#endtimes #revelation
Often we make interpretation of prophecy too difficult, full of speculation, with no connection to what came before or after and with no understanding or connection to the writers time, situation and place historically. Prophecy is often misunderstood because we see it mainly as telling about future happenings, however this is seldom the case. From Isaiah to Zecharia and now Revelation the word of the LORD given to the spokesperson is a mix of past and present, the now, the near and the future declarations of God. Prophecy in the Scriptures is more forth telling of a message of judgment as it is foretelling of the future.
It is clear that John is seeing this seventh vision,the seventh and final parallel section of Revelation more and more from a heavenly perspective. In the middle of writing what he was seeing it is almost a pause, as if John said to himself or the Lord reminded him, these reigning on thrones people are, part of the "first" (in Greek probably prior) resurrection. The second resurrection is yet coming when Jesus Christ returns to earth for the final judgment.
Rev 20:4-6 "Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years."
There will only be two resurrections, one has occurred and it is the central point of earth's history. Those who looked forward in faith from the two witnesses-the olive oil and the wine; the olive tree and the lampstands all the faithful raised at the resurrection of Jesus and now reigning with Him this is the first(prior) resurrection and John did not want anyone to misunderstand and think this was some yet future earthly reign on earth. It would draw me to think of the beheading of John the Baptist at this point. Those saints of the faithful of Israel and followers of the Messiah who looked forward to the coming of Christ in faith raised and reigning now with the LORD.
Mat 27:50-53 "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many."
John who is writing was eye witness to the resurrection and spent time with Jesus both before and after He was raised from the dead. This is the first resurrection, there has only been one, yet after this inter-advent period at the final judgment when Satan is finally cast into the Lake of Fire. (This is not another time this is the same final judgment mentioned over and over again in the visions of Revelation. See my previous post on Revelation 19:20,21)
This is at the second coming of Christ. Then there will be a final resurrection of the Christ followers.
1Th 4:15-18 "For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words."
Then this world at His coming will melt in the midst of His Absolute Love, Purity, Faithfulness and Judgment.
2Pe 3:7-13 "But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."
In tomorrow's blog why we should not see the the mention of 1,000 years as chronological and why it refers to these last days in which we are living.
Often we make interpretation of prophecy too difficult, full of speculation, with no connection to what came before or after and with no understanding or connection to the writers time, situation and place historically. Prophecy is often misunderstood because we see it mainly as telling about future happenings, however this is seldom the case. From Isaiah to Zecharia and now Revelation the word of the LORD given to the spokesperson is a mix of past and present, the now, the near and the future declarations of God. Prophecy in the Scriptures is more forth telling of a message of judgment as it is foretelling of the future.
It is clear that John is seeing this seventh vision,the seventh and final parallel section of Revelation more and more from a heavenly perspective. In the middle of writing what he was seeing it is almost a pause, as if John said to himself or the Lord reminded him, these reigning on thrones people are, part of the "first" (in Greek probably prior) resurrection. The second resurrection is yet coming when Jesus Christ returns to earth for the final judgment.
Rev 20:4-6 "Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years."
There will only be two resurrections, one has occurred and it is the central point of earth's history. Those who looked forward in faith from the two witnesses-the olive oil and the wine; the olive tree and the lampstands all the faithful raised at the resurrection of Jesus and now reigning with Him this is the first(prior) resurrection and John did not want anyone to misunderstand and think this was some yet future earthly reign on earth. It would draw me to think of the beheading of John the Baptist at this point. Those saints of the faithful of Israel and followers of the Messiah who looked forward to the coming of Christ in faith raised and reigning now with the LORD.
Mat 27:50-53 "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many."
John who is writing was eye witness to the resurrection and spent time with Jesus both before and after He was raised from the dead. This is the first resurrection, there has only been one, yet after this inter-advent period at the final judgment when Satan is finally cast into the Lake of Fire. (This is not another time this is the same final judgment mentioned over and over again in the visions of Revelation. See my previous post on Revelation 19:20,21)
This is at the second coming of Christ. Then there will be a final resurrection of the Christ followers.
1Th 4:15-18 "For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words."
Then this world at His coming will melt in the midst of His Absolute Love, Purity, Faithfulness and Judgment.
2Pe 3:7-13 "But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."
In tomorrow's blog why we should not see the the mention of 1,000 years as chronological and why it refers to these last days in which we are living.
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