Resurrection is mainly for the dead (those who are sleeping, John 11:11-14; 1 Thes. 4:13; 1 Cor. 11:30) in the Lord before His coming. Those who sleep in the Lord first go to Hades, the place where the souls and spirits of the dead are kept (Luke 16:22-23; Acts 2:27). Hades is divided into two sections: a pleasant section, where Abraham, Lazarus, and all saved saints are (Luke 16:22), and a section of torment, where the rich man and all the perished sinners are (vv. 23, 28). The two sections are cut off from each other by a gulf, a chasm (v. 26). The dead saints go to the pleasant section of Hades. Their soul and spirit will be united with their resurrected body at the time of resurrection (1 Cor. 15:53; 1 Thes. 4:16). The overcomers will be resurrected and raptured before the great tribulation. Those who remain will be resurrected at the end of the great tribulation and will be raptured with the believers who are living at that time (v. 17). The dead unbelievers will go to the section of torment in Hades. They will be resurrected after the millennium to receive the judgment of the great white throne.
All believers who are dead in Christ will participate in the resurrection from the dead at the Lord’s coming back. But the overcoming ones among them will enjoy an extra, outstanding portion of that resurrection. This is the out-resurrection referred to by Paul in Philippians 3:11 and the better resurrection in Hebrews 11:35. The better resurrection is the out-resurrection, the extra-resurrection. This means that the better resurrection is different from a common resurrection. Revelation 20:4-5 says, “They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years...This is the first resurrection.” First here can also be translated as “best.” The first resurrection is the best resurrection; it is also the resurrection of reward (Luke 14:14), that is, the better resurrection and the out-resurrection. This resurrection is a resurrection of kingship as a reward to the overcomers, which enables them to reign as co-kings with Christ in the millennial kingdom. Hence, blessed and holy are they who have part in the first resurrection (Rev. 20:6). They will inherit the kingdom of God manifested on earth and even be co-kings in it.
Those who participate in the out-resurrection include not only the overcomers who are resurrected from the dead, such as the man-child in Revelation 12:5 and the late martyrs in 15:2, but also the raptured living overcomers, such as the firstfruits in 14:1-5. The believers should aspire to obtain the best resurrection, the out-resurrection, as the goal and destination of their Christian life.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:16 Paul says, “The Lord Himself, with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” The trumpet of God refers to the last trumpet, the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:15; 1 Cor. 15:52). First Corinthians 15:52 indicates that at the last trumpet the dead will be raised incorruptible. The majority of the believers, who died through all the generations, will be resurrected at the end of the great tribulation and will be raptured to the air with the believers living on the earth to meet the Lord (1 Thes. 4:17).
The parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-12 also describes the resurrection of the majority of the believers who died through all the generations. The ten virgins in this parable signify the majority of the believers. Believers are like chaste virgins, bearing the Lord’s testimony (the lamp) in the dark age and going out of the world to meet the Lord, the coming Bridegroom. “While the bridegroom delayed, they all became drowsy and slept” (v. 5). Becoming drowsy signifies becoming sick (Acts 9:37; 1 Cor. 11:30), and going to sleep signifies dying (1 Thes. 4:13-16; John 11:11-13). This indicates that while the Lord delays His return, the majority of the believers first become sick and then die. Matthew 25:6 continues, “But at midnight there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Go forth to meet him!” This signifies that at the darkest time of this dark age (night), which will be at the end of this age, the time of the great tribulation, there will be a shout of command with the voice of the archangel (1 Thes. 4:16). Matthew 25:7 says, “Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their own lamps.” Arose signifies resurrection from the dead (1 Thes. 4:14). This is the resurrection of the majority of the believers who died through all the generations, as prophesied in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and I Corinthians 15:52.