The Rapture is ONE PHASE of the First Resurrection. To explain what I mean let’s look at Revelation 20:4-6, “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them.  And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years” (NASB).

In this passage we learn of those who will have a part in the FIRST RESURRECTION. We believe there are THREE COMPANIES OF BELIEVERS involved. They are as follows:

1) “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them”….I believe these are all the saints who were raptured and raised from the dead at the time of the Rapture. We read of them in Revelation 4:4, “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their head.” This scene takes place BEFORE the Tribulation Period (which starts with Revelation chapter 6) begins. The 24 thrones and 24 elders represent all the Old Testament and New Testament saints who had been taken to heaven at the Rapture (see John 14:2-3; 1st Corinthians 15:20-23, 50-53; and 1st Thessalonians 4:13-17) and then rewarded (symbolized by the CROWNS) at the Judgment Seat of Christ (see 1st Corinthians 3:11-14 and 2nd Corinthians 5:10). This is the FIRST PHASE of the FIRST RESURRECTION.

2) “And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God”….I believe these are the saints who will be martyred for their faith during the FIRST HALF of the Tribulation Period. We read of them in Revelation 6:9, “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained.”

3) “And those who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand”…these are the saints who are martyred during the LAST HALF of the Tribulation Period. After speaking of those who die for their faith in Revelation 6:9 John goes on to say, “and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ And there was given to each of t hem a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, UNTIL THE NUMBER OF THEIR FELLOW SERVANTS AND THEIR BRETHREN WHO WERE TO BE KILLED EVEN AS THEY HAD BEEN, WOULD BE COMPLETED.” In the middle of the Tribulation a man likened unto a Beast will reign over the earth and he will “make war with the saints and overcome them” Revelation 13:7. The Antichrist will aid him in his reign of terror, as we read in verse 15, “And it was given to him (the Antichrist) to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and CAUSE AS MANY AS DO NOT WORSHIP THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST TO BE KILLED.” When the last saint is martyred at the end of the Tribulation Period all of those who died will be raised to life and reign with Christ. This will be the LAST PHASE of the FIRST RESURRECTION. I should mention that in Revelation chapter 11 we have two men witnessing for Christ for 3 ½ years in Jerusalem who will be killed and raised from the dead. They too are part of the First Resurrection.

I could close on that note, but I would like to quote two verses that have been misunderstood by many concerning the Resurrection of believers. I’m referring to John 5:28-29 where Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a RESURRECTION OF LIFE, those who committed the evil deeds to a RESURRECTION OF JUDGMENT.” Many believe Jesus was teaching a GENERAL RESURRECTION in this passage and that all who had died from the beginning of time would be raised from the dead at the same time; for some it would be to LIFE and to others to JUDGMENT. But as we has just seen from Revelation 20:4-6 there is a FIRST RESURRECTION which is to LIFE “and the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years are completed.” The “rest of the dead” are unbelievers who will, at the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ, be raised from the dead to stand before Christ at the Great White Throne. They will be JUDGED and “cast into the lake of fire” (see Revelation 20:11-15). That will be the SECOND RESURRECTION, the “resurrection of judgment.”  (365.3)  (DO)