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.
The restoration of the Bride Tree
62-0422 §222
The dead forms went on till they got to Pentecost, then began to rumor around that He was. Now, here in the last day here He is right with us, moving right among us. At the end of the third day, He appeared and showed all of them His resurrection sign, that He was a-living, the same yesterday, today, and forever, living fruits of His presence. Living fruits of His presence (are you getting it?) was manifested at the very end of the day when He appeared to all of them, His church. Amen. Why? They'd all got together....
Church Ages, part 9: The ten virgins, and the 144,000
60-1211M §105
Now, the judgment was set and the books were opened. That's when the bride comes back and sets the judgment. And the elected church, the church that's been taken up, will return after those three and a half years, and after the time... And over in Revelation it gives it. Said that the rest of the dead lived not again for a thousand years. How many's read it? Many, many times. "Lived not for a thousand years." Jesus returns with the bride. With the bride.
Church Ages, part 9: The ten virgins, and the 144,000
60-1211M §80
All the way down through, all died---slumbered and slept, see---as they went down through. Now, they're not lost, but they just slumbered and slept. They're waiting, see. It didn't say they was dead, but they're slumbering and sleeping, see. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. And all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest the...
Questions and Answers on Genesis
53-0729 §101
And that's where many Bible scholars today get mixed up, thinking that the bride's over yonder in the tribulation. A fellow said to me, said, "I couldn't tell you, Brother Branham." Said, "I seen the bride up in Heaven. And the dragon spurting water out of his mouth to make war with the bride. And the hundred and forty-four thousand, which is the bride, standing on Mount Sinai." I said, "Oh, no, no, no, no. You got it all mixed up. The bride was in Heaven." And the remnant of the woman's seed, not the pattern, the...
Souls that are in prison now
63-1110M §19
Now the soul of man is not the body of man, it's the soul; and the soul is something that's the nature of the spirit, and then when the nature of a man ... when He said, "We are dead," the Scripture plainly tells us that, "we are dead, and our lives are hid in God through Christ; sealed there by the Holy Spirit." Now, it wasn't that your body died. It wasn't your spirit died. It was the nature of your spirit died, see. The nature, which is the soul. The nature of your soul is God, if you're borned again. If it's no...