First and Second Resurrection

Christ is coming for His Church, the gathering together, (I Thessalonians 2:1) is just the beginning of the end times. Christ will return with the saints and angels and there will be the first and second resurrections. God's Word tells us that those of us who are in Christ Jesus, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ will not experience the wrath.

Romans 8:1a There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus . . .

The word condemnation is katakrima meaning judgment. The context is being free from the law because of what Christ did for us. Our judgment will be at the bema the place where rewards (like the 5 crowns¹) will be awarded to His faithful for things done, our service to Him and the Body of Christ and our believing.

Romans 8
:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?
        It is God that justifieth.
:34 Who is he that condemneth? [pass judgment upon]
        It is Christ that died,
            yea rather, that is risen again,
            who is even at the right hand of God,
            who also maketh intercession for us.

:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

The words 'It is' are in italics and have been supplied by the translators but gives the wrong sense. These are questions. Who is going to charge us; God who justified us? Justified is removing the sin, just if I hadn't sinned. Who is going to condemn/pass judgment upon us--Christ that died and was risen and seated at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us, who is the way the truth and the light? God is not going to charge us and Christ will not judge us according to the law because we are free from it. Nay-NO-in all these things we are more than conquerors. ²

II Corinthians 5
:19 To wit, [to know] that God was in Christ,
    reconciling the world unto himself,
    not imputing their trespasses unto them;
    and hath committed unto us
    the word of reconciliation.

If God is not going to put our trespasses in our 'account', if He is not going to lay those charges against us than we will not be judged because of them. Our judgment will be for our deeds done not according to our sins.

We are free from the wrath because Christ lived, died and was risen from the dead for us--for all those that make Jesus Christ lord in their life and believe that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9, & 10).

I Thessalonians 1
:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven,
        whom he raised from the dead,
        even Jesus,
    which delivered us from the wrath to come.

5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath,
    but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
:10 Who died for us,
    that, whether we wake or sleep,
    we should live together with him.

John 5
:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you,
    He that heareth my word,
    and believeth on him that sent me,
    hath everlasting life,
    and shall not come into condemnation;
    but is passed from death unto life.

We are told that Christ will come with his Church

II Thessalonians 1
:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us,
    when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
:8 In flaming fire
    taking vengeance on them that know not God,
    and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,
    and from the glory of his power;
:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints,
    and to be admired in all them that believe
        (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

The words 'mighty angels' are the Greek words angelon dunameos meaning "messenger of His power," angels and the church saints. The vengeance, everlasting destruction and glorifying of the saints, does not happen during the gathering together. This does not pertain to Christ's coming for his Church. If this happens during or before the return of Christ than we will experience the wrath and where is our hope?

God's Word also tells us of two resurrections. The resurrections of the just and unjust as well as a period of time between them.

John 5
:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming,
    in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
:29 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.

Acts 24
:15 And have hope toward God, [Paul is before Felix the Governor in Jerusalem]
        which they themselves also allow, [the religious leaders in Jerusalem]
    that there shall be a resurrection of the dead,
        both of the just and unjust.

Luke 14:14 . . . for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
        [ before Pentecost and the Grace Administration, where it is available for Christ to be in the believers and to be born again of God, people will be judged in the resurrection of the just and unjust.]

Revelation 20 expounds upon the resurrections of the just and unjust and the time between them. In the first resurrection the dead that are just are raised-those that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and those that did not worship anything but God. They then reign for a thousand years and the rest of the dead are not raised until the thousand years have expired. Those that have part in the first resurrection will not experience the second death. Then the devil is thrown into the lake of fire and the rest of the dead are raised and judged according to their works and those that are not found in the book of life will also be cast in to the lake of fire. (click ³ to read the chapter)

Now the verses in I Corinthians 15 are illuminated.

I Corinthians 15
:22 For as in Adam all die,
    even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
:23 But every man in his own order:
    Christ the firstfruits;
    afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. [parousia - indicating a personal presence]

Everyone that has lived and died will be made alive either at the return of Christ when the dead in Christ shall rise first and then we which are alive and remain will be caught up in the air with him or at the first resurrection or at the second. So, the dead are currently dead awaiting the gathering together or the resurrections.

:24 Then cometh the end,
    when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God,
        even the Father;
    when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
:25 For he must reign,
    till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

 After those that are not found in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire to experience eternal death (this is their torment) then will the last enemy be destroyed and that is death and it will sting no more.

:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. [Christ will put all things under]
    But when he saith all things are put under him,
        it is manifest that he is excepted, [God is excepted, He will not be under Christ's feet]
        which did put all things under him.
:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him,
    then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him
        that put all things under him,
    that God may be all in all. [everywhere supreme]

After Christ's return for his Church and the gathering together unto him and the first resurrection, the thousand years, the everlasting destruction of the devil and the second resurrections all will be subdued unto God and God will be everywhere supreme.

Next week we will return to Saul and the woman of Endor.

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2. 'more than conquerors' is the Greek word hupernikao--huper is super/superior in position and nikao means victor, from the root work nike--victory, in other words: super conquerors!!

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3. Revelation 20

:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven,
    having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
:2 And he laid hold on the dragon,
        that old serpent,
        which is the Devil,
        and Satan,
    and bound him a thousand years,
:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit,
    and shut him up,
    and set a seal upon him,
        that he should deceive the nations no more,
        till the thousand years should be fulfilled:
    and after that he must be loosed a little season.
: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.
:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
    This is the first resurrection.
: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.
:7 And when the thousand years are expired,
    Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations
        which are in the four quarters of the earth,
        Gog and Magog,
    to gather them together to battle:
        the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth,
    and compassed the camp of the saints about,
        and the beloved city:
    and fire came down from God out of heaven,
    and devoured them.
:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone,
        where the beast and the false prophet are,
    and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
:11 And I saw a great white throne,
    and him that sat on it,
        from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away;
        and there was found no place for them.
:12 And I saw the dead,
        small and great,
    stand before God;
    and the books were opened:
    and another book was opened,
        which is the book of life: [this does not pertain to the Church of Christ]
    and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,
    according to their works.
:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it;
    and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them:
    and they were judged every man according to their works.
:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
    This is the second death.
:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life
    was cast into the lake of fire.

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