Second Phase of the Coming King Jesus
In is critically important to right theology to understand that the “first resurrection” involves three phases.
The first Person to have been resurrected was the man Jesus, who is
also the Christ; God in human flesh. Because Jesus has been
successfully resurrected and glorified, he became the “firstfruit” of
the New Creation. The very fact of the “firstfruit” guarantees the
future harvest. Therefore, the celebration of the
resurrection/glorification of Jesus (commonly referred to as Easter) is
also the celebration and anticipation of the future second phase of the
“first resurrection” that we know as the Rapture of the Church. It is
critically important to see that the resurrection of Church Age
believers takes place in three phases, Christ Jesus having already
completed the first phase assuring the second and third phases. Paul
refers to these three phases of the “first resurrection” in I
Corinthians 15:23 as “every man in his own order.”
“17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in
your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are
perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all
men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become
the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by
man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own
order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his
coming” (I Corinthians 15:17-23).
There is much confusion about what form the resurrected and glorified body will take.
It is also important to understand that this resurrection of the body
is not merely the resurrection of a dead, corrupt body of flesh to be as
it was before death. The resurrected body of the believer will be
glorified. This means the new body will not be the same as the old
body. The new body will be eternal, it will not grow old, and it will
not suffer from any of the limitations or contaminations of the corrupt
fallen body. The fact is that our present body is but the seed of our
new body.
Understanding that the new body will not be the same as our
present physical body is a difficult thing for most people because we
merely think in terms of renewal. For instance, when
we trade in an old car for a new car, we understand that although the
new car will be new, it will still be much like the old car. It will
probably still have four wheels, and engine, transmission, steering
wheel, brakes, and etc. However, it is still just physical new kind of
the old kind. It will immediately begin to wear out, rust, decay, and
become old. This dynamic will not be part of our new bodies. Our new
bodies will not be new of the old kind. Our new bodies will be new of a
different kind. When the coming King Jesus calls believers from the
grave and from this world at the Rapture, we will immediately be
transfigured to a new kind of body.
“35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with
what body do they come? 36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not
quickened, except it die: 37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not
that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of
some other grain: 38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him,
and to every seed his own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but
there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of
fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and
bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory
of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and
another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star
differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of
the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It
is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it
is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the
last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first
which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which
is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man
is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that
are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are
heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also
bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption
inherit incorruption” (I Corinthians 15:35-50).
In order to escape temporal and earth-bound thinking regarding
the complete transfiguration of our human bodies upon glorification, God
has given us additional insight in I John 3:1-3. The concept
communicated in the believer’s transfiguration upon glorification is
directly connected to our having become “the sons of God.” We
are already positionally “sons of God” by salvation, spiritual rebirth,
and the indwelling seal of the Holy Spirit of God. Yet, there is
another aspect that has not been completed actually. This aspect is
glorification, is to be transfigured to be like Jesus was when He
ascended into Heaven.
“1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And
every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is
pure” (I John 3:1-3).
Upon glorification, the “born again” believer will experience
the kind of freedom that Jesus spoke about in John 8:32 – “And ye shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The
freedom of which Jesus spoke was the complete freedom from the bondage
of the Sin Nature. The “born again” and glorified believer will be
completely free from the fallen corruption of his spirit due to the
infection of pride and worldly lusts. At the rapture of the Church,
“born again” believers will experience for the first time in their lives
perfectly pure selflessness exemplified by the vicarious life and
vicarious death of Jesus Christ. They will experience for the first
time the purest forms of appreciation, adoration, reverence, and worship
of God.
In most part, before our glorification, the understanding of
eternal life has more to do with the benefits of eternal life to us.
Our focus is upon ourselves rather than upon the fact that once we are
glorified, our thinking will be focused primarily upon the glory and
Person of God. Everything else that is worldly, or even
earthly, will seem petty and superficial. This will be true even about
the then visible glories of Heaven. We will not merely be in awe of God
because we will then see Him in all His glory. We will be in awe of
God because we will see Him from the perspective of our own perfect
selflessness. We will see Him comparing what we really are as a created
being to what He really is as our Creator.
When will all this take place? Christian-dumb
is rampant with various rapture theories. However, the Scriptures are
very clear if we are careful in our reading of the texts and what they
teach about the resurrection. There are three basic positions on the
rapture of the Church; Pre-tribulation, Mid-tribulation (included here
is the Pre-wrath rapture position), and Post-tribulation. In order to
arrive at a biblical understanding, we must be careful to maintain two
distinct perspectives from the Word of God. First, we must understand
dispensations and their transitions. Secondly, we must be equally
careful to maintain a clear distinction between the Church and Israel in
our Eschatology. Failure in either of these areas will corrupt our
understanding.
As said already, it is critically
important to see that the resurrection of Church Age believers takes
place in three phases. Paul refers to these three phases of the “first
resurrection” in I Corinthians 15:23 as “every man in his own order.”
First, we should understand is that the seven-year tribulation
period is the seventieth week of Daniel. It refers to a dispensational
transitory period between the Church Age and the Millennial Kingdom Age.
It deals specifically with the judgment of this world and the
restoration of the nation of Israel. The Church is not mentioned after
Revelation 4:1 where the Apostle John represents all believers at the
rapture. Therefore, the Church will not be on earth during the
Tribulation. Notice the similarities between Revelation 4:1 and I
Thessalonians 4:14-17.
“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and
the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with
me; which said, Come up hither {a call up, not Jesus coming to the
earth}, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” (Revelation
4:1).
“14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say
unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain
unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:
and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:14-17).
The seven-year tribulation period is the “day of God’s wrath.” It will be preceded by the rapture of the Church.
The first thing that will happen after the rapture of the Church is the
revealing of the Antichrist (Revelation 6:2; the counterfeit rider on
“a white horse”) in the opening of the first “seal” judgment. In
releasing the “antichrist” on the Earth, God will be releasing part of
His wrath upon the earth and His restraint upon evil. It is obvious
from Scripture that God’s intent is to completely deliver all believers
from this “wrath” before it begins.
“But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto
thyself {the unbelieving Christ-rejecter} wrath against the day of wrath
and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Romans 2:5).
“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we {the redeemed} shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:9).
“And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead,
even Jesus, which delivered us {the redeemed} from the wrath to come”
(I Thessalonians 1:10).
“For God hath not appointed us {the redeemed} to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:9).
The central proofs against the Post-tribulation (or after the
Tribulation) rapture are twofold. First, Christ cannot return with His
“saints” at the end of the tribulation period to establish His Kingdom
if they have not already been resurrected and glorified. Yet the
Scriptures repeatedly state He will return with His “saints.”
“13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of
man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and
they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion,
and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages,
should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall
not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed”
(Daniel 7:13-14).
“And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley
of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye
fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and
the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee” (Zechariah
14:5).
“To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness
before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with
all his saints” (I Thessalonians 3:13).
“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints” (Jude 1:14).
Jude is probably quoting from Daniel 7:10, where Daniel gives us
the broader meaning to what Jude refers to as “ten thousands” in verse
fourteen.
“9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of
days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head
like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels
as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before
him: thousand thousands {millions} ministered unto him, and ten thousand
times ten thousand {one-hundred million} stood before him: the judgment
was set, and the books were opened. 11 I beheld then because of the
voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the
beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken
away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 13 I saw in
the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the
clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him
near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a
kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his
dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his
kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:9-14).
Daniel 7:9-14 can be a confusing text if it is taken out the
context of other teachings in Daniel. The judgment by God here is
during the Tribulation on Earth. It is important to see that
this is not the Great White Throne judgment, because that will take
place after the Kingdom Age. It is not the Judgment Seat of Christ,
because that will take place in Heaven during the seven-year Tribulation
on Earth. This judgment is known as “Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah
30:4-7; Daniel 12:1), which is the judgment of unbelieving Jews. It is
also the “judgment of the nations” (Matthew 25:31-46), which is the Seal
Judgments released from Heaven upon the Christ rejecting Gentile
nations of the world. This is not for the Church!
Those returning with Christ at the battle of Armageddon are all
Old Covenant and all Church Age “saints.” A basic study of the Old
Testament will reveal that “fine linen” was the clothing of the priests.
The saints of the New Covenant Church Age (from Pentecost to the
Rapture) will be the “royal” and “holy” priesthood of Christ during the
Kingdom Age (I Peter 2:5-9; Revelation 1:6; 2:26-28; 5:10; and 20:6).
“11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that
sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth
judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head
were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he
himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his
name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven
followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean”
(Revelation 19:11-14).
Secondly, we must also understand
that the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:7-10) will take
place prior to the second advent of Christ. This will obviously require
the presence of the Bride (the Church). The common Jewish wedding celebration (“marriage supper”) lasted seven days.
Since the Tribulation period is the “seventieth week” of Daniel, we
can conclude that the “marriage supper of the Lamb” will last for the
whole seven-years of the Tribulation period. The Church will be
glorified in Heaven with Christ for that whole period of time, not just
the last few days (or years).
Much confusion is caused by those misunderstanding of the
completion of the “first resurrection” in Revelation 20:4-6. This is
actually the third and last phase of the “first resurrection.”
During the Tribulation, millions of people will accept Christ as their
Savior. The majority of these people will be martyred for Jesus
Christ. They will either be “beheaded” or they will starve to death
because they will not be allowed to work, buy, or sell goods without the
“mark of the beast.”
“15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that
the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as
would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16 And he
causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to
receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that
no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the
beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:15-17).
These martyred Tribulation saints will not be resurrected and
glorified until after (or at) the second coming of Christ to the Earth.
This means they will be resurrected from the dead (redemption of the
body, Romans 8:23) and glorified by the beginning of the Kingdom Age.
They will share in the Kingdom Age reign of Christ. The meaning of
phrase “this is the first resurrection” is that their resurrection
completes the “first resurrection” that began with Christ and continued
with the rapture prior to the beginning of the Tribulation period.
“4 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 {the lost} 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” (Revelation
20:4-6).
The Tribulation saints must be distinguished from Israel as
well. The probability is they will share in Christ’s rule as part of
the Church since they die prior to the second advent of Christ.
“9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man
could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,
stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes,
and palms in their hands. . .14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest.
And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation,
and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb” (Revelation 7:9 and 14).
We can gather from all of this an
overall understanding of the end-times up to this point. It would be a
serious mistake to presume that because the Tribulation saints are not
resurrected until after the Tribulation that the rapture of the Church
will not take place until that time. It should be clearly understood
from Revelation 20:5 that this is intended to complete the first
resurrection that had happened earlier. Christ was the “firstfruits” (I
Corinthians 15:20-23), then all Church Age believers from the Day of
Pentecost to the beginning of the Tribulation, and then the martyred
Tribulation saints at the second coming of Christ.
Another text that causes much confusion about when the rapture
occurs is Matthew chapter twenty-four. This is mistaken for a rapture
text because it is taken out of its dispensational context. We must
remember that the context of the Gospel of Matthew is Jesus coming as
the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant. The confusion that
this is a rapture text is forced upon Matthew chapter twenty-four
because of a misunderstanding of Christ’s epistle to the local church at
Sardis in Revelation chapter three. Because people confuse Christ’s
statement about coming as a thief, they presume a monothetic use of this
phrase and that the text is teaching that Jesus is coming for
believers. Revelation 3:1 tells us that there were lost people in the
church of Sardis. Therefore, Jesus speaks to the lost in first part of
Revelation 3:3 calling them to remember the Gospel, repent, and be
saved. These people manifest their lost condition by not watching for
the coming of Jesus.
“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold
fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee
as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee”
(Revelation 3:3).
Therefore, this text is not referring to the rapture of Church
Age believers. Instead, the text refers to the second coming of Jesus
Christ after the Tribulation period and at Armageddon. The
ramifications of this warning are very broad. Since the redeemed will
not go through the Tribulation period, and will be raptured (I
Thessalonians 4:16-17) prior to this, this means that the people to
which this text warns are lost. This confirms the meaning behind the
statement “thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead” (3:1).
Christ’s coming “as a thief” is a reference to Matthew 24:43. In this
context it refers to Christ coming in judgment, not to rescue the Church
from wrath, which is the intent of the rapture.
“37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe
entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took
them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then
shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken {killed in judgment},
and the other left {alive to go into the Kingdom Age}. 41 Two women
shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken {killed in
judgment}, and the other left {alive to go into the Kingdom Age}. 42
Watch {this is for those saved during the Tribulation} therefore: for ye
know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the
goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he
would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken
up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not
the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:37-44).
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Numerous studies and series are available free of charge for local churches at: http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/
Dr. Lance Ketchum serves the Lord as a Church Planter, Evangelist/Revivalist.
He has served the Lord for over 40 years.
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