The very first to be raised, February 16, 2026. Introduction. The biblical doctrine of the resurrection

of the dead is straightforward. At the end of our fallen history, there will be a general

resurrection of the dead, whether just or the unjust, and all will

stand before Christ. He will divide the sheep from the goats in the great winnowing judgment.

The sole basis for that judgment will be the binary in Christ, not in Christ. In addition,

in a separate judgment, he will evaluate the quality of each man's work, with gradations of

blessings among the sheep and degrees of torment among the goats.

This great event at the end of fallen history is something we need to keep in mind at all times,

living our lives in the light of it. But because it is so far down the road, God in his kindness

has determined to provide us with the down payment resurrection, a foretaste of that final day.

This resurrection is one that was accomplished in the middle of human history.

That was the resurrection of Jesus Christ outside Jerusalem 2,000 years ago,

a sign to us all that he will in fact bring all the rest of the harvest into the barn.

The very first one.

Scripture tells us about this in multiple places.

And if we want to understand the general resurrection,

we need to look straight at the resurrection that God gave us to contemplate. If we want to know what

will happen, we are invited to look at what has happened. So let us begin with Paul's appeal to

King Agrippa. Quote, having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day,

witnessing both the small and great, saying

none of the things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come, that Christ

should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should

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