When it comes to resurrection of the dead in these last days, one ought to ask this question: “how many resurrections” will take place and what did the Bible say? Who are involved in the resurrection? According to the Bible, there will be ONE resurrection for all the saints who have died in the Lord Jesus (whether Jews or Gentiles). Another resurrection captured in the scriptures is the one of the TWO WITNESSES and the last resurrection event is the one for the whole world, who did not die in Christ.**THE FIRST RESURRECTION**Now 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, we are told that the Lord Himself will descend with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. This means that, the those who died in Christ will rise at the sound of the trumpet before those who remain are caught up to be with them. This is one resurrection among the other two. Another scripture in 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 also reveals how the dead will be raised incorruptible and those alive and remain shall be changed at the LAST TRUMPET.This resurrection is what the prophets, the Apostles of our Lord and our Lord Himself spoke about when they were on earth. This is the hope of every one who comes to Christ Jesus, that one day, at the sound of that last trumpet, we will be worthy to be raptured to be with the Lord forever. In Daniel 12:13, the angel said this words to prophet Daniel: “But you go your way till the END; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.” Many christians from early centuries who died from the persecutions and tribulations in the hands of the ROMAN EMPIRE are all awaiting this Day, when they will receive their new bodies and be united with the LORD and serve Him forever. Apostle Paul said this words regarding this resurrection; “For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” This shows that the RESURRECTION of the dead is crucial to our faith, and we cannot esteem it lightly.In Isaiah 26:19-20, in speaking of the resurrection, the prophet revealed that “the earth shall cast out the dead.” Many of the prophets and the Apostles of the Lord taught the church the importance of the resurrection. Jesus told them that He was going to prepare a place for them and when he was done, He would come back for them (John 14:1-3). Jesus knew that Apostle Peter will have to also resurrect when he told him the kind of death he would suffer (John 21:18-19). So Peter also is waiting to resurrect so are all the apostles of our LORD.Now let’s go into some interesting discussion in the Bible. In revelation 20:4-6, we are told that the saints who went through the tribulation were also part of the “first resurrection (Revelation 20:5). Now the scripture reads “…..then I saw the souls of those who had been BEHEADED for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the BEAST or his IMAGE and had not received his MARK on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the REST of the DEAD (they will be in the category of the SECOND resurrection) did not live again until the thousand years were finished. THIS IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION.The question that arises from this statement is this: “If the RAPTURE had already taken place before the tribulation began (7years, which has the first 3.5 years and another 3.5 years), then how could those who were beheaded or killed for refusing to worship or take the mark of the beast manage to be part of the first resurrection? You see, it is impossible, no matter how much you try to explain it. According to the scriptures, this slaughter of the saints will happen in the latter part of the tribulation (which is the last 3.5 years). So how do we explain this to people who want to believe in PRETRIBULATIONAL RAPTURE? Can we all see the error in this? The pretribulation teachers and doctrine say that the “ready Christians” will be raptured before the tribulation, which if it’s true is the first resurrection. But then, shockingly, those who were beheaded and killed in the tribulation are still part of those who were raptured before the tribulation. If we cannot explain how the saints who will die in the latter part of the great tribulation can be part of the “First resurrection”which also includes the Pretrib saints, then we need to question this doctrine or thought or theology. The Holy Spirit is not the author of confusion.Also, in Revelation 7:9 the Bible speaks of INNUMERABLE saints from all nations, tribes, tongues and peoples standing before the throne and the Lamb with palm branches in their hands. When John inquired who they were and where they had come from, one of the Elders said this: “…..these are the ones who have come out of the GREAT TRIBULATION, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:15). The number of these saints who will wash their robes doesn’t seem to be in hundreds, or ten thousands or a million. But the Bible says a ‘multitude that no one could number’. This again shows that those saints who will go through the tribulation are not just some few “left over christians or Jews”, but all christians. And according to the Bible, we are MANY.
