Daniel 12:2 summarizes the two very different fates facing mankind: “Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Everyone will be raised from the dead, but not everyone will share the same destiny. The New Testament reveals the further detail of separate resurrections for the just and the unjust.
Revelation 20:4-6 mentions a “first resurrection” and identifies those involved as “blessed and holy.” The second death (the lake of fire, Revelation 20:14) has no power over these individuals. The first resurrection, then, is the raising of all believers. It corresponds with Jesus’ teaching of the “resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14) and the “resurrection of life” (John 5:29).
The first resurrection takes place in various stages. Jesus Christ Himself (the “first fruits,” 1 Corinthians 15:20), paved the way for the resurrection of all who believe in Him. There was a resurrection of the Jerusalem saints (Matthew 27:52-53) which should be included in our consideration of the first resurrection. Still to come are the resurrection of “the dead in Christ” at the Lord’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and the resurrection of the martyrs at the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 20:4).
Revelation 20:12-13 identifies those comprising the second resurrection as the wicked judged by God at the great white throne judgment prior to being cast into the lake of fire. The second resurrection, then, is the raising of all unbelievers; the second resurrection is connected to the second death. It corresponds with Jesus’ teaching of the “resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29).
The event which divides the first and second resurrections seems to be the millennial kingdom. The last of the righteous are raised to reign “with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4), but the “rest of the dead [that is, the wicked] lived not again until the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:5).
What great rejoicing will attend the first resurrection! What great anguish at the second! What a responsibility we have to share the Gospel! “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire” (Jude 23).
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
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The 1st resurrection is solely for tribulation martyrs who are beheaded for refusing the mark of the beast. ALL others are in the second resurrection. The Bible is clear about this.
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Hello, Wilby;
I am afraid you are mistaken or have been mislead in your understanding of the first and second rapture (or resurrection). Especially in relationship to their appearance with the tribulation. The important differences between the rapture (first resurrection) and second coming (second resurrection) are as follows:
The first resurrection takes place in various stages. Jesus Christ Himself (the “first fruits,” 1 Corinthians 15:20), paved the way for the resurrection of all who believe in Him. There was a resurrection of the Jerusalem saints (Matthew 27:52-53) which should be included in our consideration of the first resurrection. Still to come are the resurrection of “the dead in Christ” at the Lord’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and the resurrection of the martyrs at the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 20:4).
Revelation 20:12-13 identifies those comprising the second resurrection as the wicked judged by God at the great white throne judgment prior to being cast into the lake of fire. The second resurrection, then, is the raising of all unbelievers; the second resurrection is connected to the second death. It corresponds with Jesus’ teaching of the “resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29).
Here are some posts for you to study. They are as follows:
First: “What is the rapture of the church?”
Second: When is the Rapture going to occur in relation to the Tribulation?
Third: What is the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming? (pay particular attention to this post, please) And;
Fourth: What is the first resurrection? What is the second resurrection?
I hope these posts will help you put into proper perspective the two prophesies concerning the two resurrections and their differences.
Thank you, Wilby, for your comment. They are greatly appreciated. May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you and yours abundantly.
Yours in Christ;
Michael
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Hey Michael,
Sorry for the long delay in responding…
I thank you for your kind reply and your sincere communication. However, I do not consider John’s view of the first resurrection as occurring in stages, especially a stage that preceded his writing of the Revelation. As well, Messiah, Himself, taught that in the end both righteous and unrighteous would be “harvested” together, then separated. John reveals this same scenario and Daniel, as well, includes both the righteous and unrighteous as being resurrected together. In no place(s) in all of Scripture does it state, or hint, that the first resurrection started nearly 2000 years ago.
The partial rapture, secret rapture, and imminent rapture are all unscriptural. They are man-made doctrines and typically passed down by a variety of learned men who may have had good intentions in their interpretations…. We, today, seem to accept whatever is taught by college-educated preachers, but the Bible was not written for educated people to dispense to the common man. These theological conclusions just don’t jive with the common man’s Word, because we don’t see how and why the Word of God says one thing and we’re told that there are doctrines not stated in Scripture that we must accept because someone else connected something that has no logical connection. This rapture concept is one of those things. If I see the Bible clearly teach one thing, I can’t see why someone can teach me that they can teach me better than the Spirit Who is in me. I used to believe the other rapture theories, till I read their “proof” and couldn’t see how they came to that conclusion if the Bible didn’t specifically state it. I tend to accept only what the Bible explicitly stated, which balances the whole of God’s Word.
God bless you Michael, you are a brother-in-Christ… Love ya’ man.
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Hey bro’ Mike,
I’ve spent some time reviewing these familiar passages of Scripture. If I may share what the Word says and what it doesn’t say, perhaps you’ll better see why I’m where I’m at on this matter of the resurrections and rapture.
Rev. 20:12-13… Does not exclude attendance of believers, also Book of Life opened. Unless God’s plan is to have them step up to read it and and prove their names aren’t in it, I would tend to believe this Book is there to separate two groups of people.
John 5:29… This “resurrection of the Damned” is also the resurrection of life for the good… Same verse, presented as one event.
Rev 19:14…says, “armies of Heaven,” not believers or saints.
1 Ths 5:9… No mention or resurrection, rapture or timing. Wrath is for unbelievers, of course believers would not be “wrathed” upon by God.
Rev 3:10… Nothing about resurrection, rapture, or timing. “Hour of trial” is never defined as the great tribulation.
1Ths4:13-17… Supports resurrection and rapture, but not stages of rapture or context of chronology.
Matt 24:40-41… Even out of context this does not even of resurrection or rapture, (that would be speculation). At best, a parable that speaks of salvation as an individual and not by association…(family member not saved just coz you are)
1cor15:50-54…the “mystery” spoken of here is about how our bodies will be changed at the time of the rapture. There is no hint of support for a secret rapture here, we know it won’t be a secret, everyone will see it… Still no chronology in the context.
2ths2:4… Actually states that rapture will not happen before the tribulation which cannot happen till the abomination of desolation occurs. See v. 1: it speaks of the coming of Messiah and our gathering to Him; v. 3: says the apostasy comes 1st and the anti-Christ is revealed… Who is identified in v. 4 as the one who sits in the temple proclaiming himself as God… Of course the temple has to be built before that.
So here I am Michael… I have no way to reconcile the interpretation of those verses, (and the many others), within the context of Scripture that validates either an imminent, partial, pre-trib, or secret rapture.
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Hello, Wilby;
The primary Scripture passage on the rapture is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. It states that all living believers, along with all believers who have died, will meet the Lord Jesus in the air and will be with Him forever. The rapture is God’s removing His people from the earth. A few verses later, in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul says, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The book of Revelation, which deals primarily with the time period of the tribulation, is a prophetic message of how God will pour out His wrath upon the earth during the tribulation. It seems inconsistent for God to promise believers that they will not suffer wrath and then leave them on the earth to suffer through the wrath of the tribulation. The fact that God promises to deliver Christians from wrath shortly after promising to remove His people from the earth seems to link those two events together.
Another crucial passage on the timing of the rapture is Revelation 3:10, in which Christ promises to deliver believers from the “hour of trial” that is going to come upon the earth. This could mean two things. Either Christ will protect believers in the midst of the trials, or He will deliver believers out of the trials. Both are valid meanings of the Greek word translated “from.” However, it is important to recognize what believers are promised to be kept from. It is not just the trial, but the “hour” of trial. Christ is promising to keep believers from the very time period that contains the trials, namely the tribulation. The purpose of the tribulation, the purpose of the rapture, the meaning of 1 Thessalonians 5:9, and the interpretation of Revelation 3:10 all give clear support to the pre-tribulational position. If the Bible is interpreted literally and consistently, the pre-tribulational position is the most biblically-based interpretation.
I wish to thank you for your comments. They are always greatly appreciated.
May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you and yours.
Yours in Christ;
Michael
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Hello again Michael,
I agree that God will not allow us to fall under His wrath. I just cannot clearly find any Scripture that says He will remove us from the earth. I only find places where it is quite clear that we will will be on Earth to witness God’s wrath upon others.
Rev 3:10 actually doesn’t support pre-trib rapture, quite opposite actually.
The word ‘from’ is sometimes translated “among.” (Matthew 7:9).
That is one point of inconsistence in the popular interpretation of this verse, but the operative word, which you mentioned also, is the word ‘keep.’.
The Greek word ‘tereo’ comes from the base Word that means ‘to be a spectator, to view attentively.’. The English word ‘keep’ literally means, in Greek, “to keep one in the state which he is,” or, more simply, “to attend to, to guard, to reserve.’
I just don’t see that an honest translation could lead one to conclude that this verse alludes to the rapture. If read literally, it states that God will watch over us while among those who will suffer wrath.
I find the same in the oft quoted “Left Behind” verse from Hebrews. When reading what the context is actually saying, one has no choice but to see that those who are “taken” are taken by the wrath of God, much like in the days of Noah that those taken were taken by the flood. And, as those under God’s protection of the ark were the ones “left,” so will be those who are under God’s salvation, (which is related to the word safety).
Unlike the flood, God’s wrath will not be to destroy the earth, but only those who are not His.
In Daniel 12: 11-12, it will 1290 days after the abomination of desolation is set up, (this is the 3 1/2 yrs). At the end of that is God’s wrath, which is appointed to end 1335 days after the abomination begins. Blessed is he who waits and makes it through the 45 days of God’s wrath. (My paraphrase of Daniel’s prophecy.)
Michael, I believed pre-trib for 20+ years, but, as I previously stated, the more I learn about God’s Word, the more I see clear Scripture that teaches something that doesn’t not allow for a pre-trib rapture. It’s contradicting everything I find in the Bible.
I appreciate your correspondence with me, but I have to rely on what I see in God’s Word.
Your brother-in-Christ,
Wilby
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Good morning, Wilby;
Before you “rely on what you (alone) see in God’s Word (your studies) please take a look at what I have discussed here along with the posts relating to both your questions and what God says in the Bible. I am sure you will be enlightened somehow by doing so..
I believe one of the best methods of discussing the rapture and the period of tribulation of which follows; is to bring it in succession. I want to introduce you to several posts focusing on the rapture. One is “What is the Rapture?” and “What is the rapture of the Church.” In this post we find “The rapture of the church is the event in which God “snatches away” all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth during the tribulation period (of which follows). At the rapture, the Lord comes “in the clouds” to meet us “in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). At the second coming, the Lord descends all the way to the earth to stand on the Mount of Olives, resulting in a great earthquake followed by a defeat of God’s enemies (Zechariah 14:3–4).
Next we want to look at What is the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming? This post is very significant in multiple areas concerning the rapture itself and the tribulation of which follows (more on this in a moment).Also see: “When is the Rapture going to occur in relation to the Tribulation?” This is possibly the most crucial in regard to both your comments and study.
One can not depend exclusively upon Revelations since portions of Revelations deals almost entirely with the timing of the Rapture and the Tribulation periods. I do not believe on can make a completed study without including Thessalonians, Daniel and other areas of Biblical prophecy.
One of the most important reads, in fundamentally answering your questions and getting you back on tract is, “When will the Resurrection take place?”
To find more on this subject of rapture and tribulation do a search on altruistico’s search box on the topics.
Wilby I wish thanking you for your comments and sharing with me this discussion. Both are greatly appreciated.
May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you and yours always.
Yours in Christ;
Michael
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Hey Michael,
Not sure if your opening statement, “Before you “rely on what you (alone) see in God’s Word (your studies) please take a look at what I have discussed…” was meant as sarcastic or demeaning to me, although it does reveal what I see as a bit of a superiority complex… “Look what I have discussed…”. (No worries, I’m not bothered by it.)
I will let you know that I’m not a novice in the understanding of God’s Word. As well, I’ve studied end times prophecy for decades. “Alone” in my studies? No. But I do not, any longer, trust the popular man-made interpretations of Scripture, such as pre-trib rapture, secret rapture, rapture in stages, or imminent return of Christ. No, brother, none of that is actually in Scripture, and if you would ever allow yourself to see what the Bible really says without the bias of your doctrinal stance, you will be enlightened, as I was.
For you, Michael, I will share my secret… As a pre-tribber, I set out to write about and teach pre-trib so that no one could ever question it no matter how intensely they studied, and no matter what objections they could ever find… The truth is, once I researched the entire Bible, I realized that pre-trib couldn’t be proven Sola Scriptura. Remarkably, I actually found that the so-called “proof” verses actually disproved pre-trib if read in context out and from the original languages.
Shalom Michael.
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Shalom, wilby;
I assure you, wilby, none of my comments to you were intended as “sarcastic, demeaning or to place myself in a superior position over anyone”. Nor was Christ being sarcastic or demeaning to others when He resorted to name calling. Throughout Matthew 23, we find Him renouncing the Pharisees – using various derogatory names. In using them against these religious leaders, it was not His intent to manifest hatred, resentment, wrath, or malice toward them for opposing His ministry. He simply called them names in order to reveal to them their true character and in hopes that they would “wake up” and repent of their sins. Yet, I have not called you by any derogatory name.
In Matthew 23:15, He called them – “hypocrites” – simply because they were stage-players in religion. They were show-offs, frauds, and impersonators. They were acting the part of someone who is holy. Under the mask of godliness, they hid their polluted hearts. Their whole life was a lie.
In Matthew 23:15, He referred to them as being a – “child of hell.” He mentioned that their converts were “twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” “Child of hell” was a Talmudic phrase – a Hebraism for an excessively wicked person who might very easily claim Hell for his Mother and the devil for his father. It was one who was fitted and destined for Hell.
In Matthew 23:16, He called them – “blind guides.” These who professed to be “guides of the blind”(Romans 2:19), He was calling the total opposite – “blind guides.” They professed to be leaders but were themselves blind because they closed their eyes to the Truth and became ignorant of divine things.
In Matthew 23:17, He called them – “fools.” Didn’t He say in Matthew 5:22 that if you call your brother a “fool,” then you would be “in danger of hell fire”? Was He contradicting Himself here or breaking His own law in doing so? No, He was not maliciously calling them “fools” in a fit of rage or anger. He referred to them as such to open their eyes to their own stupidity, irrationality, absurdity, and moral delinquency. Their minds were so blinded by their love for money that they weren’t thinking “straight” or reasoning rationally.
In Matthew 23:27, He called them – “whited sepulchres.” On the fifteenth day of the month Adair – right before the Passover feast – the Jews would whitewash all the spots where the graves of the poor were situated in the fields or along the roadsides. They did this practice in order to beautify these graves or to alert the pilgrims to the areas where the dead lay. On their way to keeping the Feast of Passover, they did not want to be defiled through contact with the dead. Jesus referred to the Pharisees in this manner because – on the outside like the “whited sepulchres” they appeared pure and clean – but on the inside, they were filled with death.
In Matthew 23:28, He told them that they were – “full of…iniquity.” This came as a great insult to these pretenders of holiness and righteousness.
In Matthew 23:33, He called them – “serpents” and a “generation of vipers.” They were as deadly as serpents in that they expressed craft and subtlety and were of a venomous nature. They were a generation of envenomed, enraged, and spiteful adversaries to Him and His ministry.
In Matthew 23:34, He prophesied that they were – “murderers” – because they would “kill” the “prophets,” “wise men,” and “scribes” that He would send unto them.
In calling these religious leaders all these names, the Lord Jesus did not react in anger or malice toward these opposer’s. Instead, He declared their true character in hopes that they would come face-to-face with the Truth about themselves and repent. Yet, and again, I have called you by no derogatory name.
You proclaim there is no passage within the Bible which supports “pre-tribulation”. If one will only look to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 [13] Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. [14] For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. [15] According to the LORD’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the LORD, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the LORD himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air. And so we will be with the LORD forever. [18] Therefore encourage one another with these words.
The primary Scripture passage on the rapture is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. It states that all living believers, along with all believers who have died, will meet the Lord Jesus in the air and will be with Him forever. The rapture is God’s removing His people from the earth. A few verses later, in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul says, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The book of Revelation, which deals primarily with the time period of the tribulation, is a prophetic message of how God will pour out His wrath upon the earth during the tribulation. It seems inconsistent for God to promise believers that they will not suffer wrath and then leave them on the earth to suffer through the wrath of the tribulation. The fact that God promises to deliver Christians from wrath shortly after promising to remove His people from the earth seems to link those two events together.
Another crucial passage on the timing of the rapture is Revelation 3:10, in which Christ promises to deliver believers from the “hour of trial” that is going to come upon the earth. This could mean two things. Either Christ will protect believers in the midst of the trials, or He will deliver believers out of the trials. Both are valid meanings of the Greek word translated “from.” However, it is important to recognize what believers are promised to be kept from. It is not just the trial, but the “hour” of trial. Christ is promising to keep believers from the very time period that contains the trials, namely the tribulation. The purpose of the tribulation, the purpose of the rapture, the meaning of 1 Thessalonians 5:9, and the interpretation of Revelation 3:10 all give clear support to the pre-tribulation position. If the Bible is interpreted literally and consistently, the pre-tribulation position is the most biblically-based interpretation.
Which brings us to your final point of taking the Bible “in context” opposed to taking it literal.
Not only can we take the Bible literally, but we must take the Bible literally. This is the only way to determine what God really is trying to communicate to us. When we read any piece of literature, but especially the Bible, we must determine what the author intended to communicate. Many today will read a verse or passage of Scripture and then give their own definitions to the words, phrases, or paragraphs, ignoring the context and author’s intent. But this is not what God intended, which is why God tells us to correctly handle the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
One reason we should take the Bible literally is because the Lord Jesus Christ took it literally. Whenever the Lord Jesus quoted from the Old Testament, it was always clear that He believed in its literal interpretation. As an example, when Jesus was tempted by Satan in Luke 4, He answered by quoting the Old Testament. If God’s commands in Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:13, and 6:16 were not literal, Jesus would not have used them and they would have been powerless to stop Satan’s mouth, which they certainly did.
The disciples also took the commands of Christ (which are part of the Bible) literally. Jesus commanded the disciples to go and make more disciples in Matthew 28:19-20. In Acts 2 and following, we find that the disciples took Jesus’ command literally and went throughout the known world of that time preaching the gospel of Christ and telling them to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Just as the disciples took Jesus’ words literally, so must we. How else can we be sure of our salvation if we do not believe Him when He says He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), pay the penalty for our sin (Matthew 26:28), and provide eternal life (John 6:54)?
Although we take the Bible literally, there are still figures of speech within its pages. An example of a figure of speech would be that if someone said “it is raining cats and dogs outside,” you would know that they did not really mean that cats and dogs were falling from the sky. They would mean it is raining really hard. There are figures of speech in the Bible which are not to be taken literally, but those are obvious. (See Psalm 17:8 for example.)
Finally, when we make ourselves the final arbiters of which parts of the Bible are to be interpreted literally, we elevate ourselves above God. Who is to say, then, that one person’s interpretation of a biblical event or truth is any more or less valid than another’s? The confusion and distortions that would inevitably result from such a system would essentially render the Scriptures null and void. The Bible is God’s Word to us and He meant it to be believed—literally and completely.
I wish to thank you once again, wilby, for your comments. They are greatly appreciated.
May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you and yours.
Yours in Christ;
Michael
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Matthew 23:34
God still sends prophets to confront the Pharisees of this generation.. those who seek to influence God’s people with their popular doctrine of pre-trib rapture.
The verses you keep repeating to me are meant to convince me of this doctrine, yet speak nothing that you claim they say. They speak of the rapture- this will happen; they speak of God protecting us from His wrath- this too is true. But I’ve shown you Scripture that your doctrine contradicts and you’ve ignored it.
Instead of considering literal translation of Scripture I offered, you chose to compare me to the Pharisees… But the Pharisees then we’re no different than the pre-trib hawkers of our day, and still “kill” the individuals who bring the unadulterated Word of God.
When I (reluctantly) accepted our Lord’s commission I was fearful that I would be labeled as a heretic, (or worse, a Pharisee… LOL), but He brought to mind His prophets, each one and the shame they endured to bring a Word…
No one HAS to believe that the pre-trib doctrine is wrong, that’s not my goal.
All I’m given is to plant this seed: when the false god takes over the temple many people will realize the rapture did not happen. They will not think they merely got the chronology wrong, they will think it was not true. They will lose hope seeing what is occurring around them. There will be a great number of people turn away from God because they will believe God has turned away from them. This is the great apostasy spoken of in Scripture.
Just for the sake of entertaining the “I’m right/he’s wrong” scenerio…..
If I’m wrong, everyone will be raptured….
If your doctrine is not not exactly accurate in it’s chronology….. and the number of people forsaking God is increased as a result of what they will perceive as a broken promise… Or a lie……….???
I’ll leave you with that Michael. God bless you and those you disciple. Feed the sheep, brother.
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