In my previous post we looked at the “first resurrection” mentioned in Revelation 20
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power…
Romans 6, Colossians 2&3 and Ephesians 2 made it clear that the “first resurrection” is being “raised up” or “quickened” with Christ to sit in “heavenly places”, in the sense that our “affection” is set on “things above” and we no longer “serve sin”.
We then explored Ephesians 2&4, 1 Corinthians 13 and Philippians 3 to understand how the “one new man”, formed at Pentacost, required apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to “grow up” into a “perfect man” and “come in the UNITY of the faith”, in the sense of abandoning their Jewish mind-set, to attain unto the “resurrection of the dead”.
Why was “the resurrection of the dead” so tantalising to Paul? To answer that, we need to look at how death was described in the Old Testament.
Psalm 88:3-6
For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:
Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
Words like grave (1 Sam 2:6,Jon 10:19-22, Psalm 30:3 Psalm 88:10-12)
pit (Isaiah 38:17 Ezekiel 26:20, Ezekiel 28:8 Isaiah 14:14&15)
dust(Is. 26:19 Dan. 12), darkness(Ps. 88:6) and destruction (Job 28:22 Prov. 15:11)
were used to describe death in the old Testament.
However, Isaiah and Daniel prophesied a time when those who “sleep in the dust of the earth” would “awake”, “arise” and the earth would “cast out the dead”.
Isaiah 26:19
Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust:…the earth shall cast out the dead.
Daniel 12
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
In 1 Corinthians 15 we see Paul describe the “resurrection of the dead” in detail.
12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
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.
These verses indicate that the “resurrection of the dead” was extremely important to Paul, it was the hope of the early church and would happen at the “coming” of Christ. The “resurrection of the dead” was the point at which death was “destroyed”.
51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
Who was Paul addressing in this epistle? Us? No, he was addressing the Corinthian church.
Paul said “WE shall not all sleep”. Meaning, some of those whom he addressed, would NOT “sleep in the dust of the earth” when they died, instead they’d go straight to heaven because they’d be ALIVE at the “resurrection of the dead”, when death lost its sting.
Let’s now examine 1 Thessalonians 4, in which Paul made a similar point.
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep IN Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that WE which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then WE which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Like in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul used the term “sleep”. Those who “sleep in Christ” or are “dead in Christ” would “rise” at the “coming of the Lord”.
Notice also that Paul said “WE which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep”
Who was Paul addressing here? Us? No, the saints at Thessalonica!
Some of those saints, would be ALIVE at the “coming of the Lord”.
Paul told them to “comfort one another” because the “dead in Christ” would “rise” and those ALIVE at the “coming of the Lord” WHEN THEY DIED would be “caught up” with those who’d gone before.
Let’s now examine the olivet discourse in Matthew 24.
Matthew 24
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple…
2 And Jesus said unto them…There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
As Jesus sat on the mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem, his disciples asked him three questions…
- When shall the temple be thrown down?
- What shall be the sign of your coming?
- What shall be the sign of the end of the world?
“World” is 165. αἰών aiṓn ahee-ohn which means “age”.
The KJV uses “world”, however many bible versions translate aiṓn as “age”.
It makes sense that the Jewish temple being “thrown down” would mark the end of the Jewish age.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains…
What was the “abomination of desolation” prophesied by Daniel?
Luke 21
20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21 Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains…
Jesus was saying, when those in JUDEA see their city compassed with Roman soldiers, they should flee into the mountains.
Hence the “abomination of desolation” was “the sign” of the "end of the age”.
Furthermore, the destruction of Jerusalem in which over one million Jews were slaughtered, was the “great tribulation”.
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Let’s continue in Matthew 24
29-- Immediately after the tribulation of those days…
30…shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. —
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
How long is a generation?
Numbers 32
13 And the LORD’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.
One biblical generation is 40 years. The period from the beginning of Christ’s ministry to the destruction of the Jewish temple was 40 years, one generation.
We read in Ephesians 2:20, that the church was “built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets”.
Peter and Paul were part of that foundation. Both were writing epistles up until their martyrdom and both were martyred just before the destruction of the Jewish temple (Paul about 66AD Peter about 64AD), indicating that the early church was firmly established by then.
The “one new man” had “grown up” into a “perfect man”. It had “come in the UNITY of the faith”, in the sense that there was no more tolerance for Jewish ordinances.
The transition period from the old to new covenant was over and the destruction of the Jewish temple marked the end of the Jewish age.
“Immediately after the tribulation of THOSE DAYS”, Jesus came in the clouds with power and great glory.
With the sound of a trumpet, his angels gathered the elect from the four winds.
This was the “resurrection of the dead” which the early church eagerly awaited and strove to attain.
Hence the olivet discourse in which Jesus answered three questions…
When shall the temple be thrown down? What shall be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?…pertained to THAT GENERATION, not ours!
Matthew 16
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples…
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Some of Christ’s disciples did “not taste death” before “the resurrection of the dead” had happened.
Thus they SAW Christ coming “in the glory of his father with his angels”. They SAW him “coming in his kingdom”, when the “mystery of the kingdom of God” was “finished”.
In conclusion…
What can we glean from the many scriptures we’ve read on the first and second resurrection?
As long as we have part in the “first resurrection” and continually abide IN Christ until our physical death, we will go straight to heaven! Death has been destroyed! Death has lost its sting! That’s good news!
Let us each work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.
