Scriptures refer to three categories of people; righteous, sinners and ungodly. Each category receives a different judgement. The righteous are those perfected saints that have overcome their flesh and will rule with Christ. The righteous are judged to eternal life in the first resurrection. The righteous achieve eternal life by hearing, doing and participating in all of the whole gospel of Christ.
An ungodly person is one who does not know God, has no relationship with Him and remains in Adam. Adam and all of his children were judged to death according to the word of the Lord in the garden, “ye shall surely die”. Without Christ the ungodly are already dead. The Lord does not remember (resurrect) the ungodly for the great white throne judgement. When the ungodly die, they are dead, they shall not live, they shall not rise for God destroyed them and made even their memory to perish. Without Christ, the ungodly sleep a perpetual sleep and shall not wake.
Sinners are those who are still sinning, they have not achieved “a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Eph 4:13) These are the Christians who are not yet complete. Sinners are resurrected at the end of the age where they will again have a chance to choose life. The ungodly are not “in the tombs” for they were already destroyed. At the second resurrection, these sinners will be taught all of the full gospel of Christ so they can chose life. Those who turn away from God’s plan will die again and perish utterly and that is forever.
1Pe 4:17-18 RV
(17) For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?
(18) And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?
Judgement of the Righteous
Righteous; G1342
Dikaios; dik’-ah-yos
From G1349; equitable (in character or act); by implication innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively): – just, meet, right (-eous).
Total KJV occurrences: 81
Rev 3:20-21 RV
(20) Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
(21) He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne.
The righteous are those perfected saints that have overcome their flesh and will rule with Christ.
Rev 20:4-6 RV
(4) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
(5) The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished. This is the first resurrection.
(6) Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: over these the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
The righteous are judged to eternal life in the first resurrection.
Joh 5:21-25 RV
(21) For as the Father raiseth the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son also quickeneth whom he will.
(22) For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son;
(23) that all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which sent him.
(24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life.
(25) Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.
Judgement of the Ungodly
Ungodly; G765
asebēs; as-eb-ace’
From G1 (as a negative particle) and a presumed derivative of G4576; irreverent, that is, (by extension) impious or wicked: – ungodly (man).
Total KJV occurrences: 9
An ungodly person is one who does not know God, has no relationship with Him and remains in Adam.
1Co 15:20-23 KJV
(20) But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
(21) For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
(22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
(23) But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits;
afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
Psa 1:1-6 KJV
(1) Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
(2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
(3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
(4) The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
(5) Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
(6) For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
The Lord does not remember (resurrect) the ungodly for the great white throne judgement.
Isa 26:12-14 KJV
(12) LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.
(13) O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
(14) They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.
Jer 51:54-57 KJV
(54) A sound of a cry cometh from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans:
(55) Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:
(56) Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the LORD God of recompences shall surely requite.
(57) And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
Without Christ, the ungodly sleep a perpetual sleep and shall not wake.
Judgement of the Sinners
Sinners; G268
hamartōlos; ham-ar-to-los’
From G264; sinful, that is, a sinner: – sinful, sinner.
Total KJV occurrences: 47
G264
hamartanō; ham-ar-tan’-o
Perhaps from G1 (as a negative particle) and the base of G3313; properly to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), that is, (figuratively) to err, especially (morally) to sin: – for your faults, offend, sin, trespass.
Total KJV occurrences: 43
Sinners are those who are still sinning, they have not achieved “a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Eph 4:13) These are the Christians who are not yet complete.
Dan 12:1-3 KJV
(1) 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.
(3) And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Joh 5:26-29 RV
(26) For as the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in himself:
(27) and he gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man.
(28) Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice,
(29) And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done ill, unto the resurrection of judgment.
Sinners are resurrected at the end of the age where they will again have a chance to choose life. The ungodly are not “in the tombs” for they were already destroyed.
Rev 20:11-15 RV
(11) And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
(12) And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
(13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
(14) And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.
(15) And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
Image by Gemma Chua-Tran on Unsplash.com
There is an interesting part of the Hebrew language that I guess you could call a “Hebrewism.” When it appears you find a Hebrew word written twice in the sentence.
This is the case in Gen. 2:17 where you find the Hebrew word MOOTH used twice in the sentence. If you would like to look at it, this word is #H4191 in the Strong’s concordance. This is interesting as it should read, “to die shall you be dying.”
We know from Gen. 2:7 that Adam was formed and became a living soul by the breath of the Lord God [Jehovah Elohim] being breathed into him. He walked in this state and relationship with his Creator until he sinned, thus he experienced what the Lord had told him he would, “to die shall you be dying.” So Adam died twice, he died in his relationship with his creator and was not then a “living soul” and at 930 years he suffered the death he brought on his offspring, his Adamic family.
The wonderful beauty of the Gospel is that Jesus reversed this curse by his death, burial and resurrection. In John 11:25 – 26 we read, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thous this?” He was talking with Martha, Zazarus’ sister.
You could say about this that Jesus reversed what was said to Adam, “to die shall you be dying,” and told us that because of his redemptive work, “to live shall you be living!”
Truly, the Lord Jesus Christ is a wonder, praise his name!