There are 2 aspects or primary categories of every divine principle. This issue serves as the defining point between what Jesus describes as the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ within the enlightened community. Jesus preached to the already enlightened community that was already in a covenant relationship with his Father. The Jewish people were the equivalent of the Christadelphians in the generation of Christ’s ministry, death & resurrection. His disciples were confused as to why the Master only taught the general population in parables and only explained them privately to his closest disciples (Mark 4:33-34). Jesus addressed their confusion concerning his intentionally complex teaching pattern by explaining:  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables (Matt. 13:12-13). The parables were intended to give more understanding to those possessing the rare seeing eyes and hearing ears within the enlightened community while simultaneously draining away what little true understanding was possessed by those within the enlightened community without seeing eyes or hearing ears. God’s primary goal in the development of the saints is not quantity. It is quality. There are filters within the 2 avenues of divine testimony (Bible/written word of God & creation/spoken word of God). 

These filters give us whatever we truly want. If we want absolute truth and are willing to do whatever it takes and suffer whatever humiliations or costs in our pursuit of greater and greater enlightenment… we will be given truth. If we are indolent and our focus is merely the social approval of our enlightened community (just like the Jews demonstrated) then our correct understandings will keep draining away, to our own shame. This is the effect resulting from dismissing any one of the two categories of each divine principle. 

In continuing to address the salvation category of this dual pattern saturating scripture and creation, we should realize there are two separate categories of resurrection, just as there are two separate categories of death. The 2 categories of death are exceptionally easy to identify scripturally due to one of them actually being defined as the “second death”. The death of those accountable to the judgment of Christ will be a temporary death (that chronologically 1st death). The death of those not accountable to Christ’s judgment, as well as the many prophesied to be rejected at that judgment, die forever.  Their death is everlasting, as opposed to the saints that do not suffer a 2nd death. Revelation references that 2nd death category 4 times. Jesus refers to both categories of death when he warns the enlightened community about who to fear and who we do not need to fear: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna (Matt. 10:28). We have no need to fear those who can only kill us but do not have the capacity to keep us dead. The One we should fear offending is the only one with the capacity to not only kill us but keep us dead…. the Father of Jesus Christ.

Jesus also explains to his closest disciples on the Mount of Olives 2 days before his execution that they would die, but not a single hair of their head would perish (Lk. 21:16-18). Perishing is that second and forever death that Peter, Andrew, James and John would not experience. Those were the 4 disciples he was addressing across from the temple mount (Mk 13:3). 

This issue of understanding there are 2 death categories is a defining issue between the true gospel and the divinely insulting doctrines of paganized Christianity. Christians absolutely reject the concept of a 2nd death that is permanent, but even maintain that first category of death is nothing more than a transition to another form of existence. Ignorance of the 2 categories of death is a doctrinal guarantee that one will actually experience that 2nd ‘forever’ death. 

This dual aspect pattern is also true for resurrection. There are two distinct resurrection categories. Ignoring this truth has resulted in more than one fellowship separation within the enlightened community. It is often, very oddly emphasized by our community speakers that when the Bible references a resurrection that the exclusive application is immortalization. This is not simply a lie. It is a very dangerous lie and one that imposes a darkness in the context of our heavenly Father’s testimony that takes away instead of giving more. There is certainly a resurrection to immortality that follows judgment. There will be two of these resurrection events (as is the pattern we are highlighting) in the beginning of the 7th millennium and the beginning of the 8th millennium. However there is also a resurrection to mortality that will precede those same judgments. This 1st resurrection category is also separately referenced in scripture and testified to every single day of our lives in the creation pattern of awakening from a sleep that scripture repeatedly parallels to death. 

Those who are accountable to Christ’s judgment do not die forever. We die temporarily. As Daniel testifies: many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. This awakening from the dust of the earth is obviously not referencing the resurrection to immortality, since Daniel says that some who awaken from the dust will arise only to suffer shame and everlasting contempt. Jesus also references this 1st resurrection category that can end in forever death when he says: Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 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 (John 5:28-29). How can anyone foolishly try to limit our understanding of resurrection to exclusively immortalization when Jesus refers to a resurrection of damnation? This is the first resurrection, that awakening from the dust of the earth back to the same mortal nature. Following our judgment we will either experience that 2nd category of death or that 2nd category of resurrection (to immortality). Creation testifies to this first resurrection category about 25,000 times over the course of a 70 year life when we wake up each day from what scripture defines as a death-like sleep. One has to wonder how so much evidence can be ignored so completely by so many

Paul references this 1st resurrection category when he declares to Felix:  there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. Although the “unjust” certainly participate in the resurrection to mortality preceding the judgment, only the just will participate in the resurrection to immortality following the judgment.  Jesus uses this same terminology to exclusively reference the 2nd resurrection category when he says: When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. There is no “recompense” or reward for the faithful associated with the resurrection to judgment, just the resurrection to immortality. That participation is exclusively reserved for “the just”, on the basis of the testimony of the man responsible for judging us. 

Another resurrection reference that separately identifies both categories (1st the resurrection to mortality & 2nd the resurrection to immortality) is Hebrews 11:35. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection. It is very simple to recognize that if one resurrection category is “better” than another there certainly have to be a minimum of 2 separate resurrection categories. There has only ever been one resurrection to immortality at this point, being our Messiah. There is no possible way that any other resurrection to immortality could be “better” than Christ’s. The women who received their dead  raised to life again were the widow of Zarephath, the Shunammite woman, the widow of Nain, the wife of Jairus along with Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus. Those resurrections were only back to mortality and the “better resurrection” was that of our Messiah which was the resurrection to immortality that the faithful hope to obtain.  

Paganized Christianity completely rejects both resurrection categories with their insistence for maintaining the original serpent lie that we don’t really die. That doctrine of the immortality of the soul is a divinely insulting declaration that God lied and it was the serpent that was truthful in the Garden of Eden. Contradictions to the righteousness of God is what qualifies as “sin” (1 John 5:17).

Fellowship separations within the enlightened community have been prompted or facilitated on the false basis of presuming there is only one resurrection category. The basis for participating in each of the 2 resurrection categories is not the same. Bro JJ Andrews prompted a fellowship separation over 120 years ago by mistaking these separate resurrection participation qualifications on the basis of the incorrect understanding that there is only one resurrection category. Additionally, the doctrinal mistake of promoting the concept of immortal emergence (coming out of the grave already immortalized) similarly rejects the truth concerning the resurrection to mortality preceding judgment. 

Just as there are 2 death categories, there are also 2 resurrection categories. In the next blog post we will consider the 2 basic life categories and how both of those have 2 sub-categories of each. Mistaking these truths has also resulted in other Creator insulting doctrinal distortions. There are 2 categories of all divine principles. They have to be recognized and correctly balanced to avoid offending the righteousness of our heavenly Father.      BroJim@spiritsword.net