First Thessalonians 4:16b says, “The dead in Christ shall rise first,” The dead believers signified by the ten virgins will be the first to rise up and be raptured into the Lord’s parousia.
Speaking of the resurrection, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:23, “Each one in his own order: the firstfruit, Christ; after that those who are Christ’s at His coming.” Those who are Christ’s are the believers in Christ, the just ones, who will be resurrected unto life at the Lord’s coming back before the millennium (John 5:29; Luke 14:14; 1 Thes. 4:16; 1 Cor. 15:52; Rev. 20:4-6).
In John 5:28 and 29 the Lord Jesus says, “An hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth: those who have done the good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done the evil to the resurrection of judgment.” Here we have two kinds of physical resurrections. The “resurrection of life” is the resurrection of the saved believers before the millennium. The dead believers will be resurrected to enjoy eternal life at the return of the Lord Jesus. Hence, this resurrection is called the resurrection of life. When the Lord Jesus comes back, all His dead believers will be resurrected and will be taken up with the living believers to the air (1 Thes. 4:17). However, all the dead unbelievers will be resurrected after the millennium to be judged at the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-15). Hence, that resurrection is called the resurrection of judgment. We, the believers, will enjoy and participate in the resurrection of life, but the unbelievers will suffer the judgment of eternal perdition at the resurrection of judgment.
In Luke 14:14 the Lord Jesus says, “It will be repaid to you in the resurrection of the righteous.” The resurrection of the righteous is the resurrection of life, when God will reward the saints (Rev. 11:18) at the Lord’s return (1 Cor. 4:5). Therefore, the resurrection of the righteous is a resurrection with a reward.
Revelation 20:4b speaks of those who “lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Here the word “lived” means resurrected. In verse 5b this is called “the first resurrection.” Then verse 6a continues, “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.” Here the Greek word translated “first” can also be rendered “best.” The first resurrection is the best one. It is not only the resurrection of life but also the resurrection of reward (Luke 14:14), the out-resurrection, that is, the extraordinary resurrection which the Apostle Paul sought for (Phil. 3:11), the resurrection of kingship as a reward to the overcomers that they may reign as co-kings with Christ in the millennial kingdom. Therefore, “blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.” This is the highest blessing-to inherit the kingdom manifested on earth and even to be kings within it. Not only the resurrected overcomers, such as the man-child in Revelation 12:5 and the later martyrs in 15:2, but also the raptured living ones, such as the firstfruit in 14:1-5, will have part in this resurrection. We should not be content merely to be in the general resurrection; rather, we should aspire to be in the first, the best, resurrection.
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