WHAT REALLY IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION?
Revelation
20:4-6 (King James Version)
" 4 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.
Daniel 12
1 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to
that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found
written in the book. (Thy People IS
Israel)
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some
to shame and everlasting contempt." (the latter part here starting with "and some to shame" refers to the END of the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth when He will
judge all unbeliever's)
5
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This
is the first resurrection (Referring back to Rev. V.4 Above when the SAVED of Israel including all Old Testament Saints and Tribulation Saints (Jew and Gentile) will be raised.
6 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 Jew's who
are saved will finally be the Nation of Priest's that God had foresworn they would be in the Old Testament!)
Exodus 19:6
6 "And
ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children
of Israel."
WE ARE PRIEST'S NOW IN THIS PERIOD OF THE CHURCH AGE AND CHRIST IS OUR HIGH PRIEST ABOVE! IN ETERNITY WE WILL
NOT BE PRIEST'S. WE WILL BE HIS
BRIDE.
Now HEAR THIS! The first Resurrection began with the Lord Jesus, who is the FIRST FRUITS of
the dead!
If we believe He rose then our faith
is secured in this supernatural event. Thus we look to the "Rapture" of the church when living and dead saints of
the church will rise to meet Him in the air. THIS IS PART OF THE FIRST RESURRECTION. The conclusion of
The First Resurrection will be at the close of the Great Tribulation!
To many who do not have the knowledge of the entire scriptures
the term "First Resurrection" means at ONE TIME ONLY. This is NOT THE CASE. It is made abundantly clear by the resurrection
of Christ as the first fruits of the dead. This event, if believed, is the commencement of the First Resurrection of the saved
from all ages, taken, each according to God's timing.
First Christ.
Next His church BEFORE THE GREAT TRIBULATION OF 7 YEARS
Then all Old testament believers and Tribulation saints who died.
Each in their own TIME. According to God's plan.
Let us be confident that our Lord was raised from the dead never to taste death again.
The Resurrection is one of the cardinal facts and doctrines of the gospel. If Christ
be not risen, our faith is vain (1 Cor. 15:14). The whole of the New Testament revelation rests on this as an historical fact.
On the day of Pentecost Peter argued the necessity of Christ's resurrection from the prediction in Ps. 16 (Acts 2:24-28).
In his own discourses, also, our Lord clearly intimates his resurrection (Matt. 20:19; Mark 9:9; 14:28; Luke 18:33; John 2:19-22).
The evangelists give circumstantial accounts of the facts connected with that event, and the apostles, also, in their public
teaching largely insist upon it.
Ten different appearances
of our risen Lord are recorded in the New Testament. They may be arranged as follows:
-
To Mary Magdalene
at the sepulchre alone. This is recorded at length only by John (20:11-18), and alluded to by Mark (16:9-11).
-
To certain women, "the other Mary," Salome, Joanna, and others,
as they returned from the sepulchre. Matthew (28:1-10) alone gives an account of this. (Comp. Mark 16:1-8, and Luke 24:1-11.)
-
To Simon Peter alone on the day of the resurrection.
(See Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5.)
-
To the two disciples
on the way to Emmaus on the day of the resurrection, recorded fully only by Luke (24:13-35. Comp. Mark 16:12, 13).
-
To the ten disciples (Thomas being absent) and others "with them,"
at Jerusalem on the evening of the resurrection day. One of the evangelists gives an account of this appearance, John (20:19-24).
-
To the disciples again (Thomas being present)
at Jerusalem (Mark 16:14-18; Luke 24:33-40; John 20:26-28. See also 1 Cor. 15:5).
-
To the disciples when fishing at the Sea of Galilee. Of this appearance also John (21:1-23) alone gives an
account.
-
To the eleven, and above 500 brethren
at once, at an appointed place in Galilee (1 Cor. 15:6; comp. Matt. 28:16-20).
-
To James, but under what circumstances we are not informed (1 Cor. 15:7).
-
To the apostles immediately before the ascension. They accompanied him from Jerusalem
to Mount Olivet, and there they saw him ascend "till a cloud received him out of their sight" (Mark 16:19; Luke
24:50-52; Acts 1:4-10).
It
is worthy of note that it is distinctly related that on most of these occasions our Lord afforded his disciples the amplest
opportunity of testing the fact of his resurrection. He conversed with them face to face. They touched him (Matt. 28:9; Luke
24:39; John 20:27), and he ate bread with them (Luke 24:42, 43; John 21:12, 13). (11.) In addition to the above, mention might
be made of Christ's manifestation of himself to Paul at Damascus, who speaks of it as an appearance of the risen Saviour
(Acts 9:3-9, 17; 1 Cor. 15:8; 9:1). It is implied in the words of Luke (Acts 1:3) that there may have been other appearances
of which we have no record.
The resurrection
is spoken of as the act (1) of God the Father (Ps. 16:10; Acts 2:24; 3:15; Rom. 8:11; Eph. 1:20; Col. 2:12; Heb. 13:20); (2)
of Christ himself (John 2:19; 10:18); and (3) of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 3:18). The resurrection is a public testimony of
Christ's release from his undertaking as surety, and an evidence of the Father's acceptance of his work of redemption.
It is a victory over death and the grave for all his followers.
The importance of Christ's resurrection will be seen when we consider
that if he rose the gospel is true, and if he rose not it is false. His resurrection from the dead makes it manifest that
his sacrifice was accepted. Our justification was secured by his obedience to the death, and therefore he was raised from
the dead (Rom. 4:25). His resurrection is a proof that he made a full atonement for ALL our sins, that his sacrifice
was accepted as a satisfaction to divine justice, and his blood a ransom for sinners.
It is also a pledge and an earnest of the resurrection of
all believers (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 6:14; 15:47-49; Phil. 3:21; 1 John 3:2). As he lives, we shall live also. It
proved him to be the Son of God, inasmuch as it authenticated all his claims (John 2:19; 10:17). "If Christ did not rise,
the whole scheme of redemption is a failure, and all the predictions and anticipations of its glorious results for time and
for eternity, for men and for angels of every rank and order, are proved to be chimeras. 'But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.'
AND WE, BELOVED, WILL FOLLOW AT THE RAPTURE OF THE TRUE CHURCH
BEFORE THE GREAT TRIBULATION OF 7 YEARS.
Do you see the careful need to distinguish Israel from the church? They
will be raised to be Priest's. We are Priest's now in that nations time of unbelief. To understand the order of THE
RESURRECTION IS NO SMALL FEAT IN GETTING A GRIP ON THE FULL WORD OF GOD AND NOT A FEW VERSES
TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT!!!
