"Now the spirit must woo the soul, and raise it up into life in union with the spirit. If you can receive it — THIS IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION!"
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"Paul addressed the state of the Ephesians before their salvation, stating that they were "dead in trespasses and in sins" (Eph. 2:1). Can we not see by this that if it is the soul that dies as a result of sinning, then the Ephesians who were "dead in sins" were dead in their souls? Then Paul says of these same saints that "God who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ…and hath raised us up together" (Eph. 2:4-6). I’m sure that all will agree that what was quickened, that is, made alive, resurrected, was not their mortal bodies! Paul writes essentially the same truth to the Colossians, saying, "And you, being dead in your sins…hath He quickened together with Christ" (Col. 2:13). Unregenerated men are dead men! Even our Lord said of them, "Let the dead bury the dead" (Mat. 8:22). I don’t think anyone would argue that he was speaking of dead bodies! These dead are dead souls. Other passages also make the point: "Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead" (Rev. 3:1). "She that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth" (I Tim. 5:6). "…shall save a soul from death" (James 5:20). "He that loveth not his brother abideth in death" (I Jn. 3:14)."
"The resurrection of Jesus is not a historical fact to be commemorated, but a present glorious and eternal reality to be demonstrated!"
"When Jesus came He found this world a cemetery — all were dead. To these dead men Jesus announced, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgment); but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live" (Jn. 5:24-25). It should be obvious to every enlightened mind that Jesus was not talking here about the resurrection of dead bodies out of the cemetery, for that would mean that not one dead person in the past two thousand years has heard the voice of the Son of God and lived! He spake of the resurrection of souls that were dead in trespasses and in sins, dead to God — unresponsive to spiritual things and the spiritual realm."
"The first resurrection is just one of many events revealed in the book of Revelation. This is not a book of outer world events but it contains the keys to inner spiritual events that will uncover Christ — Head and body"
"Revelation is really another "gospel" written in signs and symbols concerning the working of Christ in His people and which takes up where the four Gospels in our Bible leave off."