1 Corinthians 15:23-24 shows the order of resurrections: Jesus was the first to resurrect to eternal life, and believers in Him will also resurrect when He returns to earth, and then the age will end, and Jesus will submit His new earthly kingdom to God the Father after casting down the sinful earthly kingdoms.
In 1 Corinthians 15:23-24, Paul lays out the order of resurrection: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ's at His coming, then the end, when Christhandsthe kingdomover to the Fatherafter abolishing every ruleand authorityand power. The harvest unfolds in appointed sequence:
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power (vv 23-24).
Each in his own order (v 23) translates the Greek word "tagma," a military term for a rank or division of troops in formation. Resurrection unfolds in ordered stages. The first division is Christ the first fruits (v 23), already raised, the harvest's guaranteed beginning. The second division is those who are Christ's at His coming, believers raised when the Lord returns, the event 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 describes with the Lord descending, the dead in Christ rising first, and the living caught up to meet Him. Between the first fruits and the harvest stretches the present age, already running two millennia, in which the risen Christ reigns at the Father's right hand while the gospel gathers the harvest that will be raised upon His return.
Then comes the end (v 24), the third stage, when the risen and returned Christhands over the kingdom to the God and Father. The handover comeswhen He has abolished all rule and all authority and power (v 24). Jesus will sweep away every dominion set against God, human and angelic alike (Ephesians 6:12).
Scripture indicates an interval between Christ'scoming to earth a second time and the final end of this world. Revelation 20:4-6 describes those raised in "the first resurrection" reigning with Christ for a thousand years before the final rebellion is crushed, the last judgment is held, and death itself is thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).
Paul compresses the sequence here into its three great markers: firstfruits, harvest, and end. God is raising the dead in stages, and Christ's rising is stage one. If stage one did not occur, then neither will the rest. But, thankfully, Christ has risen indeed.
The goal of resurrection is the Father's unrivaled kingship. The Son receives the kingdom, subdues every rebel power, and then presents the completed conquest to the God and Father. This is the same way a victorious commissioned king lays a conquered realm at the feet of the one who sent him.
Jesus taught His disciples to pray for this end: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). The end Paul describes is that prayer fully answered. Jesus has already ascended to heaven and been seated at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 12:2,Revelation 3:21). All authority has already been granted to Him (Matthew 28:18). But it remains (as of this writing in 2026) for Jesus to return and vanquish the usurpers who currently reign (Revelation 19:20 - 20:2).
Jesus will reign, and the believers who overcome as He overcame will be rewarded with the immense privilege of reigning with Him (Revelation 3:21, 21:7).
1 Corinthians 15:23-24
23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming,
24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
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1 Corinthians 15:23-24 meaning
In 1 Corinthians 15:23-24, Paul lays out the order of resurrection: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ's at His coming, then the end, when Christ hands the kingdom over to the Father after abolishing every rule and authority and power. The harvest unfolds in appointed sequence:
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power (vv 23-24).
Each in his own order (v 23) translates the Greek word "tagma," a military term for a rank or division of troops in formation. Resurrection unfolds in ordered stages. The first division is Christ the first fruits (v 23), already raised, the harvest's guaranteed beginning. The second division is those who are Christ's at His coming, believers raised when the Lord returns, the event 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 describes with the Lord descending, the dead in Christ rising first, and the living caught up to meet Him. Between the first fruits and the harvest stretches the present age, already running two millennia, in which the risen Christ reigns at the Father's right hand while the gospel gathers the harvest that will be raised upon His return.
Then comes the end (v 24), the third stage, when the risen and returned Christ hands over the kingdom to the God and Father. The handover comes when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power (v 24). Jesus will sweep away every dominion set against God, human and angelic alike (Ephesians 6:12).
Scripture indicates an interval between Christ's coming to earth a second time and the final end of this world. Revelation 20:4-6 describes those raised in "the first resurrection" reigning with Christ for a thousand years before the final rebellion is crushed, the last judgment is held, and death itself is thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).
Paul compresses the sequence here into its three great markers: first fruits, harvest, and end. God is raising the dead in stages, and Christ's rising is stage one. If stage one did not occur, then neither will the rest. But, thankfully, Christ has risen indeed.
The goal of resurrection is the Father's unrivaled kingship. The Son receives the kingdom, subdues every rebel power, and then presents the completed conquest to the God and Father. This is the same way a victorious commissioned king lays a conquered realm at the feet of the one who sent him.
Jesus taught His disciples to pray for this end: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). The end Paul describes is that prayer fully answered. Jesus has already ascended to heaven and been seated at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 12:2, Revelation 3:21). All authority has already been granted to Him (Matthew 28:18). But it remains (as of this writing in 2026) for Jesus to return and vanquish the usurpers who currently reign (Revelation 19:20 - 20:2).
Jesus will reign, and the believers who overcome as He overcame will be rewarded with the immense privilege of reigning with Him (Revelation 3:21, 21:7).