#revelation #endtimes
The time, meaning and scope of "The Millennium" is disputed over and sometimes even a cause for division among honest followers of Christ and Biblical Scholars. Why do I think this chapter that talks about the reign of Christ refers to these last days that we are in, in the inter-advent period between the Resurrection of Jesus and His coming again?
1. Jesus is reigning now from heaven and the risen saints raised with Him are reigning with Him.
1Co 15:23-26 "But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
2. Revelation 20:7-15 is a clear capitulation of the end of Revelation 19:17-21.
Revelation 20:7-11 "And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
Rev 19:19-20 "And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur."
Revelation 20:12-15 "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Rev 19:21 "And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh."
It is by the "Sword of His Mouth" that this judgment of death comes, the second death the final death of being judged and thrown into the lake of fire. A reminder from John's Goapel that Jesus is the "Word of God".
Rev 2:11 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death."
3. Large numbers in prohetic literature throughout Scripture indicate a long period of time that has a conclusion, not myriads and myriads as in uncountable, but a large number of unknown scope or length. (i.e. 144,000 in Revelation 14, 12,000 from each of the sons of Israel and 1,000 in Revelation 20.)
G.K. Beale the author of the "New International Greek Testament Commentary on Revelation writes: "The events in vv 1-3 and vv 4-6 occur during the same period, which is referred to as '1,000 years," That this is not a literal chronological number is apparent from: (1) the consistently figurative use of numbers elsewhere in the book. (2) the figurative nature of much of the immediate context ("chain", "abyss", "dragon", "serpent", "locked", "sealed", "beast"), (3) the predominantly figurative tone of the entire book (so 1:1), (4) the figurative use of "1,000" in the O.T. (my add Old Testament prophetic literature), (5) the use of Jewish and early Christian writings of "1,000" years as a figure for eternal blessing of the redeemed....
The overall analysis of vv 1-6 supports a figurative meaning. 1,000 is the third power of ten, and, if figurative here, might represent a long era and, at least, would signify and ideal epoch."
"The New International Greek Testament Commentary on Revelation" William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999, page 995.
Do you want to be free from the judgment and this second death? All who follow Jesus Christ, the Absolute Love, those found having faith in Him will be made alive at the second resurrection, at His return.
1Co 15:19-22 "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
The time, meaning and scope of "The Millennium" is disputed over and sometimes even a cause for division among honest followers of Christ and Biblical Scholars. Why do I think this chapter that talks about the reign of Christ refers to these last days that we are in, in the inter-advent period between the Resurrection of Jesus and His coming again?
1. Jesus is reigning now from heaven and the risen saints raised with Him are reigning with Him.
1Co 15:23-26 "But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
2. Revelation 20:7-15 is a clear capitulation of the end of Revelation 19:17-21.
Revelation 20:7-11 "And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
Rev 19:19-20 "And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur."
Revelation 20:12-15 "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Rev 19:21 "And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh."
It is by the "Sword of His Mouth" that this judgment of death comes, the second death the final death of being judged and thrown into the lake of fire. A reminder from John's Goapel that Jesus is the "Word of God".
Rev 2:11 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death."
3. Large numbers in prohetic literature throughout Scripture indicate a long period of time that has a conclusion, not myriads and myriads as in uncountable, but a large number of unknown scope or length. (i.e. 144,000 in Revelation 14, 12,000 from each of the sons of Israel and 1,000 in Revelation 20.)
G.K. Beale the author of the "New International Greek Testament Commentary on Revelation writes: "The events in vv 1-3 and vv 4-6 occur during the same period, which is referred to as '1,000 years," That this is not a literal chronological number is apparent from: (1) the consistently figurative use of numbers elsewhere in the book. (2) the figurative nature of much of the immediate context ("chain", "abyss", "dragon", "serpent", "locked", "sealed", "beast"), (3) the predominantly figurative tone of the entire book (so 1:1), (4) the figurative use of "1,000" in the O.T. (my add Old Testament prophetic literature), (5) the use of Jewish and early Christian writings of "1,000" years as a figure for eternal blessing of the redeemed....
The overall analysis of vv 1-6 supports a figurative meaning. 1,000 is the third power of ten, and, if figurative here, might represent a long era and, at least, would signify and ideal epoch."
"The New International Greek Testament Commentary on Revelation" William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999, page 995.
Do you want to be free from the judgment and this second death? All who follow Jesus Christ, the Absolute Love, those found having faith in Him will be made alive at the second resurrection, at His return.
1Co 15:19-22 "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
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