Some Die Once – Many Die Twice [Part 26]
In Part 26 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 Second Part of the First Resurrection – The Rapture”
The Rapture
In today’s world, people born of Adam inherit his earthly nature, and the ones “born again” of Christ become new heavenly creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17); even with citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3:20) while still in the world—but not of the world. Believers still living at the time of the Rapture will be taken out of this world at that instant.
The Lord Jesus being the firstfruits of the First Resurrection stipulates that there must be a second part and even a third part of the First Resurrection. At the time of writing this book, the second and third parts of the First Resurrection are still future events. When the Father instructs His Son to come back into the earth’s atmosphere to take up—that is, to rapture—His Church Body, then the second part of the First Resurrection will suddenly be carried out. The Lord Jesus prophesied that He will come and take believers to heaven.
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:2-3
Yet to be Fulfilled
Approximately ten years after writing the Gospel according to John in about AD 85 to 95, the Spirit inspired John to write the following:
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6
Paul also prophesied the Rapture, and at the time of this writing it is yet to be fulfilled:
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren [believers], concerning those who have fallen asleep [have died], lest you sorrow as others [unbelievers] who have no hope [no certain expectation of being raptured]. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him [at the Rapture] those who sleep [have died while believing] in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep [have died]. 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 [having believed] in Christ [Messiah] will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain [on earth at the time of the Rapture] shall be caught up [raptured] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall we always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
How will it Happen?
After writing to the Thessalonians Paul gave more details in 1 Cor. 15:35-57 about how the Rapture will happen. The passage especially expresses the difference between believers who have already died compared to those who will still be alive at that glorious moment. He began first by answering questions about those who’ve already died:
But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 1 Corinthians 15:35-36
Paul’s answer is that it is impossible to be resurrected if the body hasn’t already died. Even Jesus our God and Savior died and was resurrected. Quoting the Wycliffe Commentary,
“Death, the body’s enemy, is really the means to resurrection.”
Source: THE WYCLIFFE BIBLE COMMENTARY, MOODY PRESS. Chicago, Copyright © 1962, 1990 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, vv. 33-34, pp. 1257-1258
It seems that if a body must die to be resurrected, the ones who are still alive at the moment of the Rapture must have instant immortal bodies. It’s as if they will die an instantaneous death and in the blink of an eye and are resurrected with immortal bodies.
Dead versus Alive
To explain this Paul compares the dead seed of a grain to a dead human body. Then he goes on to write about the ones who will still be alive at the Rapture:
And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases and to each seed its own body. 1 Corinthians 15:37-38
There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption [subject to decay], it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 1 Corinthians 15:41-44
The spiritual body in v. 44 does not mean the body is not a physical body. It is likely suggesting that the glorious transformed body will provide a dwelling for the spirit. The spirit then will be in full power over the flesh. With the body being led by the spirit there will be no more sin.
Spiritual Life
From the passage we learn there will be no more disease, sickness, decay; there will be no more death. Verses 45-49 remind us that Adam was the first man to have physical, temporary life, but Christ regenerates believers with spiritual eternal life.
In vv. 47-48 Adam’s beginning on the earth became fleshly and worldly before he and Eve procreated offspring (Genesis 3:9-13; 4:1). The Lord came from heaven (John 17:21, 23, 25; 1 Corinthians 15:47), not from the world. Everything Jesus did and said was heavenly and spiritual.
And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 1 Corinthians 15:45-49
Verse 50 says that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and this makes it seem the present body will die, and the spirit will dwell in a new body. Verses 51-57 give details down to the very instantaneous moment of the event taking place:
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery [hidden truth]: 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed [made different, spiritually, gloriously transformed]. For this corruptible [the dead] must put on incorruption, and this mortal [the living] must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:50-53
The Rapture
Attempting to picture the Rapture is more than we are capable of even imagining. What a powerful, miraculous event it will be! We should remember that for this event, the Lord is returning; not to earth, but to the atmosphere (1 Thessalonians 4:17); to gather all who, up to the end of the Church Age, have had faith in Him and believed in Him. Without Him, there would be no Rapture. He will bring this glorious event to fulfillment. After all, He created everything and in Him all things consist (Colossians 1:16-17). With God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). For with God nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37).
We had to take a breath to write and read a parenthesis in this passage. Praise God! Now look back again to vv. 50-51. The reason for this repetition is to note the words “the dead will be raised incorruptible.” It is important to take note that it does not specify that the ones who are alive are not part of the dead who will be raised incorruptible. It is also notable that it does not specify that they are part of the dead. Since it does not specify, the topic can become a point of contention, So we prefer to not be dogmatic about it, and just rejoice in the fact that it is about to happen.
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 [last trumpet of the Church Age] will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Dear or Alive
Wow! Whether we die or will still be alive we shall all be changed (v. 51). And, even though we are in mortal bodies subject to dying, we can be transformed into immortality in the flutter of an eyelid (v. 52)! We are so blessed with a powerful God to give us such a promise and the hope to become immortals in just the blink of an eye! We will be with our loved ones who’ve gone home before us, and we’ll be face to face with the Lord Jesus!
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:“Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:54
In agreement with v. 54, Isaiah also prophesies the everlasting abundant life:
He will swallow up death forever, and the LORD GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; Isaiah 25:8a
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
Redemption
The Lord God is quoted:
“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes.” Hosea 13:14
We’ve seen Paul prophesied the Rapture in 1 Corinthians 15:50-57 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; yet, as we are seeing, he wasn’t the only one who brought this prophecy. We saw at the beginning of this discussion that Jesus prophesied the Rapture in John 14:2-3. Furthermore, John prophesied the glorious event in Revelation 4:1.
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Revelation 4:1
Peter prophesied our incorruptible and sinless future also:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:3-4
Church Age Believers / OT Saints
The Church Age Believers are not the only people who have believed in God and a coming Messiah. Although the prophets and heroes of the OT were believers, they did not have opportunity to meet Jesus. And thus, their souls and spirits are most likely waiting for the moment when the Lord gathers believers together in the air, so they can also receive their glorified bodies in heaven. We say, “most likely” because we do not want to be dogmatic about it.
The best we can tell, the Scriptures do not make it absolutely clear about the timing of the OT saints’ part in resurrection. If they are taken up from graves at the Rapture, then they will join the Church Age believers to meet the Lord in the air. Possibly the OT believers are already in heaven with the believers who’ve died during the Church Age. And they will be gathered together with the Church body when raptured. Then, also possibly, we will meet them in the air or at the moment following when we arrive in heaven.
Second Part of the First Resurrection
The Church Age believers (and OT saints, if at this time) being taken up at the Rapture are the second part of the First Resurrection. The Church component is called the Body of Christ; they and the OT believers, are all called saints. This is because they were sanctified—that is, separated from the unbelievers of the world and brought back to being one with God. The Body of Christ is not only called the Church, but also is also called the Bride of Christ. All of the Church Age believers were alive during the Church Age which began at Pentecost (Acts 2:1)—or have been born between that time and the soon coming Rapture…
The last two verses in Hebrews chapter 11 speak of the OT saints who had faith and believed in God, and would therefore, someday, be made perfect and glorified with the Church Age believers:
And all these [OT believers], having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise [as did the Church Age NT believers], God having provided something better for us [the Savior in Person], that they [OT believers] should not be made perfect apart from us. Hebrews 11:39-40
The twenty-four elders we read of in Revelation chapter 4 are likely the twelve apostles of the Church Age and twelve of the patriarchs of Israel. Right after the Rapture in Rev. 4:1 and learning of the twenty-four elders in Rev. 4:4, we read in vv. 10-11:
the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:10-11
Book of Life
By faith, the following OT names will be found in the Book of Life: God blessed Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob and his sons, Joseph and his sons, and Moses. (Hebrews 11:4-28). By the faith of the Israelites He blessed them when they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned (Hebrews 11:29). By her faith, the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace (Hebrews 11:31).
So many others are mentioned in Hebrews 11:32-37 whom believing people of today will be blessed to meet in heaven: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. The four Major Prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The twelve Minor Prophets are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. By all these named,
kingdoms were subdued, they worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. (Hebrews 11:33-35).
The better resurrection there is probably speaking of being in either the second or else the third part of the first resurrection versus nonbelievers being in the second resurrection. The believing prophets were treated with brutal persecution.
Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. Hebrews 11:36-37a
Although it is not entirely clear, considering those Hebrews and Revelation passages, it is quite likely that the OT believers are with the Church in the second part of the First Resurrection. For sure, these God fearing souls will be with the Lord face-to-face either in the second or else the third part of the First Resurrection.
Next Blog Post on October 09, 2025: “The Third Part of the First Resurrection”
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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