Life for humanity in the physical world begins with human reproduction, which provides a physical body for the soul.  Born a child of Satan, each individual inherits an existence that taints the soul with a predisposition for sin through fleshly self-will, with heighten sensory perception of the physical realm, and with diminished sensory perception of the spiritual realm.  Death of the human body is an on-going, life-long process that eventually occurs by calamity, disease, or failing systems, and separates the soul from the restriction to space-time in the physical world.  One who has died is described as being asleep.

He died for us so that, whether we are awake in this life or asleep in death, we will live together with him.  1Thessalonians 5:10  GOD’S WORD

“For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers, and underwent decay;”  Acts 13:36  NASB

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most to be pitied.  But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.  1Corinthians 15:18-20  NASB

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.  1Thessalonians 4:13-14  NASB

Describing the dead euphemistically as asleep suggests that the soul, once separated from the physical body, lacks consciousness while in a state of rest.  Similarly, awaking of the soul of the dead to consciousness is a euphemism for resurrection.

For this reason it says,  /  “AWAKE, SLEEPER,  /  AND ARISE FROM THE DEAD,  /  AND CHRIST WILL SHINE ON YOU.”  Ephesians 5:14  NASB

Simultaneous with arising from the dead will be the uniting of the soul with a spiritual body.

There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.  …  So also is the resurrection of the dead.  It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.  If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.  1Corinthians 15: 40,42-44  NASB

So, just as there is a physical body for the soul in the space-time realm, there also awaits a spiritual body for the soul in the afterlife.  Just as uniting of the soul with the physical body involves a birth, so also the uniting of the soul with a spiritual body is considered a birth.

Your dead will live;  /  Their corpses will rise.  /  You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy,  /  For your dew is as the dew of the dawn,  /  And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.   Isaiah 26:19  NASB

The apostle Paul used the cycle of the planted seed to contrast natural and spiritual bodies.

You fool!  That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or something else.  1Corinthians 15:36-37  NASB

The physical body is planted in the ground (burial following physical death), and at resurrection/awakening the soul receives a spiritual body that is imperishable, having glory and power.  Paul’s point is that, just as the germinated plant is new and different from the planted seed, the body which the soul receives in the afterlife is something new and different from the natural body.

There is a clear and distinct difference between resuscitation and resurrection.  Resuscitation is the spirit/soul of an individual re-uniting with the natural body, which will ultimately succumb to death.  Lazarus was resuscitated (John 11) to his natural body, and he was later to suffer death in the natural.  Resurrection is the spirit/soul of an individual entering the spiritual body which is not subject to death.  Jesus was resurrected to a body which was beyond death; yet His spiritual body when appearing in the physical world was similar enough to His natural body that His apostles could recognize Him.  In summary, resuscitation is the return of the soul to the natural body and natural life, and resurrection is the union of the soul with a spiritual body in the afterlife life.

Jesus overcame death through resurrection, and, throughout the Book of Acts and the Epistles, Jesus’ resurrection is offered as proof of the resurrection of every soul who has lived and died.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.  For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.  1Corinthians 15:20-22  NASB

For some, resurrection has already occurred.  The following Scripture indicates that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were resurrected in the afterlife before the time of Christ.

“But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’?  God is not the God of the dead but of the living.”  Matthew 22:31-32  NASB

For some, resurrection includes appearance in the physical realm of space-time.  Moses and Elijah, after resurrection, appeared before the three disciples who accompanied Jesus at His transfiguration.  Jesus appeared to a number of the living after He was resurrected.  Scripture indicates that the saints of the Two Witnesses company will appear to the living after their resurrection (Rev 11:11).  However, it seems that for most people appearance after resurrection will be restricted to the spiritual realm.

There will be four resurrections, and these are culminating events of day/ages 4, 5, 6, and 7.  At the culmination of day/age 4, Jesus was resurrected to serve as Lord and Christ.

He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.  Colossians 1:18  NASB

This first resurrection event included Jesus and the saints resurrected with Him.

And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split, and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.  Matthew 27:51-53  NASB

At the end of day/age 5, there will be the second resurrection event–that of the Two Witnesses company, which we have already discussed (Section 6.9).  Guided by Jesus’ resurrection, we may expect that other saints will be resurrected along with the Two Witnesses company.

The final, two resurrection events will bookend the millennium.

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them.  And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and 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 completed.  This is the first resurrection.  Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.    Revelation 20:4-6  NASB

The first resurrection of these last two will be a culminating event of day/age 6 and will precede the millennium of day/age 7.  The final resurrection will occur after the millennium, will include both saints and sinners, and will be a culminating event of day/age 7.

“But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law, and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.”  Acts 24:14-15  NASB

Judgment follows this fourth resurrection.  The apostle Paul spoke of this sequence of resurrections.

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.  But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power.  1Corinthians 15:22-24  NASB

The four resurrections progress downward through the right-hand column of the illustration of the spiritual hierarchy which we discussed in Chapter 5 (Illustration 5.4).  The first resurrection was of Jesus, the Christ and Head of Christ.  The second resurrection event, at the end of day/age 5, will be the Two Witnesses company at the designated, 100-fold level of production of spiritual fruit who were described as first fruits (Rev 14:4).

… These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.  And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.  Revelation 14:4  NASB

The third resurrection event will be the priests of God and Christ (Rev 20:6) and by duality will also be the Virgin Bride company at the designated, 60-fold level.  This resurrection will be at the end of day/age 6 and will coincide with the second coming of Jesus.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.  1Thessalonians 4:15-17  NASB

Following the millennium of day/age 7, the fourth and final resurrection event will include both members of the wife/mother component of Woman at the designated, 30-fold level of production of spiritual fruit and the unredeemed of the harlot component of Woman.  Coinciding with this final resurrection is judgment day.  Those who have received the gift/blessing of grace will enter heaven (Matt 25:34-36).  The unredeemed sinners of the Harlot component of Woman will be dismissed to the lake of fire (Matt 5:28-29, Rev 20:15).

After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.”  And a second time they said, “HALLELUJAH! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.”  Revelation 19:1-3  NASB

Then, comes the end because Jesus has abolished all rule and all authority and power (1Cor 15:24).

These four resurrections are also characterized in terms of the marriage of the Lamb and the virgin bride (Rev 19:7-9).  The first two resurrections will complete the many-membered Christ in heaven, with Jesus as the head of Christ and those resurrected with the Two Witnesses company as Christ’s body (Eph 1:22-23).  The third resurrection will bring the many-membered virgin bride into heaven.  The fourth resurrection of the wife/mother component of the Woman category will gather the bridesmaids.  The harlot component of Woman will be purified after a time in the lake of fire/hell, will be brought to heaven by the blessing of mercy, and will attend the wedding of the Lamb as guests.

The following illustration offers a pictorial representation of the sequence of four resurrections, of judgment, and the blessings of grace and mercy.

The four resurrections are shown in order from top to bottom in different colors.  Purple represents Jesus and His resurrection at the end of day/age 4.  Jesus, having been separated from the Father in heaven, was reunited in heaven and completed the God category of the spiritual hierarchy.

Orange represents the resurrection of the overcoming sons of the Two Witnesses at the designated, 100-fold level of production of spiritual fruit.  This resurrection will be at the end of day/age 5, when they will reunite with Jesus in heaven and complete the Christ category.

Blue represents the first resurrection (before the millennium) of those who achieve the designated, 60-fold level of production of spiritual fruit.  This resurrection, at the end of day/age 6, will reunite the two components of the Man category in heaven.  Because of the duality of gender of the 60-fold level of production of spiritual fruit, this resurrection also represents the Virgin Bride component of the Woman category.

Following the millennium, the fourth resurrection, when both saints and sinners will arise, will initiate judgment day at the end of spiritual day/age 7.

“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”  Acts 17:30-31  NASB

Green represents those who achieved the designated, 30-fold level of production of spiritual fruit and who, as bridesmaids, will reunite with the virgin bride component of Woman in heaven.  Red represents the Harlot component of Woman, the unredeemed, who will be cast into the lake of fire/hell.  The damned suffering in the lake of fire/hell will experience a purifying fire, and God Almighty’s blessing of mercy will provide justification so that they may be guesses of the wedding of the Lamb (Rev 21:9) and complete the Woman category in heaven.