Are there two resurrections in the Bible?

Two outcomes, plainly named

Jesus said, "those who have done good [will come out] to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment" (John 5:29). Revelation 20 calls the believers’ rising "the first resurrection" and pronounces, "Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection."

Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

John 5:28-29 (ESV)

Categories, not merely sequence

The distinctive support offered by Aaron Smith is the firstborn pattern. Again and again the chosen son displaces the natural first: Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Ephraim over Manasseh. "First" in Scripture is often a category of standing, not just birth order. So the "first resurrection" is best read as the resurrection-to-life category — all those who are in Christ — rather than only an entry on a schedule.

What it settles, and what it leaves open

Reading the resurrections as categories grounds assurance (those in Christ rise to life) even where the precise millennial timeline is debated. The framework is honest that the sequencing remains a genuine open question among faithful readers.

Frequently asked

What is the "first resurrection"?

In this framework it is primarily the resurrection-to-life category — those who belong to Christ — rather than only a fixed point in a sequence.

Is the second resurrection for judgment?

Yes — Scripture names "a resurrection of judgment" (John 5:29) for those who reject Christ, distinct from the resurrection of life.

Does this require one specific millennial view?

No. The categorical reading holds across views; it is meant to ground assurance even where the timeline is debated.