Do you have to separate God's dealing with Israel and the Church?

Yes. The Old Testament economy and the Church must be kept separate; they cannot be mixed. Israel and the Church are two distinct economies, and understanding this distinction is necessary to correctly interpret resurrection order, including those in Christ at His coming.

Les explains that in all his years of teaching, one thing that has come through is that you have to separate God's dealing with the Old Testament economy and His dealing with the Church. You cannot mix them; you have to keep them sorted. To understand verse 23, you have to realize that Israel and the Church are two separate economies. He notes that "in Christ" is strictly a Pauline term, uniquely speaking of the Body of Christ, never used of the Jew under law. So those in Christ will be the next main group resurrected after the first fruits at Christ's resurrection.

Do you have to separate God's dealing with Israel from His dealing with the Church?

Yes. Scripture presents Israel and the Church as two separate economies that must be kept distinct and cannot be mixed. The believer positioned in Christ belongs uniquely to the Body of Christ, while the Jew under the law economy is never spoken of as being in Christ. These must be sorted to understand resurrection order.