In this daily Bible reading is the account of God directing Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones of many dead people. The result of this prophecy was that the bones came to life through the power of God. This was to illustrate that God will one day raise people from the dead.
The Bible says that one day people will be raised from the dead to stand in judgment before God. The Bible says that there will be two resurrections. When Jesus returns to rule the earth there will be a resurrection of those who died while believing in Jesus. These people will be alive during Jesus’ 1000-year rule here on the Earth. The nonbelievers will not be raised until this 1000-year period is over.
At the end of 1000 years, the unbelievers will be raised from the dead to stand in judgment before God. God will judge them according to the lives they led. The Bible indicates that these people will not be allowed into Heaven but will be assigned varying degrees of punishment. Their sentences will last forever.
At the end of Jesus’ 1000-year rule, the believers who were raised to be in Jesus’ Kingdom will be allowed to live in what the Bible calls the New Jerusalem. The Bible describes the New Jerusalem as a magnificent three-dimensional city suspended above the Earth. Its shape will be a cube measuring 1500 miles on each side. This will be the home for all believers forever. I believe the occupants of this city will be enabled to travel throughout the universe to visit God’s magnificent creation. Their eternal existence will be far better than those who will be in eternal agony for choosing to not believe in Jesus. The right choice is obvious to me.
