A Better Resurrection? First, Second and ??? Place in the Kingdom?

Hebrews 11:35, A better resurrection. This verse indicates that there is more than one resurrection of the righteous dead, and that there is at least one resurrection that is better than another one.

Likely, the first resurrection will be the best resurrection, since the righteous dead saints and the righteous living saints will be resurrected at that time to meet Yeshua in the air at his second coming.

The resurrection/s that will occur subsequent to that (whether it/they will occur/s during the millennium or at the white throne judgment) will likely be inferior to the first resurrection. Why is this?

Those saints who will be part of the first resurrection are those who endured and overcame the world, the flesh and the devil and remained faithful to Yeshua against such opposition. They are the strongest and most righteous saints, since their mettle, loyalty, faith and endurance was tested under the most trying circumstances, and they still remained faithful to Yeshua. They will likely be those who will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:19).

Those saints who will be resurrected subsequent to that will have had to go through great refining trials because they are spiritually subpar. This will be because they weren’t faithful in living up to the spiritual light they were given, or because not as much was given to them in the first place, so not as much was required of them (note the Parable of the Talents in Matt 25:14–30; Luke 12:48).

Those who come to faith in the millennium will likely have a lower reward, since their overcoming faith didn’t need to be as strong. This is because they lived during ideal times when evil was suppressed because Yeshua was ruling the world and Satan was imprisoned in the bottomless pit, thus making it easier to be a saint.

All this goes to show that there are levels of rewards in the kingdom of heaven (e.g. Matt 5:19; Matt 25:20–23, 29; Rev 2:23; 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 20:12), even as there are levels of punishment (e.g. Luke 12:47–48).

Those who are currently lukewarm believers and who turn their lives around now and who open the door of their life to Yeshua (Rev 3:20) becoming red hot for him prior to his first coming (and first resurrection; Rev 3:15) will have a shot at the highest reward in the kingdom; that is, to sit with Yeshua on his throne (Rev 3:21). This  shows the mercy and grace of YHVH in that he can take even lukewarm saints who desire to turn their lives around and to repent and reward them with the highest position in his kingdom.

Lest we get smug in our spiritual complacency, let’s not forget what Peter said, “the righteous are scarcely save” (1 Pet 4:18). Every saint living is lukewarm to one degree or another by YHVH’s highest, righteous spiritual standards. Those who don’t think they are lukewarm are blinded by their own pride and self-righteousness, which is the greatest sin of all! In fact, the Bible teaches that our best righteousness is as filthy rags (Isa 64:6). Yet, at the same time, there is hope for us all to come to the higher spiritual level! This, however, won’t occur without our having to go through the refining fires of trials (Rev 3:18) or, for some, even great tribulation (Rev 7:14) at the end of the age prior to Yeshua’s second coming.

 

21 thoughts on “A Better Resurrection? First, Second and ??? Place in the Kingdom?

  1. Natan………….. Could you explain what you mean here….”Likely, the first resurrection will be the best resurrection, since the righteous dead saints and the righteous living saints will be resurrected at that time to meet Yeshua in the air at his second coming.”? How are righteous LIVING resurrected? I am confused. Also Can you explain Rev 20:4-5? Are the ONLY ones resurrected for the Millennium those who were beheaded for their testimony? These verses seem to indicate that. Thanks!!!!

    • Those physical humans that will be alive at the beginning of the Millennium will be those who survived the end times holocaust and who didn’t make the first resurrection but lived through the wrath of Elohim on into the Millennium. They will also have children during the Millennium. These are the physical people that Yeshua will be King of kings over and will rule with a rod of iron, that the David and 12 apostles will rule over, and that those who received their glorified bodies at the first resurrection will rule over as kings and priests of Yeshua. They will have a chance to receive salvation and eternal life even as we have in our time. They along with us will then go into the New Jerusalem on the new earth in the new heavens at the end of the Millennium. Everyone else will be burned up in the lake of fire after the white throne judgment, which occurs after the Millennium. At least, this is how understand the chronology of things to be based on the chronology of Revelation and the other biblical prophecies on the subject.

  2. Hi drbetsill… I think what Nate means is the “righteous living” will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, resurrected into their new bodies if you will at the same time that the righteous dead are resurrected in the first resurrection, which is said to be the best resurrection.

  3. Shalom

    The living saints are given the Resurrection of the righteous which is being clothed with the immortal spiritual body by meeting Messiah in the air at his return……the physical body is still alive at the time of he return. This is what I understand Natan is referring to. Blessings. FJ

    • Rev 20:4 seems to be referring to the resurrected, glorified saints who will be the king-priests(Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6 cp. Dan 7:18; Exod 19:6) ruling and reigning over this physical earth and the physical people alive on it during the millennium. Verse 5, according to my understanding, indicates that the unsaved dead at the time of the first resurrection and perhaps those who died during the millennium will be raised at the end of the Millennium during the white throne judgment talked about later in the same chapter.

    • “Beheaded” could possibly (I agree this is very speculative!) be a “figurative” term of speech in the same manner that we are “slain”to ourselves but “alive” in Yeshua.

      Thus, “beheaded” (as referring to “souls”) denotes a believers’ spiritual self and means we have lost the “Headship” of the 1st Adam and the new “Head” of our spiritual self is Yeshua!

      We are in the Body of Yeshua, but He is the Head through Union with Him (I am in You and You are in Me)

      • Notice that the “beheading” is said to occur “because of their testimony for Yeshua and the Word of God”, which could make the replaced “Headship” thinking about “beheading” more plausible!

      • When reading Scriptures, let’s not forget that there are four levels of understanding to consider. They are peshat (the plain or literal meaning of a text), remez (the hinted or suggested meaning of a text), drash (the allegorical or metaphorical meaning of a text) and sod (the hidden or mystical/esoteric meaning of a text). When a scripture says “beheaded,” we can’t just immediately jump to the allegorical meaning of the text unless we have a sound, logical reason to do so. We have to assume the peshat meaning first, and then maybe, if it’s copacetic to the text, we can go from there to the remez or drash level. We usually don’t start at the drash level, unless we know for sure it’s allegorical—like when Yeshua says that he’s the door, or that saints are to be salt and light. Obviously, that’s metaphorical and not literal. So with regard to those beheaded, I’m inclined to think that this likely refers to those Christian martyrs who have been beheaded by Islam in these last days (since Moslems are the ones that behead people—at least in modern times—the Koran calls for it; or in times past, the Catholics did so also during the inquisition and counter-Protestant reformation periods and before, and so did the French during their Revolution). Personally, I see no reason to view this text allegorically. The text suggests that they were beheaded for their witness of the Testimony of Yeshua (i.e. the NT) and the Word of Elohim (i.e. the OT). The Greek word for witness is marturia where our word martyr comes from. Moreover, they refused to worship the beast and take his mark. The implication is that they died for their faith at the hands of the NWO Antichrist system. Buckle your seat belts. Crazy times are coming for the saints. They’re already here for those living under Moslem and totalitarian regimes!!!

  4. Ok, but.that’s not quite what I meant…………I agree with the meaning of beheaded, I am asking if since those are THE only ones listed, does that mean that ONLY those who were beheaded will be ruling in the Millennium. What about those who died another way in the past or present and those changed….and is the changing done at His return before the Mill or after the mill? What are THOSE beheaded singled out? IS there an implication regarding all others?

    • My understanding is that the “beheaded” represents ALL “persecuted saints” who have died believing in Yeshua for their salvation.

      Don’t know what Natan’s view are on this!

      • Recall that when David slew Goliath, he beheaded him. This battle foreshadowed the victory of Yeshua (son of David) over Satan.

        Thus, the “beheaded” saints in Revelation 20:4 are saints who were born of flesh and blood naturally, but by being spiritually “born again”, they have achieved victory (salvation) over Satan through their belief in Yeshua’s atoning death for them.

        This, of course, would include saints who were literally “beheaded” on earth for their testimony of Yeshua to other men.

      • The problem with the David and Goliath comparison vs. the beheading prophesied in Rev 20:4 is that David was the good guy beheading the bad guy. This is not the case with Rev 20:4, so I see no parallels between these two passages.

      • I would say yes in a very general sense, but beheading is specific to a particular religious system in the end times. I’d say this is a prophecy speaking specifically to the rise of Islam. This is the chief antichrist religion on earth today. Have we not been reading about the beheading of Christians in our headlines recently on a regular basis?

      • OK, as you say, we can agree to disagree!

        My point is that when we were born naturally (our carnal nature), we are the “enemies” of God in the flesh (BAD guys to use your analogy!) and by being “born again”, Yeshua slays our (BAD guy carnal) fleshly nature through His salvation (thus He, the GOOD guy) slays our natural (BAD guy) flesh and we become His conquest (Good guys in the end).

        That’s my last comment on this, if you disagree, that’s OK, the important point is Yeshua is magnified!!

      • How can I disagree with that? This is the wonderful truth of coming into a relationship with Yeshua! HalleluYah!
        I can even see that truth hinted at in the David and Goliath story as David is a type of Yeshua and Goliath is a picture of our sin nature. I get that beautiful picture. Just not sure how this equates with the saints martyred for their faith in the last days as per Rev 20:4. The only parity I see between the two is the heads coming off. May Yeshua be magnified ALWAYS! And thanks for helping to stretch our thinking a little.

    • Natan! Where are you? Any comments on the questions above? Not thatit matter what I think, but Mike Ford, I disagree that beheaded represents all persecuted. I think that is taking too much liberty:<)

    • Actually in then Book of Revelation, it is mentioned three times about the saints ruling and reigning with Yeshua as kings and priest in the Millennium. Rev 20:4 is but one reference to this. In in Rev 20:6, it says that those in the first resurrection (not just those who were beheaded will rule and reign with Messiah. In Rev 1:6 it gives this same honor to those who are washed in the blood of Yeshua. See also Rev 6:10. My guess is that martyrs will have a special or higher level of reward in the kingdom, but just my speculation.

      Whenever we do a study on a biblical subject, it’s important to look at all the passages that pertain to that subject, or else we’re not going to get a complete picture, but a skewed one. For me, a computer Bible word search program is indispensable in the process. Don’t know what I’d do without it. Before this, I used a Strong’s Concordance. That takes a lot of time!

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