[The text below represents and edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World whiteboard.]

God’s Plan for Unbelievers | Great White Throne Judgment Explained

What will happen to the many men, women, and even children who have died without fully knowing or understanding the truth of the Bible and God’s way of life?

Is there any hope for them? Or are they just lost forever?

The Bible actually shows that these individuals will be resurrected. They will be raised back to physical life to be judged in what is described as the Great White Throne Judgment.

This is the second resurrection. And this is an incredible part of God’s plan of salvation that gives genuine hope for those that many thought would be lost forever.

So in this video, we’ll explain what the Bible says about the Second Resurrection and the Great White Throne Judgment in seven simple points.

Be sure to stick around for all seven, and remember, don’t just believe us—or anyone else, for that matter. Look up these verses and prove these things from your own Bible.

The Second Resurrection Is for Unbelievers

The second resurrection and Great White Throne Judgment are mentioned in several places in the Bible.

The most notable place is Revelation 20:11–14. The Apostle John wrote what he saw in vision.

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 the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades [or the grave] delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.”

1. This is clearly describing a resurrection.

Note that it says, “I saw the dead… standing before God… and the dead were judged… and Death and Hades (or, the grave) delivered up the dead… and they were judged.”

This clearly shows that the dead will be resurrected back to life for judgment.

It Occurs 1,000 Years After the Second Coming

The second resurrection occurs a thousand years after the first resurrection.

The first resurrection is described a little earlier in verses 4–6, which says:

I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them… And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4–6).

Verses 5 and 6 clearly explain that:

This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5–6).

But notice the beginning of verse 5. It says:

But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished (Revelation 20:5).

Clearly there are two different resurrections described here.

Faithful Christians will be resurrected at the beginning of the millennium when Christ returns, which is the first resurrection.  But “the rest of the dead” will be raised to life at the end of the thousand years at the second resurrection.

The Dead Brought Back to Life (Physical, not Spiritual)

3. This is a resurrection back to physical life.

Those who are raised in the first resurrection will be raised as immortal spirit beings with eternal life. The Apostle Paul described the First Resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. He said,

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God… For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible… For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality… then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:50–54).

Revelation 20:6 says:

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power.

This is why it is called “the better resurrection” in Hebrews 11:35.

Those Christians who died in the faith, along with those still alive at Christ’s return, will be raised to life and transformed into immortal children of God who can never die (1 Corinthians 15, Romans 6:23).

But the second resurrection is a resurrection back to physical life. Those in the second resurrection will be subject to death.

Valley of Dry Bones: A Vision of the Second Resurrection

Ezekiel 37 describes this physical resurrection in more detail. In a vision, Ezekiel was set:

…down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones… And behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry (Ezekiel 37:1–2).

In other words, they had been dead for a long time. The passage continues.

He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O bones, hear the word of the LORD... Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live…” And the bones came together, bone to bone… the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over… and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet (Ezekiel 37:4–10).

So we see this is a resurrection back to physical life.

“The Judgment Day:” Unbelievers Will Be Judged

4.  This is a time of judgment.

The first resurrection is the hope of faithful Christians who are being judged now (1 Peter 4:17). If they faithfully endure to the end (Matthew 10:22), they will receive salvation and be raised to eternal life, not to another judgment.

The second resurrection, on the other hand, is a time in which those who are raised will be:

Judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books (Revelation 20:12).

The word “books” here is the Greek word Biblia which is where the English word “Bible” comes from. The Bible is a collection of books that instructs us in God’s way of life. This verse is saying that these individuals will be judged by the books of the Bible, just as those who surrender to Jesus Christ in this life are being judged now.

Jesus spoke of this last judgment period on different occasions.

For example, in Matthew 12:41–42, He said:

“The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it” (Matthew 12:41).

And again:

“The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it” (Matthew 12:42).

In other words, He was telling the Scribes and Pharisees whom He was talking to at the time that they would rise up in the same resurrection as the ancient peoples of Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba.

Another place where Jesus references this judgment period is in Matthew 11:20–24. There He rebuked “the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent, and said:

“It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you” (Matthew 11:22).

Then speaking to the people of the city of Capernaum, He said:

“It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you” (Matthew 11:24).

Here we see that the ancient wicked peoples of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom will be raised in the same judgment period as the peoples of Jesus’ time.

Who Will Be Resurrected?

5. The second resurrection is for all who have ever lived—yet who died in sin and ignorance of God’s truth and His way of life

This includes the vast majority of mankind throughout history.

Most human beings have lived and died without even hearing the name of Jesus Christ. Others may have heard only a false gospel about Jesus. These people will have their opportunity for salvation during the Great White Throne Judgment.

As already mentioned, the first resurrection will be made up of faithful Christians who surrendered to God and Jesus Christ in this life.

But most have lived and died without a genuine opportunity to know God’s truth, accept Jesus as their Savior, and live God’s way of life. Their time for salvation will come at the second resurrection.

A Second Chance? No.

6. This is NOT a second chance.

These resurrected masses will have their first genuine opportunity to know Jesus Christ and decide to repent and accept Him—or go their own way.

The fact is, God is simply not calling everyone to Jesus Christ in this life. Jesus Christ said:

“No one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father” (John 6:65).

This is one reason why the vast majority of mankind both now and throughout history have not truly known or obeyed God and Jesus Christ.

But God is fair, and He is not a respecter of persons (Romans 2:11; Acts 10:34).

2 Peter 3:9 says He is:

...not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Because He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

At the time of the second resurrection, those who were not called in this life, including peoples of Jesus’ time as well as those of Nineveh, Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom will be raised up and have their minds opened to God’s word and His way of life.

Again, Revelation 20:12 says:

I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.

For the very first time the books of the Bible will be opened to their understanding.

And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books (Revelation 20:12).

They will certainly be found guilty for the sins of their previous life (as has been the case for all of us), but they will have the opportunity for forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ and repentance from their old ways to God’s ways.

The second resurrection is designed for this purpose.

Now God will not rob mankind of free will and the ability to choose. So some may refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, but God will be sure to give each and every person who has ever lived a fair chance for salvation. And for most, this resurrection will be that opportunity.

Now, if the Bible gives any indication at all of how long this judgment period may last, we see a future time described in the book of Isaiah that seems to fit this period. This passage indicates a 100-year period for people to learn about, grow in, and either accept the true Jesus Christ or not.

It says:

No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, and the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed (Isaiah 65:20–25).

Unbelievers Will Face the Second Death

The seventh and final point is this:

7. Those who accept Jesus Christ and commit their life to Him at that time will be given eternal life, and those who reject God during that time will die the second death.

Romans 6:23 says:

The wages of sin is death [that is cessation of life], but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Revelation 21:7–8 says:

He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 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.

Hope for the World in God’s Plan

The second resurrection and Great White Throne Judgment period is part of God’s perfect plan that gives genuine hope for many who have been considered “unsaved” and “lost” forever.

This last judgment period ensures that all who have ever lived–yet died in sin and ignorance of God’s truth and His way of life–will have a genuine opportunity to know Him, surrender to Him, and ultimately have eternal life with Him as part of His very family.

This is a profound and wonderful hope for all of mankind.

If you enjoyed this video, please like, leave a comment, and subscribe to our channel for more videos on Bible topics.

Thanks for watching!