• The Kingdom and the Resurrection Hope
    The Watchtower—1982 | April 1

    • and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.”​—John 5:22-29.

      18 Does this contradict Revelation 20:12, where we read that the dead will be “judged out of those things written in the scrolls,” which scrolls will not be “opened” until during the millennium? Not at all. Jesus’ words in John chapter five must be understood in the light of his later revelation to John. (Revelation 1:1) Both “those who did good things” and “those who practiced vile things” will be among “those dead” who will be “judged individually according to their deeds” performed after their resurrection. (Revelation 20:13) When contrasting “resurrection of life” with “resurrection of judgment [Greek, a·naʹsta·sis kriʹseos],” Jesus was referring to the end result of such resurrections. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon defines a·naʹsta·sis kriʹseos as resurrection “followed by condemnation.” The person is not resurrected in order to be condemned automatically, but his resurrection will be followed by condemnatory judgment if he refuses to follow the “things written in the scrolls” and thus fails to have his name “written in the book of life.” He would then die “the second death,” with no future hope of a resurrection.​—Revelation 20:14, 15; 21:8.

      19 and footnote. (a) How does a French Bible translation render John 5:29, and when only will it become apparent that a resurrection was one “of life” or “of judgment”? (b) Do the “righteous” and the “unrighteous” mentioned in Acts 24:15 come forth respectively to a “resurrection of life” and a “resurrection of judgment”? Explain.

      19 It is interesting to note that the French Ecumenical Translation (published by a group of both Catholic and Protestant scholars) renders John 5:29: “Those who have done good will come out for the resurrection that leads to life; those who have practiced evil, for the resurrection that leads to judgment.” Only when the end result of a person’s resurrection becomes clear will it be known whether his resurrection was a “resurrection of life” or a “resurrection of judgment.”a

  • The Kingdom and the Resurrection Hope
    The Watchtower—1982 | April 1

    • a Those who are raised to a “resurrection of life” or a “resurrection of judgment” should not be considered to be identical with the “righteous” and the “unrighteous” mentioned by Paul in Acts 24:15. Paul is speaking of the standing of persons when they are resurrected, based on their conduct before death. The “righteous” will have to continue their righteous course of action by obedience to the things written in the “scrolls.” Otherwise their resurrection could turn out to be one “of judgment.” Conversely, if any “unrighteous” persons repent, accept Christ’s ransom sacrifice and obey the things written in the “scrolls,” their resurrection could prove to be one “of life.”