The First Resurrection
In treating of the coming of Christ, when His living saints will be changed and caught up to meet Him in the air, we have partially glanced at the resurrection of the saints asleep through Jesus. The two acts raising the sleeping and changing the living, taking place at the same moment, it would be difficult to treat of the latter without referring to the former. But it needs a further paper to explain the way in which the first resurrection will take place, as the fact itself is so little understood by Christians generally; by many even denied. And of those who have bowed to the testimony of God’s Word as to the fact, numbers have failed to grasp the full extent of this truth, or the classes of persons embraced in it.
Like the rapture of the saints, the first resurrection finds no place in revealed truth in the Old Testament; it would be impossible to gather it from its pages, as it is only treated of in the New. Theology for hundreds of years past has taught a general resurrection and a general judgment of all mankind, basing it on certain passages of Scripture, which I think in these pages I shall be enabled clearly to show have been greatly misunderstood. God’s Word speaks distinctly of two resurrections, and of several different judgments.
In Mark 9:9,109And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. 10And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean. (Mark 9:9‑10), when the Lord came down from the mount of transfiguration, He charged His disciples “that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.” They knew of and believed in resurrection, but this remarkable communication from the Lord’s own lips of the rising from the dead was a strange sound in their ears. Notice the force of the words; it was not simply of resurrection out of death that He spake, but from (Greek – from among) the dead, showing that when this wonderful event should take place, other dead ones would be left in their graves. And the resurrection of the Son of man is a sample of what will characterize the resurrection of His people.
Scripture testimony is abundant as to the fact of the resurrection of Christ. Luke, in Acts 1:33To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: (Acts 1:3), testifies that “He showed Himself alive after His passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of the apostles forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Peter in Acts 2:3232This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. (Acts 2:32), declared to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.” And Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-83For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. (1 Corinthians 15:3‑8), writes “How that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures; and that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. After that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that He was seen of James, then of all the apostles. And last of all He was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time,” etc. Stephen also saw Him standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:5656And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. (Acts 7:56))
In John 5:28-2928Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28‑29), the Lord said to His disciples, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice” (speaking of Himself), “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.”
This Scripture among others, has been thought strongly to favor the thought of a general and simultaneous rising of the dead but if we carefully examine it with the context, we shall find that the reverse is the case. In John 5:2525Verily, 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. (John 5:25) we read, “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.” The hour spoken of here, in which the dead in sin have heard the voice of the Son of God, has already lasted a period of nearly one thousand nine hundred years, and is running on still. And surely if this first hour is thus prolonged, there is no difficult in the second hour, which has reference to resurrection, being taken to mean a prolonged period also. And further, instead of saying that all that are in their graves shall come forth to the general resurrection, the Lord distinctly distinguishes between the good and evil, showing that the former shall come forth unto the resurrection of life, the latter to the resurrection of damnation – the one perfectly distinct from the other. We shall see further on, the time that will elapse between the two.
In the gospel of Luke 14:13, 1413But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. (Luke 14:13‑14), where the Lord was dining at the house of one of the chief Pharisees, He said unto him, “But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed;.... for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” This saying evidently singles out the resurrection of the just as a distinct event from that of the wicked or unjust. Why should the Lord use such language if a resurrection of just and unjust indiscriminately were intended? And how could it be called the resurrection of the just, if all will be raised together to be judged?
Matthew 27:52-5352And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. (Matthew 27:52‑53) also makes mention of an event which took place just after the death of Christ. “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.” As to what became of these saints afterward we have no record, and where Scripture is silent, it is well for us to be silent too; but it demonstrates without question that a resurrection of certain saints from, or from among the dead, has already taken place. In this, like the resurrection of Christ, we have another sample of what will happen when the Lord comes.
(To be continued.)