One Resurrection, One Judgment: Why the Lake of Fire Is Not for Today

 One Resurrection, One Judgment: Why the Lake of Fire Is Not for Today

The resurrection and final judgment described in Scripture were not meant to repeat themselves throughout history. These events were climactic, covenantal, and complete—fulfilled primarily in the first century when Christ returned in judgment upon Old Covenant Israel. The resurrection from Sheol (Hades), the White Throne Judgment, and the Lake of Fire were one-time events, not ongoing realities for every generation.

Today, believers are not waiting for resurrection from Sheol—because that realm has been emptied and destroyed. Likewise, the wicked of today are not cast into the Lake of Fire—because that judgment was unique to the covenantal crisis of the first century.

The One-Time Resurrection from Sheol

Before Christ’s victory, both the righteous and wicked went to Sheol or Hades, the realm of the dead. The righteous awaited redemption; the wicked awaited condemnation. But when Christ conquered death and ascended, He inaugurated the resurrection of the dead—not in a physical, grave-emptying sense, but in a covenantal and spiritual sense. Those who were “asleep” were judged, and the righteous were raised into eternal life with God (cf. Daniel 12:2, Matthew 27:52, Revelation 20:12–13).

This resurrection culminated in the events of 70 AD, when the Old Covenant world was fully judged, and Sheol was emptied. This was the "first resurrection", reserved for those who lived and died under the Old Covenant (Revelation 20:5–6). After this, there is no more resurrection in the same sense, because there is no more Sheol. The veil between God and man has been torn down forever.

No Resurrection for Believers in the Same Way Today

Christians today do not await resurrection from the grave or from some intermediate state. We are already raised with Christ (Colossians 3:1), already seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), and we walk in newness of life now. When our physical bodies die, our spirits remain alive, fully united with God. We do not “sleep” in Sheol; we continue living in the life given to us through Christ. This is because, in 70 AD, God granted eternal life to all who are in Christ—not as a future hope, but as a present reality. Believers now possess immortality, not by nature, but as a gift from God.

The Lake of Fire Was for That Generation

Revelation 20 portrays the Lake of Fire as the final destination of death, Hades, and all who rejected Christ’s authority. But this fiery judgment was directed specifically toward the wicked generation—those who crucified the Messiah, persecuted His followers, and clung to the collapsing Old Covenant system. This judgment is not repeated in every era. The Lake of Fire is never mentioned again after Revelation 20. Why? Because it already served its purpose. It symbolized the annihilation of everything that belonged to the Old World—death, Hades, and rebellion.

What About Isaiah 65 and Zechariah 14?

Some point to Isaiah 65:17–25 as a description of the New Heavens and New Earth, yet note that people still die, and sinners still exist. But no one is thrown into the Lake of Fire. A sinner who dies at 100 is still considered accursed, but not eternally tormented or annihilated. This vision shows a world under God's rule, with natural consequences, not apocalyptic judgment.

Similarly, Zechariah 14 speaks of nations being required to come up to Jerusalem to worship the King. Those who refuse? They receive no rain. Or perhaps a plague. Again, these are temporal, disciplinary consequences, not final, eternal punishment. There is no mention of resurrection, Sheol, or a Lake of Fire—because these things are no longer relevant in the post-70 AD world.

Today: A World of Eternal Souls and Ongoing Life

Since 70 AD, those in Christ have received eternal souls—not merely immortal consciousness, but a share in God's own eternal life. Death no longer separates believers from God. We pass from physical life to continued spiritual communion. There is no fear of judgment, no waiting in the grave, no need for resurrection from Sheol. Likewise, the wicked of today are not awaiting resurrection to condemnation. They are not tossed into a Lake of Fire, because that judgment has passed. Instead, they perish apart from God.-cease to exist. Their lives are like vapor—brief, tragic, and without eternal inheritance.

Conclusion

The resurrection from Sheol, the White Throne Judgment, and the Lake of Fire were events bound to the first-century transition from the Old Covenant to the New. They are not ongoing realities. Today, we live in the aftermath of victory—a kingdom without Sheol, without fear of judgment, and without delay between death and life in God's presence. Let us live boldly, knowing that Christ has already conquered death—and that we, too, live forever in Him.