End Times: Unveiling the Kingdom of God-The First Resurrection

We are continuing to explore the End Times as God reveals it in His Word. We reached the point where the final judgment of the Antichrist and the False Prophet is over and the satanic world order has been destroyed. 

We also learned that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to rule and reign for a period of one thousand years. When the thousand years are over, Satan will be loosed and mount one final rebellion against God that will be overturn in a moment by a fiery judgment. 

God's kingdom is an eternal one, so when Satan is cast into the lake of fire, the same kingdom continues afterward. There will be some new things that will take place such as a new Jerusalem, a new heaven and a new earth, but this will still be a part of God's eternal kingdom. 

I thought it might be good to expand a bit on John's description of the resurrections to give us some perspective as Christ's kingdom is established.

Our Body will return to dust.

Ecclesiastes 12:7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. 

Our soul returns to God.

Genesis 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 

Genesis 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 

God made us with a physical body and He put a soul in us that makes us different from animals. We are created as rational, thinking, feeling, living beings. 

Quite simply, the physical body will cease to live. Death is the consequence of Adam's sin. God made Adam from the dust of the earth and the body will return to dust. However, our soul will return to God because He is the One who gave it. 

In the future, our body will be resurrected and reunited with our soul at the resurrection to spend eternity. However, there is the first resurrection of life and believers will receive a new, glorified body and will be with God for eternity. After this the resurrection of damnation will take place. 

I think that this definition of the soul from Webster's 1828 dictionary explains it very well.

"The spiritual, rational and immortal substance in man, which distinguishes him from beasts; that part of man which enables him to think and reason, and which renders him a subject of moral government. The immortality of the soul is a fundamental belief of Christianity. Such is the nature of the human soul that it must have a God, an object of supreme affection."

We can see that our soul has great influence over what we do with our bodies because of it's capacity to think, to feel and to will. Our immortal soul will survive the physical death of our bodies. Our soul will be separated from our physical body at death. 

Our body and soul were created in order to bear the image of God, to live in communion with God and to live in dependency upon God. The consequence of Adam's sin is that all people from that time are born with marred souls and bodies. We are born "dead" to God because of the Fall. Because of Adam's sin both body and soul needs redemption.  

2 Corinthians 5:1-2  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2) For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:  

Paul describes what it is like for the born again believer when our soul is separated from our body at death. The earthly house Paul speaks of is the physical body. The Lord is telling us when our earthly body dies (or is dissolved) that God has prepared a place for our soul to live until the first resurrection. Thus, the believer longs for that day when God clothes us with this new home for our soul in heaven.

2 Corinthian 5: 5-8  Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6)  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7)  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 

How secure is this promise? God sends His Holy Spirit to live in the soul of each born again believer (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).  The Spirit of God living in us is God's down payment and proof He will make good on every single one of His promises. As long as we live on earth (at home in the body) we are absent or away from our Lord. Death brings great joy because though our physical body dies our soul is present with the Lord. This is the hope and confidence for each believer. 

Luke 16:19-24  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20) And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21) And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22) And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23) And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24) And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 

The death of a believer is vastly different from the death of an unbeliever. The moment of death for a believer results in their soul being immediately ushered into the presence of God.  Jesus taught a parable to His disciples that illustrates this truth. Two men are involved who are very different. They both die and end up in diametrically opposite places. 

The beggar named Lazarus was unable to walk and was laid down at a gate each day to beg. He was content to eat crumbs from a wealthy person's meal. This beggar died and was carried to Abraham's bosom which was the place of blessed rest for souls, until Christ rose from the grave and took them home to heaven. This man had faith in God or he would not have awakened in paradise. 

The wealthy man died and he immediately was in a place of fire and torment called hell. He was an unbeliever, trusting in his riches instead of trusting God. Therefore his destination was quite different. 

Resurrected Saints Ruling with God.

Revelation 20:4-6  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. 5) But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6) 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.  

Now, let us read again the text of John's vision. He saw thrones and judgment given to those who were seated on the thrones. He saw the souls. The fact that John saw the souls of tribulation saints, martyred for the cause of Christ, is what Paul wrote about. Being clothed with a home for the soul 2 Corinthians 5:6 made by God that will last until the resurrection of life.

These saints will have work to do for God in the kingdom because they will live and reign for one thousand years. 

The first resurrection begins with the Rapture of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Believers who are alive at the time of the Rapture will witness the dead in Christ rise first to receive glorified bodies and be reunited with their soul. Then, the living believers will be caught up in the air and also receive glorified bodies, equipped to spend eternity in heaven serving the God of glory. 

The first resurrection will not conclude until the very end of the millennial kingdom when Satan rises up one last time. After the devil's final defeat, the great white throne judgment will take place. This will be the resurrection of damnation for all unbelievers. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

This is why I keep asking the question "Are you born again?" Only those who have been regenerated by the Spirit of God will enter His kingdom. The heart of God toward man right now is a gracious invitation to come, hear the gospel of Christ and to believe on the work and person of Jesus Christ. 

This is my hope for all who read this blog. That each person will carefully consider the claims of Christ and turn to Him with repentant faith and call upon Him for salvation. 

Bob