Some Die Once – Many Die Twice [Part 25]
In Part 25 of our series of Blog Posts from our upcoming book titled “One Way or Another Your Eternal Destination is Guaranteed” the question today looks at: “The First Part of the First Resurrection”
The First Resurrection consists of at least three parts. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ three days after His death is the first part of the first resurrection. He then walked on this earth for forty days and was seen by over 500 people before His then eleven disciples whom He’d chosen to become His apostles actually witnessed Him ascending back up to heaven:
Until the day in which He [Jesus] was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after his suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen of them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Acts 1:2-3
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Acts 1:9
And that He was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas [Peter], then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to present, but some have fallen asleep [died]. 1 Corinthians 15:4-6
Raised First
Following Christ’s death in Matthew 27:52-53, the saints in verse 52 below were seen by many after His resurrection. Therefore, Jesus was raised first:
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. Matthew 27:52-53
Whether these saints again died on earth or ascended to heaven we do not know. In 1 Corinthians 15:20, Paul gives us the sequential order concerning the First Resurrection as he explains the resurrection of the dead. When we get to verse 20, we see that Christ became the firstfruits of those who have died:
Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man [Adam] came death, by Man [Jesus] also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:12-26
He is Risen
In verses 12-19 Paul proves it is not possible to disprove the truth that Jesus has been raised from the dead. Today it is not feasible for us to think these apostles would put their own lives on the line if they had been preaching a lie that the dead are resurrected. They had been chosen by the very One whom they witnessed and knew had been resurrected. They were willing to die if necessary, because they knew the consequences of not keeping the truth.
Verse 20 tells us that Christ is risen from the dead, not of the dead. All the other resurrections we read of in the Bible are resurrections of the dead, but Christ and His believers’ resurrections are from among dead people.
Death to All
Verse 21 reminds us of the reason we all die: by Adam’s sin death came to all of his descendants. The Father provided the resurrection from the dead by resurrecting Jesus.
Verse 22 informs us that all those who are related to Adam are affected by his act of sin, and all who are in Christ are changed by His accomplishment. Note it does not say all those except the ones who are still alive at the moment of the Rapture. This gives credence to the thought that those believers who will be alive when Jesus returns to the air to gather them together (1 Thessalonians 4:17) will perhaps die and instantaneously be resurrected back to life from being dead.
Firstfruits
Now in verse 23 we come to the explanation of whom those are, who are parts of the First Resurrection. Christ Himself is the firstfruits, meaning a preview of what is to follow. The next ones to be resurrected are those who come afterward … who are Christ’s at His coming. His coming, here, is not referring to His Second Coming; rather it is referring to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 which prophesies the Rapture:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air [not on earth]. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
First Part of the First Resurrection
The term First Part of the First Resurrection does not mean Christ was the first one to rise. Before Jesus, we read of Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11). We are also given that Moses and Elijah had been seen at Christ’s Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2-3). But we are not told that they received glorious bodies. Afterward we hear of Lazarus, the widow’s son, and Jairus’ daughter. But Christ died and was raised again to die never again—and, especially, with a glorious body (Philippians 3:21). Therefore, Jesus Christ is the first part of the First Resurrection. He remains alive forever. And all who follow Him in the 2nd and 3rd parts of the First Resurrection will also live forevermore.
Also in 1 Cor. 15, v. 23, we read afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. This includes all believers of the Church Age, whether already present with the Lord or raptured, and will perhaps include those OT believers whose souls are possibly already in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8) awaiting their new glorified bodies which will take place right after the Church is raptured (Revelation 4:1, 4, 10; 5:11).
Next Blog Post on September 11, 2025:
“The Second Part of the First Resurrection – The Rapture”
Pray that people will come to the saving knowledge of the Truth before it’s too late, and love their children to teach them the Truth.
Thank you for reading and God bless you!
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version, unless stated otherwise. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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