Revelation 20

The First Death and Resurrection

Introduction

This morning while I was meditating on the names and personalities of GOD I started having an apologetic conversation in my head and started talking about eternity and the choices we make in this life and the eternal result of those choices.

As I was progressing in my thoughts I reflected on the 1000 year reign of Christ and the Church and those who reigned with Him living a thousand years; even though I have read Revelation many times in my 43 years as a Christian and during this past year of 2016 I read it several times; I thought, do the believers live for a thousand years?

So I opened my bible and read Chapter 20 and the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and understanding to something I had missed during 43 years of reading the Bible and hearing many different teachings on the end times; that includes 3 years of Bible College with a full semester of Eschatology.

So the following is what GOD showed me this morning, 4-2-2017.

All scripture is quoted from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1994

Revelation 20

“1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of GOD, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of GOD and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Satanic Rebellion Crushed

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from GOD out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Great White Throne Judgment

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before GOD, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

The key verses are 4-6 and 11-15: these are the first and second resurrections. Is the first resurrection the same as the rapture? I do believe so based on verses 4-5, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 “4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of GOD, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” Verse 4 references back to Revelation 6:9-11,

“Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs

9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of GOD and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O LORD, Holy and True, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”

So what the scripture is saying is that in the first resurrection those who were killed for their faith will be raised from death to reign with Christ for 1000 years in the earthly Jerusalem.

The rapture as defined by 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11, says that the dead in Christ will be raised and then those alive who believe will be caught up in the air to meet the LORD and live with Him. “The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so GOD will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the Word of the LORD, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the LORD will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the LORD Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of GOD. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air. And thus we shall always be with the LORD. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Day of the LORD

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the LORD so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For GOD did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our LORD Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 11 Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”

Paul’s teaching implies that the rapture is the same as the first resurrection even though in Revelation 20 there is no mention of the living being transfigured or judged. Then comes the thousand year reign in Christ in the earthly Jerusalem. Revelation 20:14-15 says, “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” When death and hell are cast into the lake of fire there is no longer any mortal life on earth. We know that during the thousand year reign of Christ on the earth there will be mortal humans alive during that time and that at the end of the thousand years the devil will stir them up against Jerusalem and Christ. This appears to me to be when the earth is destroyed by fire, verse 9, “They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from GOD out of Heaven and devoured them.” After that, are the judgment of the devil and the great white throne judgment where the earth and the heaven fled before GOD. Chapter 21 opens with the new heaven and the new earth and the new Jerusalem (vs. 1-2). In verse 7 all who overcome will be sons of GOD and verse 8 reaffirms that all sinners will be in the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death. Verses 23-24 say that the nations of those that are saved will walk in the light of the new Jerusalem which is Christ and that the kings of the earth will bring their glory to Christ in the new Jerusalem. Verse 27 says that only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life can enter the new Jerusalem.

This tells me that the Church will be in the earth during the tribulation period and reign of the antichrist, the beast and false prophet. The rapture as described in 1 Thessalonians takes place after the battle of Armageddon so that the Church reigns with Christ in Jerusalem for a thousand years. Then comes the great conflict and the final judgment of humanity when everything natural  is destroyed.

In my study of Revelation I see the break down as follows:

Chapters 1-3 to the Church in John’s day.

Chapters 4-6 from Christ’s ascension to the beginning of the great tribulation.

Chapters 7-11 & 13-19 the great tribulation to the battle of Armageddon.

Chapter 16:12-16 refer to chapters 18-19; 16:17-21 refer to chapter 20

Chapter 12 looks on the conflict between the devil and Israel and the Church.

Chapter 17 looks on the conflict between the Kingdom of GOD and the kingdom of the devil (spiritual Babylon).

Chapter 20 is the 1000 year reign of Christ in the earth and the final destruction of those who serve the devil in the earth, and the Great White Throne judgment.

Chapters 21-22:5 are the new Heaven, the new Earth and the new Jerusalem, the marriage of the Lamb and the Church’s eternal existence under the eternal reign of GOD and the Lamb.

Chapter 22:6-21 is a reminder to understand the time in which we live and be prepared for Christ’s imminent return.