THE TWO RESURRECTIONS

THE RESURRECTION OF BELIEVERS IN CHRIST

All saved people will be a part of the resurrection of life (the first resurrection).  God will give each saved person a new resurrection body that will be perfectly designed for the believer to live in throughout eternity.  This resurrection body is described in 1 Corinthians 15:35-54.  Those who take part in the first resurrection (saved people) are not all raised up at the same time.  Question:  Who was the first Person to be raised up (1 Cor. 15:23).  Answer:  Christ was raised up first. He is the One who leads the "RESURRECTION PARADE."  Other groups of saved people will follow in their proper order (1 Cor. 15:23): 

1.  Christ is first (1 Cor. 15:23).
2.  The "dead in Christ" (believers in Christ who have died) will be raised up at the time of the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:16 and 1 Cor. 15:52).  Those Christians who are living on earth at the time of the rapture will also "be changed" and receive new bodies (1 Cor. 15:51-52).
 3.  Old Testament believers will be raised up after the time of tribulation (about seven years after the rapture) according to Daniel 12:1-2.  Believers who die during the tribulation will also be raised up at this time according to Revelation 20:4.
4.  We must assume that those who are saved during the 1000 year kingdom will receive new bodies at the end of the Kingdom (although there is no verse that specifically mentions this).

Note:  In Matthew 27:52-53 we learn about a very unique event which took place immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ in or around the city of Jerusalem:  "And many bodies of the saints that slept arose [were raised], and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."   Matthew is the only  Gospel writer who mentions this event.  We know nothing about this event except for what is here said.  Notice that they were raised up bodily and came out of their graves three days later.  These who were raised were "saints" (believers), not unsaved people.  They appeared to many people in Jerusalem.  Whether these saints were raised like Lazarus, only to die again, or whether they were raised up in a permanent resurrection body is not stated.

THE RESURRECTION OF NON-BELIEVERS IN CHRIST

All of the unsaved people will be part of the resurrection of damnation (or judgment), according to John 5:29. Those who take part in the second resurrection will all be raised at the same time. They will be raised to stand before the GREAT WHITE THRONE and before the HOLY GOD who sits upon it. This will include all the unsaved who have ever lived, from wicked Cain (1 Jn. 3:12) to the last group of rebels described in Revelation 20:7-9. These people will be given a resurrection body that will be perfectly designed for hell so that they will be able to suffer the torments of the lake of fire forever (to suffer and to burn but to never be consumed in the burning).

By trusting in the death of Jesus for my sin, and believing that His Father raised Him from the dead, I recognize that Jesus is worthy to be my Lord, and that I owe my entire life to Him!  I heard and believed (Rom. 10:8-17)!  If you are reading this, it is not too late to trust in Jesus!