Revelation 20:5
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This
is the first resurrection.”
Some Premillennial Theologians use this verse as support for the idea that there are at least
two physical resurrections with a literal earthly millennial reign
in between. However, scripture clearly teaches "one" future resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
John 5:28-29~"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."
This is the
second Resurrection (
not the first in Christ) and this is what is described in Revelation 20:12. The First resurrection is in Christ, and it is spiritual in nature. This verse of Revelation is conclusive proof that this is speaking about the souls of those martyred who were saved, and who died physically as it's contrasted against the souls of "the rest of the dead" (the unsaved, who died physically). As believers in Christ those martyred, in their souls go
immediately to live and reign with Christ after they die. They are living and reigning with Christ every since He went to the cross to make that possible. We live and reign with Christ in heaven in our souls, even though our bodies decayed,
yet we live. That's exactly what the verse is talking about. Believers who die, yet their souls living and reigning with Christ, while unbelievers (
the rest of the dead) who die, don't live again
until the second resurrection.
Ecclesiastes 12:7
- "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it".
2nd Corinthians 5:8
- "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord".
When believers leave this body to dust, our spirits go to be with the Lord. But the rest of the dead, they lived
not until after this present millennial reign. These unsaved weren't raised up from death to new life in
the first Resurrection in Christ, therefore they cannot go to live and reign with Christ after death. That is the contrast here. In other words, they had no part in the First Resurrection with Christ! And so when they died, they don't live until raised at "The last day" to stand for judgment. That will be the Second Resurrection. Again, spoken of as, "after the thousand years" (indicating once again that it is not to be taken as literally a thousand, because the rest of the dead
die at all different times). Lets take a look at what it says here, and what is meant by it.
1st Resurrection:
Every single believer who has been raised up in Christ to new life, hath part in this 1st resurrection. Remember the scriptures talk of Christ as the "FIRST BORN FROM THE DEAD." If that's not the 1st Resurrection from the dead, the new birth in Christ, then nothing is. He is the Resurrection as He told Martha, and all those raised WITH HIM hath part in that first Resurrection ~ and WILL at some time during their life, will be quicken to life by the Spirit of God. They are the Church of the firstborn. On these, the second death hath no power. Of course not, for they never die again! ..He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
2nd Resurrection:
The second coming, at the last trumpet, at the last day, when we that are alive will be raised up to meet Jesus in the air, and Judgment day when the rest of the dead (unsaved who have died) are all are raised up to stand for Judgment.
1st Death:
The death in Adam which all of mankind has suffered and which if they are not resurrected in Christ from that death, they shall suffer the judgement in the second resurrection.
2nd Death:
The Judgment that is meted out By GOD upon the unrighteous. The Lake of fire! There shall be weeping and grinding of teeth! This is the death that the wages of sin brings forth. It's punishment. The 1st Resurrection (Those raised in Christ) have no need to worry about this, as the power of the Cross of Christ (1st Resurrection) has taken away the sting of death.
We see these thousand years are different for each group, and cannot logically or rationally be the same thousand years if that means literally a thousand. Simply put, verse five tells us that the rest of the dead, those who weren't saved by having part in Christ's Resurrection (The First) remained dead, and they didn't live again until after the thousand years.
That's not speculation, that's what the scriptures clearly say. And after the fullness of God's purpose, which is a different length of time for each of the dead, then they will be raised to stand for Judgment. Those who make the claim that the first Resurrection is not in Christ
are contradicting God's Word. God tells us point blank that Christ is the First Resurrection. And he who hath an ear, let him hear and receive it.
Acts 26:23~"That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles."
Legally we were part of that FIRST resurrection
in Christ.
So then, who are we going to believe, God or man? His interpretation, or our own? So there should be no debate but that Christ's raising from the dead is the "
First Resurrection," which guarantee our spiritual resurrection by the Spirit of God in time according to God's Word. This is not an interpretation, or my spin on it, it's a direct unadulterated teaching from God's word.
Colossians 1:18~"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence".
Hebrews 12:23~"To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect"
These are the souls of believers, the First Resurrection, upon which the second death has no power, they live, while the unsaved dead do not. It all fits when the thousand years is not forced to mean something God
never intended it to mean. It will
never fit when it's forced to mean literally a thousand years. The ones raised up in Christ lived and reigned with him through the thousand years as the Church is being built, but the "rest" of the dead (Unsaved dead) didn't live Again until after the thousand years, when Christ returns to rapture his Church and raise these dead to stand for Judgment.
Remember what the "souls" of those under the altar cried in Revelation 6:10, and Remember God's reply to them? His reply was that they should rest for a season, for there were more people to be martyred. You see, these are the "souls" reigning a thousand years in heaven,
not "men" reigning on earth with Christ in a earthly city jerusalem as some Theologians surmise. Christians who have died (physically) and gone to heaven, yet living and Reigning with Christ in their souls existence! God will not Judge till the fullness of His martyrs have come in. He will not loose the judgment of Satan till His set time. Not until His Church is come to the full.
This is the marvelous truth of God's Word. And the sad contradiction to those who try and make these souls of 1000 years speak of a literal 1000 year reign of Christ on this sin cursed earth with men.
The First Death ~The first death in Adam, culminating in the putting off of the tabernacle of the flesh when the body dies.
2st Corinthians 15:21
"For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead."
The First: Resurrection~
The First Resurrection in Christ, wherein those who have part in it shall never die. And in time, during their life on earth are spiritually resurrected to eternal life.
Acts 26:23
"That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the
First Resurrection from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles".
“And you
hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”
The Second Resurrection~ The General Resurrection at the end of the world.
John 5:28
"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 second Death, the judgment for the wicked.
Revelation 20:13-14
"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death."
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”
