Are All Raised Immortal?

Proponents of ceaseless suffering maintain their “everyone lives for ever” postulate on the error of the immortal soul, or, worse, the hideous conjecture that God either gives the lost an immortal body or supernaturally keeps them alive to endure the destructive ravages of an unquenchable eternal fire that would normally and naturally consume.

So, are the wicked dead raised in a natural body that can be destroyed, or in a glorified indestructible body? 

The Bible certainly teaches that all the dead will be raised:

• All that are in the graves… shall come forth. John 5:28, 29 

• There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. Acts 24:15 

• I saw the dead, small and great stand before God…And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. Revelation 20:12, 13

But nowhere does the Bible indicate that the wicked dead will be raised immortal. Nowhere.  

As we see in the distinction between a resurrection of life and a resurrection of damnation (John 5:29), through Adam we are condemned but in Christ we receive the free gift of life: 

Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Christ) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Romans 5:18  

Judgment to condemnation = a resurrection of the unjust = a resurrection of damnation.

Justification of life = a resurrection of the just = a resurrection of life.

There is a resurrection of life and a resurrection of damnation: 

Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2  

“Some to everlasting life,” and some not to everlasting life, but to shame and everlasting contempt. Contempt, or disregard and disdain, is felt towards, not by, the person in contempt. Hitler is held in everlasting contempt.

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire… which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 20:15; 21:4.  

Though all the dead are raised, not all the dead are written in the book of life. Those who aren’t perish in the second death.

So, all the dead are raised but not all in “the resurrection to life.” Some awake to everlasting life, others don’t. Some are written in the book of life, others aren’t. Once again, we return to the simplicity of John 3:16: “shall not perish but have everlasting life.” That’s Conditional Immortality.

Some have supposed that 1 Corinthians 15, the classic resurrection chapter, teaches that everyone, just and unjust, receive immortal bodies.  

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21, 22). 

This “resurrection of the dead” could mean “all” of the dead. “All” in the phrase “as in Adam all die” certainly means all people, so “all” in “even so in Christ shall all be made alive” could mean all people, or it could mean all who are in Christ. The passage continues “But every man in his own order…”  

So, the resurrection of the dead and all and every man may be speaking of the resurrection of the just and the unjust. But does it mean all the dead will be raised immortal, believers or not? There are plenty of good reasons why it doesn’t.

1. We have already established that believers, not unbelievers, are “given… eternal life” (1 John 5:11, 12; Romans 6:23); believers “shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16); believers “live for ever” (John 6:58). For believers it is a resurrection of life; for unbelievers it is not.

2. Chapter fifteen of 1 Corinthians, as is the entire epistle, is specifically addressed to believers: 

• Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you… 1 Corinthians15:1

• Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:2 

3. Twenty-nine pronouns throughout chapter fifteen point back to the antecedent "brethren" – ye (9) you (6), your (5), we (4), our (3) us (2).  

4. Paul references the sleep of death of believers three times: 

• “some (of the five hundred brethren who saw the risen Christ) are fallen asleep” (15:6). 

• “they also which are fallen asleep in Christ” (15:18). 

• “we shall not all sleep” (15:51).  

His particular concern is of what happened to these sleeping saints if Christ be not risen:

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 1 Corinthians 15:17-19

5. If at first Paul was speaking of the resurrection of all, here he makes an obvious transition:

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 1 Corinthians 15:22, 23.  

Addressing believers concerning sleeping believers, Paul turns his focus entirely to the resurrection of believers. "They that are Christ’s" is who; "at his coming" is when.

6. Perfectly consistent with the promise of eternal life given only to believers, only they that are Christ’s will receive immortality at the resurrection. The “we” in 1 Corinthians 15:50-57 is clearly the brethren, they that are Christ’s, those in Christ.  

7. Only believers inherit the kingdom.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 1 Corinthians 15:50

Who inherits the kingdom of God? Believers, not unbelievers:  

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? 

1 Corinthians 6:9  

8. “We shall not all sleep” refers to those who at Christ’s coming “are alive and remain” in contrast to “the dead in Christ” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).  

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  

1 Corinthians 15:51, 52

“We (believers) shall not all sleep (die), but we (believers, dead or alive) shall all be changed.” “We” refers to Paul and the brethren.  

9. It is not until “this mortal shall have put on immortality” that the saying “Death is swallowed up in victory” is fulfilled. 

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1 Corinthians 15:53-55

This “saying” is from Hosea:

I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction. Hosea13:14  

Believers are the “them” who are ransomed and redeemed. Believers, and only believers, receive immortality at the resurrection.  

I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death = Those written in the book of life are redeemed from perishing in the second death.  

O death, I will be thy plagues = Death and hell are cast into the lake of fire.  

O grave, I will be thy destruction = The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15:26).  

Then “there shall be no more death” (Revelation 21:4). Truly death will be “swallowed up in victory.”  

10. As the promise of resurrection gives hope, the fulfillment of resurrection brings victory.  

Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57  

This “hope in Christ” (v. 19) and “victory through Christ” is exclusively for believers. How would receiving an immortal body in which to endure endless agony give hope or bring victory? It wouldn’t.

How contrary to Scripture that traditionalists would have us believe that eternal life is in Adam; that everyone, whether in Christ or not, will live forever somewhere, and from a first birth alone, not a second.  

So, all are raised, but not all are raised immortal. Only believers receive immortality at the resurrection; unbelievers don’t – they perish. 

In conclusion, consider the consistency of this multitude of the abundantly clear passages we have shared. From the locomotive to the caboose, count the coal cars, read them aloud and hear the glorious refrain: Life in Christ!