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Hello Brother Mike

Could you give me your view on the first and second resurrections? Thanks. Am reading some of your work (from your website) a Brother passed along to me and for the very most part we seem to be on the same track.. Elder . F. … Universalist Primitive Baptist
Love and prayers, F____

Hello brother F____,
Thank you for your question.

The first resurrection is only for those who the book of Revelation calls ‘overcomers.’ Overcomers are very few in number and are called out of the masses of orthodox Christianity. They are hated by their own spiritual brothers in Christ because they have been given dreams of rulership and have been given a ‘coat of many colors’ in type. Those in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection” are given dominion over the nations during the symbolic ‘thousand year reign’ of Christ. Thus they “rule the world.” But it is “through their mercy” that “all in unbelief” will be shown mercy in a symbolic lake of fire which immediately follows the great white throne judgment. That is why it is a ‘white’ throne. Here are the scriptures:

Mat 13:2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
Mat 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [ the multitudes who, to this very day, hear the words of Christ and do not understand that He is blinding the masses who come to hear Him teach] it is not given.
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Rev 20:4 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.
Rev 20:6 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.
Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [ is] as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [ are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [ the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

That “fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them” symbolizes the destruction of all flesh. And just as we all must be experiencing the destruction of our flesh inwardly, so too must we see this accomplished outwardly. This climactic event will bring all flesh to an end. At that time there will be a general resurrection of every eon [ the life of every person] of all eons. All who have ever lived, except for those who are in that blessed and holy… first resurrection,” will be brought up as spiritual bodies to face a judgment called the great white throne judgment.” Now what happens at any judgment?

1Co 11:32 … When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

That is right; “when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord…” So the lake of fire is God’s chastening of all of mankind along with the chastening of Satan and His angels.

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

And of what does this fiery lake consist?

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

That is right. The fire of the ‘lake of fire’ is those who are “like unto Him,” their God who “is a consuming fire.” And at that time it will be “through your mercy that they will obtain mercy.”

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

So now you should have a much clearer idea of what Paul meant when he told the Corinthians:

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? [ during the millennial reign] and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? [ through the lake of fire] how much more things that pertain to this life?

I hope this brief synopsis of these two resurrections answers your questions. If you want to read much more, go to the web site search engine and type in the words ‘lake of fire.’ You will see there what else I have written on this subject.
Mike