After reading your commentary on Hebrews (which in my opinion is your best one yet) a question came to mind. In Hebrews 11:39-40, the writer says “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” When it says “only together with us would they be made perfect” doesn’t that hint at the old testament believers being resurrected along with the church at the rapture?
Normally, I see old testament believers being resurrected at the end of the tribulation along with martyred tribulation saints since that is where Daniel seems to put the resurrection. However, the Hebrews passage seems to say that old testament saints are “made perfect” along with church believers. Why the apparent contradiction?
I think “together with us” means part of the first resurrection, since Daniel 12:2 says that Old Testament saints will be resurrected at the time of the 2nd Coming. That puts them along with Tribulation martyrs (Rev. 20:4). The first resurrection began with Jesus, continues in the Rapture Resurrection of the Church and ends with these two groups. In that sense, we’re all together in the first resurrection.