Red, you are unfortunately stuck on thinking that the "first resurrection" is only spiritual in nature. That is impossible, because the thousand years comes to an end with that "first resurrection". Does anybody catch the irony of me, a Preterist, trying to convince Red, a non-Preterist, about the "first resurrection" being a BODILY resurrection of the dead in AD 33 and not a spiritual resurrection?? Christ was raised BODILY from the dead - not spiritually raised - because His Spirit never died. "Christ the FIRST-fruits" defines the "FIRST resurrection" from the dead.
The "thrones" in Rev. 20:4 with judgment given to them was the twelve disciples. Christ had told them in Matt. 19:28 that "in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory" (Christ's resurrection), "ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." This was just after Christ's ascension to heaven when the twelve disciples started exercising the ability to judge doctrinal and practical matters in the early church in Jerusalem (like the question of circumcision, the care of widows, the dispersion of charitable donations, the judgment of Ananias and Saphira, choosing deacons, laying hands on new pastors and evangelists, etc.). This first-century context of those twelve disciples on twelve "thrones" anchors the discussion of the "FIRST resurrection" in Rev. 20:5 to the day of Christ's resurrection in AD 33 along with that "remnant of the dead" (the Matthew 27:52-53 resurrected saints).
The literal "thousand years" began long ago with Solomon's temple foundation stone being laid down in 968 / 967 BC. It ended with the "FIRST resurrection" of Christ (the "chief cornerstone") and that "remnant of the dead" which came to life again as being that "FIRST resurrection" event in AD 33. The "Beast" which Rev. 20:4 mentions was in existence ever since Nebuchadnezzar's first deportation of Jerusalem's citizens in 607 BC. That "Beast" continued to exist into John's days as he was writing Revelation (666 years later). In one way or another, all those pagan empires had demanded homage. The "mark" was only part of that demand for homage which was when pagan Rome was in power. Those saints who remained faithful to God during their lifetime in spite of that demand for homage all "reigned with Christ" during those literal thousand years from 968 / 967 BC until AD 33 during the time when Satan's deception of the nations was being bound.
He's already come back and destroyed the enemies described in Revelation. All those three Beasts as well as Satan and his devils are dead and long gone since AD 70. Since then, Christ has been wearing those "many crowns" confiscated from a dead Satan who once claimed to have power over the kingdoms of this world. Whether you acknowledge it or not, you and I are now living in the New Jerusalem with its open gates, and the leaves of the Tree of Life are available for the healing of the nations.
Yours is a pessimistic outlook, with a dismal projection for a declining church until the end. That is not God's perspective for His kingdom with the predicted growth of the leaven and of the mustard seed, the living water extending to all nations, and the growing "stone" which will eventually fill the entire world with its effects. The trajectory of the growth of the kingdom of God is on the incline, leading to His final return in our future.
?? I never had a single discussion with you on eschatology matters when we shared membership in the 80's and 90's. So I never even knew where you stood on these things. At the time, I wasn't pursuing an interest in this subject at all. I had no position whatever except the background of pre-mill disp. theories I was taught from childhood. I didn't give it any serious study until 2012 when I saw the Scripture describing things from the Preterist perspective.
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CAll me Thomas if you will, I will never accept no other person wrote the gospel of John and Revelation other than John the apostle.
