Though Bible believers acknowledge that both the righteous and unrighteous dead will be raised, there is no agreement as to when they occur. There are those who believe that everyone is resurrected at once, while others believe there are two distinct resurrections. Resurrection Of The Righteous
There is absolutely no ambiguity in Scripture as to the timing of the resurrection/rapture of the righteous. Short of the Lord Himself descending from Heaven and writing across the sky with lightning bolts, nothing, but nothing could be more clear. At the LAST TRUMPET.. AT THE VERY END OF THE TRIBULATION… the righteous dead will rise first, followed by those that have survived the tribulation and are still alive. [All Emphasis Added] For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). For in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming (1 Corinthians 15:22,23). Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:51-58).
It should be noted that this point the atonement has been made for those that are believers... therefore they already have eternal life. So the resurrection isn’t to bring the believer back to “life,” it is to provide the believer with his or her “glorified” body which will last for all eternity. [Also See The Two Phase Atonement] However Scripture also speaks of the resurrection of the unrighteous, when the dead, small and great, face judgment at the Great White Throne And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. [Revelation 20:11-15].
Note however that not every single one of these people are the unrighteousness dead. The passage says that “whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire”, which implies that some of them will have their names written in the book of life and will have eternal life. So there will also be some righteous people who will be judged at the Great White Throne. Matthew 24:22, in talking about the Great Tribulation, tells us that if those days were not shortened “no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened”, implying that since the days were shortened, some flesh was saved... some people do survive both the Trumpets and Bowls, and since they enter the millennium with mortal bodies, they are likely to even bear children during the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ. However when does this second resurrection take place?
All At Once?
There are passages in Scripture that seem to indicate the simultaneous resurrection of both the righteous and unrighteous dead. Two in particular are often quoted by those who believe there will be only one resurrection. However neither one give any particular time frame and can be taken as generalized statements that simply say that everyone will come out of the grave. Though they are mentioned together, it does not necessarily mean that they occur together at the same time. Daniel 12:2: Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. John 5: 28-29: Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and will come out - those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. Acts 24:15: There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both the just and the unjust.
Once more Scripture is very very clear… Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. [Revelation 20:4-6]
The fact that there is a first resurrection implies a second resurrection, which is very clearly separated from the first by the Millennium... A thousand year period of peace when Christ will rule.
The Bema Seat: Also note the Bible teaches clearly that all men, both living and dead, saved and unsaved, must give an account to Christ. All believers who have died will eventually face what is sometimes called the Bema or Judgment Seat of Christ. Unfortunately many Christians, come to the conclusion that since all our sins have been forgiven, our works cannot possibly be considered at the judgment Seat of Christ.. Not true according to I Corinthians 3:9-13, which includes the words … If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Too many Christians tend to sail past 2 Corinthians 5:10, totally oblivious to the last few words… deeds will be recompensed whether good or bad. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
The Bema seat is obviously NOT just a rewards or rah-rah ceremony, but one that also takes bad deeds into account, when believers must give an account of their lives to Christ and some believers will receive additional rewards. [Details] | 
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