus is connected with this manifestation, which again is connected with the great tribulation. We find the answer in Revelation 7:9, 10, 13-17 (above) and in John 11:23-26 (below):

⁹ After these things I saw, and, look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they keep on crying with a loud voice, saying: “Salvation [we owe] to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

¹³ And in response one of the elders said to me: “These who are dressed in the white robes, who are they and where did they come from?”  ¹⁴ So right away I said to him: “My lord, you are the one that knows.” And he said to me: “These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  ¹⁵ That is why they are before the throne of God; and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread his tent over them.  ¹⁶ They will hunger no more nor thirst anymore, neither will the sun beat down upon them nor any scorching heat, ¹⁷ because the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them, and will guide them to fountains of waters of life. And God will wipe out every tear from their eyes.”

²³ Jesus said to her: “Your brother will rise.” ²⁴ Martha said to him: “I know he will rise in the resurrection onthe last day.” ²⁵ Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life. He that exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life; ²⁶ and everyone that is living and exercises faith in me will never die at all. Do you believe this?”

The members of great crowd have “washed their robes… in the blood of the Lamb.” The ransom sacrifice of Jesus has been applied to them, and they “come out of the great tribulation,” which means that they survive the great tribulation without dying and that they are present on Judgment Day that starts after the great tribulation.

When Martha spoke about “the resurrection on the last day,” the expression “the last day” refers to Judgment Day. Jesus showed that those who have died will get a resurrection, and those who live in the day Martha refers to will never die. The great crowd will survive the great tribulation, and if the individuals continue to serve Jehovah, they will live forever. These are among “the living” that will be judged.

BEING RESURRECTED — EACH ONE IN ITS OWN RANK

Paul’s letters are addressed to those who have the hope of reigning with Jesus Christ in heaven. In chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians, Paul has a long discussion of the resurrection where the focus is on the heavenly resurrection. But he also has some words about the earthly resurrection. We read verse 22:

 ²²  For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each one in his own rank (tagma): Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence.

The first part of verse 23 says regarding those who will get a resurrection: “each one in his own rank.” Let us now see how the Greek word tagma is used in the Septuagint. I quote Numbers 2:3 (above) and 2 Samuel 23:13 (below) from the NETS translation of the Septuagint:

³ “And those camping eastward toward the sunrising will be the [three-tribe] division (tagma, dægæl) of the camp of Judah in their armies, and the chieftain for the sons of Judah is Nahʹshon the son of Am·minʹa·dab.

¹³  During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band (tagma, hayā) of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim

The Greek word tagma has the meaning “anything placed in order; in NT order of succession, class, group.” (Mounce) In Numbers 2:3, tagma refers to the division of the camp of the sons of Judah. The Hebrew word that is translated with tagma is dægæl, and its meaning is “standard, banner — standard, partic. of separate tribes of Isr.” (BDB Lexicon). Each tribe in Israel had a standard or a banner, and both the Greek word tagma and the Hebrew word dægæl refer to the practice of organizing the camp with different tribes under different banners.

In 2 Samuel 23:13, tagma is used of a group of Philistines. The Hebrew word that is translated by tagma is hayā, with the meaning “band, army; people, home. (Kohlenberger and Mounce). The word hayā comes from a root meaning “life,” and a band or an army consists of many “lives” or living people.

The English word “rank” used by NWT84 is excellent. It is defined as “a number of persons forming a separate class in a social hierarchy or in any graded body.”[1] So, both the Greek tagma, the Hebrew dægæl and hayā, and the English rank point to a group. This means that when 1 Corinthians 15:23 says, “but each one in his own rank (tagma)” the reference is to different “groups,” and not “in its own proper order,” as is the rendering of NWT13.

Because all those who “die in Adam” will get an earthly resurrection on Judgment Day, the “ranks” must refer to groups of those who will be resurrected. Problems could occur when persons who do not serve God are resurrected. Therefore, it is logical that persons who have served God before they died will be the group that first gets their resurrection. In this way, there will be many persons who have experienced God’s service who can take care of those who have not served God but will get a resurrection.

The situation described in verse 23 is elucidated in verses 37 and 38; I quote verses 35-40:

³⁵ Nevertheless, someone will say: “How are the dead to be raised up? Yes, with what sort of body are they coming?” ³⁶ You unreasonable person! What you sow is not made alive unless first it dies. ³⁷ And as for what you sow, you sow, not the body that will develop, but a bare grain, it may be, of any of the rest; ³⁸ but God gives it a body just as it has pleased him, and gives to each of the seeds (sperma) its own body (soma). ³⁹ Not all flesh is the same flesh, but there is one of mankind, there is another flesh of cattle, another flesh of birds, and another of fish.  ⁴⁰ And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly bodies is one sort, and that of the earthly bodies is a different sort.

In order to help the Corinthians to understand the resurrection better, Paul used the illustration of different seeds (sperma). When a seed is sown in the soil, a plant will grow, and different kinds of seeds give different kinds of plants. When we sow a seed of wheat, a wheat plant will grow up from the soil, and when we sow a seed of tulip, a tulip flower will grow up. Paul shows that these laws of nature are valid in the resurrection as well.

In verse 37, Paul shows that the view of the resurrection of the flesh, the resurrection of the same fleshly body that died, is not correct.[2] The key word in the verse is “seed” (sperma), which refers to the fleshly body of each one who dies, and the expression “each of the seeds” shows that there are at least two kinds of seeds, two kinds of bodies that die. Paul shows that each kind of seed has “its own body,” and God gives “each of the seeds “its own body.” And the words of verse 40 that “there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies” naturally refers to the different kinds of bodies God gives to the different kinds of seeds.[3]

There are two different “seeds” (= bodies that die). God will give “each of the seeds” a resurrection body “as it has pleased him.” Some will get “earthly bodies” and others will get “heavenly bodies.”

 WHO WILL BE RESURRECTED? 

I have already mentioned that about 30 billion people may have lived on the earth and died since Adam. Will all these be resurrected? Regarding the resurrection Luke quotes Paul in Acts 24:15:

¹⁵ and I have hope toward God, which hope these [men] themselves also entertain, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

That those who are said to be righteous will be resurrected, is logical. But will all those who are classified as unrighteous come out from their graves? There is one passage in the Bible that directly answers this question, namely, 1 Corinthians 15:22,  and on the basis of a combination of other passages, this answer is supported.

I quote 1 Corinthians 6:20 (above), 1 Timothy 2:5, 6 (upper middle), Matthew 20:28 (lower middle), and Hebrews 2:9 (below):

1 Corinthians 6:20

²⁰ for you were bought (agorazō) with a price (time). By all means, glorify God in your body.

1 Timothy 2:5, 6

⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself a corresponding ransom (antilytron) for all (pas)—this is what is to be witnessed to in its own due time.

Matthew 20:28

²⁸ Just as the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom (lytron) in exchange (anti) for many (polys).”

Hebrews 2:9

⁹ But we do see Jesus, who was made a little lower than angels, now crowned with glory and honor for having suffered death, so that by God’s undeserved kindness he might taste death for everyone.

1 Corinthians 15:22, 23

²² For just as in Adam all (pas) are dying, so also in the Christ all (pas) will be made alive. ²³ But each one in his own rank: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence.

Humans were bought with a price, and this price was the body and blood of Jesus Christ. His death was a corresponding ransom for all. Please note that the words “for many” in Matthew 20:28 also refers to all Adams descendants, according to the context.[4] The words in Hebrews 2:9 also show that Jesus died for all Adam’s descendants. And most important, 1 Corinthians 15:22 says that all who have died because of Adam’s sin will get a resurrection. This means that every descendant of Adam who has been born, and who dies because of inherited sin will get a resurrection. Only those who have sinned against the holy spirit will not get a resurrection because they do not die because of inherited sin but because they are wicked.

The Holy Bible shows without any shadow of doubt that Jesus, by his death, bought all Adam’s descendants, and that all those who die because of inherited sin will get a resurrection.

How do Jehovah God and Jesus Christ view all these Adam’s descendants, all of whom Jesus bought. The scriptures quoted below give the answer, John 3:16 (above), 1 Peter 3:9 (top middle), Matthew 18:10 (bottom middle), and Matthew 10:29 (below):

¹⁶ “For God loved the world (kosmos) so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.

⁹ Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with YOU because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance. ¹⁰ See to it that YOU men do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell YOU that their angels in heaven always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.

²⁹ Do not two sparrows sell for a coin of small value? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without YOUR Father’s [knowlege]. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

According to Peter, God desires that each human being shall come to repentance. This requires that they exercise faith in Jesus Christ. But none of those who lived before Jesus came to the earth had heard about him, and most of those who have lived after he came to the earth have not had the full opportunity to believe in Jesus. But God loves each one of them, and he will, of course, give them a resurrection on Judgment Day, so they can learn about him and his Son and get a personal opportunity to choose if they will accept the ransom sacrifice or not.

All human descendants are so dear to Jehovah that angels in heaven have the task of considering the life of each human and know him or her so well that his or her hairs are counted. Because Jesus bought all descendants of Adam, since each one is so dear to Jehovah, and since most of those who have lived have not had a chance to learn the truth about Jehovah and his Son, we expect that almost all of them will get a resurrection on Judgment Day

But what about those who have done wicked actions or those who have heard the truth but have rejected it?  Will this disqualify them from getting a resurrection? We find an answer to this question by quoting Matthew 11:20-24 (above) and Matthew 12:38-42 (below):

²⁰ Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his powerful works had taken place, for they did not repent: ²¹ “Woe to you, Cho·raʹzin! Woe to you, Beth·saʹi·da! because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Tyre and Siʹdon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I say to you, it will be more endurable for Tyre and Siʹdon on Judgment Day than for you. ²³ And you, Ca·perʹna·um, will you perhaps be exalted to heaven? Down to the Grave (hades) you will come; because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Sodʹom, it would have remained until this very day. ²⁴ But I say to you, it will be more endurable for the land of Sodʹom on Judgment Day than for you.”

³⁸ Then as an answer to him, some of the scribes and the Pharisees said: “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” ³⁹ In reply he said to them: “A wicked and adulterous generation keeps on seeking a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Joʹnah the prophet. ⁴⁰ For just as Joʹnah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.⁴¹ Men of Ninʹe·veh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at what Joʹnah preached. But look! something more than Joʹnah is here. ⁴² The queen of the south will be raised up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solʹo·mon. But look! Something more than Solʹo·mon is here.

The inhabitants of Chorazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida, had heard the preaching of Jesus and had seen his miracles, and yet they did not put faith in him. But they will get a resurrection on Judgment Day. And similarly, those whom Jesus called “the wicked and adulterous generation” are all the Jews that lived in Israel in the days of Jesus. But these wicked people will also get a resurrection on Judgment Day.

This  does not mean that there is a universal salvation, that all who ever have lived will be present on Judgment Day, as we see in Matthew 12:31, 32:

³¹ “For this reason I say to you, every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. ³² For example, whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him, no, not in this system of things nor in that to come.

In order to fully understand the words of Jesus we must think of the purpose of the resurrection on Judgment Day. Because all humans have inherited sin, they are not competent to make a final decision as to serve Jehovah or not. But on the basis of the ransom sacrifice, all those who live on the earth on Judgment Day will gradually be led toward perfection. And when the period of a thousand year ends, all are perfect and in the same position as Adam was. And now they will get Adam’s chance!

The important point is that all kinds of sins, regardless how bad they are, that people do because of their inherited sin, will be forgiven according to the words of Jesus. But some sins are committed over and over again because of personal wickedness and cannot be ascribed to the sin that is inherited. These sins are not covered by the ransom sacrifice — they are sins against the holy spirit.[5]  The words in Isaiah 26:10 illustrates the situation:

¹⁰ Though the wicked one should be shown favor, he simply will not learn righteousness. In the land of straightforwardness he will act unjustly and will not see the eminence of Jehovah.

The person who has sinned against the holy spirit has shown that he is inherently wicked, and even if he got a resurrection on Judgment Day, he would not learn righteousness. He has already shown his true nature, so he is not like the innocent person who are accused of murder and who have not been allowed to present evidence for his innocence. This person has shown evidence that he is incorrigible wicked and nothing can prove his innocence. Because of the nature of sin against the holy spirit, we must assume that only a few of Adam’s descendants have committed this sin.

I will now return to Revelation chapter 20 where Judgment Day is discussed, and I quote verses 11-14:

¹¹ And I saw a great white throne and the one seated on it. From before him the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. ¹³ And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Haʹdes gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. ¹⁴ And death and Haʹdes were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire.

The word Hades refers to the common grave of mankind, and Hades will be emptied for humans. The same is true with the sea, where all those who died in the great flood in the days of Noah are. Chapter 4 in my book, The Atonement Between God and Man is entitled, “The vast majority of Adam’s descendants will get a resurrection.” It gives a great number of examples of all kinds of wicked people who will get a resurrection.

The essence of this section is expressed in 1 Corinthians 15:22: “For just as in Adam all (pas) are dying, so also in the Christ all (pas) will be made alive” All Adam’s descendants who have died because of inherited sin will  Adam’s chance.

THE TREATMENT OF HUMANS ON JUDGMENT DAY

I start with a quotation of Romans 6:7:

⁷ For he who has died has been acquitted (dikaioō) from [his] sin.

All the sins that the resurrected ones did before they died have been blotted out and cannot be held against them. But after their resurrection they still have inherited sin,  and they also have the same personality, memories, and inclinations that they had before they died. How do we know that? I quote Matthew 11:20-24 (above) and Revelation 20: 5 (below):

²⁰ Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his powerful works had taken place, for they did not repent: ²¹ “Woe to you, Cho·raʹzin! Woe to you, Beth·saʹi·da! because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Tyre and Siʹdon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I say to you, it will be more endurable for Tyre and Siʹdon on Judgment Day than for you. ²³ And you, Ca·perʹna·um, will you perhaps be exalted to heaven? Down to the Grave (hades) you will come; because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Sodʹom, it would have remained until this very day. ²⁴ But I say to you, it will be more endurable for the land of Sodʹom on Judgment Day than for you.”

⁵ The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.

At the end of the period of thousand years, all humans “have come to life.” This means that all humans are free from inherited sin and they have a good personality. They are now longer dead from the viewpoint of God, as sinners are.[6] So, during the period of a thousand years, those who live on the earth must change their personality. The quotations above show that it will be easier for some than for others to change their personality.

For example, many of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorra were practicing homosexuals. Nevertheless, it would be easier for them to change their lives and to take on the new personality, than for the inhabitants of Chorazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida, who heard the preaching of Jesus and saw his miracles, but who refused to believe in him.

The words of Jesus give us some clues that can help us to understand the words that seem to contradict the words of Paul that death acquits a person from his sins. I quote Ecclesiastes 12:14 and Matthew 12:33-37

¹⁴ For the [true] God himself will bring every sort of work into the judgment in relation to every hidden thing, as to whether it is good or bad.

³³ “Either YOU people make the tree fine and its fruit fine or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten; for by its fruit the tree is known. ³³ Offspring of vipers, how can YOU speak good things, when YOU are wicked? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ The good man out of his good treasure sends out good things, whereas the wicked man out of his wicked treasure sends out wicked things. ³⁶ I tell YOU that every unprofitable saying that men speak, they will render an account concerning it on Judgment Day; ³⁷ for by your words you will be declared righteous, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The words “Judgment Day” is not used in the Hebrew Scriptures.  But the words in Ecclesiastes 12:14 show that this idea was extant around they year 1000 BCE when Ecclesiastes was written. We should also note that Luke uses the word “Judgment” where Matthew uses “Judgment Day.”

Before Jesus uttered the words in Matthew 12:33-37, he said that every kind of sin would be forgiven, except sin against the holy spirit. Jesus points out that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” And every unprofitable saying men will render an account of Judgment Day. Any unprofitable saying can be forgiven according to Jesus, and any unprofitable saying was blotted out by the death of a person.

But any unprofitable saying, and any hidden good or bad work, according to Ecclesiastes, would influence the personality of the person. And Jesus showed that how people behaved before they died would make it easier or harder to change their personality on Judgment Day. It is still true that the one who has died is acquitted from his sin. But unprofitable words or actions will make it harder for a person to change his personality on Judgment Day.

[1]. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/rank.

[2]. Some rabbis had the view that the body of each person with its atoms and molecules would be resurrected, and “the resurrection of the flesh” is also found in the creeds of different denominations.

[3] A detailed analysis of the two kinds of seeds and the two kinds of bodies is found in chapter 1 of my book, The Atonement Between God and Man.

[4]. A detailed analysis of the ransom sacrifice is found in chapter 2 of my book, The Atonement Between God and Man.

[5]. You can find a discussion of sin against the holy spirit in the article, “The members of the Governing Body have devalued and restricted the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ.”

[6]. A detailed discussion of this verse is found in The Atonement Between God and Man, pages 214-218.

GETTING ADAM’S CHANCE

I will use the illustration I started with one time more:

Two men have a strained relationship. One of them is found dead, and the other man is arrested and accused of murder. This man says to the prosecutor that if he is allowed to leave the jail, he will be able to produce evidence showing that he is not guilty. This request is denied, and he is sentenced to death for a murder he did not do.

Because of inherited sin, all humans have been in jail, being sentenced to capital punishment, which has been executed when they died. Because of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ they will receive a resurrection. But still, they are in jail because they have inherited sin. During the thousand-year long Judgment Day because of the application of the ransom sacrifice and the help of the heavenly kings, priests, and judges, they gradually take on a new personality and at the end of the thousand years no human has inherited sin any longer. And each one is exactly in the same position that Adam and Eve were. Now they have come out of jail, so to speak, and now they will get Adam’s chance. How will that be? We read in Revelation 20:8

⁷ Now as soon as the thousand years have been ended, Satan will be let loose out of his prison, ⁸ and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Maʹgog, to gather them together for the war. The number of these is as the sand of the sea.

All the perfect humans on the earth are now in exactly the same position as Adam was. And Satan will now do exactly the same as he did in the garden of Eden. He will try to seduce all living humans to follow him against Jehovah God. Now everyone gets Adam’s chance to choose to worship Jehovah or not.

Are we able to fully grasp Jehovah’s magnificent love and wisdom behind the arrangement with the Judgment Day? He loves each one of Adams descendants so much that the hairs of their heads are counted. Because of this, Jesus bought all Adam’s descendants, and this means that everyone will get the chance to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice. The only possible way to do this is the let Adam’s descendants have a resurrection on Judgment Day.

The only exception to this is that a small group of 144,000 members with the heavenly hope will get their chance to accept the ransom sacrifice before Judgment Day, and that the persons of another small group are so incorrigible wicked that they sin against the holy spirit before Judgment Day.

THOSE WHO BELONG TO CHRIST 

The resurrection of most of Adam’s descendants will occur during the thousand-year long Judgment Day. But there is also another resurrection, and I quote 1 Corinthians 15:22, 23 one time more:

²² For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each one in his own rank: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence. ²⁴

Those who belong to Christ will get a resurrection during his presence. This means that the 144,000 humans who will receive divine nature and become kings, priests, and judges, during the thousand-year Judgment Day will not get Adam’s chance. They will not gradually become perfect and at the end of Judgment Day, as humans in exactly the same situation as Adam, they will get the same chance as he got, to decide to worship Jehovah of not. But they will get another chance.  What does that mean?

Paul gives us a hint in Romans 1:6, 7:

⁶ among which [nations] YOU also are those called to belong to Jesus Christ— ⁶ to all those who are in Rome as God’s beloved ones, called to be holy ones: May YOU have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.

When Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom, he called or invited people to become members of the heavenly Kingdom, and the same did Peter, Paul and John and other Christian preachers. However, Jesus told an illustration about a king who arranged a marriage feast for his son, where many guests were invited. We find the conclusion in Matthew 22:14:

¹⁴ “For there are many invited, but few chosen.”

What would happen to a person that was chosen? The following steps are taken:

• A person is baptized with holy spirit, John 3:5:

⁵ Jesus answered: “Most truly I say to you, unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.

• A person is declared righteous, Romans 3:24:

²⁴ and it is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus.

• A person becomes a new creation, 2 Corinthians 5:17:

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in union with Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; look! new things have come into existence.

When a person is called and God choses him or her because he sees that he or she is a sincere and Godfearing person, God takes the steps mentioned above, and from the viewpoint of God, this person is now a new creation without sin. Jesus compares this situation with a resurrection in John 5:21-29:

¹⁹ Therefore, in answer, Jesus went on to say to them: “Most truly I say to YOU, The Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he beholds the Father doing. For whatever things that One does, these things the Son also does in like manner. ²⁰ For the Father has affection for the Son and shows him all the things he himself does, and he will show him works greater than these, in order that YOU may marvel.

²¹ For just as the Father raises the dead up and makes them alive, so the Son also makes those alive whom he wants to. ²² For the Father judges no one at all, but he has committed all the judging to the Son, ²³ in order that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. ²⁴ Most truly I say to YOU, He that hears my word and believes him that sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life.

²⁵ “Most truly I say to YOU, The hour is coming, and it is now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who have given heed will live.  ²⁶ For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted also to the Son to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to do judging, because Son of man he is.  ²⁸ Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.

Jehovah God has appointed Jesus Christ to be the judge of living and dead. In the quotation, Jesus mentions two kinds of resurrection, one that is coming and another that “is now.” The present “resurrection” is that persons who have been counted as dead because of their sins “have passed over from death to life,” according to verse 24. These are the ones who have been called and who have been chosen. Each one of them “does not come into judgment.” The word “judgment” (krisis) can refer to an adverse judgment or to a test, as in connection with Judgment Day. In this context, krisis evidently refers to the judgment during the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ. Because they already have everlasting life, there is no need for them to get Adam’s chance on Judgment Day.

In verses 28 and 29, Jesus speaks of the literal resurrection on Judgment Day. All the dead in the memorial tombs (mnemeion) will get a resurrection. The only ones who are not in God’s memory — in the memorial tombs — are those who have sinned against the holy spirit. Regarding these, Jesus said in Matthew 12:32 regarding their sin that “it will not be forgiven him, no, not in this system of things nor in that to come.” So, Jesus agreed with what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:22 that all who die because of Adam will be resurrected.  In verse 29, there is a retrospective viewpoint, the result of the resurrection is seen from a point after the end of the thousand years. Some will have a resurrection to eternal life, and others will have a resurrection to judgment, to everlasting death.[1]

But how shall we understand the situation of the new creations that have been declared righteous? They will “not come into judgment” on Judgment Day. But is the view “one time saved, always saved” true? We find the answer in Revelation 17:14:

¹⁴ These will battle with the Lamb, but, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb will conquer them. Also, those called and chosen and faithful with him [will do so].”

We note that these servants of God are not only said to be “the called and chosen” ones, but they are also the “faithful ones.” This means that it is possible for the new creations to be unfaithful — to turn against Jehovah. In that case, they are no longer “chosen” and they have lost their place among those who will reign with Jesus Christ in heaven. All the books in the Christian Greek Scriptures contain advice to the new creations how they can keep their position as called and chosen holy ones. I quote 2 Peter 1:10:

¹⁰ For this reason, brothers, all the more do YOUR utmost to make the calling and choosing of YOU sure for yourselves; for if YOU keep on doing these things YOU will by no means ever fail. ¹¹ In fact, thus there will be richly supplied to YOU the entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We can use Paul as an example, and I quote Philippians 3:8-14 (above) and 2 Timotheus 4:7, 8 (below):

⁸ Why, for that matter, I do indeed also consider all things to be loss on account of the excelling value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. On account of him I have taken the loss of all things and I consider them as a lot of refuse, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in union with him, having, not my own righteousness, which results from law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that issues from God on the basis of faith, ¹⁰ so as to know him and the power of his resurrection  and a sharing in his sufferings, submitting myself to a death like his, ¹¹ [to see] if I may by any means attain to the earlier resurrection from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already received it or am already made perfect, but I am pursuing to see if I may also lay hold on that for which I have also been laid hold on by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brothers, I do not yet consider myself as having laid hold on [it]; but there is one thing about it: Forgetting the things behind and stretching forward to the things ahead, ¹⁴ I am pursuing down toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus. 

⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the due time for my releasing is imminent. ⁷ I have fought the fine fight, I have run the course to the finish, I have observed the faith. ⁸ From this time on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me as a reward in that day, yet not only to me, but also to all those who have loved his manifestation.

When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, he still had to serve Jehovah as his servant for some time. At this point, he was pursuing down for the prize of the upward call. However, when he wrote his second letter to Timothy, the time of his death was imminent. On this background he could say that he had fought the fine fight and he had run the course to the finish, and therefore he could expect to get his reward from the righteous judge.

And now we can solve the problem that was presented in the introduction. I quote Romans 6:7 (above), Romans 14:10-12 (middle), and 2 Corinthians 5:10 (below):

⁷ For he who has died has been acquitted (dikaioō) from [his] sin.

¹⁰ But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you also look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; ¹¹ for it is written: “‘As I live,’ says Jehovah, ‘to me every knee will bend down, and every tongue will make open acknowledgment to God.’” ¹² So, then, each of us will render an account for himself to God.  But why do you judge your brother?

¹⁰ For we must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of the Christ, that each one may get his award for the things done through the body, according to the things he has practiced, whether it is good or vile.

How can it be said that we are acquitted from all our sins when we die, and at the same time, it is said that we must all stand before the judgment seat of God and be judged for good or bad actions done through our body before we died? This situation is an excellent example of how the readers can misunderstand texts in the Bible if they do not keep in mind that there are two different groups that will be saved.

To whom did Paul address the Letter to the Romans and 2 Corinthians? To those who were called and chosen to reign with Jesus Christ in heaven. Those who will get a resurrection on Judgment Day will have died, and because of this, they had been acquitted from their sins. But the members of the congregations in Roma and Corinth had they died? No, they were still working to make their calling and choosing sure, as Peter said.

When Paul in his letter to 2 Timothy 4:6-8 says that he had fought the good fight, he also says that “the Lord, the righteous judge” will give him the reward. And here is the important point. Those who are called and chosen must all fight the fine fight, run the course to the finish, and observe the faith. After this, they must stand before the judgment seat of God, so the righteous judge can see that they “have made their calling and choosing sure” by the actions they have “done through the body.”

[1] An analysis of this is found in my book, The Atonement Between God and Man, chapter 5.

EVERY KNEE WILL BEND DOWN AND EVERY TONGUE WILL MAKE OPEN ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO GOD 

The words in the heading are taken from Romans 14:10-12. In 2 Corinthians 5:10 it is said that all will be judged according to “the things done though the body.” These words show that only the called and chosen ones are referred to. These words are not found in Romans 14.10-12,  and the reference to the prophecy about every knee that will bend down, suggests that these words refer to the judgment of the called and chosen ones and the judgment of all humans on Judgment Day. This is later confirmed in the letter to the Philippians as I will show in what follows.

ALL ADAM’S DESCENDANTS ACCEPT THE INVITIATION TO BE SAVED 

After God has invited all the nations to be saved, he speaks prophetic and shows that the inhabitants of all the nations will accept the invitation to be saved. This is expressed in Isaiah 45:23 with the words, “To me every knee will bend, Every tongue will swear loyalty.”

The words of God in Isaiah 45:23 are quoted by Paul in Philippians 2:10-11, and he applies the prophecy to the situation at the end of the thousand-year Judgment Day. I quote Philippians 2:5-11:

⁵ Keep this mental attitude in you that was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although he was existing in God’s form, did not even consider the idea of trying to be equal to God. ⁷ No, but he emptied himself and took a slave’s form and became human. ⁸ More than that, when he came as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, yes, death on a torture stake. ⁹ For this very reason, God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every other name, ¹⁰ so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend—of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground— ¹¹ and every tongue should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Paul describes how Jesus humbled himself and came to the earth. He was obedient to God, and he died on the torture stake. Because of this, God exalted him to a superior position and gave him a name above every other name except his own name. Paul quotes the prophecy of Isaiah 45:23, saying that “in the name of Jesus every knee should bend.”

The difference between the words of the prophecy and the words of Paul is that Isaiah says that “to me [Jehovah] every knee will bend,” but Paul says that “in the name of Jesus every knee should bend.” There is no discrepancy here. The words “every knee” refers to all descendants of Adam who live when the prophecy is fulfilled. And every knee will bend because of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. This means that the salvation that God invited all the nations to obtain, was only possible because of the atonement of Jesus. And the result of this is that every knee will “openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” So, Jehovah is the one who gets the glory.

THE FULFILLMENT OF THE INVITATION AFTER THE THOUSAND YEARS 

Let us take a closer look at the details. The words “every knee” refers to all Adam’s descendants. The words “those in heaven” refer to the 144,000 kings, priests, and judges, who owe their life to the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. The words, “those on earth” refer to all who live on the earth, and “those under the ground” refer to those who are dead and are in hadēs (sheōl) or in the sea. When will it be that “to me [Jehovah] every knee will bend, every tongue will swear loyalty,” as we read in Isaiah 45:23? And when will it be that “in the name of Jesus every knee should bend… and every tongue should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father”?

Both the words in Isaiah 45:23 and in Philippians 2:10, 11 will be fulfilled after the end of the thousand-year long Judgment Day. The bending of the knees of the 144,000 priests (those in heaven) and their acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord had happened before they got their heavenly resurrection. As I previously have discussed, the resurrection of the dead (those under the ground) will occur during Judgment Day, and the ransom sacrifice will be applied to these and to those who have survived the great tribulation. During the thousand years, all who live will gradually proceed toward perfection. And when the thousand years end, all humans are perfect like Adam and without sin, because of the application of the ransom sacrifice. And now they get Adam’s chance.

At this time, “Satan will be released from his prison, and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth,” as Revelation 20:7, 8, says. The nations will not be misled, only some of their inhabitants. Those who are misled are called “God and Magog,” and they will be hurled into the lake of fire and sulfur, according to Revelation 20:10.

The words of Isaiah 45:23-25 excellently fit this situation (my translation):

²³ To me every knee will bend, and every tongue will swear loyalty. ²⁴ ‘Only in Jehovah one will say to me, are true righteousness and strength, and one will come to him. All those who express violent anger against him will be put to shame (bōsh). ²⁵ All the seed of Israel are righteous (tsādak), and they will continue to be rejoicing (hālal) in Jehovah.

There are two groups that are mentioned. One group consists of those who will swear loyalty and say, “Surely in Jehovah are true righteousness and strength.” The other group are those who express violent anger against Jehovah. The Hebrew verb hārā in the nifal stem can refer to violent anger, and this group will be put to shame, as the qal stem of bōsh can mean “being put to shame”. What “being put to shame” means can be construed on the basis of Isaiah 41:11:

¹¹ Look! All those getting enraged (hārā) against you will be put to shame (bōsh) and humiliated. Those who fight with you will be brought to nothing and perish (’ābad).

This verse is similar to 45:24. Both verses have the Hebrew verb hārā (show violent anger), and both verses have the verb bōsh (“be ashamed; put to shame”). The difference is that 41:11 has the verb ’ābad (“perish; destroy, die”) as a parallel to the words “be put to shame.” This shows that the words “be put to shame” in 45:25 indicate that the mentioned persons will die.

The verbs “will say” and “will come” in verse 24 are 3. person singular qal, and I have added the words “one.” The words “every knee” and “every tongue” in verse 23 are grammatically singular but they are semantically plural — they refer to all humans on the earth. And similarly, the subject of “will say” and “will come” in verse 24, that I have translated with “one” is grammatically singular but semantically plural — they also refer to all humans on the earth.

So, every knee will bend and every togue will swear loyalty, and all the humans on the earth to whom these words refer will say, “Only in Jehovah are true righteousness and strength,” and they will come to him.

This situation may refer to the time when the thousand years end and all humans living on the earth are perfect. Then Satan is released from his prison, and the result of his attempt to mislead the nations is that some “express violent anger against” Jehovah. These are put to shame and killed. But all the other humans “are righteous” and “they will continue to rejoice in Jehovah,” as verse 25 says.

This is the grand climax of the atonement between God and man. The purpose of the ransoming work of Jesus Christ has been accomplished. Everything that Adam lost for himself and for his descendants have now been restored. The earth has been made into a paradise. And all the righteous and perfect humans who live on the earth will continue to rejoice in Jehovah throughout all eternity.

CONCLUDING REMARKS  

Because all Adams descendants have inherited sin, they are not able to serve Jehovah in a perfect way. That each one of Adm’s descendants will get the possibility of becoming perfect like Adam and free from sin, so he or she can make the same personal choice as Adam is an expression of Jehovah’s love for all humans, his wisdom, and his righteousness.

The number of those who will follow Satan after the end of the thousand years is “as the sand of the sea,” which means that it is unknown. However, because of the words of the prophecy that “every knee will bend down” it is likely that most of the perfect humans who live when Judgment Day ends will take a stand for Jehovah and against Satan.