The Special Resurrection And The 144,000

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." (Daniel 12:2)

This is the special resurrection of Daniel 12:2 and it's for two special groups of people.

1. Those Jewish leaders who greatly direspected Christ at His trial. Jesus told them that they will see Him coming in the clouds of heaven at His second coming.

"But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall YE SEE the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
(Matthew 26:63‭-‬64)

Also this same special resurrection was foretold in Revelation 1:7:

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and THEY ALSO WHICH PIERCED HIM: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."

(Revelation 1:7)

These people will die THREE DEATHS. The first death was the natural death they already died. The second time they'll die is at the Second Coming after their resurrected in the special resurrection. Then the final death they will die is in the lake of fire at the end of the thousand years.

2. The special resurrection is also for those who have fallen asleep in the faith of the third angel's message. It's also very important for us to understand that the third angel selects and seals the 144,000.

"I then saw the third angel. Said my accompanying angel, “Fearful is his work. Awful is his mission. He is the angel that is to SELECT the WHEAT from the tares, and SEAL, or bind, the wheat for the heavenly garner. These things should engross the whole mind, the whole attention.” (Early Writings p 118)

The special resurrection is for those who accepted the third angel's message; they are the 144,000 who WOULD HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED without going to the grave if their generation would have accepted the 1888 message. The special resurrection is the resurrection of the 144,000. They will come up at the 7th plague in time of trouble and see Jesus come and be translated with the 144,000 who never went to the grave.

"Graves are opened, and “many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth” “awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” [Daniel 12:2.] All who have DIED in the FAITH of the THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God's covenant of peace with those who have kept his law. “They also which pierced Him,” [Revelation 1:7.] those that mocked and derided Christ's dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of his truth and his people, are raised to behold him in his glory, and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient." (Great Controversy p. 636, 637)

God saw from all eternity that our people would reject the 1888 message of righteousness by faith and therefore die under the sounding of the third angel's message. Therefore, He created a special resurrection to honor those who WOULD HAVE NEVER DIED if their generation would have accepted the 1888 message which would have prepared the Church for translation.

Have you accepted the 1888 message of righteousness by faith? Or are you unconsciously rejecting it and thus perpetuating the delay of the second coming? Solemn truths to think about brothers and sisters.