What is the First Resurrection?
Question 10097
The phrase “first resurrection” appears only once in Scripture, in Revelation 20:5-6, yet it represents one of the most significant events in God’s prophetic programme. Understanding what the first resurrection is—and who participates in it—helps us grasp God’s plan for His people across the ages and gives believers tremendous hope for the future.
The Biblical Text
In Revelation 20:4-6, John writes: “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”
The Greek term used here is ἀνάστασις (anastasis), meaning “a rising up” or “resurrection.” The word πρώτη (prōtē), meaning “first,” indicates this resurrection is distinguished from another resurrection that follows—what we might call the second resurrection, which occurs after the thousand years.
The Nature of the First Resurrection
From a dispensational premillennial perspective, the first resurrection is not a single event occurring at one moment in time, but rather a category or type of resurrection that includes all believers from every age. Think of it as a harvest with different stages. Paul uses exactly this imagery in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”
The word translated “order” is τάγμα (tagma), a military term referring to a company or division of soldiers. Paul is saying there are different companies or groups within this resurrection programme. Jesus Himself was the firstfruits—the first to rise in a glorified, immortal body never to die again. He is the guarantee and pattern for all who follow.
The Stages of the First Resurrection
Scripture reveals several stages within this first resurrection. The first stage was Jesus Himself, who rose on the third day as “the firstborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:18). Interestingly, Matthew 27:52-53 records that “the tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” These Old Testament saints appear to have been raised as part of Jesus’ resurrection victory, though Scripture does not elaborate on their subsequent fate.
The next stage occurs at the Rapture of the Church. Paul describes this in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Here, all Church-age believers who have died are raised with glorified bodies, and living believers are transformed instantaneously (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
Following the seven-year Tribulation period, another stage of the first resurrection occurs. This is what Revelation 20:4 specifically describes—the resurrection of Tribulation martyrs who were “beheaded for the testimony of Jesus.” These believers refused to worship the beast or receive his mark, and they are raised to reign with Jesus during the Millennium. Daniel 12:1-2 also points to this resurrection of Old Testament saints at the end of the Tribulation: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Who Participates in the First Resurrection?
The first resurrection includes all believers from every dispensation—Old Testament saints who looked forward to the Messiah, Church-age believers who trust in Jesus’ finished work, and Tribulation saints who come to faith after the Rapture. What unites them all is saving faith in God’s provision. Though the timing of their resurrection differs, they all share in this “resurrection of life” (John 5:29) as opposed to the “resurrection of judgement” that awaits unbelievers.
This is why John pronounces a blessing in Revelation 20:6: “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection!” Those who participate receive glorified bodies like Jesus’ resurrection body (Philippians 3:21), immunity from the second death, and the privilege of reigning with Jesus as priests during the millennial kingdom and throughout eternity.
The Significance for Believers Today
Understanding the first resurrection should fill every believer with hope and confidence. Paul told the Thessalonians not to grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Death for the Christian is not the end but the doorway to glory. Our loved ones who have died in faith are not lost to us forever—they will be raised, and we shall be reunited with them when Jesus comes.
The first resurrection also reminds us that our physical bodies matter to God. He is not simply interested in saving our souls while discarding our bodies. The resurrection demonstrates that redemption is comprehensive—spirit, soul, and body will all be glorified and made new. As Paul writes in Romans 8:23, we “wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
Conclusion
The first resurrection encompasses all believers from every age who are raised to eternal life in glorified bodies. It unfolds in stages—beginning with Jesus as the firstfruits, continuing with the Church at the Rapture, and concluding with Tribulation and Old Testament saints at Jesus’ return to establish His kingdom. Every person who has trusted in God’s salvation through Jesus participates in this blessed resurrection, receiving immortal bodies and the privilege of reigning with Him forever. The second death—eternal separation from God—has no power over those who share in this resurrection. What comfort this brings to all who belong to Jesus!
“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6
Bibliography
- Walvoord, John F. The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Chicago: Moody Press, 1966.
- Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1958.
- Thomas, Robert L. Revelation 8-22: An Exegetical Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1995.
- Ryrie, Charles C. Basic Theology. Chicago: Moody Press, 1999.
- Fruchtenbaum, Arnold G. The Footsteps of the Messiah. Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2003.
