Updates with new topics will come up later  -  State: December 26, 2024

Two Resurrections?


Summary

Jesus speaks only of ONE resurrection on the last day, Paul only of ONE resurrection at the coming of Christ, the Book of Revelation only of the FIRST resurrection.


According to the pre-tribulation doctrine (pre-tribulational rapture), there are two resurrections of the righteous:

- first one BEFORE the tribulation (coinciding with the rapture)

- and then 7 years later, one AFTER the great tribulation, shortly after the visible return of Christ



Answer


There is only one resurrection of the righteous, not two:


Jesus Christ speaks only of ONE resurrection, on the last day
Paul speaks only of ONE resurrection, at the coming of Christ
The Book of Revelation mentions only the FIRST resurrection, at the end of the great tribulation



Resurrection on the last day


Jesus speaks four times of being "raised up at the last day" in John 6:39-54 - a passage where he refers to himself as the Bread of Life:


 39 But this is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should not lose any of it, but should raise it up at the last day.
 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.


----> There is only ONE last day, and consequently only ONE resurrection of the righteous.



Order of the Resurrection


Paul writes in 1 Cor. 15:23 that everyone rises in his own order: First Christ, then those belonging to Christ at his coming:


1 Cor 15:20-24  20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

 21 For since by ‹one› man came death, by ‹one› man also came the resurrection of the dead.

 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.

 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to the God and Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.


----> Here it says "at his coming", and NOT "at his two comings".

(according to pre-tribulation doctrine there are two future arrivals/coming of the Lord: first at the secret rapture and 7 years later at the visible return).



Transformation in the twinkling of an eye


Paul talks about the fact that at the resurrection the believers who have fallen asleep will be transformed together with the believers who are still alive in ONE moment (1 Cor 15:52):


1 Corinthians 15:51-52 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed;

 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.


----> The resurrection takes place in an instant at the last trumpet.

But the pre-tribulation doctrine says that there are 2 resurrections, one at the Rapture and one shortly after the visible Second Coming. 

----> Is there therefore a second such moment?

----> Is there therefore a second last trumpet after the last trumpet?



First resurrection


The Book of Revelation speaks of only one resurrection of the righteous, and it takes place after the great tribulation. It is called the FIRST resurrection:


Revelation 2:4-6  4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them; and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God, who had not done homage to the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no authority, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.


----> If this is the first resurrection, how could there have been a resurrection 7 years earlier?




Conclusion


There is no biblical passage that speaks of there being two resurrections of the righteous.

----> There is only one resurrection of the righteous.


This resurrection MUST necessarily take place after the great tribulation. For if the resurrection were before the great tribulation, all the believers who die in the tribulation (see Rev 20:4-6 above) would not be resurrected afterwards.


----> The church enters the great tribulation.


Updates with new topics will come up later  -  State: December 26, 2024