Happy and Holy are those of the first resurrection!

Paul said in Philippians 3:8-11 8 Why, for that matter, I do indeed also consider all things to be loss on account of the excelling value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. On account of him I have taken the loss of all things and I consider them as a lot of refuse, that I may gain Christ and be found in union with him, having, not my own righteousness, which results from law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that issues from God on the basis of faith, so as to know him and the power of his resurrection and a sharing in his sufferings, submitting myself to a death like his, [to see] if I may by any means attain to the earlier resurrection from the dead. Paul's goal was to attain to the first resurrection from the dead by sharing in the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus. What is the first resurrection? Who are part of that resurrection? What does this involve? These questions will be answered scripturally from God's word. In Revelation Chapter 20 this first resurrection is described. 4 And I saw thrones, and there were those who sat down on them, and power of judging was given them. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed with the ax for the witness they bore to Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had worshiped neither the wild beast nor its image and who had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years. We see just as Paul described in Philippians that those who suffer death for their witnessing work about God and Christ will be part of the first resurrection, also like their master, Jesus Christ, they are no part of the world; thus, they do not receive the mark of the wild beast. Those having part in this first resurrection will be priests and Kings with Christ for a thousand years. (1 Peter 2:9, Rev 5:9-10, Rev 14:1-5) When will this first resurrection happen? All scripture indicates it happens at the last trumpet or seventh trumpet. In Revelation chapter 11 the seventh trumpet is blown, at that time God's Kingdom is born and those in union with Christ who have died will be brought to life and they will join with those who are alive. They will altogether meet in the air. 1 Thess 4:15 For this is what we tell YOU by Jehovah's word, that we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord shall in no way precede those who have fallen asleep [in death]; 16 because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel's voice and with God's trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first. 17 Afterward we the living who are surviving will, together with them, be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall always be with [the] Lord. 18 Consequently keep comforting one another with these words. 1Cor 15:50 However, this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit God's kingdom, neither does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Look! I tell YOU a sacred secret: We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, during the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised up incorruptible, and we shall be changed All the Lord's holy ones will meet him at the same time and will be with him forever. This is the first resurrection. This resurrection takes place during the last trumpet or seventh trumpet of revelation when the Kingdom is born. Notice too that not all the holy ones fall asleep in death but some will change in an instant, in a twinkling of an eye. They do die in a sense that they at that moment give up their fleshly body and take on a spiritual body. For as Paul said flesh and blood can not inherit God's Kingdom. One further thought on this is that the three Hebrews in Daniel chapter three faced death if they did not bow down to the image that Nebuchadnezzar setup. Even thought they were threatened with death and put into the furnace, they lived because God saved them. So it may happen with those who are surviving and are threatened with death for not worshiping the beast. That is probably why there is a distinction between those who were executed with the axe and those who did not worship the beast. The holy ones are the kingdom. Thus when the kingdom is born that is when the resurrection happens. How many will be resurrected into this heavenly Kingdom? Revelation answers: Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and there were those who sat down on them, and power of judging was given them. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed with the ax for the witness they bore to Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had worshiped neither the wild beast nor its image and who had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for a thousand years. Rev 14 And I saw, and, look! The Lamb standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound out of heaven as the sound of many waters and as the sound of loud thunder; and the sound that I heard was as of singers who accompany themselves on the harp playing on their harps. 3 And they are singing as if a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one was able to master that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the earth. 4 These are the ones that did not defile themselves with women; in fact, they are virgins. These are the ones that keep following the Lamb no matter where he goes. These were bought from among mankind as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, 5 and no falsehood was found in their mouths; they are without blemish. Rev 5:9 And they sing a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought persons for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth." Here it is explained that these 144,000 are bought from among mankind, they are to rule as Kings and Priests for a thousand years. They do not worship the wild beast and receive the mark. That is why they come to life first. They are the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. The rest of the dead will not come to life until the thousand years have ended. How is that the rest of the dead don't come to life until a thousand years later? When those of the first resurrection come to life, it is to everlasting life from which the second death (eternal destruction) has no hold on them. For those who survive into or are resurrected into the thousand year reign of Christ on earth, there is still the possibility of succumbing to the second death. It is not until the thousand years is over that they are rewarded everlasting life. What does it mean that the 144,000 are virgins and did not defile themselves with women? This can not be taken literally. Why? Because many of the disciples of Christ were married. The apostle Paul said it would not be a sin if a Christian was to marry but that he would have tribulation in the flesh. 1 Cor 7:28 But even if you did marry, you would commit no sin. And if a virgin [person] married, such one would commit no sin. However, those who do will have tribulation in their flesh. But I am sparing YOU. Paul's advice was that if you could control your desires then it would be better to stay single but if you could not then it would be better to marry. So getting married would not disqualify one from being part of the 144,000. If it did, many of the disciples back in Paul's day could not be called to be with Christ. Well, then, in what sense does it mean to be a virgin? Those who rule with Christ are said to be no part of the world. They do not give worship the wild beast which forces all to worship it. Any worship that is not given to God but to others is Idolatry which in turn is spiritual fornication or adultery for those who knew God and gave in to it. All spiritual deviation is called fornication or adultery. Since the anointed are engaged to be married to the lord, they must remain chaste in order to become married to the lord. If they commit spiritual fornication or adultery then they are disqualified from taking part in the wedding. In this sense all the 144,000 are virgins. They remain loyal to there lord and thus are qualified to marry him. It goes without saying if the marriage to the lord is symbolic so is the virgin status of those who are to marry him. What about the number 144,000? Is it symbolic or literal? Why did Christ say many are called but few are chosen? These questions will be addressed in part two.