In
Revelation 19:20-20:1-3, Jesus has returned to earth and has cast the beast the and the false prophet into the lake of fire.
And Satan is cast into the bottomless pit.
So.... in
Revelation 20:4-6, Jesus is here on earth when He resurrects the martyred great tribulation saints to rule with Him for the 1000 thousands years. i.e. they are not taken to heaven - like will be done in the
1Thessalonians4:14-18 resurrection/rapture event.
NOTE: I do not believe that the Beast is Satan if that is what you are meaning.
I think you are viewing that Revelation 19 is the last day. It can't be as there is still 1000 years that Christ reigns while Satan is bound, and then Satan is set free again for a short time to wreak havoc. So, this is not the last day as Satan is not cast into the lake of fire and people are not judged until
Revelation 20:11.
In
Revelation 19:20-21, the Beast and his armies are defeated. Then, in
Revelation 20:1-3, Satan is bound for 1,000 years during the millennial reign.
Revelation 20:4-6 expands on who reigns with Christ during this time.
So, Revelation 19 describes the battle against the Beast, then, in
Revelation 20:1-3 Satan is bound for 1,000 years during the millennial reign, and
Revelation 20:4-6 provides more detail on those who reign with Christ. Then Satan is set free for a short time. And finally, we have the last day. The day of Judgement. (Jesus said believers are raised on the last day. Only the martyrs are raised before.)
The last day event, a general resurrection, is not the resurrection/rapture event of
1Thessalonians4:14-18 and
1Thessalonians5:9-11, as only Christians take part in resurrection/rapture event.
The last day event is in
Revelation 20:11-15, when the Great White Throne Judgment takes place.
Here are the three events involving the resurrection of the dead.
1. the resurrection/rapture event - before the great tribulation begins. Taken to heaven, to return with Jesus.
1Thessalonians4:14-18, 1Thessalonians5:9-11
2. the resurrection of the martyred great tribulation saints - right after the great tribulation, and Jesus has returned.
Revelation 20:4-6
3. the resurrection of the last day - for the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:11-15
You have outlined a three-stage resurrection model, which includes:
1. A pre-tribulation rapture of all Christians (
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18).
2. A resurrection of martyred tribulation saints at Christ’s return (
Revelation 20:4-6).
3. A final resurrection of unbelievers for the Great White Throne Judgment (
Revelation 20:11-15).
This is a dispensational pre-millennial interpretation.
However, I don’t believe it is a 3-stage resurrection. I would argue that it is more of a 2-stage event, and the pre-tribulation idea isn’t supported by scripture (unless the scripture is used out of context).
1 Thessalonians 4 does not explicitly place the resurrection in relation to the millennium.
Here’s my view:
1. The beast is defeated (
Revelation 20:1-3). Christ returns with the martyrs (
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18) and reigns for 1,000 years (
Revelation 20:4-6). NOTE:
Revelation 20:5 indicates that no other believers are resurrected until after the 1,000 years.
2. A final resurrection of all people—both dead and alive, believers and non-believers—takes place. They will be taken up into the clouds (
1 Thessalonians 4:17) for the Great White Throne Judgment (
Revelation 20:11-15).
Are you serious?
He presented it in
Mt 24:30-31.
Who are the
"elect from. . .one end of the heavens to the other" whom the angels will be sent to gather at the second coming (
Mt 24:30)
NOTE: I believe that both the resurrection in 1 Thessalonians 4 and the final resurrection at the Great White Throne Judgment involve a 'catching away' (Harpazo). They both involve believers being gathered to Christ, though at different times. So, both are raptures.
Matthew 24:30-31 says:
"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other."
Which Event Is This Referring To? The rapture (of the martyrs as in Thes 4) or the last resurrection of everyone to the GWT (also a rapture)?
This passage describes Christ's visible coming and the gathering of His elect. The key question is: Does this refer to the final resurrection or His return to begin the 1,000-year reign?
Two Possible Views
1. First Resurrection (Martyrs' Resurrection/Harpazo before the Millennium)
-The gathering of the elect refers to Christ resurrecting the martyrs only (Revelation 20:4-6)."
-The rest of the dead (including non-martyred believers and unbelievers) remain in their graves until the final resurrection (Revelation 20:11-15)."
2. Final Resurrection (General Resurrection/Last Harpazo at the End of the Millennium)
-The gathering of the elect refers to the resurrection of all believers, along with non-believers, for final judgment."
-Since Jesus’ 1,000-year reign has ended, this could imply that He has ascended back to heaven prior to Satan's final rebellion, only returning again for the Great White Throne Judgment."
This would align with
1 Thes 4:1 where everyone meets the Lord in the clouds on the last day. It also aligns with the trumpet that ushers in the Great White Throne Judgement on the last day, as in
Rev 11:15. It would also align with
1 Corinthians 15:51-52.
"Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (NKJV)
I recognize that you believe Matthew 24:30-31 refers to the
first resurrection (rapture of all believers before the tribulation). However, the passage does not explicitly state whether this is the
first or second gathering (Harpazo). It simply describes a
gathering of the elect at Christ’s return, which could align with either interpretation.