Yes — Christ had to be the first to be truly resurrected; no one had ever been raised from the dead with a body that would never die again until Him.
Les Feldick teaches that earlier events like Lazarus and the widow's son were only callings back to life — those people died again. Resurrection in the complete sense began with the Creator Himself when Christ arose, never to die again. That is why the Matthew 27 saints came from their graves only after His resurrection, and why Paul calls Him the firstfruits of them that slept.
1 Corinthians 15:20-23 — Paul identifies Christ as the firstfruits of resurrection and says every man is raised in his own order, Christ first.
Acts 26:23 — Paul states plainly that Christ had to be the first to rise from the dead.
Matthew 27:52-53 — The text shows the saints left their graves only after Christ's resurrection, preserving His priority.
The Bible ties Christ's resurrection to His priority over death. First Corinthians 15:20 says, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." Paul goes on to say that since death came by man, resurrection from the dead also came by man, and that just as in Adam all die, in Christ shall all be made alive (verses 21–22). He then states the order: "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming" (verse 23). The same priority appears in Acts 26:23, where Paul declares that Christ "should be the first that should rise from the dead." Matthew 27:52–53 also keeps this order: the saints' graves were opened, and they came out "after his resurrection," showing that Christ was first.
Les Feldick emphasizes that resurrection is not the same as being called back to life. He points to Elijah's raising of the widow's son, Lazarus, and others as examples of people who simply died again later. True resurrection, he says, never took place until Jesus rose from the dead, never to die again, and it had to begin with the Creator Himself. Therefore, Les explains, the saints whose graves were opened at the crucifixion did not come out while Christ was on the cross — they came out after His resurrection because Christ had to be first. He also ties this to the Old Testament firstfruits sheaf: the offering was a bundle of many ripened stalks, not one stem. So Christ could not be the firstfruits alone; the resurrected Jewish saints of Matthew 27 complete the plural sheaf of firstfruits. Although Scripture is silent about these saints afterward, Les feels that since they were resurrected, they ascended with Christ into glory.
Les Feldick makes a firm distinction. When Elijah raised the widow's son, when Jesus raised Lazarus, or when others were called back from death, those people were restored to earthly life and later died again. That was not resurrection, Les insists. Resurrection is what happened when Christ rose from the dead — a resurrection body that would never die again. Once we experience resurrection, it will be final; we will not have to die and be brought back to life again.
Matthew 27:52–53 says the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints arose, and they came out of the graves after His resurrection. Les says the timing was essential: Christ had to be the first resurrection, and no one could precede Him. So although the graves may have been opened while He was on the cross, the saints did not come out until after He rose. These resurrected Jewish believers then went into Jerusalem and appeared to many.
Les points to the Old Testament firstfruits ceremony: the priest received a sheaf made of many ripened stalks, not one stem. In the same way, Christ is the first to be resurrected, but the firstfruits sheaf is plural. The Jewish saints raised from the graves around Jerusalem after His resurrection were the additional 'stalks' completing that sheaf. Together, Christ and those saints are the firstfruits of them that slept.
Firstfruits Sheaf of Many Stems
Les explains that the Levitical firstfruits offering was made of many ripened stalks, so Christ could not be the only firstfruits — He was first, but others were included.
Resurrection Had to Begin with the Creator
Les teaches that earlier raisings like Lazarus and the widow's son were not true resurrection because those people died again; true resurrection never took place until Christ rose, and it had to begin with the Creator Himself.
Saints Came Out Only After Christ Rose
Les says the graves' saints did not come out while Christ was on the cross; they came after His resurrection because Christ had to be first. Their resurrection helped complete the firstfruits sheaf, and Les assumes they ascended to glory.
Lazarus Was Not Resurrected
Les clarifies that resurrection means rising never to die again, which Lazarus did not do. Resurrection as a final event only began with Christ.
Christ Had to Be the First
Les states that it is an absolute scriptural mandate that no one had ever been resurrected before Christ, so the saints in Matthew 27 came out only after His resurrection.
Firstfruits of Them That Slept
Les reads 1 Corinthians 15, contrasting death through Adam with resurrection through Christ and showing Christ as the firstfruits of those who have died.
Resurrection Began with Jesus
Les repeats that resurrection began with the Lord Jesus Himself — He died and arose never again to die, and that same eternal life is ours at belief.
Firstfruits Is Plural by Design
Les argues that had Christ risen alone, He would be the firstfruit singular; but the Levitical sheaf was plural, so after His resurrection other Jewish saints could come forth to complete the firstfruits sheaf.
1 Corinthians 15:20: But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
This is the key verse identifying Christ as the firstfruits of resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:21: For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
Shows resurrection as the counterpart to Adam's death.
1 Corinthians 15:22: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Explains the universal scope of resurrection in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:23: But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
States Christ's priority in the resurrection order.
Acts 26:23: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
Paul directly calls Christ the first to rise from the dead.
Matthew 27:52-53: And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Confirms the saints rose only after Christ's resurrection.
Leviticus 23:10: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
The Old Testament background for the firstfruits sheaf Les uses to explain plural firstfruits.
No, not in the biblical sense Les Feldick uses. Lazarus was called back to life and later died again. Resurrection means rising from the dead never to die again, and that began only with Christ.
Because Christ had to be the first resurrection. The Scripture says they came out of the graves after His resurrection, and Les explains that this timing preserved Christ's priority.
The Scripture is silent. Les Feldick, however, believes that because they were resurrected and would not die again, Christ would have taken them into glory with Him rather than leaving them in a world of sin.
Watch the Teaching: From Adam to the Rapture: God's Plan for the Ages