Who Are The Dead In Christ?

I have been pondering about what is written in 1 Thessalonians 4: 16, “…And the dead in Christ will rise first”.

Q. I have been pondering about what is written in 1 Thessalonians 4: 16, “…And the dead in Christ will rise first”.

In your interpretation, does “in Christ” refer to:

A. Those who accepted Him as Savior after He was crucified, or
B. does “in Christ” include those before the cross (like Daniel, as an example)?

I am leaning toward “A”, the church (Ephesians 5:27, 32 and Matthew 11:11)

Also, in Revelation 6:9, it is written, “…I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and …”. In your opinion who are these?

A. Since Paul was responding to a question from the Thessalonians regarding their own saved friends and loved ones who had recently died, the phrase “dead in Christ” in his answer likely refers to those who accepted the Lord as their Savior after He was crucified. In other words, the church.

Daniel 12:1-2 seems to indicate that Old Testament saints like Daniel will be resurrected at the end of the Great Tribulation.

In Rev. 6:9 John is referring to martyrs who give their lives for the Lord during the time of the four horsemen of Rev 6:1-8.