The First Resurrection and The Second Death!

The First Resurrection and The Second Death?

 

Have you ever thought about the first resurrection? Think about the phrase, the first resurrection for a few minutes before reading on.

 

Most Christians are familiar with Colossians 1:18 or Revelation 1:5 that declare that JESUS is the First Born from among the dead; and Romans 8:29 that declares that GOD made JESUS the First Born among many brethren. So that we understand that JESUS is the First Born of the New Man – Christians, The Church, The Children of GOD. He is the First Born Again and we are born again by His Spirit into His eternal Kingdom. Conformed in this life and resurrected if we die in this life or transformed in the resurrection at His return to reign for a 1000 years in the earth from Jerusalem.

 

There is much debate in the modern Church about the rapture and resurrection of the living and the dead at the end of the age.

 

Before you think no and stop reading at my next question follow me closely here: I am not saying this is so, I’m asking, “What do you think?”

 

Did the first resurrection already take place?

 

Here are the scriptures that caused me to wonder: “And JESUS cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His SPIRIT. Then, behold, the Veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth quacked, and the rocks were split, and the graves of the saints 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 27:50-53

“For this reason the Gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to GOD in the spirit.” 1 Peter 4:6

“Therefore He says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and He gave gifts to men.’ (Now this, ‘He ascended’ – what does it mean but that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also The One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)” Ephesians 4:8-9

 

NO! That is not the first resurrection!

 

But, it is a resurrection, those who lived righteously before GOD who had died and were in Abraham’s Bosom received the Gospel when JESUS descended into hell to defeat death and hell and take the keys of their domains (Revelation 1:18). Many of them rose with Him and showed themselves to those living in Jerusalem. I believe that when He presented Himself to The Father (remember He told Mary Magdalene not to touch him outside the tomb because He had not ascended to His Father yet), He led those who had been captive in death to eternal life in Heaven.

 

That is not the first resurrection because they all died before Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. That is Christ’s resurrection!

 

Don’t stop reading now we are just getting to the good part!

 

The first resurrection is found in Revelation 20:1-6, “Then I saw an angel coming down from Heaven (this is after the battle of Armageddon in chapter 19:19-21), having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and satan, and bound him for a thousand years: and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to JESUS and for the Word of GOD, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with CHRIST for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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.” There is a clear requirement for participating in the first resurrection; you must be beheaded for CHRIST. Now through the centuries there have been tens of thousands if not millions who have been beheaded or murdered in other ways for their faithful witness of JESUS and The Word of GOD (Revelation 6:9-11).

 

What, there is a second death? Never heard if that event? Many who teach that the Church will be raptured before the tribulation skip over scriptures like these because they do not support their teaching. Many modern Bible teachers pick and choose verses from scripture, especially Revelation to support their theory rather than teaching what the Bible actually says.

 

The Second Death!

 

Revelation 20:7-15 speaks of the resurrection of all the dead and the second death. “Now when the thousand years have expired satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth. God and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breath of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from GOD out of Heaven and destroyed them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a Great White Throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before GOD, and books were opened. And another Book was opened, which is The Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then death and hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

 

Wow!

 

Revelation 20 starts after the Battle of Armageddon and ends just before the New Heaven and the New Earth are created. It covers the first resurrection and CHRIST’s Thousand Year Reign with a Rod of Iron (Psalm 2; Isaiah 11:1-5; Revelation 2:25-29).

 

Why with a Rod of Iron?

 

Because there will be millions if not billions of people left who do not want to worship and serve CHRIST and GOD! Revelation 22:12-17 speaks of that time when outside the City of Jerusalem where CHRIST reigns are dogs, sexually immoral, sorcerers, murderers, idolaters and those who practice lies.

 

After the thousand years satan will be loosed and he will again deceive those who reject GOD’s salvation into attacking Jerusalem and the camp of the saints, this time GOD destroys them and the natural earth with fire. Then all the dead will be raised and judged, those not found in The Lamb’s Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire with the devil, where the anti-Christ and the false prophet are.

 

Some believe that this second death is destruction and that those cast into it will be destroyed and not tormented eternally, but Revelation 20:10 says it is eternal, “…And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

 

Now 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 makes sense, “But now CHRIST is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man 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, afterwards 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 until He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. ‘For He has put all things under His feet.’ But when He says, ‘all things are put under Him,’ it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then The Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that GOD may be all in all.”

 

Verses 20-22 talk of CHRIST’s crucifixion and resurrection (The Gospels).

Verse 23 talk of CHRIST’s return to rule from Jerusalem for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6).

Verses 24-26 talk of the last great battle when satan and death are cast into the eternal lake of fire and the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:7-15).

Verses 27-28 talk of GOD The Father and CHRIST The Son’s rule as One in their eternal Kingdom of the New Heaven and New Earth from the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-22:5)!