Those Given Life at the End That Were Not the Bride, Came from the Dead. Where They in Burning Hell While Dead?
1) Direct answer
No. Those who are given life at the end were not in the burning lake of fire while they were dead. They were in death, awaiting the general resurrection and the White Throne judgment.
2) Scriptural explanation
- Now notice, the Bible says, “The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:5). They were dead—awaiting the time to be raised.
- Then, “the dead, small and great, stood before God… and the dead were judged… and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them” (Revelation 20:12-13). That shows they were held in death and the unseen realm until judgment.
- Only after the judgment do the condemned go into “the lake of fire,” which the Scripture calls “the second death” (Revelation 20:14-15). So the burning lake of fire comes after the books are opened, not before.
- Jesus also spoke of some being set on His right hand and given life in that judgment scene (Matthew 25:31-34, 46). That proves there will be people at that time who were not the Bride, yet are granted life.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- If they were already in burning hell, there would be no need to raise them and judge them to determine life or condemnation. Judgment comes before final sentencing.
- The Bride has part in the first resurrection and is not touched by the second death (Revelation 20:6). The rest come up later. Among those, some are found in the Book of Life and are given life; the rest go to the lake of fire after judgment.
- Therefore, those who are given life at the end were not in burning hell while dead; they were held in death, and the ones who belong on the mercy side were at rest, not in flames (see Revelation 6:9-11 for souls at rest under the altar).
4) Reinforcing statement
The Bible’s order is clear: death first, resurrection and judgment next, and only then the lake of fire for the lost. Those granted life at the end were not burning in hell while dead.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 7:E-102
Thus the grain of wheat that became a plant for the harvest is the record of the church. And even as not all the wheat plant is wheat seed, and as not all the plant is used in the harvest, so with the church:--all the church is not the bride, and neither is it all given eternal life, but a PART of it is gathered into the garner, and a PART of it is kept that it might enter into eternal life in the second resurrection, and PART of it which is accounted chaff is burned in the lake of fire. And this is exactly what Jo...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 9:E-97
Now let me say this here. I don't believe that God is calling only to the false church to repent. In this verse He is talking to His elect. They have some repenting to do, too. Many of His children are still in those false churches. They are those of whom it speaks in Ephesians 5:14, "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." To be asleep is not to be dead. These are sleeping amongst the dead. They are out there in the dead denominations. They are floating along with them...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 4:E-75
We all know that the second death is the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14, "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." Of course that means all those who were therein, were cast into the lake of fire. Now then, I want to bring out something here for you. It no doubt will cause people to comment on my strange doctrine. But I stand here on the authority of the Word of God and deny that the unbeliever goes to an eternal hell and burns there eternally. In the first place, hell, or the...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 8:E-25
And men of that age as even today were making the same mistake. As the Jews took refuge in the synagogue form of worship, so in the Philadelphian Age they were taking refuge in the church. It is not joining a church that counts. The life is not in the church. The life is in Christ. "This is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life." Man is made holy by the Spirit. It is the Spirit of Holiness that raised Je...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 7:E-86
To further clarify, notice specifically the words of Matthew 25:31-46. It does not say that a shepherd is literally separating sheep from goats, but it is AS a shepherd dividing sheep from goats. These are not sheep in this particular area of time (White Throne Judgment). The sheep are in His fold, they heard His voice (Word) and they followed Him. THEY ALREADY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE AND CANNOT COME INTO THE JUDGMENT. But these do NOT have eternal life, and they are in the judgment. They are allowed to GO INTO eternal l...