Dear Rick:
Hello, I'm wondering
if you are familiar with any author who wrote of the different resurrections (i.e., 1Co.
15:23-24) and to whom they were applicable.
I've been reading the
material on your site and have come to believe in the Latter Days scenario that
you have been presenting.
We know that there
will be certain "Old Testament" saints and others who will be raised
in order to implement the pre-millennial kingdom and reign in it, i.e., Elijah, David
(and even Nebuchadnezzar and others prior to this period?), etc. However, I'm
confused about others who will be raised.
For instance, the 12
apostles were promised that they will rule and reign under Christ in His
kingdom (during His 1000-year reign, as far as I understand it), so that means
that they will remain asleep during the period preceding Christ's earthly
reign? This then begs the question about who will be resurrected in the
pre-millennial period, the millennial kingdom, and the new heaven/earth after
the millennial kingdom.
I know that all
humanity will eventually be raised and vivified at the consummation.
Can you provide any
light about who will be raised and when, or at least direct me to other sources
who might?
Thanks for any help
you can give me, if any,
______
Reply from Rick:
Dear ______,
Thank you for your questions. I would like to address them.
First 1 Cor. 15:23, 24 is dealing only with resurrections to immortality "vivifications". So the resurrections of the pre-millennial kingdom are not mentioned. The Body of Christ (the current church) will be vivified and so will be part of this mentioned in "Those who are Christ's in His presence" this term will also apply to those raised at the beginning of the thousand years, and then finally those at the consummation, when God is all in all.
All other resurrections are not mentioned in 1 Cor. 15:23, 24, because those resurrections do not result in immortality. This is why "Christ the firstfruit" is mentioned, He was the very first to rise from the dead in immortality, others have been raised from the dead before and after Christ's resurrection, but the others were not made immortal, and consequently died again.
As to the 12 apostles, I think they too will be brought back to life during the pre-millennial era. Peter will proclaim the evangel of circumcision during this time, and he and the rest of the 12 will suffer persecution and perhaps even be put to death toward the end of that era. Notice the rather puzzling remark our Lord makes in John 21
18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were
young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you
are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry
you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of
death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow
me.” and especially this remark 20 Peter
turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also
had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it
that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord,
what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he
remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the
saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet
Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he
remain until I come, what is that to you?”
I think the answer is that John will indeed be alive at the end of the last seven years of the pre-millennial era, compare Rev. 10:8 –– Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
I think this sheds much light on what the Lord Jesus said in John 21.
Well, I will close for now, but please feel free to ask follow up questions or other thoughts you may have.
Yours in Christ,
Rick Farwell