Awakening “to Reproaches”

8, 9. In what way could this spiritual awakening be “to reproaches and to indefinitely lasting abhorrence”?

⁸ Why, then, do some “wake up . . . to reproaches and to indefinitely lasting abhorrence”? The fact is, not all those who accept the invitation to be part of that Kingdom class stay faithful. Some let their faith weaken and they fail to endure. (Hebrews 2:1) A few even become apostate and have to be removed from the Christian congregation. (Matthew 13:41, 42) Such ones are described by Jesus as “that evil slave” whom the Master punishes “with the greatest severity,” assigning him with the hypocrites. “There is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be.”​—Matthew 24:48-51; Ephesians 4:18; 5:6-8.

⁹ What a tragedy, to accept the highest privilege ever offered to imperfect humans and then to turn against it! Of those who act in this way, the apostle Paul said: “It is impossible as regards those who have once for all been enlightened, and who have tasted the heavenly free gift, and who have become partakers of holy spirit, and who have tasted the fine word of God and powers of the coming system of things, but who have fallen away, to revive them again to repentance, because they impale the Son of God afresh for themselves and expose him to public shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6) In this way, their awakening turns out to be “to reproaches and to indefinitely lasting abhorrence.” They have no further prospect of everlasting life.

Another Resurrection

14. The prophecy that “many of those asleep in the ground of dust . . . will wake up” will come to include who else?

¹⁴ Thus, the angel’s words take us beyond the time of Michael’s ‘standing up’ and the unparalleled “time of distress” right into the new system of things. Moreover, the blessings channeled through these ones shining “like the stars” will not be limited to those who survive the “time of distress.” Jesus, while still a man on earth, said: “The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28, 29) These words point to a literal resurrection of dead mankind, and doubtless this resurrection, too, is an extended fulfillment of the angel’s words: “Many of those asleep in the ground of dust . . . will wake up.”​—Daniel 12:2.

15. For those resurrected then, how can it prove to be an awakening “to indefinitely lasting life”?

¹⁵ Among those included in this particular awakening will be Daniel himself. He was told by the angel: “As for you yourself, go toward the end; and you will rest [fall asleep in death], but you will stand up for your lot at the end of the days.” (Daniel 12:13) Those like Daniel who are resurrected then and who respond to the ministry of Jesus and his brothers from heaven will be raised to human perfection. When they pass the final test, they will have their names permanently inscribed in the book of life. (Revelation 20:5) For them, too, the awakening will be “to indefinitely lasting life.”

16. For whom will the awakening in the new system of things prove to be “to indefinitely lasting abhorrence”?

¹⁶ Not all will so respond, however. Some will doubtless try to bring back the practices that have robbed man of peace for so long. Such ones have fair warning in the Bible: “As for the cowards and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and murderers and fornicators and those practicing spiritism and idolaters and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This means the second death.” (Revelation 21:8) This “second death” is a direct judgment from Jehovah from which there is no resurrection. It is eternal, unending oblivion. Those resurrected who prove to be unappreciative will suffer this second death; hence, their awakening will be “to reproaches and to indefinitely lasting abhorrence.”​—Daniel 12:2.