"Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection."—Rev. 20:6. Having seen
in the previous chapter that the final and universal
resurrection of all the dead will take place at the instant of
Christ's second advent, it follows conclusively that the
resurrection here referred to as "the first
resurrection" must precede his coming. If an actual
resurrection takes place now, it must be the first, for it
precedes in point of time the literal resurrection of either
the righteous dead or the wicked. But do the scriptures teach
such a resurrection ? Yes. John says, "We know that we
have passed from death unto life."—1 John 3:14. This is
clear. 1. An actual resurrection now takes place. Men
pass from "death unto life." 2. This resurrection is
spiritual, and makes men "blessed and holy." Be
assured, dear reader, that the writer is one that "hath
part in the first resurrection."
But says one, "There can be no
resurrection except there first be a death." True. But
death reigns on every hand. Every unregenerated man and woman
is dead, spiritually dead—"dead in trespasses and
sins."—Eph. 2:1. "We were dead in sins."—Ver.
5. "You being dead in your sins."—Col. 2:13.
"To be carnally minded is death."— Rom. 8:6.
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die."—Ezek. 18:4.
"Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."—
Jas. 1:15. "Sin revived, and I died."—Rom. 7:9.
"She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth."—1
Tim. 5:6. "He that loveth not his brother abideth in
death." —1 John 3:14. God told our fore-parents when he
forebade them to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt
surely die." They transgressed, and death—spiritual
death— was the immediate result. But this did not stop with
Adam. The effects of the fall were far reaching. The whole
human family was plunged into death as the result of the same.
'By one man [Adam sin entered into the world, and death by
sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned."—Rom. 5:12. Again, we read that "death
reigned from Adam to Moses."—Ver. 14. The word death
in these texts clearly refers to spiritual death in
trespasses and sins, because it is used interchangeably with
the word sin.
Spiritual death reigned from Adam to
Moses. Then Moses gave a law, but it was too weak to give
life. Paul says, "If there had been a law given which
could have given life, verily righteousness should have been
by the law."—Gal. 3:21. Spiritual life then could not
be obtained under the law. So it is a positive fact that
spiritual death reigned over the world from Adam to Christ.
Death was God's decree upon fallen man. Think of it! over five
thousand years death reigned over the world. Oh, the misery
and woe that followed in its trail! But hark! While death is
reigning and the millions of earth are in slumber, we hear the
sweet accents of the gospel reverberating throughout the
length and breadth of the earth, bringing comfort to its
despairing myraids that Christ "hath abolished death, and
hath brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel."—2 Tim. 1:10. "I am come that they might
have life."—John 10:10. "Wherefore he saith,
Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ
shall give thee light."—Eph. 5:14. Amen.
The first resurrection began with this
gospel dispensation. Surely no one will deny that the
spiritual work of God in our souls is a real and indeed very
important resurrection. The loud blast from the trumpet of
truth to fallen man in this dispensation is: "Awake, thou
that deepest and arise from the dead." Jesus said,
"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die."—John
11:25, 26. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is
coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the
Son of God; and they that hear shall live." "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come
into condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life."—John 5:24, 25. Need anything be plainer than
this? The first resurrection is spiritual. It is progressive,
or a continuous operation throughout the gospel era. It was
then present, and yet to come. It was personal and
conditional. "The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of
God, and they that hear shall live." Namely, they that
hear with acceptance of the same. Again, they receiving this
resurrection are justified from all their sins, and
"shall not come into condemnation, but are passed from
death unto life." We will next give examples of those who
had attained unto this resurrection.
Paul exhorted the Roman brethren:
"Yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive
from the dead." Rom. 6:13. "And you hath he
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins."
"Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us
together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved;) and hath raised
us up together."—Eph. 2:1, 5, 6. "And you, being
dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath
he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all
trespasses."—Col. 2:13. "Ye are risen with
him."—Ver. 12. "If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above."—3:1. "We know
that we have passed from death unto life."—1 John 3:14.
The following undeniable facts are clearly set forth. First.
All sinners are dead in trespasses and sins. Second. All such
are commanded to awake out of sleep and "arise from the
dead." Third. When men and women get saved in Christ, an
actual resurrection takes place. Fourth. This resurrection
makes men "blessed and holy." Fifth. It being an
actual resurrection, and antedating all others, must of
necessity be the first.
While the millions quickened to life
throughout this entire gospel dispensation all taken together
compose the "first resurrection," it may properly be
said that there have been two spiritual resurrections; namely,
The mighty host raised up before the "dark ages,"
and the second host saved since that time. Through the pure
gospel of the primitive church, a large host of souls were
raised from death unto life. They were "a royal
priesthood," "a holy nation." They reigned
"in life" over Satan, sin and the world. But soon
the darkness of the apostasy crushed out the light of God.
"What are termed the middle ages commenced with the
fifth, and terminated with the fifteenth century. Of these the
first six are denominated the dark ages; but throughout the
whole period, Christianity suffered a long eclipse of a
thousand years."—Goodrich's Church History, Page 478.
During that dark period salvation work, with a few exceptions,
ceased; and the "rest of the dead" of Adam's fallen
race "lived not again until the thousand years were
finished." The kingdom of God was largely hid under the
human rubbish of men. The reign on earth ceased, and the only
reign enjoyed by the people of God was enjoyed "with
Christ" in Paradise by that host who had taken part in
the first resurrection. But the reformation again brings the
resurrecting grace of God into action, and thousands of the
"rest of the dead" have been and are being made
alive in Christ. Hallelujah! See Rev. 20:4~6.
