Is It True That the First Resurrection Happens First Before the Seven Thunders Utter Their Voices?
1) Direct Answer
No. The seven thunders must utter before and in the very season of the Lord’s descent, and that prepares and gathers the Bride for the first resurrection. The first resurrection does not come before the thunders.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Revelation 10:1-4 shows the Mighty Angel descending and the seven thunders uttering their voices. John is told to seal up what they said. Then verse 7 says, “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel… the mystery of God should be finished.” So the thunders belong to the time when the mystery is finishing—before the close and before the Bride is taken.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven “with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God,” and then “the dead in Christ shall rise first.” Notice the order: descent, then resurrection.
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 places the resurrection/change at the last trump.
- Revelation 20:4-6 identifies those who live and reign with Christ a thousand years—the first resurrection. This is the Bride. Revelation 7:9-17 also identifies that redeemed multitude as the Bride whom the Lamb leads.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Revelation 10 shows the Lord descending and the thunders sounding in that very timeframe. 1 Thessalonians 4 shows the Lord descending, and then the dead in Christ rise. Therefore the thunders are part of that descent season that finishes the mystery and equips the Bride, and only then does the first resurrection take place.
- If the first resurrection happened before the thunders, to whom would those sealed utterances minister, and how would they “finish” the mystery for a Bride that was already raised?
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, the Bible keeps the order straight: descent with hidden utterance and finishing of the mystery (Revelation 10), then the dead in Christ rise (1 Thessalonians 4), and those in Revelation 20:4-6 reign with Him. The thunders precede and accompany that gathering—so the first resurrection does not come first.
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Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
The Rapture
65-1204 §89
Now, the third thing is a trumpet, which always at the feast of trumpets is calling the people to the feast; and that'll be the bride's supper, the Lamb's supper with the bride in the sky. See, the first thing comes forth is His message calling the bride together. The next thing is a resurrection of the sleeping bride, the ones that died back in the other ages. They're caught together, and the trumpet, the feast in the heavens---in the sky. Why, that's the thing that takes place, friends. We're right there ready no...
Questions and Answers, Part 2
64-0823E §117
The church, the lukewarm, the anything outside of the elected bride will go through the tribulation period. They will not raise in the first resurrection: "The rest of the dead live not for a thousand years," just the foreordained, predestinated, elected bride, God's own elections. "Who is it, Brother Branham?" I don't know? I can't tell you who it is, but I know it's going to be there, 'cause the Lord said they would. See? They are the ones that'll go up from the tribulation, but the rest of them will go through t...
Seals 9: Questions and Answers on the Seals
63-0324M §174
QUESTION: After the rapture of the bride, when does the church that had to go through the tribulation period, stand judgment? (It don't stand judgment.) Is it before or after the millennium? (Oh, I beg your pardon; pardon me, ever who wrote this.) When does the church that... After the rapture of the bride, when does the church that had to go through the tribulation period stand at the judgment? Is it after or before? After---the rest of the dead live not for a thousand years that didn't go with the bride. Let's se...
Seals 3: The First Seal
63-0318 §48
And while she was gone the Bridegroom come, and in went the Bride. And then the remnant there, the ones that were absolutely virgins, the church, was left outside! And He said, "There will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth," see? Now, that's the Elect. And when the sound come, "The Bridegroom cometh," then every one of those that slept down through those ages awakened-every one!
Revelation, Chapter 5, part 2
61-0618 §100
Seven seals, seven Spirits, seven angels, seven horns, and seven churches, see. Seven, seven. There's five sevens---which, seven is perfection; five is grace, God's grace to his seven church ages. His seven messenger men, his seven Spirits of God, the seven planned seals of redemption we're in right now. The seven horns means seven ages, because a horn means a kingdom. You remember the crown come upon the beast horn in Daniel, and so forth? See, it means a kingdom, or seven ages. And, remember, Jesus said some fell...