TO JFH: THE FIRST AND SECOND RESURRECTIONS re:( jfh (19 June2013)"Another: To Whom It May Concern") 　 　 Dear JFH and all Doves,   JFH, I have to say that reading your letter really made me wonder how you have come to the conclusions that you have. I totally disagree with most of what you presented....except about John being called up to heaven in Rev. 4:1 and that chapter not being about the rapture. Yet, I want to thank you for making me really look onto the First and Second resurrections and hopefully be able to explain the conclusions that I have come to. It is just so interesting that individual studies can lead us in such different directions.   Here's how I see it after studying many commentaries and of course the Scriptures.   THE FIRST AND SECOND RESURRECTIONS   The most important thing to understand is that the First and Second Resurrections are not events, but rather categories with a 1,000 years between them. Actually, the resurrections have nothing to do with the Rapture, other than the raptured Church will be part of the First Resurrection. Jesus was the first fruits of the First Resurrection, but the First Resurrection also includes the Old Testament saints that rose with Him, His Bride the raptured Church, the Two Witnesses, the 144,000 and the Tribulation saints. These groups make up the category of the First Resurrection and will rule with Christ 1,000 years.   As stated in Daniel 12:1 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." we can see that the timing is the ending days of the Great Tribulation and what happens at the second coming of Christ. And then in Daniel 12:2 we see the division of the two categories. They may seem to be happening at the same time, but there is 1,000 years between them.   Dan 12:2 "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt."   It is all related to the first and second deaths as stated in 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."   The first death is a physical death, when the soul is separated from the body. The second death is when the soul is separated from God. Those who are part of the First Resurrection cannot be separated from God, so the second death has no power over them. They will reign with Him for 1,000 years. Those who are raised to life after the 1,000 years will experience the second death and be separated from God for eternity.   Rapture of the Bride, the Church, is the next event....it is an event and also a category. All born again Christians from the beginning of the Church until it happens, will be caught up with Jesus in the air. They will be part of the First Resurrection.   Also, you mentioned the wise and foolish virgins, I see it very differently than you. The wise virgins are the born again Christians who have given their lives to Christ and therefore have the oil of the Holy Spirit. The foolish virgins are the Jews, who worshiped the One true God, but did not accept Christ as their Messiah, therefore not being filled with the Holy Spirit, as the only way to be filled with the Holy Spirit is through Christ. They will go into the Tribulation, but they will be saved if they become believers and are born again.   I hope I have not offended you in anyway, JFH. Thank you once again for helping me clarify my own thoughts on the matter.   Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life!!! YSIC Patti C.