THESE ARE THEY OF THE FIRST RESSURECTION


Matthew 27:52-53, "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."

The "saints" referred to here can only refer to the Old Testamaent saints. Sometimes we forget that not all the time the word "saints" is used is talking about Christians. Here the ones refered to are Old Testament prophets and leaders that followed after God.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, 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 firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."

Here we have the two ressurections. Those who were resurrected with Christ at his ressurection, called "the firstfruits", and those who would be resurrected at "his coming".

Who are the firstfruits?

Revelation 14:3-4, "And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb."

In this scripture we are told that the 144,000 "were redeemed" (past tense) and follow Christ wherever he goes. They are in heaven and are in the group called the "firstfruits" along with the "elders" (a reference to revered Old Testament prophets and leaders) Hebrews 11:17-32, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Joseph, Moses, Gedeon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae, David, Samuel, and of the prophets: Matthew 23:34-37 Abel, Zacharias, Barachias, etc. All of them, men of faith.


Revelation 20:4-6, "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

Most people read this scripture and assume that it is referring to modern Christian martyrs even ourselves. In reality it clearly refers those of the first resurrection, the Old Testament saints. The prophets of old were the ones that had the testimony of messiah and spoke for god and were killed because of it. The reference to not having the "mark of the beast" also separates this group because the scripture says the Antichrist causes "everyone" to receive the mark and this group is gone before that time takes place. It does not say they are slain because they refuse it. This group is referred to several times; the following is another reference to the same group before the "mark of the beast" time.

Revelation 6:9-11, "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."

Here we are given the reasons the Old Testament prophets were slain and how it was done.

Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Matthew 23:37, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"

Acts 7:52, "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:"

Heb 11:24-27 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. {of Christ: or, for Christ}By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Heb 11:36-40 And others had trial of [cruel] mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and [in] mountains, and [in] dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. {provided: or, foreseen}
(RETROACTIVE SALVATION TO THOSE OF FAITH)

4249 prizo {prid'-zo} a strengthened form of a primary prio (to saw) v
AV - saw asunder 1; 1
1) to saw, to cut in two with a saw

To be "sawn asunder" was a kind of punishment among the Hebrews, which according to tradition was inflicted on the prophet Isaiah

Matthew 23:34-37, "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not."

 

Second Resurrection

John 5:25-29, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

Luke 14:14, "And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."

John 11:24, "Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Acts 24:15, "And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust."

Romans 6:5, "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:"

1 Corinthians 15:42, "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:"

Philippians 3:11, "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."

1 Thessalonians 4:13-16, "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.".........., "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"

1 Corinthians 15:21-23, "For since by man came death, 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 firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."

Surely the future resurrection of the dead is the hallmark of "Gospel of the Kingdom". Without this event our faith in Christ is for nothing.

1 Corinthians 15:16-20, "For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."

If one needs more proof of the existence of two separate mass resurrections than no amount of commentary on my part could possibly convince them. I leave you with these scriptures as proof of this and allow the scriptures to serve as their own witness. Also any notion of a third mass resurrection whether it be before or after some imaginary non second and final return of Christ is not supported by scriptures no matter how emphatic its proponents are. The following scripture does not talk about a third resurrection. They both specifically refer to "the first resurrection".

Revelation 20:5-6, "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (the word [is] does not appear in the original text and this verse should be read without it)