So much is going to happen on the day that Christ returns that it just thrills the soul to meditate upon it. Some early Christians became concerned that their brethren who had died before Christ returned were going to miss out somehow on Christ’s return (1 Thess. 4:13-15). The Scripture assures that the dead are certainly not going to miss anything on that day.
First of all, it must be affirmed unequivocally that the dead are going to be raised. This was a known and expected fact during the Old Testament (Ex. 3:6; Job 14:14; 19:25-27; Psa. 16:8-11; Dan. 12:2). Jesus plainly and repeatedly taught of the resurrection, especially in John 5:21-29; 6:35-58; 11:25-26. The doctrine of the resurrection was central to the apostles’ preaching (Acts 2:24-36; 4:1-2; 24:15-21; 1 Cor. 6:14), and its certainty is laid out in clear terms in First Corinthians chapter 15. The resurrection of Christ guarantees the resurrection of all dead (1 Cor. 15:20-28), which will be the final conquering of death and the ultimate victory of the purpose of God (1 Cor. 15:54-57).
The Bible clearly teaches that the resurrection of the dead involves ALL of the dead (the righteous and the unrighteous) at the SAME time. At the return of Christ, there will be “a shout,” “the voice of an archangel” and “the trumpet of God” (1 Thess. 4:16). When that “last trumpet” sounds (1 Cor. 15:52) on “the last day” (John 6:40, 44, 54), “the dead will be raised” (1 Cor. 15:52). Which ones?
Jesus taught that “the hour is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth” (John 5:28-29). All will come forth in the same “hour” on “the last day.” There will not be one more day or even one more hour.
Paul also taught “there will be a resurrection of the dead” (a singular resurrection time) “both of the just and the unjust” (Acts 24:15). See also “that time” the dead would “awake” in Daniel 12:1-2.
Sometimes people will appeal to First Thessalonians 4:16 to teach that “the dead in Christ” will be raised “first,” before the unrighteous dead out of Christ are raised. However, that passage is only discussing two groups: the dead in Christ and the alive in Christ. The unrighteous dead out of Christ are not in the context, therefore, it is not a resurrection order at all.
All the dead will be raised at the same time, but they will experience two very different resurrections—one to “life” and one to “condemnation” (John 5:28-29). On that last day, in the last hour of life, the earth will be emptied of all bodies. What a sight that will be! When that happens, to what resurrection will your body be raised—to “life” or to “condemnation”? Don’t wait until that day to figure it out!