The first resurrection

That All-important First Resurrection

When Yahshua returns to this earth one of His first acts will be to gather His chosen people. They will have already proved themselves in this life and been judged righteous. “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other,” Matthew 24:31. He will take them to Jerusalem to help establish His Kingdom on earth, Zechariah 14:4. This is the first resurrection.

We see from Isaiah that there will be babies born in the 1,000-year-long Kingdom when “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them,” 11:6. These unconverted humans will have lived through the end-time Tribulation.

After 1,000 years of spiritual restoration on earth another resurrection will take place when those who died now in ignorance will be resurrected to the physical, human plane. They who come up in this second resurrection will then be taught and given the opportunity to demonstrate their willingness to follow the Truth. This second resurrection is called a resurrection to judgment,Revelation 20:5. In the second resurrection they will be given the same opportunity we have now to prove their sincerity and commit to being followers of Yahweh.

Those who attain the first resurrection will immediately inherit the Kingdom and will rule over those who are raised to life in the second. It will be the job of today’s believers to bring the world into harmony with Yahweh’s government. This awesome potential and responsibility is why we live for Yahweh now. Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not!

In His wisdom Yahweh has called certain ones now to comprehend what He expects of His chosen. Although “many are called and few chosen,” Matthew 20:16, Yahshua made the point that not everyone is called now. Only some are given to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of Yahweh, Matthew 13:11-15.

Yahshua deliberately spoke in parables so that the multitudes would not understand and would not be converted. He spoke in parables to hide the truth from those He did not choose at that time. Take heart if you have a loved one who rejects the truth of the Bible now and refuses to receive the Savior as the Captain and Ruler of his or her life. All will get an opportunity eventually.

If we are faithful, we can be in that Kingdom and help others later to learn the way of righteousness.

Although many of our loved ones are truly deceived by Satan (Rev. 12:9), and possibly won’t be in that spiritual realm as kings and priests with Yahshua (1Pet. 2:9), they will be given the choice whether to learn and accept Yahweh’s truth after the Kingdom is set up.

Just as Adam and Eve could have lived forever in Eden if they had taken of the tree of life instead of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the same is true for us. Imagine the prospects! If you are faithful in following Yahshua, you will have the opportunity to teach the Truth to a loved one in the future.

Yahshua now is choosing only those who will be overcomers — those who “overcome with EI” — Israel! Modern Israel is that select group of people who, when they find the truth of the Bible, will hold tightly to it and never let go, Matthew 24:13. Though trials, temptations, and persecution might hound them all the days of their lives, they can see the Holy City whose Builder and Maker is Yahweh, Hebrews 11:10, 16.

To receive the full reward, His people today must overcome and keep His works unto the end (Rev. 2:26-27). Through the Word our Savior calls to you, “Follow Me!” Once we put our hand to the plow we cannot look back with longing for any part of the life of sin we left behind.

We look for a better resurrection. Think of the glories of the coming Kingdom and the joy and bliss that may be ours when we find ourselves in that first resurrection! Paul wrote, “Eye has not seen nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the things that Yahweh has prepared for those who love Him,” 1Corinthians 2:9.

The first resurrection carries the favored position. Just as the firstborn of Israel were given a greater inheritance, those in the first resurrection will be given greater responsibilities and opportunities.

Those in the first resurrection will rule with the Messiah for a thousand years, Revelation 20:4, 6. Even the Apostle Paul was eager to be in the first resurrection. He wrote, “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” The New International Version renders this resurrection “from the dead.” Yahshua called it the resurrection “of the just,” Luke 14:14.

Yahshua was given the highest position in the coming Kingdom because of His sacrifice, being the Firstborn of many, so His followers will share in the rewards.

For the Hall of Fame of the faithful and dedicated overcomers, read the 11th chapter of Hebrews. Then make your commitment to repent, be immersed into Yahshua’s Name, and join that list of the faithful.

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Posted in Resurrection and the Afterlife.
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Jacky Terrero
Jacky Terrero
5 years ago

It is comforting knowing that our loved ones & all of us will get a second chance, I am studying with Jehovah Witness & this is what they teach a loving merciful God

Lars H Alhaug
Reply to  Jacky Terrero
1 year ago

There is no such thing as a second chance. People who have not had God’s Spirit in them (Acts 2:38) have not had a first chance! Only those with the Spirit in their heart can grasp Gods Word and the Message. That is why during the Millennium all people will be given God’s Spirit so they can have the wisdom to know what they say yes or no to. Also those in the second resurrection will be given the Spirit (Ezekiel 37) so they will understand when the “Books” are being revealed to them, the Bible. God is indeed both… Read more »

Henry
Henry
2 years ago

Would you be so kind as to explain what Paul is saying in these verses? Obviously he has died, therefore how can he one of those who “remain alive”?
1Th 4:15 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. 
1Th 4:17 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. 

Lars H Alhaug
1 year ago

Not many has seen this. Only God’s Spirit can reveal it! I can say loudly amen to it all! God has a plan of salvation that goes stepwise as described here. I rememer World wide Church of God taught this message many years ago, but they could not stand the pressure from Main stream Christianity and the new leadership after Armstrong turned that Church away from this teaching and has become one of the many, many other denominations called Christianity.
Thank you for this uplifting and true message!