Did a 1st resurrection of saints literally happen?

Victor in Christ said:

Mathew 27:51-54

51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

If the 1st resurrection of the saints did happen after Christ's resurrection, its highly possible it was the OT Saints in v 52. The Centurion believed Christ was the Son of God after these miracles and all those watching. Some of the Saduccees (who never believed in the resurrection of the dead) may have have believed also.

Jesus said Abraham was in heaven Luke 16:19-31

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The first resurrection is the rebirth from spiritual death into eternal life of John 3:3, 5.

Human spirits are immortal, do not die. The spirits of the deceased saints are in "Paradise," while the spirits of deceased unbelievers are in "Hades," the two parts of "Sheol," which are names from the Old Testament for the holding place of the spirits of the deceased.

Victor in Christ said:

Mathew 27:51-54

51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

If the 1st resurrection of the saints did happen after Christ's resurrection, its highly possible it was the OT Saints in v 52. The Centurion believed Christ was the Son of God after these miracles and all those watching. Some of the Saduccees (who never believed in the resurrection of the dead) may have have believed also.

Jesus said Abraham was in heaven Luke 16:19-31

Would these saints be the frist fruits? in James 1:18, James describes believers he's writing to as a 'type/kind' of first fruits of Christ's creatures

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The term "First resurrection" in the Bible is from Rev 20 which is after the "second coming" event of Rev 19 -- which is still future.

But other than that - I agree that it was OT saints and that the Matt 27 resurrection was literal.

Luke 16 is a parable told by Christ where Abraham is sovereign of all of heaven - and is long before the Matt 27 event.

James 1:18 is not written to beings in heaven. It uses "We" and includes James.

"18 In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures."

"First Fruits" in that case due to the new birth

Victor in Christ said:

1 Corinthians 15:20 'But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept'

What does Paul mean by firstfruits?

James 1:18 'Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Who is James talking about?

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Firstfruits is one of the OT feasts (Leviticus 23:9-14) established by God where a sheaf or branch of the new crop was offered to the Lord.

Christ rose on the feast of Firstfruits, and in Paul's usage in 1 Cor, he is naming Jesus the firstfruits of the resurrection of God's people, which will occur at his second coming at the end of time.

James is paralleling the first sheaf of the harvest, which was an indication of the whole harvest to follow, to the first Christians who were an indication that a great number of people would eventually be born again (the spiritual harvest of the cross).

And we must take our understanding of NT doctrine from NT teaching, rather than from personal interpretation of unfulfilled prophecies (riddles, dark sayings--Numbers 12:8) which interpretations enjoy no authority, and which personal interpretations are often contrary to NT authoritative teaching on the matter.

Victor in Christ said:

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

What does Paul mean by 'every man in his own order?

James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Who is James talking about, when he adds the verb (tis) 'a kind' ?

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He is not talking about the 1Cor 15 resurrection of Christ "Christ the firstfruits" - but rather born again Christians as "a kind" of firstfruits... implying more than one kind.

Victor in Christ said:

Mathew 27:51-54

51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

If the 1st resurrection of the saints did happen after Christ's resurrection, its highly possible it was the OT Saints in v 52. The Centurion believed Christ was the Son of God after these miracles and all those watching. Some of the Saduccees (who never believed in the resurrection of the dead) may have have believed also.

Jesus said Abraham was in heaven Luke 16:19-31

Would these saints be the frist fruits? in James 1:18, James describes believers he's writing to as a 'type/kind' of first fruits of Christ's creatures

Click to expand...

Isreal has three feast of "First fruits" and Pesach (Passover) is one of these so yes I firmly believe those in Judah and Israel who were holy when they died or purified afterward were indeed raised as one day we too shall be raised from the dead.

Victor in Christ said:

Mathew 27:51-54

51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

If the 1st resurrection of the saints did happen after Christ's resurrection, its highly possible it was the OT Saints in v 52. The Centurion believed Christ was the Son of God after these miracles and all those watching. Some of the Saduccees (who never believed in the resurrection of the dead) may have have believed also.

Jesus said Abraham was in heaven Luke 16:19-31

Would these saints be the frist fruits? in James 1:18, James describes believers he's writing to as a 'type/kind' of first fruits of Christ's creatures

Click to expand...

In my humble opinion, there is not enough information to claim these people were resurrected vs being raised from the dead like Lazarus. If the latter , they would go on to live out their life, die and then be resurrected on the last day with everyone else. I have always been fascinated by this verse yet no one can really discuss with certanty, what is really going in here. Blessings.

Victor in Christ said:

would the highlighted part (first harvest) and (whole harvest) fit with James 5:7... early and latter rain?

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First of all, it's all one harvest, the Firstfruits of the one harvest are simply the first cut of the one harvest of barley in the spring.
There was a second harvest of wheat in the summer, where its firstfruits were the occasion of the celebration of Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-22), Pentecost.

And a third in the fall--Feast of Ingathering, Tabernacles or Booths, at the firstfruits of the orchards and vines harvest.

The early and latter rain refer to the spring and fall rains.
The spring harvest may coincide with the early rain, and the fall harvest may coincide with the latter rain.

But James is using Firstfruits as an indication of the harvest of the cross occurring in a continuing temporal event, while he uses the farmer's patience in waiting for the early and latter rains as an example of patience, in waiting for a temporal one-time event, the second coming.

Are you also seeing a parallel between Jesus resurrection and the early rain, and a parallel between the general resurrection, at Jesus' second coming, and the latter rain?

Victor in Christ said:

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
What does Paul mean by 'every man in his own order?

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He explains in the verse: Christ first and the church next, at his second coming at the end of time.

James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Who is James talking about, when he adds the verb (tis) 'a kind'

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"A kind of firstfruits," is "like the firstfruits," in the same way he uses firstfruits in 5:7, post #10, above.

You might consider a later translation, easier to understand.

Victor in Christ said:

Mathew 27:51-54

51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

If the 1st resurrection of the saints did happen after Christ's resurrection, its highly possible it was the OT Saints in v 52. The Centurion believed Christ was the Son of God after these miracles and all those watching. Some of the Saduccees (who never believed in the resurrection of the dead) may have have believed also.

Jesus said Abraham was in heaven Luke 16:19-31

Would these saints be the frist fruits? in James 1:18, James describes believers he's writing to as a 'type/kind' of first fruits of Christ's creatures

Click to expand...

1st Resurrection isnt one thing event , it's firstfruits then some kind of harvest I forgot then another kind of harvest I forgot , Christ compare them to harvests like these because they happen at different times so firstfruits is Christ and OT saints but some who recently died but in faith then there is Rapture harvest and there is major harvest and resurrection of the tribulation saints