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The Bible tells us of a resurrection in which MANY of the dead will awake, some portion righteous and some wicked.
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2 And 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 12:1-2
In The Great Controversy this verse is applied to a resurrection in which two classes of people will be raised at the same time. The term “special resurrection” has been applied to this, although Sister White never uses it in her writings. The only way to see in the Spirit of Prophecy that this resurrection is distinctive from the general resurrection is to read the narrative of the events surrounding the second coming of Christ.
The Great Controversy, chapter 40, titled “God’s People Delivered”, gives a narrative of the events to take place between the Time of Jacob’s trouble and the Coming of Christ on the cloud (p. 636-645.2).
Immediately after the close of probation and the time of Jacob’s Trouble, during the first signs of the deliverance of God’s people, a voice says “it is done” {GC 636.2} which causes an earthquake {GC 636.3} In the fury of that shaking, graves are opened, and the special resurrection takes place.
“Graves are opened, and ‘many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth. . . awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.’ Daniel 12:2. All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law. ‘They also which pierced Him’ (Revelation 1:7), those that mocked and derided Christ’s dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient.” The Great Controversy, 637 {GC 637.1}
“Graves are opened, and ‘many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth . . . awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.’ Daniel 12:2. All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law.
“Those who had died in faith under the third angel’s message, keeping the Sabbath, came forth from their dusty beds.
“‘They also which pierced him’ (Revelation 1:7), those that mocked and derided Christ’s dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory, and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient. . . .” The Faith I Live By, 182 {FLB 182.4-6}
“…Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against each other. But there was one clear place of settled glory, whence came the voice of God like many waters, shaking the heavens and the earth. There was a mighty earthquake. The graves were opened, and those who had died in faith under the third angel’s message, keeping the Sabbath, came forth from their dusty beds, glorified, to hear the covenant of peace that God was to make with those who had kept His law.” Maranatha, 281 {Mar 281.2}
This class of people are those who have died “henceforth” from the time that the third angel began to be preached during the Millerite or early Advent time, after the Great Disappointment of October 22, 1844.
In the description of the third angel it is said:
And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. Revelation 14:13
In Matthew 26:64 and Mark 14:62 Christ assured those who killed him that they would witness Christ “coming in the clouds”. They will be resurrected prior to his coming, in order to watch him come in the clouds.
After the special resurrection is described, the narrative of The Great Controversy continues, describing events in the earth and heavens {GC 636.3-638}, the law displayed in the heavens {GC 639}, the voice of God declaring the day and hour of his coming, and a blessing pronounced on those who have honored God by keeping His Sabbath holy {GC 640.2}. “Soon there appears” the cloud on which Christ descends {GC 640.3}, causing the earth to shake.
“The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped in flaming fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll, the earth trembles before Him, and every mountain and island is moved out of its place…” The Great Controversy, 641 {GC 641.2}
Those who killed Christ are alive to witness this arrival. It is described in {GC 641.2} and {GC 643.1}.
Then another resurrection is described.
“Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: ‘Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!’ Throughout the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth shall ring with the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. From the prison house of death they come, clothed with immortal glory, crying: ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ 1 Corinthians 15:55. And the living righteous and the risen saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory.” The Great Controversy, 644 {GC 644.2}
The description of this resurrection has some distinct differences from the one described earlier.
1. Christ is present, raises his hands to heaven, then calls the dead to life. {4SP 463.1}
2. They are raised glorified and immortal. {GC 645.1} {4SP 464.1}
“Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. . . . Throughout the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live. . . . All arise with the freshness and vigor of eternal youth. . . .” My Life Today, 345 {ML 345.5}
“At the first resurrection all come forth in immortal bloom, but at the second, the marks of the curse are visible upon all. …” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 83 {3SG 83.2}
“The living righteous are changed ‘in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.’ At the voice of God they were glorified; now they are made immortal and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air. …” The Great Controversy, 645 {GC 645.1}
ANOTHER NARRATIVE
This is a second witness. It is a more brief narrative, found in Spiritual Gifts Volume 1, describing the same thing as The Great Controversy, chapter 40, and it describes two separate resurrections of the righteous.
“It was at midnight that God chose to deliver his people. As the wicked were mocking around them, suddenly the sun appeared, shining in his strength, and the moon stood still. The wicked beheld the scene with amazement. Signs and wonders followed in quick succession. Every thing seemed turned out of its natural course. The saints beheld the tokens of their deliverance with solemn joy.
“The streams ceased to flow. Dark, heavy clouds came up, and clashed against each other. But there was one clear place of settled glory, from whence came the voice of God, like many waters, which shook the heavens and the earth. There was a mighty earthquake. The graves were shaken open, and those who had died in faith under the third angel’s message, keeping the Sabbath, came forth from their dusty beds, glorified, to hear the covenant of peace that God was to make with those who had kept his law.
“The sky opened and shut, and was in commotion. The mountains shook like a reed in the wind, and cast out ragged rocks all around. The sea boiled like a pot, and cast out stones upon the land. And as God spake the day and hour of Jesus’ coming, and delivered the everlasting covenant to his people, he spake one sentence, and then paused, while the words were rolling through the earth. The Israel of God stood with their eyes fixed upwards, listening to the words as they came from the mouth of Jehovah, and rolled through the earth like peals of loudest thunder. It was awfully solemn. At the end of every sentence the saints shouted, Glory! Hallelujah! Their countenances were lighted up with the glory of God; and they shone with the glory as did Moses’ face when he came down from Sinai. The wicked could not look on them for the glory. And when the never-ending blessing was pronounced on those who had honored God, in keeping his Sabbath holy, there was a mighty shout of victory over the beast, and over his image.
“Then commenced the jubilee, when the land should rest. I saw the pious slave rise in triumph and victory, and shake off the chains that bound him, while his wicked master was in confusion, and knew not what to do; for the wicked could not understand the words of the voice of God. Soon appeared the great white cloud. On it sat the Son of man.
“This cloud when it first appeared in the distance, looked very small. The angel said that it was the sign of the Son of man. And as the cloud approached nearer to the earth, we could behold the excellent glory and majesty of Jesus as he rode forth to conquer. A holy retinue of angels, with their bright, glittering crowns upon their heads, escorted him on his way. No language can describe the glory of the scene. The living cloud of majesty, and unsurpassed glory, came still nearer, and we could clearly behold the lovely person of Jesus. He did not wear a crown of thorns; but a crown of glory decked his holy brow. Upon his vesture and thigh was a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. His eyes were as a flame of fire, his feet had the appearance of fine brass, and his voice sounded like many musical instruments. His countenance was as bright as the noon-day sun. The earth trembled before him, and the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
“Those who a little before would have destroyed God’s faithful children from the earth, had to witness the glory of God which rested upon them. They had seen them glorified. And amid all the terrible scenes they had heard the voices of the saints in joyful strains, saying, Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us. The earth mightily shook as the voice of the Son of God called forth the sleeping saints. They responded to the call, and came forth clothed with glorious immortality, crying, Victory! victory! over death and the grave. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Then the living saints, and the resurrected ones, raised their voices in a long, transporting shout of victory. Those sickly bodies that had gone down into the grave came up in immortal health and vigor. The living saints were changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and caught up with the resurrected ones, and together they meet their Lord in the air. O what a glorious meeting. Friends whom death had separated, were united, never more to part.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1, 205-207 {1SG 205.1-207.1}
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