[Biblemat] A) QUESTION AND ANSWER

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  A very good Monday
morning to each and everyone.  May God bless you and yours.
Here is a question and answer that recently came my way:

QUESTION AND ANSWER

Question: -- Would you please explain the first resurrection
                     and its relationship to the 1000 year reign of
                     Christ, from Rev. 20:1-6?

Answer: -- Let's take time just here to read the text mentioned

                  "And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,
having the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the
Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and
cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him,
that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousa-
nd years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for
a little time.  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon. and judg-
ment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that
had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the
Word of God, and such as worshiped not the beast, neither
his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and
upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a 
thousand years.  The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years 
should be finished.  This the first resurrect-
ion.  Bliessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurr-
ection: over thse the second death hath no power; but they 
shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him
a thousand years" (Rev. 20:1-6).

     I would wish that I had the wisdom and words to explain 
this passage to the satisfaction of every reader -- but, alas,
I do not.  There have been far too many fanciful theories built
around these six verses, most of which completely ignore or
deny a host of other Scriptures.  Some contend that part of 
this is literal (the 1000 years, for instance), but that other parts are 
figurative (souls beheaded, etc.).  The truth is, to
understand this passage, we must allow other passages of the Bible to explain 
this one.  With the premise that the Bible
is its own best interpreter, let us search other passages to 
find the meaning in this passage.

     First, please note what Rev. 20:1-6 does NOT teach.  It says nothing 
about an earthly kingdom; in fact, the kingdom
is not even mentioned here.  This passage says nothing about an "earthly 
reign" of Christ.  Jesus Christ now reigns
as King in His kingdom (Matt. 16:18,19; Acts 2:29-35; Col. 1:
13; 1 Tim. 6:15).  Admittedly, much in Revelation is difficult
to understand, for it is written in symbolic language.  But 
there is much in this passage that is plainly taught in other
passages of the Scriptures.

     When Christ came to earth, it was to fulfill the purpose of
God.  It had been promised that He would "bruise the head"
of Satan (Gen. 3:15).  Thus, in Heb. 2:14,15, the reason for
His having a fleshly body is revealed: "Since then the children
are sharers in flesh and blood, He also Himself in like manner
partook of the same; that through death He might bring to
nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and
might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage."  By His death on the cross, Jesus broke Satan's 
hold on man.  Thus, Christ "bound Satan" (Rev. 20:2) by nullifying his power 
over sinful man.

     The "souls beheaded" must refer to those people who died to sin that 
they might live for Christ.  When duty demand-
ed it, they died for the cause of Christ, as did Stephen (Acts 7) and James 
(Acts 12).  Just as Abel, "being dead, yet speak-
eth" (Heb. 11:4), so Stephen and James and others who dedi-
cated their lives to Christ, "being dead, yet speak."  Because
Christ reigned in their lives, they "live and  reign with Christ"
(Rev. 20:4).  In a sense, that is also true with any Christian 
who was "crucified with Him."

     The reign of Christ for 1000 years must refer to His reign
in His kingdom, which began on Pentecost (Acts 2:29-36) with
the advent of "the last days" (Acts 2:16,17).  Peter plainly
taught that the kingdom of Christ, with Him as King, began
on that day (Acts 2:29-36).  And the 1000 years -- figurative
term for a long period of time -- is the period of the reign of
Christ in His Kingdom.  That means it began on that Pente-
cost (Acts 2) and will continue until Christ comes back:  "When He shall have 
delivered up the kingdom to God, even
the Father" (1 Cor. 15:24).

     Rev. 20:6 says that "the second death" has no power over
those who have part in "the first resurrection."  But what is the second 
death?  The answer is found in Rev. 20:10,14.  It
is the "lake of fire and brimstone" or "the lake of fire."  Jesus
refers to that in Matt. 25:41 as "the eternal fire, prepared for
the devil and his angels."  He further says, "Hell fire, where
their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mk. 9:48).
For whom does hell have no terror?  Those who have part in
"the first resurrection".  But what is that "first resurrection"?

     The apostle Paul explains this very thoroughly in Rom. 6:3-
6.  "Or are ye ignorant that all we hwo were baptized into Christ Jesus were 
baptized into His death?  We were buried
therefore with Him through baptism unto death: that like as
Christ was raised fromt he dead through the glory of the Fat-
her, so we also might walk in newness of life.  For if we have
become united with Him in the likeness of His death, we shall
be also in the likeness of His resurrection; knowing this, that
our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away, 
that so we should no longer be in bond-
age to sin."  When anyone comes to Christ, he must "die to 
sin" and be "buried with Him in baptism" and then "be raised
to walk in newness of life."  Friend, that is the first resurrect-
ion, for the Scripture says so!  We are "raised with Christ"
when we come forth from the baptismal waters.

     To sum up: Christ died for our sins to delver us from 
Satan's bondage.  His death "bound Satan" by limiting his 
power over mankind.  When we put our trust in Christ, are
baptized into His death adn are buried with Him in baptism,
we then are "raised with Him."  And for those who have part
in that "first resurrection" (Rom. 6:3-6), the "second death"
has no power:  "There is therefore now no condemnation to
them that are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of Life
in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and death"
(Rom. 8:1,2).  Nether hell nor Satan has power over the Christ-
ian.          ---------- Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, 
No. 7, Feb. 16, 2007.
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