The "other" resurrection

[FaithWillDo]

Source: What is the Latter Rain Movement? | GotQuestions.org

No, thanks. Good bye.

Dear ElieG12,
The Latter Rain Movement is not what I teach. That movement is completely ex-biblical and false.

You have either not been reading my posts or you don't know what the Latter Rain movement is.

Joe

 

[keithr]

The Bible speaks of a "first resurrection" in Rev. 20:4, and in the context it speaks of others coming to life later.

Rev. 20:4 And I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given authority to judge. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed for the witness they gave about Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had not worshipped the wild beast or its image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for 1,000 years. 5
(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were ended.)
This is the first resurrection. 6 Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and they will rule as kings with him for the 1,000 years.

If the first resurrection corresponds to the anointed brothers of Christ who are going to be kings and priests with him during the 1,000 years (see verse 6 at the end), what is the purpose of there being another resurrection later during the millenium apart from that one?

Understanding this issue is important because we all have relatives or known people who are already dead and who will resurrect at some point. About them we could ask ourselves the question: will they rise in the first, or in the other resurrection?

What do you think?

This is how I understand it:

The first resurrection, of the Church, occurs before the Great Tribulation, and before Christ's 1,000 year reign (Millennial Age). The first resurrection is described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 (WEB):

(15) For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming [return or presence] of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep [died].​

(16) For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,​

(17) then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.​

The Church has to be resurrected before the Millennial Age because they will be reigning with Jesus during that time. I'm uncertain whether Millennial Age starts before or after the Great Tribulation, but I suspect it's after. The second resurrection, of the rest of mankind, occurs at the start of the Millennial Age. During the Millennial Age the resurrected people (and those who lived through the Great Tribulation) will be gradually restored to perfection. Jesus and the resurrected Christians will be blessing the people during the Millennial Age, and God has set aside 1,000 years for restoring them to perfection.

Christians have to enter through the "narrow (or difficult) gate" (Matthew 7:13-14) to gain perfection and eternal life, but the rest of mankind have an easier highway to travel over to gain perfection and eternal life. Christians have a short lifetime of difficulty and suffering as a trial for eternal life, whereas the rest of mankind will have 1,000 years of Christ's righteous ruling as their trial, with a final test at the end. Isaiah 35:4-10 (WEB):

(4) Tell those who have a fearful heart, “Be strong. Don’t be afraid. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, God’s retribution. He will come and save you.​

(5) Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.​

(6) Then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing; for waters will break out in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.​

(7) The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. Grass with reeds and rushes will be in the habitation of jackals, where they lay.​

(8) A highway will be there, a road, and it will be called The Holy Way. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it will be for those who walk in the Way. Wicked fools will not go there.​

(9) No lion will be there, nor will any ravenous animal go up on it. They will not be found there; but the redeemed will walk there.​

(10) Then Yahweh’s ransomed ones will return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”​

It is only at the end of the Millennial Age that they will have reached perfection and then they are tested and judged whether or not they are suitable for eternal life. Only then, at the end of the Millennial Age will they have eternal life, so that's why Revelation 20:5 says, "The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished".

 

[ElieG12]

The Bible calls the resurrection as a hope that comforts us, unlike the rest of the world.

1 Thess. 4:13 Moreover, brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who are sleeping in death, so that you may not sorrow as the rest do who have no hope.

Have you ever wondered why the resurrection is considered a consolation for Christians?

 

[ElieG12]

The following Biblical quotes show that the resurrection was a teaching already delivered to the pre-Christ servants of God, and not only to Christians after Christ:

Is. 26:19 “Your dead will live. My corpses will rise up. Awake and shout joyfully, You residents in the dust! For your dew is as the dew of the morning, And the earth will let those powerless in death come to life.

Hos. 13:14 From the power of the Grave I will redeem them; From death I will recover them. Where are your stings, O Death? Where is your destructiveness, O Grave? Compassion will be concealed from my eyes.

Job 14:14 If a man dies, can he live again? I will wait all the days of my compulsory service Until my relief comes. 15 You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands.

 

[ElieG12]

The Bible says that the Sadducees (who were a post-exilic Jewish sect) did not believe in the resurrection (Acts 23:8), but the Pharisees, of whom Paul had been a part as an educated Jew, did believe in the resurrection. In this text Paul tells Agrippa that the "twelve tribes" awaited the fulfillment of the promise of the resurrection.

Acts 26:4 Indeed, the manner of life I led from youth up among my people and in Jerusalem is well-known by all the Jews 5 who were previously acquainted with me, if they would be willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our form of worship, I lived as a Pharisee. 6 But now for the hope of the promise that was made by God to our forefathers, I stand on trial; 7 this is the same promise our 12 tribes are hoping to see fulfilled by intensely rendering him sacred service night and day. Concerning this hope I am accused by Jews, O King.

In which resurrection did "educated" Jews believe?

 

[ElieG12]

In Rev. 20:6 it says that "the second death has no authority over anyone having part in the first resurrection".

However, there are many who at the end of the Millennium are going to be thrown into the symbolic "lake of fire" (which is Gehenna), and it constitutes the second death or eternal death, from which nothing will be recovered by resurrection.

Among those there will be many of the resurrected on earth (obviously NONE OF THEM belong to those who had part of the first resurrection__ read Rev. 20:6 up here).

Do you understand why none of the ones resurrected first will be among those who will suffer the second death?

Basic passage:

Rev. 20:7 Now as soon as the 1,000 years have ended, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Maʹgog, to gather them together for the war. The number of these is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they advanced over the whole earth and encircled the camp of the holy ones and the beloved city. But fire came down out of heaven and consumed them. 10 And the Devil who was misleading them was hurled into the lake of fire and sulfur, where both the wild beast and the false prophet already were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. From before him the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. The dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the Grave gave up the dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. 14 And death and the Grave were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. 15 Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire.

A curios fact:

The targums Jonathan and Jerusalem translate Deut. 33:6a this way:

Let Ruben live in this world, nor die the second death which the wicked die in the world to come (...)

... Some Jews interpret these words of Moses (in the Targums) indicating that Jacob's curse on his son Reuben would not cause the eternal and total disappearance of that tribe.

About the Targums
The “Targums” were free translations or paraphrases of the Hebrew Scriptures into Aramaic. They likely assumed their present final form no earlier than about the fifth century C.E. One of the principal Targums, the “Targum of Onkelos” on the Pentateuch, is rather literal. Another, the so-called “Targum of Jonathan” for the Prophets, is less literal, being a paraphrase on the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the twelve so-called “Minor Prophets.” Extant today are Targums on the Pentateuch, the Prophets and, of later date, the Hagiographa. https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200014449

 

[ElieG12]

In the Bible the expression "the last day" is used to refer to the Millennium, during which the dead who do not belong to the heavenly "kings and priests" will be returned to life on earth:

John 6:39 This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose none out of all those whom he has given me, but that I should resurrect them on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who recognizes the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life, and I will resurrect him on the last day.” (...) 44 No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him, and I will resurrect him on the last day. (...) 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I will resurrect him on the last day

... 11:23 Jesus said to her: “Your brother will rise.” 24 Martha said to him: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.”

When the time of his resurrection was mentioned to Daniel, that period was called "the end of the days" meaning the same timeframe.

Dan. 12:13 “But as for you, go on to the end. You will rest, but you will stand up for your lot at the end of the days.”

 

[ElieG12]

Some associated with Christians in the first century dared to spread the lie that the resurrection had already happened:

2 Tim. 2:16 But shun empty speeches that violate what is holy; for they will advance to more and more ungodliness, 17 and their word will spread like gangrene. Hy·me·naeʹus and Phi·leʹtus are of that number. 18 These very [men] have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already occurred; and they are subverting the faith of some. 19 For all that, the solid foundation of God stays standing, having this seal:
“Jehovah knows those who belong to him,”(Num. 16:5)
and:
“Let everyone naming the name of Jehovah renounce unrighteousness.” (Zep. 3:9,12,13).

Doesn't it remind some out there who are saying similar things in our times?

Have you studied the matter of when the general resurrection of humanity of which Jesus speaks here will occur?

John 5:28 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.

Acts 24:15 And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

Rev. 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. The dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds.