The Gospel of the Kingdom, of salvation, is preached in terms of the promise and warning of the second resurrection. It is at the second resurrection that men will enter eternal life or else into eternal torment. The great mass of earth's people will be raised from the dead at the second resurrection—that which will occur at the termination of the thousand-year period.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:46)

And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:29)

The First Resurrection

The first resurrection has requirements and purposes that are quite different from those of the second resurrection. The first resurrection is that of the overcomers, of the Lord's firstfruits, of the pillars of the eternal Temple of God.

Whereas the righteous of the second resurrection enter life, the first resurrection is the raising to the thrones of glory and judgment those who have shared in the power of Christ's resurrection, and in His sufferings, while still in their mortal bodies.

Perhaps one of the clearest statements concerning the first resurrection, the resurrection that will take place when the Lord Jesus appears, the resurrection of the nobility of the Kingdom of God, is as follows:

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6)

Notice the following facts and concepts included here:

They sat on thrones.

Judgment was given to them.

They were beheaded for the witness of Jesus.

They did not receive the mark of Antichrist.

They lived.

They reigned with Christ during the thousand years.

The rest of the dead did not return to life until the thousand years were finished.

They are blessed and holy.

The second death has no authority over them.

They are priests of God and of Christ.

This is the first resurrection.

It can be seen how very different the first resurrection is from the second resurrection. The dead do not come from the sea, from death, and from Hell, as in the second resurrection. The participants in the first resurrection are victorious saints. They are blessed and holy to the extent that the Lake of Fire, the second death, has no claim on them. The second death has no claim on them because there is no sin in them over which the Lake of Fire has authority (Revelation 2:11; 21:8). Their works have been wrought in God.

These are the enthroned judges of the Kingdom, the mighty kings and judges of the ages to come, the priests of God and of Christ. They will reign with Jesus throughout the thousand-year Kingdom Age by the power of incorruptible resurrection life. They have been crowned with life.

To be continued.