So far, concerning the “end times” we have looked at the subjects of
Revelation, and the Returns, today we will look at the Resurrections, of which
there are five mentioned in the Bible. I will not elaborate on any for you can do your own study on these things.
The first for our consideration is found in Matthew 27:51-54 - “And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many”. This one is not easy to understand, but if we put it together with Revelation 4:4 “Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were the twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had gold crowns on their heads”. We get the theory that because the twenty-four elders were there in heaven, surrounding the throne in John’s vision, they were the ones described in Matthew 27, who were resurrected and given life, and appeared with Jesus following his resurrection. ( Note: We are not told who the twenty four elders are, however, they would not be angels because when John sees angels he describes them as angels.)
The second resurrection is of course, Jesus himself. Matthew 28 and Luke
24 give the best revel-ation of this. And, Paul in 1st. Corinthians
15 convinces us that if Christ has not been raised, then everything else is in
vain. “If it is only for this life we have hope, then we are to be pitied”. The
whole of Christianity is based on the fact of Christ’s resurrection. Upon it
the whole truth of the New Testament stands.The first for our consideration is found in Matthew 27:51-54 - “And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many”. This one is not easy to understand, but if we put it together with Revelation 4:4 “Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were the twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had gold crowns on their heads”. We get the theory that because the twenty-four elders were there in heaven, surrounding the throne in John’s vision, they were the ones described in Matthew 27, who were resurrected and given life, and appeared with Jesus following his resurrection. ( Note: We are not told who the twenty four elders are, however, they would not be angels because when John sees angels he describes them as angels.)
The third resurrection is that of “the dead in Christ” - 1st Thessalonians 4:16. When a Christian dies, it is not the end! It is true that the body is laid to rest in the grave, but the soul and spirit live on. Death is the gateway into the very presence of God. In Philippians 1:21 Paul stated “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”...also known as the Rapture; Here there is real hope!
The fourth resurrection is found in Revelation 20:1-5 These are the tribulation saints: “They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or hands.”… Verse 6 - “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them”.
The fifth resurrection is the “rest of the dead” found in Revelation 20:11-15 who are “judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books”… Vs. 15 “If anyone’s name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. ( The lake of fire is the “second death” ) The point of all this leads to the question: “Which resurrection will you have part in”?
It would be my prayer your answer would be #3 … R. U. Saved?
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