Just as death includes several aspects in regard to its meaning, there are several aspects of resurrection in regard to its meaning.
The first item included in death is the death of the spirit, and the first item included in resurrection is the resurrection of the spirit. An understanding of this aspect of resurrection involves a distinction between fact and experience.
1. “Raised us up together with Him” (Eph. 2:6).
When God raised Christ from the dead, He raised us up together with Him. This is a fact related to the resurrection of our spirit. Our spirit was resurrected based on our union with Christ in His resurrection. In addition to Ephesians 2:6, several other verses speak of the fact of our union with Christ in resurrection, including Colossians 2:12 and 3:1, Romans 6:4-5 and 8, and John 14:19.
2. “Even when we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ” (Eph. 2:5).
This verse speaks of the experience of our spirit being resurrected. This experience is based on the fact that we were raised up together with Christ. Prior to believing, our spirit was deadened, and it had lost its function before God because of our offenses. However, when we believed in Christ and received Him, God enlivened our deadened spirit based on the fact that we were raised up together with Christ. Our spirit’s function toward God was revived at the time of our regeneration. Colossians 2:13, John 5:25, and Luke 15:24 and 32 also speak of this matter.
The second item included in the meaning of death is the death of the body; the second item included in the meaning of resurrection is the resurrection of our body. When a believer is saved and regenerated, his spirit is resurrected, but the body of a believer will not be resurrected until later.
1. “All in the tombs...will come forth...to the resurrection” (John 5:28-29).
The resurrection spoken of in this verse is related to the body, not the spirit, because it speaks of all in the tombs coming forth to the resurrection. Resurrection out of the tombs is the resurrection of the body.
2. “How are the dead raised?...What you sow is not made alive unless it dies...So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption” (1 Cor. 15:35-36, 42).
These verses speak of the resurrection of a believer’s body. Many think that resurrection is vague and implausible. Ten years ago I met a college student. He said that he believed in Christ but could not believe in resurrection. I pointed out the window to the wheat fields and said to him, “Look at these lush fields of wheat! How do they grow out of the ground? Do they not come out in resurrection? The grains of wheat fall into the ground and die, then something grows out of the ground in resurrection. The possibility of our resurrection seems to be quite vague, but the principle of resurrection can be seen in all living things, both plants and animals. An egg breaks, and a baby chicken is born. A seed decays, and a flower sprouts up. These are pictures of resurrection. There are too many examples like this in the field of biology!” When the college student heard this word, he realized that resurrection was quite logical. He admired my examples and explanation, but I did not think of them myself; they come from the Bible. The Bible says that if what we sow does not die, it cannot be made alive, but if it dies, it can be made alive. Furthermore, the body of resurrection is superior to the body that is planted. The resurrection of a dead believer follows this pattern. Those who die will live again; they will be resurrected. Furthermore, what is planted in death is a corruptible, shameful, weak, fleshly body, but what comes out in resurrection is an incorruptible, glorious, strong, spiritual body. Thus, this reference to resurrection in the future emphasizes the resurrection of the body, which is practical and real.
1. “All will be made alive. But each one in his own order: the firstfruits, Christ; then those who are Christ’s at His coming; then the end” (1 Cor. 15:22-24).
In God’s plan and arrangement the resurrection of the dead has an order. Each one is resurrected in his turn. The first is Christ. He was the first to resurrect from the dead, so He is the firstfruits of resurrection. This has been accomplished. Next, the saints who belong to Christ and who have died will resurrect when the Lord returns before the millennial kingdom. Finally, at the end of the millennial kingdom the unsaved who have died will resurrect. Generally speaking, resurrection can be divided into three groups, but there are some exceptional occurrences of resurrection, such as the resurrection of the two witnesses (Rev. 11:3-12).
2. “An hour is coming in which all in the tombs will hear His voice and will come forth: those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have practiced evil, to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29).
All those in tombs, whether they are believers or unbelievers, will hear the voice of the Son of God and be resurrected. However, the time and nature of their resurrection will differ. The first to be resurrected will be the saints who have done good; they will come forth to the resurrection of life. Those who are raised first will obtain life. The second will be the unsaved who have practiced evil; they will come forth later to the resurrection of judgment. Those who are raised later will receive judgment. The resurrected saints will receive life, so their resurrection is called the resurrection of life. This will occur before the millennial kingdom. The resurrected unbelievers will receive judgment, so their resurrection is called the resurrection of judgment. This will occur after the millennial kingdom. These two resurrections are different in nature and in time. One is to life, and the other is to judgment; one is before the millennial kingdom, and the other is after. They will be one thousand years apart.
The preceding two points concerning the order of resurrection are a general outline. Now let us analyze them more closely.