Q.   The order given in 1 Corinthians 15 is 1) Messiah, 2) firstfruits, and 3) those at the Messiah’s Coming. Most just read right over this and assume the next group to be taken is “the firstfruits.” They even assume the “firstfruits” are the 144,000. If the “firstfruits” have not been taken already, then we have to assume they will be taken before the Messiah returns. If you believe this is so, I must ask, who then was resurrected in Matthew 27:52? It becomes clear that the next resurrection is #3, those at His Coming. What are your thoughts and beliefs on these Scriptures?

A.   Before addressing Matthew 27:52, it’s important to realize that Paul in 1Corinthians 15:23 connects the “firstfruits” to Yahshua’s resurrection. It reads, “But every man in his own order: Messiah the firstfruits; afterward they that are Messiah’s at his coming.” We see here two resurrections, Yahshua’s resurrection, which was the firstfruits, and those at His coming.

Regarding Matthew 27:52, while the Bible records that many of the saints were resurrected after Yahshua’s resurrection, there is no evidence to confirm that this was a resurrection from flesh to spirit, as we find with Yahshua’s resurrection and promised to those at His Second Coming. Paul in 1Thessalonians 4:16-17 states, “For the Master himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of Elohim: and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Master in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Master.”

The saints who were resurrected immediately after Yahshua’s own resurrection served as a sign of Yahshua’s messiahship. Similar to the darkness and the curtain of the temple being torn, these things were done as a witness to confirm that Yahshua was indeed the promised Messiah and the Son of Yahweh. Since the Scripture does not provide any additional information and does not speak about a resurrection at this time, we assume these saints later died and are waiting for Yahshua’s Second Coming to be resurrected from flesh to Spirit.