In Rev 20-11-15, twice the inspired word stated that the dead were judged according to their deeds. These deeds were contained in the scrolls opened.
In verse 13, the phrase "gave up" occurs twice. Take note that it doesn't say "resurrected" twice. It says "gave up" where after it says "and they were judged individually.
Thus the giving up is a giving up for judgment according to their deeds.
After the judgment, appropriate action is taken in regard to each individual. The dead whose names were inscribed in the scroll of life or book of life get a resurrection to life in Paradise earth. The ones whose names were not inscribed in that scroll are hurled into the lake of fire, Gehenna, or eternal destruction and death. This is the second resurrection.
Though the Saints have been judged individually since Pentecost, judgment day for the world at large commences at Armageddon, that is the harvest when the angels go out and separate the wheat from the tares and burn the tares with an unquenchable fire. (Matt 3:12)
Matthew 13:39, He who sows the good seed is the Son of man, 38and the field is the world, and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of evil. 39And the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are heavenly agents. 40As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned in fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41The Son of man will send forth his agents, and they will gather out of his kingdom all the stumbling-blocks, and those doing lawlessness, 42and will cast them into the furnace of fire. (ACV)
Once the masses of living humans have been sorted and judged, judgment executed, it becomes time to judge the dead and sort these according to their deeds.
That this concerns mankind that shall live on earth is clear from the fact that Matt 24:29-32 demonstrates that the Saints have already been removed from the earth right after the Great Tribulation, but before Armageddon commences. From this we ascertain that the Saints who receive the first resurrection are not included among those judged in Rev 20:11-15.
We also may conclude that once Christ has finished with the harvest of the live crop, judgment continues as we are shown in Revelation chapter 20. When we read, "
whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire," this means that those written in the book of life get resurrected now – because death and hades in which they had been stored have ceased to exist. This is the second resurrection, and it probably will strech over quite some time to make this an orderly event.
Matthew 24:29, But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. 30And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the land lament, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the one extremity of the heavens to the other extremity of them.
All in Sheol, which is Hebrew for the Greek Hades, and those in the Sea--all the dead ones are all judged. After the judgment of the dead, Sheol, Hades, the Sea, and more broadly, death all have emptied. Once empty, these virtual places cease to exist since they never were literal places. This is portrayed by stating "and death and Hades were hurled into the lake of fire." The dead now either have been resurrected or have been regrouped to Gehenna--a final destination. God can now close all the books kept so far on all mankind, and that is what he does.
The resurrected ones start with a clean slate. Their previous sin is no more. (Rom 6:7) Nonetheless, the scriptures do teach that for those who are resurrected to earthly life experience one of two kinds of resurrections.
In Acts 24:15, KJV states, "And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust."
In John 5:29, DRC states, "they that have done good things, shall come forth unto the resurrection of life; but they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment."
In John 5:28, NW states, "Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice."
Obviously, only those in the memorial tombs will rise. Since those who are in Sheol are destined to either Gehenna or the resurrection. (see the page
Sheol and Judgment) The memorial tombs must refer to those whose names are in the book or scroll of life. The resurrection of judgment of the unrighteous simply means that they must accept the Christian teachings and conversion to that way of life to be accorded further life. If they revert to a life of crime or acts of unrighteousness, even wickedness, they will be slain, destined for the Lake of Fire.
