The First Resurrection
First Resurrection – Murdered For the Word of God
We are very aware of the destruction and chaos that will happen, on earth, after the First Resurrection and the Rapture. Now, after the First Resurrection and the Rapture John sees the souls of the righteous dead in heaven, and after Satan was “bound” for a thousand years.
“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,” Revelation 20:4.
John did not see the full compliment of saints from the Rapture but all those murdered for their faith and experienced the First Resurrection
Souls were there of them that were from every dispensation who were killed for “the Word of God”; then there were souls of them, sitting on those thrones, who were “beheaded for the witness of Jesus”; finally, there were souls of them, from the Great Tribulation Period they all made it in the First Resurrection.
First Resurrection – Beheaded for the Witness of Jesus
The first set of souls would include all the righteous from Able to John the Baptist the prophet of God who was beheaded for the Word of God; they were in the First Resurrection.
The second set of souls includes all the righteous from John the Baptist to the Rapture. This group of course represents the Church of Jesus Christ. This is the group with the Testimony of Jesus Christ and was killed because they declared Jesus Christ is alive for he is raised from the dead and they are witnesses of his resurrection.
The final set of souls of them who went through great tribulations because they refused to worship “the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands”. They were killed for their faith in Jesus Christ.
There you have it, faithful worshippers of God from all times, murdered because of their faith in God through Jesus Christ, martyrs for the Lord.
The Devil was locked in the Bottomless Pit for a thousand years. After, these souls “lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years,” Revelation 20:4, this time spent with Christ is their reward for being faithful to God.
First Resurrection Candidates From the Great Tribulation Period
However, this group is not the full compliments of righteous soul but those violently killed for the Word of God. Where are those who believed in God and were not murdered for their belief in Jesus Christ?
First, the Rapture snatches away all the righteous from earth, living and dead. The Rapture, therefore, took everybody to heaven. If they were not in the Rapture, they would still participate in the First Resurrection.
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection,” Revelation 20:5.
Let me further demonstrate that the Martyrs for Christ was included in the Rapture with all the others saints. In heaven, the Lord rewarded the Martyrs for Christ, by allowing them to judge and reign with him for a thousand years. However, the remainder of those that experienced the First Resurrection
The Second Death Occurred One Thousand Years After The First Resurrection
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the First Resurrection
Finally, one thousand years after the Rapture of the righteous the unbelieving dead will resurrect, this is the Second Death. Those that missed the First Resurrection are subject to the powers of the Second Death, Revelation 2:11; 20:6, 14 and 21:8.
The First Resurrection therefore, includes all who died but were not in the Rapture but God took up into heaven. This include the hundred forty and four thousand Jews (“the Remnant”) that Christ took up to heaven after the Rapture. Then there are those after the Rapture who the Beast killed because they refused the number of his name (the mark of the Beast). These made it in the First Resurrection because they did not worship the image of the Beast or took his mark.
The Rapture is for the church, living and dead, but the First Resurrection is for all (Rapture and post-Rapture) Martyrs of Christ Jesus.
The “rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished” is not speaking of the Church but the unbelieving dead who did not hear Christ’ call at the Rapture. These Martyrs for Christ will Judge the world, angels, unbelievers and the Twelve Tribes of Israel, 1 Corinthians 6:2,3; Matthew 19:28 and Luke 22:30.
QUESTION: What is the ONE thing which will enable Believers to hear the call of Christ Jesus, at the Last Trump?
In closing, also, leave your comments concerning, What Will Happen after the Rapture and the First Resurrection
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