Daniel 12:2
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.
Daniel 12:2 lays out the two different fates facing mankind at the end: “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. Scripture reveals the separate resurrections for the saints and the wicked, the just and the unjust.
Revelation 20:4-6 shows us the “first resurrection” and identifies those involved as “blessed and holy.” The second death at the lake of fire, has no power over these individuals. The first resurrection, then, is the raising of all the saints in the grave. It corresponds with Jesus’ teaching of the “resurrection of the just” in Luke 14:14..
Luke 14:14
And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
And of Christ saying there will be the “resurrection of life” in John 5:29...
John 5:29
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.
The apostle Paul also spoke of these two resurrections when he said, "there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust" in Acts 24:15.
Acts 24:15
And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
Thus both Jesus Christ and Paul spoke of two resurrections, the first being the resurrection of life for the just, and the second being the resurrection of damnation for the unjust. So we know what the first resurrection is about as Christ Himself shows as the “firstfruits,” of those that slept in the grave and will be at the resurrection of all who believe in Him.
1 Corinthians 15:20
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
So Christ the first fruits represented the great spiritual harvest to be gathered for the kingdom of God. His resurrection is the type and pledge of the resurrection of all the righteous dead. At His second coming all the saints in the grave shall hear His voice, and shall come forth to eternal life in the heavenly kingdom. We see there will be the resurrection of “the dead in Christ” at the Second coming
1 Thessalonians 4:16
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.
This corresponds with what we see in Revelation 20 in which the saints will be raised at the first resurrection. Take a careful look and it becomes clear...
Revelation 20 King James Version (KJV)
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,
A careful reading of Revelation 20 verses 4-6 reveal that the first resurrection takes place at the beginning of the 1000 years, the other at the end. It says says, "Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on 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" . Here is the first resurrection at the beginning of the 1000 years which is a good and blessed resurrection of the saints at the Second Coming. Those in it need not fear the second death. And then we have, "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years where finished".
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.
Daniel 12:2 lays out the two different fates facing mankind at the end: “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. Scripture reveals the separate resurrections for the saints and the wicked, the just and the unjust.
Revelation 20:4-6 shows us the “first resurrection” and identifies those involved as “blessed and holy.” The second death at the lake of fire, has no power over these individuals. The first resurrection, then, is the raising of all the saints in the grave. It corresponds with Jesus’ teaching of the “resurrection of the just” in Luke 14:14..
Luke 14:14
And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
And of Christ saying there will be the “resurrection of life” in John 5:29...
John 5:29
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.
The apostle Paul also spoke of these two resurrections when he said, "there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust" in Acts 24:15.
Acts 24:15
And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
Thus both Jesus Christ and Paul spoke of two resurrections, the first being the resurrection of life for the just, and the second being the resurrection of damnation for the unjust. So we know what the first resurrection is about as Christ Himself shows as the “firstfruits,” of those that slept in the grave and will be at the resurrection of all who believe in Him.
1 Corinthians 15:20
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
So Christ the first fruits represented the great spiritual harvest to be gathered for the kingdom of God. His resurrection is the type and pledge of the resurrection of all the righteous dead. At His second coming all the saints in the grave shall hear His voice, and shall come forth to eternal life in the heavenly kingdom. We see there will be the resurrection of “the dead in Christ” at the Second coming
1 Thessalonians 4:16
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.
This corresponds with what we see in Revelation 20 in which the saints will be raised at the first resurrection. Take a careful look and it becomes clear...
Revelation 20 King James Version (KJV)
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,
A careful reading of Revelation 20 verses 4-6 reveal that the first resurrection takes place at the beginning of the 1000 years, the other at the end. It says says, "Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on 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" . Here is the first resurrection at the beginning of the 1000 years which is a good and blessed resurrection of the saints at the Second Coming. Those in it need not fear the second death. And then we have, "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years where finished".