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00:00:01 We would like to begin 00:00:02 by posing three questions 00:00:04 and then answering those three questions. 00:00:06 First, what do we know 00:00:09 about the resurrection? 00:00:11 Second, what don’t we know 00:00:13 about the resurrection? 00:00:15 And third, what should we do 00:00:17 with what we know about the resurrection? 00:00:21 Well, first, let’s go to that first question posed: 00:00:24 What do we know about the resurrection 00:00:26 that will soon take place here on earth? 00:00:29 Well, first of all, we know it’s a guarantee. 00:00:31 It’s a promise that will be fulfilled. 00:00:34 And based on today’s text 00:00:36 at Acts 24:15, it says: 00:00:39 “There is going to be a resurrection 00:00:43 of both the righteous [as well as] the unrighteous.” 00:00:47 And just imagine what it will be like when that begins, 00:00:52 when over 6,000 years of deaths are undone 00:00:56 and those who are sleeping in the graves will come back to life. 00:01:01 What an amazing prospect! 00:01:03 And as was pointed out, 00:01:05 the first line in our Watchtower comments 00:01:07 was pretty awesome, and I’m sure you saw that too, 00:01:10 that Jehovah wants people to live, not die. 00:01:15 So this is really a manifestation of Jehovah’s power 00:01:19 as well as his unfailing love for all mankind. 00:01:23 And Jesus reflected his Father’s love. 00:01:27 In fact, he died in our behalf, 00:01:30 and he wanted to fulfill the promise he made 00:01:33 at John 5:28, 29, 00:01:38 where he said: “All those in the memorial tombs 00:01:42 will hear his voice and come out.” 00:01:45 “All” meaning 00:01:47 “all the righteous and the unrighteous.” 00:01:51 Those who are asleep will awaken. 00:01:54 They may have been long forgotten by humans, 00:01:58 but Jehovah has never forgotten them. 00:02:01 They are right in his memory. 00:02:04 Now, have you ever gone to an old cemetery 00:02:07 and looked at some of the gravestones? 00:02:10 Some of the engraving has been worn off over years of weathering. 00:02:15 We don’t even know who’s buried 00:02:17 in that burial plot, but Jehovah does. 00:02:20 And he has it filed away in his everlasting memory. 00:02:25 So when we’re talking about the righteous that will come back, 00:02:28 who are we talking about? 00:02:30 Well, the righteous are the faithful men and women 00:02:33 that have died before Jesus’ sacrificial death 00:02:37 and the other sheep who die during the last days. 00:02:42 And what about the unrighteous? 00:02:44 Well, the unrighteous are humans, billions of humans, 00:02:48 who died without really having an opportunity 00:02:52 to know Jehovah, to get to worship him 00:02:55 or even to apply Bible truths. 00:02:58 They will have the opportunity to get to know Jehovah, 00:03:02 to draw close to him, and to do his will. 00:03:07 The March 2016 meeting workbook 00:03:10 (you may recall this) had this scenario. 00:03:14 It said: “Instead of funerals, 00:03:17 there may be welcoming sessions for the resurrected.” 00:03:21 Wow! 00:03:22 That’s going to be so amazing for us to actually be there 00:03:25 and experience these welcoming-type of meetings. 00:03:30 And it posed two questions in that meeting workbook: 00:03:33 “Which of your friends and relatives 00:03:35 do you especially look forward to seeing again?” 00:03:38 Now, there are probably some people 00:03:40 going through your mind right now, like I am thinking about. 00:03:43 The second question: 00:03:45 “Which Bible characters do you especially want to meet and talk to?” 00:03:49 Again, a whole list is probably coming into our minds. 00:03:52 Well, stay tuned. 00:03:55 Well, here’s a question: 00:03:57 What indication do we have as to the manner 00:04:00 in which the resurrected ones will take their place? 00:04:03 How will they come back? 00:04:05 Well, based on 1 Corinthians 15:23, 00:04:09 we know that the heavenly resurrection 00:04:11 of the anointed is done in an orderly way. 00:04:15 As Paul said: “Each one in his own proper order: 00:04:20 “Christ the firstfruits, 00:04:22 afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence.” 00:04:27 So it will be progressive during that time. 00:04:30 Now, since we know that Jehovah is a God of order, 00:04:33 it’s reasonable to conclude that the earthly resurrection 00:04:36 will take place in a logical and orderly way. 00:04:41 Instead of having billions come back to life all at once, 00:04:45 we know that it would make much more sense that it would be done progressively. 00:04:50 So as each one is resurrected —they come to life— 00:04:53 we can help them individually 00:04:55 with their needs and their circumstances. 00:04:59 Well, what do we know about the physical and spiritual care 00:05:02 resurrected ones will receive at that time? 00:05:06 Well, at the right time, 00:05:08 at Jehovah’s perfect timing, he will awaken them. 00:05:12 And what will they find? 00:05:14 They will find abundant housing, clothing, 00:05:17 and food all given to them. 00:05:19 By whom? 00:05:21 By those who will make it through this system and on into the next 00:05:25 —great tribulation survivors, 00:05:28 you and me. 00:05:31 And we have a precedent for that. 00:05:33 Remember when Jesus resurrected a little girl? 00:05:36 And all those who saw that amazing miracle 00:05:39 —what did he say to those who saw that? 00:05:42 He said: ‘Please give the little girl something to eat.’ 00:05:45 So he didn’t say that every time he resurrected someone, 00:05:49 but he knew her individual needs, and he addressed those. 00:05:54 And likewise, we will have that privilege in this coming system. 00:05:59 Most of us will have that privilege. 00:06:01 And think about all the training 00:06:03 that we have received here at Bethel and LDC 00:06:06 and other areas of our organization 00:06:08 that will be put to use at that time. 00:06:12 And think about the billions of “unrighteous ones” 00:06:16 that will be resurrected that will need to have spiritual instruction. 00:06:20 They will need to learn about Jehovah; 00:06:22 they will need to learn about Jesus and the ransom sacrifice 00:06:25 and how they can exercise that faith in the ransom. 00:06:30 Who will teach them? 00:06:32 You will teach them, and hopefully I will teach them. 00:06:36 And what will we use as a basis 00:06:40 to teach these ones who need to learn 00:06:42 about Jehovah, Jesus, and Jehovah’s requirements? 00:06:45 Well, of course, the Bible will be something that we will use. 00:06:49 But John’s vision at Revelation 20:12 gives us another clue. 00:06:54 Let’s turn there and read this together, 00:06:56 Revelation 20:12; 00:07:01 it says: 00:07:03 “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, 00:07:06 “standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. 00:07:10 “But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. 00:07:14 “The dead were judged out of those things 00:07:16 written in the scrolls according to their deeds.” 00:07:21 Now, was this mentioning the “deeds” 00:07:24 of their past conduct, or past deeds? 00:07:28 No. 00:07:30 This judgment will not focus on what they did before they died. 00:07:34 But how do we know that? 00:07:36 Romans 6:7, as you recall, says: 00:07:41 “For the one who has died has been acquitted 00:07:44 “[or the footnote says: “released (pardoned)”] 00:07:47 from his sin.” 00:07:49 So those who come back to life, 00:07:52 those who are resurrected, will have a clean slate. 00:07:55 What a relief for them and for us, 00:07:59 because many of us do know many 00:08:01 who did not worship Jehovah before they passed away! 00:08:05 So that clean slate is such a relief. 00:08:09 So to live forever there will be further requirements 00:08:13 for those who survive the great tribulation 00:08:16 as well as those who are resurrected. 00:08:18 We need to learn and continue to obey those requirements 00:08:22 and any new ones that might be revealed by Jehovah 00:08:26 during the thousand years. 00:08:28 Well, what don’t we know about the resurrection? 00:08:32 A lot. 00:08:33 There are so many questions that we might have: 00:08:36 Will those who died recently be raised 00:08:41 near the start of Christ’s Thousand Year Reign? 00:08:44 Will the righteous be brought back first and then the unrighteous? 00:08:49 Will they be welcomed by loved ones who know them? 00:08:52 Will resurrections take place in the area where people died? 00:08:56 How will Jehovah arrange matters 00:08:58 for those who were married when they died? 00:09:00 Will faithful men of old with leadership abilities 00:09:03 come back to help to organize matters? 00:09:06 Well, how will theocratic spiritual food be given? 00:09:11 Will there be a Teaching Committee or Writing Committee, 00:09:13 or will another arrangement be made to provide spiritual food? 00:09:17 Will there be hard copies? 00:09:19 Will there be electronic copies? Will there be videos? 00:09:21 Will there be some sort of JW broadcast? 00:09:24 We just don’t know. 00:09:26 We need to stay tuned, and we need to be patient. 00:09:30 It’s good to heed Jeremiah’s advice. 00:09:32 If you turn to Lamentations chapter 3, 00:09:36 notice there in Lamentations 3:25, 26 00:09:40 something that we want to focus on today in the meantime. 00:09:44 It says: “Good is Jehovah to the one hoping in him, 00:09:49 “to the person who keeps seeking him. 00:09:52 “Good it is to wait in silence [or the footnote says: “to wait patiently”] 00:09:57 for the salvation of Jehovah.” 00:10:01 So we know that in due course, 00:10:03 all will be revealed by Jehovah. 00:10:06 And as we rest our hope on Jehovah 00:10:09 and those in the future come back, 00:10:11 they will know that the one who will “satisfy the desire of every living thing” 00:10:15 will have it all taken care for us. 00:10:17 All the answers will be given to us. 00:10:19 Jehovah has always given us what we need to be faithful now, 00:10:24 and he’ll do the same in the future. 00:10:26 And now it’s up to each and every one of us 00:10:28 to prove our faithfulness, 00:10:31 to put our hope in that resurrection hope, and to share it with others. 00:10:36 And hopefully some day, maybe a thousand years from now, 00:10:39 we’ll look back, and we’ll say: 00:10:41 “There [was ] a resurrection 00:10:43 of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”
00:00:01 We would like to begin 00:00:02 by posing three questions 00:00:04 and then answering those three questions. 00:00:06 First, what do we know 00:00:09 about the resurrection? 00:00:11 Second, what don’t we know 00:00:13 about the resurrection? 00:00:15 And third, what should we do 00:00:17 with what we know about the resurrection? 00:00:21 Well, first, let’s go to that first question posed: 00:00:24 What do we know about the resurrection 00:00:26 that will soon take place here on earth? 00:00:29 Well, first of all, we know it’s a guarantee. 00:00:31 It’s a promise that will be fulfilled. 00:00:34 And based on today’s text 00:00:36 at Acts 24:15, it says: 00:00:39 “There is going to be a resurrection 00:00:43 of both the righteous [as well as] the unrighteous.” 00:00:47 And just imagine what it will be like when that begins, 00:00:52 when over 6,000 years of deaths are undone 00:00:56 and those who are sleeping in the graves will come back to life. 00:01:01 What an amazing prospect! 00:01:03 And as was pointed out, 00:01:05 the first line in our Watchtower comments 00:01:07 was pretty awesome, and I’m sure you saw that too, 00:01:10 that Jehovah wants people to live, not die. 00:01:15 So this is really a manifestation of Jehovah’s power 00:01:19 as well as his unfailing love for all mankind. 00:01:23 And Jesus reflected his Father’s love. 00:01:27 In fact, he died in our behalf, 00:01:30 and he wanted to fulfill the promise he made 00:01:33 at John 5:28, 29, 00:01:38 where he said: “All those in the memorial tombs 00:01:42 will hear his voice and come out.” 00:01:45 “All” meaning 00:01:47 “all the righteous and the unrighteous.” 00:01:51 Those who are asleep will awaken. 00:01:54 They may have been long forgotten by humans, 00:01:58 but Jehovah has never forgotten them. 00:02:01 They are right in his memory. 00:02:04 Now, have you ever gone to an old cemetery 00:02:07 and looked at some of the gravestones? 00:02:10 Some of the engraving has been worn off over years of weathering. 00:02:15 We don’t even know who’s buried 00:02:17 in that burial plot, but Jehovah does. 00:02:20 And he has it filed away in his everlasting memory. 00:02:25 So when we’re talking about the righteous that will come back, 00:02:28 who are we talking about? 00:02:30 Well, the righteous are the faithful men and women 00:02:33 that have died before Jesus’ sacrificial death 00:02:37 and the other sheep who die during the last days. 00:02:42 And what about the unrighteous? 00:02:44 Well, the unrighteous are humans, billions of humans, 00:02:48 who died without really having an opportunity 00:02:52 to know Jehovah, to get to worship him 00:02:55 or even to apply Bible truths. 00:02:58 They will have the opportunity to get to know Jehovah, 00:03:02 to draw close to him, and to do his will. 00:03:07 The March 2016 meeting workbook 00:03:10 (you may recall this) had this scenario. 00:03:14 It said: “Instead of funerals, 00:03:17 there may be welcoming sessions for the resurrected.” 00:03:21 Wow! 00:03:22 That’s going to be so amazing for us to actually be there 00:03:25 and experience these welcoming-type of meetings. 00:03:30 And it posed two questions in that meeting workbook: 00:03:33 “Which of your friends and relatives 00:03:35 do you especially look forward to seeing again?” 00:03:38 Now, there are probably some people 00:03:40 going through your mind right now, like I am thinking about. 00:03:43 The second question: 00:03:45 “Which Bible characters do you especially want to meet and talk to?” 00:03:49 Again, a whole list is probably coming into our minds. 00:03:52 Well, stay tuned. 00:03:55 Well, here’s a question: 00:03:57 What indication do we have as to the manner 00:04:00 in which the resurrected ones will take their place? 00:04:03 How will they come back? 00:04:05 Well, based on 1 Corinthians 15:23, 00:04:09 we know that the heavenly resurrection 00:04:11 of the anointed is done in an orderly way. 00:04:15 As Paul said: “Each one in his own proper order: 00:04:20 “Christ the firstfruits, 00:04:22 afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence.” 00:04:27 So it will be progressive during that time. 00:04:30 Now, since we know that Jehovah is a God of order, 00:04:33 it’s reasonable to conclude that the earthly resurrection 00:04:36 will take place in a logical and orderly way. 00:04:41 Instead of having billions come back to life all at once, 00:04:45 we know that it would make much more sense that it would be done progressively. 00:04:50 So as each one is resurrected —they come to life— 00:04:53 we can help them individually 00:04:55 with their needs and their circumstances. 00:04:59 Well, what do we know about the physical and spiritual care 00:05:02 resurrected ones will receive at that time? 00:05:06 Well, at the right time, 00:05:08 at Jehovah’s perfect timing, he will awaken them. 00:05:12 And what will they find? 00:05:14 They will find abundant housing, clothing, 00:05:17 and food all given to them. 00:05:19 By whom? 00:05:21 By those who will make it through this system and on into the next 00:05:25 —great tribulation survivors, 00:05:28 you and me. 00:05:31 And we have a precedent for that. 00:05:33 Remember when Jesus resurrected a little girl? 00:05:36 And all those who saw that amazing miracle 00:05:39 —what did he say to those who saw that? 00:05:42 He said: ‘Please give the little girl something to eat.’ 00:05:45 So he didn’t say that every time he resurrected someone, 00:05:49 but he knew her individual needs, and he addressed those. 00:05:54 And likewise, we will have that privilege in this coming system. 00:05:59 Most of us will have that privilege. 00:06:01 And think about all the training 00:06:03 that we have received here at Bethel and LDC 00:06:06 and other areas of our organization 00:06:08 that will be put to use at that time. 00:06:12 And think about the billions of “unrighteous ones” 00:06:16 that will be resurrected that will need to have spiritual instruction. 00:06:20 They will need to learn about Jehovah; 00:06:22 they will need to learn about Jesus and the ransom sacrifice 00:06:25 and how they can exercise that faith in the ransom. 00:06:30 Who will teach them? 00:06:32 You will teach them, and hopefully I will teach them. 00:06:36 And what will we use as a basis 00:06:40 to teach these ones who need to learn 00:06:42 about Jehovah, Jesus, and Jehovah’s requirements? 00:06:45 Well, of course, the Bible will be something that we will use. 00:06:49 But John’s vision at Revelation 20:12 gives us another clue. 00:06:54 Let’s turn there and read this together, 00:06:56 Revelation 20:12; 00:07:01 it says: 00:07:03 “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, 00:07:06 “standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. 00:07:10 “But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. 00:07:14 “The dead were judged out of those things 00:07:16 written in the scrolls according to their deeds.” 00:07:21 Now, was this mentioning the “deeds” 00:07:24 of their past conduct, or past deeds? 00:07:28 No. 00:07:30 This judgment will not focus on what they did before they died. 00:07:34 But how do we know that? 00:07:36 Romans 6:7, as you recall, says: 00:07:41 “For the one who has died has been acquitted 00:07:44 “[or the footnote says: “released (pardoned)”] 00:07:47 from his sin.” 00:07:49 So those who come back to life, 00:07:52 those who are resurrected, will have a clean slate. 00:07:55 What a relief for them and for us, 00:07:59 because many of us do know many 00:08:01 who did not worship Jehovah before they passed away! 00:08:05 So that clean slate is such a relief. 00:08:09 So to live forever there will be further requirements 00:08:13 for those who survive the great tribulation 00:08:16 as well as those who are resurrected. 00:08:18 We need to learn and continue to obey those requirements 00:08:22 and any new ones that might be revealed by Jehovah 00:08:26 during the thousand years. 00:08:28 Well, what don’t we know about the resurrection? 00:08:32 A lot. 00:08:33 There are so many questions that we might have: 00:08:36 Will those who died recently be raised 00:08:41 near the start of Christ’s Thousand Year Reign? 00:08:44 Will the righteous be brought back first and then the unrighteous? 00:08:49 Will they be welcomed by loved ones who know them? 00:08:52 Will resurrections take place in the area where people died? 00:08:56 How will Jehovah arrange matters 00:08:58 for those who were married when they died? 00:09:00 Will faithful men of old with leadership abilities 00:09:03 come back to help to organize matters? 00:09:06 Well, how will theocratic spiritual food be given? 00:09:11 Will there be a Teaching Committee or Writing Committee, 00:09:13 or will another arrangement be made to provide spiritual food? 00:09:17 Will there be hard copies? 00:09:19 Will there be electronic copies? Will there be videos? 00:09:21 Will there be some sort of JW broadcast? 00:09:24 We just don’t know. 00:09:26 We need to stay tuned, and we need to be patient. 00:09:30 It’s good to heed Jeremiah’s advice. 00:09:32 If you turn to Lamentations chapter 3, 00:09:36 notice there in Lamentations 3:25, 26 00:09:40 something that we want to focus on today in the meantime. 00:09:44 It says: “Good is Jehovah to the one hoping in him, 00:09:49 “to the person who keeps seeking him. 00:09:52 “Good it is to wait in silence [or the footnote says: “to wait patiently”] 00:09:57 for the salvation of Jehovah.” 00:10:01 So we know that in due course, 00:10:03 all will be revealed by Jehovah. 00:10:06 And as we rest our hope on Jehovah 00:10:09 and those in the future come back, 00:10:11 they will know that the one who will “satisfy the desire of every living thing” 00:10:15 will have it all taken care for us. 00:10:17 All the answers will be given to us. 00:10:19 Jehovah has always given us what we need to be faithful now, 00:10:24 and he’ll do the same in the future. 00:10:26 And now it’s up to each and every one of us 00:10:28 to prove our faithfulness, 00:10:31 to put our hope in that resurrection hope, and to share it with others. 00:10:36 And hopefully some day, maybe a thousand years from now, 00:10:39 we’ll look back, and we’ll say: 00:10:41 “There [was ] a resurrection 00:10:43 of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”
