CHAPTER 34: THE BODY OF CHRIST BELIEVES IN TWO VERY DIFFERENT FIRST RESURRECTIONS

CHAPTER 34: THE BODY OF CHRIST BELIEVES IN TWO VERY DIFFERENT FIRST RESURRECTIONS

The Body of Jesus Christ teaches the First Resurrection in two (or more) ways. According to my understanding, overcomers, at the time of their mortal deaths, move into a new angelic body. There is no separation from God.

This is taught as literal truth because of the understanding of Water and Holy Ghost Baptism as an actual death of the soul and body, as taught in Romans 6:1-14. According to Romans 6, each believer begins their life under the curse of death because of sin. They are dead in sin. Once they recognize Christ as the Savior and receive Water Baptism they become dead in Christ, spirit, soul and body, awaiting their resurrection in Christ. Then when they receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost they are resurrected into the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

When a disciple receives the Holy Ghost, their mortal spirit--our spirit--is separated from their soul and flesh. The soul and the flesh, referred to in baptism as the Old Man, die. The soul and flesh are resurrected and united again with the body, becoming a new man reborn and joined with God by the Holy Ghost. By Jesus, the Word of God, we are renewed in the image and likeness of God, in the knowledge of righteousness and true holiness. The spirit, soul and body are reunited to form a new creature which is born into the Kingdom of God.

Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

After completing their Fire Baptism, those following Romans 6:1-14 receive the promise of eternal life. They can then move directly into their new bodies on the day they die, as promised by Jesus in John 3:16 and Paul in Romans 6:22-23.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Those who believe in the teaching of the First Resurrection hold that they do not have to experience a bodily second death nor separation from the Holy Ghost and God. Others affirm and teach there is no physical death of soul and body in Holy Ghost Baptism. They believe death only happens to the spirit. Each saint will undergo a physical death as Jesus did during the First Resurrection.

These believe their spirits will wait in the grave or God's Book of Remembrance until the time of mass resurrection at the physical return of Jesus. In this way, they will be able to claim his completed bride. A new body is given to the overcoming dead at that time. These believe Romans 6:1-14 is a spiritual death not an actual death.

But if the OTW teachers believe Romans 6:1-14 is a spiritual death they believe the spirit, soul and body must die again at the end of their life to fulfill scripture making John 3:11 and Romans 6 false.

They believe Jesus died spirit, soul and body by separation from God and God's Holy Ghost. They believe they too...must die again spirit, soul and body to be like him. Unknowingly, they make their own bodies a propitiation for God's wrath. Their death is viewed as a self sacrifice for sin and Jesus is viewed as an example alone, taking his sacrifice out of the equation for salvation. Death becomes the giver of eternal life.

Death becomes the means by which God transforms believers into new bodies with eternal life, not Christ. Death could not have been abolished by Jesus in 1 Timothy 1:10. The belief that we have to die like Jesus is the single greatest error in this belief. Jesus and only Jesus was the propitiation for Adam's sin. There is no other suitable sacrifice for sin than Jesus' offering. No sacrifice is like Jesus, the sacrifice without blemish for the world, never guilty of sin, yet willing to die for our sins. If Jesus had not willingly died as the overcoming sacrifice for mankind's sake, mankind would have been lost.

If Jesus had NOT chosen to die for our sins, Jesus, being sinless and an overcomer with the power of the Holy Ghost…a mortal death could not have possibly taken him. No one can ever die and resurrect like Jesus. This leaves another question unanswered, which is how does this belief affect the Second Resurrection people? They reappear with a carnal mind, and they need to be perfected as well. Do they likewise have to die again...then await another resurrection?

The doctrine of the OTW contradicts the doctrine of the First and Second Resurrections directly. The sequential standard set for the First Resurrection is stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 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.

Paul's explicit emphasis on the sequential standard of resurrection is that the DEAD IN CHRIST shall rise FIRST! The Worthies did not die under Christ (the law of righteousness) they died under God under the Mosaic Law. To make OTW's resurrection an actual occurrence would make Paul a liar and a false prophet.

The biblical FACT is that the OTW of Hebrews 11 is not rewarded in Matthew 27. The characters in Hebrews 11 had no knowledge of the First Resurrection. In fact the resurrection anticipated by the OTW was never the Second Resurrection in the Old Testament. The OTW understanding of resurrection was always taught and thought of as a single resurrection.

It is only a spiritual resurrection which Matthew adds to Matthew 27:52-53 in order to declare the First Resurrection power of Christ and acknowledge Romans 6:1-14. Matthew inserted it to show Jesus' death, burial and resurrection power to those of Acts 2:1-4. Understanding this spiritual analogy, happening at a different time than the crucifixion, gives us an understanding of how Matthew intended Matthew 27:52-53 to be understood.

The 120 saints in the upper room became the first members of the First Resurrection on the Day of Pentecost. They were seen by many, 3000 people, as they began their walk into the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which is the Bride of Jesus Christ.

God provided a way for mankind to achieve success through belief in Jesus Christ and his teachings. Each believer's denial of humanity's freewill and acceptance of the Will of God in their hearts will prove to God their love and devotion.

The acceptance of the doctrine of the OTW resurrection would allow an exception to these rules.