Revelation 20:5-6

The book of Revelation and chapter 20. I want to read the first six verses of this chapter. In particular, this morning, we will be focused on the first resurrection that’s mentioned in verses 5 and 6. Let’s read the whole section here. 1 to 6, Revelation 20. and I saw an angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand and he laid hold on the dragon that old serpent which is the devil and Satan and bound him a thousand years and cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more for the thousand years should be fulfilled. And after that he must be loosed a little season. 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, 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. But the rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection, blessed and holy, is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such. The second death hath no power, that they shall be priest of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him. a thousand years. May God bless to us his sacred and holy word this morning. Now, by way of quick review, as we look at this section of Scripture, you’ll recall the first section here in verses 1 to 3 deals with Satan being bound. And here we have what’s happening on earth during this so-called millennial period. this 1,000 years that’s mentioned in this chapter. We have the binding angel that’s mentioned. We said that we believe that this may be indeed Jesus Christ, who in the gospel of Matthew chapter 12 is the one who’s stronger than the strong man and binds the strong man that he may spoil his goods. Here he’s going to take from Satan’s kingdom and add to his kingdom. The one bound is Satan. He goes under various descriptions here, the devil and the accuser and so forth. The place of the binding of this bottomless pit, we said this was an abyss, some type of deep hole. How we’re to understand this exactly, I don’t know. Outside of the idea seems to be that you continuously fall, but it’s, you’re placed in a position of helplessness that you can’t do anything about the situation that you’re in. We talked about the limitations of the binding in verse 3. It only refers to the deception of the Gentiles, that he cannot deceive the Gentiles anymore, like he did in the past. It doesn’t have anything to do with whether he can tempt us or not, or whether he still walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devire. The length of the binding is said to be a thousand years. We said this is not literal, but it’s like the cattle on the thousand hills that the Lord owns. He owns the cattle on a thousand and one, too. It’s just the idea of a long period of time. So the binding of Satan, what’s happening on earth during the millennium. Then we talked about last week, the reign of the saints in verses four to six. Now this is what’s happening in heaven during the millennium. This is that we said this was a heavenly reign of the saints who reign along with the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven. You go through the book of Revelation, the place where the thrones are located is heaven. It is where Christ was caught up. You remember in Revelation 12. 5, where the seed of the woman is caught up into heaven to sit upon a throne. In Revelation 321, those who overcome are able to sit with Christ upon his throne and reign with him. The thrones that are mentioned in verse 4, we referenced Daniel chapter 7, where we have these thrones that are placed around the ancient of days for the purpose of judging the beast and particularly the fourth beast that persecutes the saints. And in that chapter, we saw in verses 22 and 26, it says the judgment was given to the saints, the day along with Christ are judging the fourth beast. And I think that’s the same. scene that we find here in Revelation 20. We also said, heaven is the place. We’re disembodied spirits or souls go. The souls that were beheaded were read about in verse 4. Now we’re talking here then about the intermediate state. We’re talking about a reign of only a thousand years between the time of, let’s say, Christ’s resurrection and ascension to his second coming. That period of time is where these saints are reigning with Christ for a thousand years. It’s interesting. After the second coming of Christ, after their general resurrection and we get our glorified bodies, we read in Revelation 225 that the saints with their glorified bodies live and reign with Christ forever and ever. So we’re only looking at a snap. shot of time here. What’s happening during this period of time between Christ’s ascension, let us say, and the second coming, where do the saints go when they’re beheaded, they go to heaven, and they reign with Christ? After all, they don’t have a body at this point. The body’s in the grave here on earth. Heaven is the place where Jesus Christ lives and reigns. So we’ve looked at this in chapters 4 and 5 of the book of Revelation where we see Christ coming and taking the scroll from the hand of the Father who sits upon the throne in heaven. He rules and reigns with Christ. So the two reign together. We said that all the people of God live and reign with Christ. They of verse 4, I saw the thrones and they sat upon them. The they, I refer to all the saints of God. And judgment is given under them. They exercise judgment along with Christ because, as he says in verse 6, they are kings and priests. Revelation 1-6 says that, and this passage here in Revelation 26 says that they’re priests unto God, and they’re also, they reign with Christ. So part of being a king is to reign, and so they reign with Christ. In addition, he sees now a new group of people arrive in heaven, and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded. Now here are recent martyrs. They are going to join the rest of the saints in the judgment that is mentioned here in this chapter. of the beast. And so they participate with Christ. Then we talked about the rest of the dead that are mentioned in verse 5 in the first part of it. Here we’re talking about now the unbelieving dead. We know what happens to the righteous dead, but he mentions quickly the unbelieving dead, and he returns back to those in heaven and what’s happening. It says they live not a… until the thousand years were finished. Now, we’re going to show that this is not a physical resurrection. We’re talking about them living. After a thousand years, Satan has to be loosed for a little season in which he goes out and leads this final rebellion. We don’t know how long this period is, where he goes out and deceives the nations, and he leads this attack on the people of God. But the ungodly do not receive some type of eternal. body for a period of time after the thousand years are up. We don’t know how long that is. They only get it in verse 13 of this chapter. Verse 5A then should not be construed to mean that the rest of the dead ever live or come the life. We looked at four passages of scripture last week. Hebrews 9, 8 to 10. Luke 16, 16. Luke 21, 24, Galatians 3, 18, and 19. And we tried to show that the word until does not mean in those passages when it’s used that after that period of time, that something can be reinstated. Until only denotes that their unrighteous dead do not live or come the life during the entire 1,000-year period. It says nothing at all beyond that. period. We would argue that they never live. Because when Jesus talks about the resurrection, the general resurrection in John Chapter 5, he talks about a resurrection unto life for the godly, the people of God, but he never calls it a resurrection unto life to the ungodly. He calls it a resurrection under damnation to that. They’re not resurrected to any type of life. and I used the example at 75 let’s say I sold my car I drove not again until the day of my death that does not mean on the day of my death I went out and had a joy ride before I died you know you could misconstrue that but that doesn’t mean that what I’m saying is I never drove again and I think that’s the same idea in the text the righteous dead live and reign with Jesus Christ during the millennium, the rest of the dead never lived during this period of time, but indeed they’re suffering in hell. And when they get the new body, it’s their body, their cast body and soul into the lake of fire is the end of this chapter tells us. So what kind of living is this? That’s called the second death. That’s not called any type of life. So that leads us to the issue of the first resurrection. mentioned here in this chat. Any questions about that review? Let’s look at the first resurrection that’s mentioned here in verses 5 and 6 of Revelation 20. It says, this is the first resurrection, the end of verse 5. Blessed and holy is he that hath part of the first resurrection. On such, the second death hath no power, but they shall be priest of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years. Now, this is the first resurrection at the end of verse 5 really refers to what’s happening in verse 4. It’s not referring to the unrighteous, the rest of the dead. That’s sort of like a parenthesis. Here’s what’s happening to them, but let me go back to the glorious aspect of the first resurrection, which he explains a little bit more in verse 6 about what he means. The characteristic is the character is. of the first resurrection. The first thing I’m going to say is that this is not a physical resurrection. There’s nothing said here about the dead being raised up from the dust of the earth or the grays being opened or anything like that. We don’t get to that until verse 13. When he talks about the sea giving up the dead and death and hell delivering up the dead which are in them and so forth. The word resurrection may be used and often is used in Bible of the resuscitation of the mortal body. But obviously many who enjoy the first resurrection are what? Disembodied souls, aren’t they? Didn’t we just read that? The word first indicates to us that this is something different from the second resurrection, which would be the general resurrection of the last day. It would be the bodily resurrection. All people participate in the general or second resurrection. So if this is a general resurrection, why would he say these people are blessed? Or if the ungodly if they get resurrected too, why are we saying these people are blessed? Because this is unlike. The second resurrection is unlike the first resurrection. There’s a distinction. All people, as I said, participate in the general one, but not the first one. There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust, Acts 2415. But evidently, we see here this is not a multiple resurrection event as some of the dispensationals would like to tell us. What is this resurrection? about? Well, he says here in verse 6, it involves living and reigning with Christ as kings and priests. That’s what it’s about. Only the saints enjoy this wonderful privilege, those who have entered into paradise upon death. Those who are blessed of God are those who enjoy an internal inheritance. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 2534, come ye blessed of my father, those who have been graciously saved, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. He says that to the sheep on his right hand. As the Lord judges, all, the goats are on the left. Those who are holy, those who belong to a people set apart to serve God, a holy priesthood, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, as 1st Peter 2.9 says. Those who enjoy this first resurrection were told escape the second death. The second death is defined for you in this chapter. It involves the everlasting suffering of the body and the soul in the lake of fire. Versus 13 to 15. They’re not going to have anything to do with that because they’re with Christ in heaven. It’s only experienced by the wicked who do not have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, which is very clearly stated for us in the latter section here in verse 15. We find that to be the case. So the first death would seem to be a physical death. dealing with Adam’s fall, which both the righteous and the wicked must endure. But it may include a spiritual death because we all die in Adam, which is connected with the physical death. I mean, we die first spiritually, and then we die physically. They are in somewhat intertwined together. But the first death, I would connect with the idea of the physical death, but the second death in particular has to do with body and soul in the lake of fire, which is an eternal suffering. So this is the characteristics here of the first resurrection. It’s not a physical resurrection. It involves living and reigning with Christ and involves escaping the second death. Now the meaning of the first resurrection, there has been some debate. If you read any of the writers in Revelation 20, you’re going to be all over the map as they address this issue, what is this first resurrection. Well, let me appeal to Scripture and see if there’s a way in which we can comprehend all that you find here in Revelation 20 and verse 6 in connection with a resurrection. I want you to look with me at the book of Ephesians chapter 1 in verse 17. And let me read through chapter 2, verse 6. Ephesians chapter 1, beginning with verse 17, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance and the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to Oswald who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places. Far above all principality and power and might and dominion, every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And that put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all and all. And Jew, having talked about Christ, now he’s going to apply to them, and you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past you walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit which now, or that now, worketh in the children of disobedience. Among whom all So we all had our conversation, or our behavior, in times past, in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and we’re by nature, the children of wrath even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace, are you saved? And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Now here we learn that believers are to know something of the power of Christ’s resurrection in several aspects. Now think about this a minute. What did Christ resurrection involve? We saw it in verse 20 and 21, being raised from the dead, ascending into heaven, and exaltation at the Father’s right hand. He sits on the Father’s Throne, he rules overall. Those three aspects. Since the first resurrection does not involve the bodily resurrection of the saints, the question is, well, how does that relate to us here in this passage? It is true that, and we look at 1 Corinthians 15, that Christ’s resurrection from the dead is going to involve us later, is we’re going to have a body like unto his, and we’re going to have a physical resurrection. But that’s not what the focus is here in Ephesians chapter 2. He says, there are three things that you enjoy in comparison to what Jesus Christ enjoy. And he says that this involves the power of God working in us who believe, according to verse 19 of chapter 1. Your spiritual resurrection here involves three things. First, regeneration. You are quickened, right? You are made alive from a state of deadness and trespasses and sins. We saw that in verse 2, verse 1, and also verse 5. If you look with me at the book of, hold your place here, we’re going to come right back to Ephesians, but look with me at John’s Gospel, Chapter 5, verses 24 and 25. Jesus is speaking. He says, verily, verily, I say unto you, he that he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but it’s passed from death on the life. Verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming. And notice this, and now is. This is a present reality. When the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and shall live. What is he talking about here? He’s not talking about the physical resurrection. He’ll take that up in verses 28 and 29. He says, marvel not of this, for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth. They that have done good under the resurrection of life, they that have done evil under the resurrection of damnation. That’s the general resurrection. What he’s talking about here in verse 25 is a different type of resurrection. It’s a spiritual resurrection. Regeneration. Hearing the voice of the Son of God and being made alive by it. That’s why he says, and now is. It’s a present reality. The second thing, if you go back to the book of Ephesians, the second thing that is involved in this resurrection in comparison with Christ, is ascension of the soul to heaven. You’ll notice in verse 6, says, in verse 5, he talks about we were dead in trespass and sins, hath he quicked us together with Christ. And then in verse 6, he says, and hath raised us up together. Or we have there the transportation, if you would, of the soul into heaven. You remember when Lazarus died, the beggar? What do we read? He was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom or paradise. He was transported to heaven. We as the people of God, when we die, we’re transported to heaven. It’s the ascension of the soul is involved in connection with the resurrection of Christ. It is part of the first resurrection. The taking of the soul to heaven at death is indeed a resurrection. There is an act of the risen Christ upon your soul enabling you, purifying you, so that you can enter into heaven, so that you are a just person. We’re the spirits of just persons made perfect. Clans of all sin and corruption. We’re made fit for heaven. We’re transported like Lazarus into the paradise of God. So your soul being raised up to heaven by the power of Christ is part of the resurrection. Now you’ll notice that quickened and raised are used as distinct things in this passage. Verse 5, we’re quickened together with Christ and then he adds this little phrase by grace or you say. There’s a break here. And he mentions he’s raised us up together and the third thing he’s made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Thomas Goodwin is in his book, is a commentary on the first couple chapters of he died. I’ve evidently before he finished Ephesians. He died after two chapters. But his commentary on this passage I think is good and he separates the quickened and the raisins. I don’t, I don’t agree with his interpretation of the whole passage. But I think he’s right in separating the raised up and the quickened. Being quickened is separated by the parenthesis by grace, or you say? So I think there are two separate actions. And then he joins that phrase, hath raised us up together, and, in addition, made us sit together in heavenly place, indicating the one must be closely associated with the other. We are transported into heaven in order to sit together with Christ and the rain with Him. So he adds the words together with Christ. Where’s Christ now? He’s on the throne. We’re raised up, we’re raised up to sit with him to rule with him. Quickening doesn’t do that. Reigning with Christ, he made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Now this passage views things from the eternal purpose of God. It is if these things were already accomplished and thus we have it in the past tense. So this is what I would say is the first resurrection. The meaning here is it involves our regeneration, our quickening. It involves also ascension of the soul to heaven that were raised up. It involves reigning with Christ as kings and priests. Any questions on this passage of Scripture? Because I’m going to stop, I think, at this point. There’s no sense in trying to do a whole next section. There are no questions.