And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2 BSB)
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. (John 5:28-29 ESV)
We know that there are two coming of Christ and two resurrections. The first coming of Christ is to save the world and the second coming of Christ is to judge the world. The first resurrection is the resurrection of life and the second resurrection is the resurrection of condemnation.
But my question is how many first resurrections are there? I know of at least two. Christ's resurrection as the first fruits and then those at His second coming.
For since death came by man, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward, those who are Christ's at His coming. (1 Corinthians 15:21-23 MEV)
Then I know that all who were asleep will be resurrected before those who are still alive, but we can consider this as the same time, with the sound of the trumpet.
For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 CSB)
And there will be the tribulation saints who will be martyred during the great tribulation. Their resurrection is clearly part of the first resurrection.
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had held. They cried out with a loud voice, "How long, O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Then a white robe was given to each of them, and they were told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers should be completed, who would be killed as they were. (Revelation 6:9-11 MEV)
Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6 ESV)
Finally, we will have those who are saved and died during the millennial reign of Christ. These should be resurrected after the millennium, together with those unsaved people, but still considered as first resurrection because theirs is a resurrection of life.
For those who believe that the seconding coming of Christ is divided into two phases, one in the air (the rapture) and another landing at Mount Olives, then there will be four first resurrections:
- First fruits - Jesus;
- Resurrection of all the saints both asleep and alive during the rapture;
- The tribulation saints;
- The millennium saints.
But for those who think that rapture and landing on Mount Olive happen at the same time sequentially (last trumpet), then there will be three first resurrection.
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 MEV)
But if all the saints are resurrected during the seconding coming of Christ with spiritual bodies, then who will be left to populate the millennium?
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