The book of Revelation reveals all people who have ever died without hearing of Christ or learning God’s way of life are to be resurrected and given their opportunity to receive eternal life. (Revelation 20:12-15).
This is the resurrection of “the rest of the dead [who] did not live again until the thousand years were finished” mentioned in Revelation 20:5. This resurrection of many millions of people back to physical, perishable life is graphically depicted in Ezekiel 37:1-12. In this resurrection, according to Jesus, the dead of past ages—people such as the queen of the South (or Sheba) from Solomon’s time, the inhabitants of the ancient Assyrian stronghold of Nineveh from Jonah’s time and the people of Christ’s time—will all be resurrected together (Matthew 12:41-42).
This judgment will take place over time as these people hear and learn God’s truth for the first time. Those who rise in this resurrection and repent—and the Scriptures indicate that most of them will repent—will receive God’s Spirit. “Then you … will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live … Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD” (Ezekiel 37:13-14). In this resurrection God will give them their opportunity for salvation—an opportunity they never had before.
The Last Great Day is a Holy Day observed directly after the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles, looking forward to this marvelous event. In 2022 the Last Great Day is observed on October 17.
