Friday, November 15, 2013

A Study of The Book of Revelation, Part #72


Earl Gillespie
A Study of The Book of Revelation
THE REIGN OF CHRIST 
 THE MILLENNIUM
Revelation 20:4-6:

4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

Who are they who will reign with Christ in heavenly glory here on earth for one thousand years? There is much speculation and much disagreement as to who these are. Some say they are saints; some say they are angels. We will come back to this subject a little later. The sovereignty of Christ as MAN (Psalm 8) and as KING (Psalm 2) is a Bible truth. A royal reign to be displayed for one thousand years here on this earth is unquestionable according to Scripture. The prophets of old saw it in a vision. Judah sang about it. The prophecy from Isaiah to Malachi speaks of its glory, blessing and splendor. The earth is to be delivered from the curse under which it has so long groaned and travailed. 

God created Adam and gave the earth to him. Adam subleased it to the devil, and when the lease runs out the sub-lease is no good. One day Adam’s day will be over and the day of the Lord God Almighty will come in. He will literally banish Satan from the earth: and the earth will be delivered from the curse. “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). 

In Revelation 11:15 the reign was announced. In chapter 20 it has actually come to pass. Verses 4 through 6 are extremely important and unique, for here, alone, is revealed a summary of those who will share with Christ in the Millennium, in the reign of righteousness and glory here on earth. “I saw thrones” - Daniel in exile and John the Beloved in exile saw thrones in a vision . . . the same thrones. When Daniel saw them they were unoccupied; John saw them occupied: “They sat upon them.” 

In Daniel 7:9 we read, “Till the thrones were cast down.” We might paraphrase it thusly: “Till the thrones were placed.” Daniel beheld until the thrones were established. He does not lead us into the Millennium, but simply to the beginning of it. He breaks off his prophecy at the beginning of the Millennium where one “like unto the Son of man” receives from the Ancient of Days the universal and everlasting kingdom (Daniel 7:13,14). The thrones seen here are not to be confused with the twenty-four thrones of Revelation 4:4. The thrones Daniel saw (Daniel 7:9) and the thrones John sees in Revelation 20:4 both point to the Millennial government here on earth. 

In verse 4 we read, “. . . and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.” The question now arises, “To whom do the pronouns they and them refer?” The Scriptures do not teach that angels or heavenly creatures will reign here on earth: “For unto the angels hath He NOT put into subjection the world to come, whereof we speak” (Hebrews 2:5). The government of earth during the Millennium is to be administered by Christ and His heavenly saints (I Corinthians 6:2,3). “THEY” refers to the Church, the Bride of Christ - “kings and priests unto God” - and possibly to the Old Testament saints. To this, some agree and some do not. Some declare that only the Church will reign with Him. Others suggest that the Old Testament saints may be included. 

“Judgment was given to them.” This is the fulfillment of “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” (I Corinthians 6:2). These words are easily understood. No one need be confused here. The saints will sit with Jesus when He judges the world, and will judge with Him. “ . . . And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God.” John sees, in the Spirit, souls - not persons, but souls of the martyrs.

In Revelation 6:9-11 we read of the souls of the martyrs under the altar, crying out, asking how long God will permit the reign of the Antichrist . . . how long before their blood will be avenged. They are given white robes and palms, and instructed to wait a little season until their fellowservants should be killed. The souls John saw under the altar are the same souls he sees here, plus those who will be butchered during the reign of the Antichrist.  Notice the description the Spirit gives concerning these souls: “Them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus . . . for the Word of God . . . which had not worshipped the Beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands.” These all lived and reigned with Christ one thousand years. 

All of these were beheaded after the Rapture of the Church so we know that at least two groups will reign with Christ during the Millennium: The Bride and the martyrs described here. No doubt the majority of these will be butchered during the last three-and-a-half years of the Great Tribulation. Note carefully that John first sees the souls, and in the same verse, “they lived.” The resurrection takes place immediately after the marriage supper of the Lamb, and just before the beginning of the Millennium. 

Verse 5: “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” The “resurrection of the just” is mentioned in Luke 14:13-14, and the “resurrection of life” is definitely distinguished from the “resurrection unto damnation” in John 5:29. Here in Revelation 20:5 we learn for the first time the interval that separates the two resurrections: One thousand years. When Jesus comes in the Rapture, only the righteous will be raised (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).  When He comes in the end of the ages, only the wicked will be raised and will appear before the great white Throne to be judged. The doctrine of a general resurrection - a time when the good and bad, just and unjust are raised - is certainly disproved by, this text.  

In John 5:28-29 we read, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” The “hour” referred to in this verse embraces one thousand years! Before the Millennium, the righteous will hear His voice. At the close of the Millennium the wicked will hear His voice. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. In John chapter 11 He called Lazarus by name. Had He simply said, “Dead, come forth,” every dead person would have come forth; but He called one man, and one man came out of the grave. When Jesus calls the righteous to meet Him in the air, only the righteous will be raised. Then one thousand years later the wicked will be raised.  

I know some will disagree, but I ask you to honestly see this Bible fact. In John 5:25-27 we read, “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. For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man.”  

In verse 25, note “the hour is coming, and now is.” Please be reasonable and face the fact that the hour referred to in this verse is the day of Grace, and has already lasted more than 2000 years. The wording is, “the hour is coming, and now is.” The dead referred to here are spiritually dead, not physically dead. All sinners are dead (Ephesians 2:1; John 5:24). When a dead sinner hears the voice of the Spirit and believes the Word, that dead sinner is raised to life, born of the Spirit, a new creation.  

There is a resurrection of the just which is the first resurrection and consists of at least three distinct companies as concerning the time of their resurrection. This began with Christ, the first fruits (I Corinthians 15:23). “Afterward, they that are Christ’s at His coming” (the Rapture). (Read I Thessalonians 4:6).  Then on the eve of the introduction of the Millennial Kingdom we have the resurrection of the martyred saints of the Tribulation.  But with the wicked dead it is far different. All the wicked from Cain to the last person to live and die the death of a sinner will remain in their graves until after the Millennium, and then they will be raised. The resurrection of the wicked will be the last closing scene of the resurrection of the dead.


They will be judged, cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, then the eternal ages will begin with not one trace of wickedness on earth, in Heaven, or in any of God’s new creations. All wickedness will be in the lake of fire. 

In verse 6 we read, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”  

Only holy people will have part in the first resurrection. Only people who cannot be affected by the second death, only those who shall be priests of God and Christ will be raised in the first resurrection; and if there is no second resurrection, why would the Holy Spirit refer to “the first resurrection?” Why did not the Spirit simply say “the resurrection in general?” The answer is clear. The Spirit leaves no untied ends. All is finished so that we may perfectly understand what the Word of God teaches.  In I Corinthians 15:51-54 we read of the resurrection of the body. This mortal will put on immortality, and the living will be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The dead will be raised in glory, the bodies of the saints (whether alive or in the grave) will be changed and fashioned like unto His glorious body (Philippians 3:21; I John 3:1-3). Paul desired to have part in the first resurrection (Philippians 3:11), and the resurrection of the dead is taught in both the Old and New Testaments. 

To be continued

No comments:

Post a Comment