This company of souls that the apostle saw reigning with Christ above were those who had had part "in the first resurrection," which had made them "blessed and holy." They were not on earth; they were disembodied spirits above, hence had not been literally resurrected. The Scriptures clearly teach that mankind in their ordinary condition are "_dead_ in trespasses and in sins," and that through salvation, which makes them "blessed and holy," they are "quickened" to a new life in Christ. Eph. 2:1. That this is Scripturally "the first resurrection" is proved most positively by the words of Christ--"Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, _and now is_, when the _dead_ shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear _shall live_. He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, _hath_ everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is _passed from death unto life_." John 5:25, 24. Although many other proofs could easily be given, this of itself is sufficient to establish the point that the host of early Christians who had "passed from death unto life" in Christ and who gave their lives gladly for the sake of Christ, constituted the ones referred to as having had "part in the first resurrection." According to verse 6 it was only on those who had part in the first resurrection that the second death had no power. The church at Smyrna received the sure promise from Christ himself that they should "not be hurt of the second death" (chap. 2:11); and this shows beyond all question that even at that early date they had had part in this first resurrection that makes men blessed and holy.