First Ressurrection

[Rik Brooks]

5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Rev 20:4

I am so confused. does this mean that the dead in Christ will not be resurrected until after the millineum?

 

[Tree of Life]

Sir, you've just wandered into a mine field.

Please note that this thread will contain divergent opinions on the meaning of this text based on very different approaches to Revelation. Revelation may be one of the most difficult books of Scripture to interpret and is certainly the most debated.

A good first step in approaching Revelation is to get a sense to all the different schools of thought. I recommend the short and accessible book by Vern Poythress called The Returning King. You can buy it on Amazon, but it's available in its entirety in the link provided above. If you only read the introduction, he will introduce you to the several "schools of interpretation."

Where I land on this particular text is that the millennium describes the period between Christ's ascension and his return, the first resurrection describes conversion, and the second resurrection describes the bodily resurrection at the end of the age.

 

[Rik Brooks]

Tree of Life, thanks for your answer

Sir, you've just wandered into a mine field

I suspected as much.

the millennium describes the period between Christ's ascension and his return

Huh? do you mean that the millineum (1000 years) is the period between just after the crucifixion and the near future? So 1,000 years is 2,000+ years. Surely I nisunderstand you

 

[Tree of Life]

Huh? do you mean that the millineum (1000 years) is the period between just after the crucifixion and the near future? So 1,000 years is 2,000+ years. Surely I nisunderstand you

Yes. I believe the numbers in the book of Revelation are symbolic.

 

[Mark51]

The expression “come to life” has to be understood according to context. This expression can have varying meanings in varying circumstances. For example, Paul said of his anointed fellow Christians: “It is you God made alive though you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) Yes, spirit-anointed Christians were “made alive,” even in the first century, being declared righteous on the basis of their faith in Jesus’ sacrifice.-Romans 3:23, 24.

Similarly, pre-Christian were declared righteous as to friendship with God; and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were spoken of as “living” even though they were physically dead. (Matthew 22:31, 32; James 2:21, 23) However, they and all others who are resurrected, as well as the great crowd of faithful other sheep who survive Armageddon and any children that may be born to these in the new world, must yet be raised to human perfection. This will be accomplished by Christ and his associate kings and priests during the thousand-year Judgment Day, on the basis of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. By the end of that Day, “the rest of the dead” will have “come to life” in the sense that they will be perfect humans free from all effects of Adamic sin. Notice that the reference to this in verse 5 occurs immediately after the preceding verse says that those who will be in heaven “came to life.” In their case it means life free from all effects of sin; they are even specially favored with immortality.-1 Corinthians 15:54.

Concerning "resurrections," there are two. One is for the anointed (Matthew 19;28; Luke 12:32; John 14:2, 3; Revelation 7:4, 13, 14; 14:1, 3; 20:6) The second are for those deemed righteous whether they are resurrected or survive the great tribulation.-John 19:16; Revelation 7:9-17.

 

[mark kennedy]

5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Rev 20:4

I am so confused. does this mean that the dead in Christ will not be resurrected until after the millineum?

That's exactly what it means, it's called the Great White Throne judgment.

 

[ColinJesusboy28]

We are expecting a major shift in the next few months regarding revelation "End Times"
TaKe heart, for he has overcome the world!

 

[ewq1938]

5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Rev 20:4

I am so confused. does this mean that the dead in Christ will not be resurrected until after the millineum?

No, it shows dead Christians resurrecting before the thousand years and "the rest of the dead" which are non-Christians resurrecting after the thousand years. We know from Paul that "the dead in Christ rise first" and that's all of them not some. Rev 20:4 only focuses on a certain group but all will resurrect at that same time. It focuses on them so we know Rev 20 is indeed after the GT and the return of Christ. First, they died refusing the mark and other reasons but that places their deaths in the GT. Second, they resurrect from the dead before the thousand years begins so we know that the second coming also had happened in this same timeframe.