"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such 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. 20:6)

Background Reading:
The Coming Earthly Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ - Part 3

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection" -- An Old Testament passage on the topic of the resurrection of the saints can be found in Daniel, chapter 12:

And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Dan 12:1-2)

It should have been clear to the Jews living at the time of the first coming of Jesus that there will be a resurrection of the dead. Daniel goes further in chapter 12 to describe the resurrection of the believing saints. The description fits nicely with the verse for today from Revelation that says blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. Consider how Daniel describes those who take part in the first resurrection:

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (Dan 12:3)

Isn't that a great picture of the resurrection of the saints? They shall be wise and shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. We remember what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, and how he described the difference between the natural body that we have now and the spiritual body we will have after the resurrection:

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (1 Cor. 15:42-44)

Paul uses the picture of a seed being sown in the ground and then growing into a plant. From looking at the seed, it is not apparent what type of plant it will become. So it is with the resurrection of the dead. It is not apparent from our natural bodies what we will look like in our resurrected bodies.

"on such the second death hath no power" -- What is the second death? The second death is defined in verses 13-14 of Revelation, chapter 20, where it is written:

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. (Rev. 20:13-14)

The second death occurs when the unbelievers are judged at the Great White Throne Judgment and are cast into the lake of fire where they will be tormented forever. The second death has no power over those who placed their faith in Jesus for their salvation during their lives on earth.

"but they shall be priests of God and of Christ" -- The resurrected saints will be priests during the Millennial Kingdom and will proclaim the glory of God and Christ to the humans living on the earth during that time. This verse clearly affirms the Deity of Jesus Christ.

"and shall reign with him a thousand years" -- This is the fifth time in Revelation, chapter 20, that the length of the Millennial Kingdom is set at 1000 years. The repetition of the length of time could be seen as placing emphasis on the fact that the 1000 years will be a literal 1000 years.

"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." -- (Rev. 20:5)

Background Reading:
The Resurrection of the Dead

It is a sure thing that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. (Acts 24:15). The just shall rise first and reign with Christ for 1000 years during the Millennial Kingdom. The unbelievers will not be resurrected until after the 1000 years have ended, at which time they will receive their body suited for eternal tormet in the lake of fire. The background reading link above links to a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on the subject of the resurrection. I will provide a few good quotes from that sermon for the rest of today's blog entry.

"I. There shall be A RESURRECTION OF THE JUST.

The first proof I will offer of this, is, that it has been the constant and unvarying faith of the saints from the earliest periods of time. Abraham believed the resurrection of the dead, for it is said in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 11 verse 19, that he 'accounted that God was able to raise up Isaac even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.' I have no doubt that Joseph believed in the resurrection, for he gave commandment concerning his bones; and surely he would not have been so careful of his body if he had not believed that it should be raised from the dead. The Patriarch Job was a firm believer in it, for he said in that oft repeated text, Job. xix. 25, 26: 'For I know that my Redeemer liveth; and that he shall stand at the latter-day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.' David believed it beyond the shadow of a doubt, for he sang of Christ, 'Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption.' Daniel believed it, for he said, that 'Many who sleep in the dust shall rise, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting contempt.' Souls do not sleep in the dust; bodies do."

"Yet, further, the resurrections that have already taken place give us hope and confidence that there shall be a resurrection of all saints. Do you not remember that it is written, when Jesus rose from the dead many of the saints that were in their graves arose, and came into the city, and appeared unto many? Have ye not heard that Lazarus, though he had been dead three days, came from the grave at the word of Jesus? Have you never read how the daughter of Jarius awoke from the sleep of death when he said, 'Talitha cumi?' Have you never seen him at the gates of Nain, bidding that widow's son rise from the bier? Have you forgotten that Dorcas who made garments for the poor, sat up and saw Peter after she had been dead? And do you not remember Eutychus who fell from the third loft and was taken up dead, but who, at the prayer of Paul, was raised again? Or, does not your memory roll back to the time when hoary Elijah stretched himself upon the dead child, and the child breathed, and sneezed seven times, and his soul came to him? Or have you not read that when they buried a man, as soon as he touched the prophet's bones he rose again to life? These are pledges of the resurrection; a few specimens, a few chance gems flung into the world to tell us how full God's hand is of resurrection jewels. He hath given us proof that he is able to raise the dead by the resurrection of a few, who afterwards were seen on earth by infallible witnesses."

"As Christ actually rose from the dead—flesh and blood, so shall we. Christ was not a spirit when he rose from the dead; his body could be touched. Did not Thomas put his hand into his side? and did not Christ say, 'Handle me, and see. A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.' And if we are to rise as Christ did—and we are taught so—then we shall rise in our bodies—not spirits, not fine aerial things, made of I know not what—some very refined and elastic substance; but 'as the Lord our Saviour rose, so all his followers must.' We shall rise in our flesh, 'though all flesh is not the same flesh;' we shall rise in our bodies, though all bodies are not the same bodies; and we shall rise in glory, though all glories are not the same glories. 'There is one flesh of man and another of beasts;' and there is one flesh of this body, and another flesh of the heavenly body. There is one body for the soul here, and another body for the spirit up there; and yet it shall be the same body that will rise again from the grave—the same I say in identity, though not in glory or in adaptation."

"But now we come to the RESURRECTION OF THE WICKED. Will the wicked rise too? Here is a point of controversy. I shall have some hard things to say now: I may detain you long, but I beg you, nevertheless, hearken to me. Yea, the wicked shall rise."

"But wherever I go now, I hear it said, 'The ministers in old times were wont to say there was fire in hell for our bodies, but it is not so; it is metaphorical fire, fancied fire.' Ah! it is not so. Ye shall receive the things done in your body. Though your souls shall be punished, your bodies will be punished as well. Ye who are sensual and devilish, do not care about your souls being punished, because you never think about your souls; but if I tell you of bodily punishment you will think of it far more. Christ may have said that the soul should be punished; but he far more frequently described the body in misery in order to impress his hearers, for he knew that they were sensual and devilish, and that nothing that did not affect the body would touch them in the least."

"But hear me while I again affirm God's truth. I tell thee sinner, that those eyes that now look on lust shall look on miseries that shall vex and torment thee. Those ears which now thou lendest to hear the song of blasphemy, shall hear moans, and groans, and horrid sounds, such as only the damned know. That very throat down which thou pourest drink shall be filled with fire. Those very lips and arms of thine will be tortured all at once. Why, if thou hast a headache thou wilt run to thy physician; but what wilt thou do when thy head, and heart, and hands, and feet ache all at once? If thou hast but a pain in thy reins, thou wilt search out medicines to heal thee; but what wilt thou do when gout, and rheum, and vertigo, and all else that is vile attack thy body at once? How wilt thou bear thyself when thou shalt be loathsome with every kind of disease, leprous, palsied, black, rotten, thy bones aching, thy marrow quivering, every limb thou hast filled with pain; thy body a temple of demons, and a channel of miseries."

"And will ye march blindly on? As the ox goeth to the slaughter, and the sheep licketh the butcher's knife, so is it with many of you. Sirs, you are living without Christ, many of you; you are self-righteous and ungodly. One of you is going out this afternoon to take his day's pleasure; another is a fornicator in secret; another can cheat his neighbour; another can now and then curse God; another comes to this chapel, but in secret he is a drunkard; another prates about godliness, and God wots he is a wretched hypocrite. What will ye do in that day when ye stand before your Maker?"

"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, and 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." -- (Rev. 20:4)

Background Reading:
The Coming Earthly Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ - Part 2

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them" -- Who are 'they' that are sitting upon the thrones that are given the responsibility to judge during the Millennial Kingdom? Paul gave some insight into this in the sixth chapter of 1 Corinthians in verses 2-3. There, Paul questions the reader, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?". So, there we have the answer. The saints shall judge the world. They are the ones sitting on the thrones.

The same idea is provided in Daniel, chapter 7, verse 18. There, Daniel describes what happens after the world power headed by the antichrist is defeated. He writes, "the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." Again, we have the truth that the saints shall possess the kingdom. There are also some verses in Revelation that further support the conclusion that saints will sit on the thrones. In Revelation, chapter 3, verse 21, Christ states that to "him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne". That is just an amazing truth and an extraordinary privilege.

Another picture is given in Revelation, chapter 4, where it says that "round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold." In Revelation, chapter 5, those elders sing a song to Christ saying, thou "hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." (Rev. 5:9-10).

Pastor John MacArthur had this to say about the subject: "We're not questioning [Christ's] sovereignty here when we say that the saints will reign. The Scripture says we will reign with Christ. Somehow we will be involved in the expression of His will. We will be His agents, carrying out His wishes, carrying out His will in the world. He will, of course, destroy His enemies, as we note at the end of chapter 19, set up His Kingdom. He will become KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, but we will reign along with Him, carrying out His will. He will be in that day the King, no one can gainsay what He says."

"and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands" -- Here we have a clear description of the Tribulation saints that died during the time of the Great Tribulation. They refused to worship the antichrist and they did not receive the mark of the antichrist. Remember, no one could buy or sell without the mark which is somehow related to the number 666. Thus, the saints were identifying themselves as believers in Christ by not having the mark placed on their body. For their identification with Christ, they were beheaded.

"and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" -- Here is the great promise that is made to the saints -- including the old testament, new testament, and tribulation saints -- that they will reign on earth with Christ for 1000 years. After that time they will be with Christ forever in the New Heaven and the New Earth.

"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, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season."-- (Rev. 20:3)

One question that may be asked at this point is whether the Old Testament ever mentioned the devil and demons being shut up in the bottomless pit for 1000 years. In response, consider these verses from Isaiah, chapter 24:

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited." (Isa. 24:21-22).

Here we have the Old Testament prophesy that the Lord shall shut up in the prison the host of the high ones that are on high. The passage does not mention the length of time as being 1000 years, but uses the term "many days". We now know that "many days" is 1000 years.

Also, in Revelation 20:3, Scripture says that the devil must be loosed for a while after the 1000 years of being in the bottomless pit. The verses from Isaiah give the same idea as they relate the fact that the prisoners in the pit will be "visited" after many days.

"And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years" -- (Rev. 20:2)

Background Reading:
The Coming Earthly Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ - Part 2

"and bound him a thousand years" -- Here is the first reference to the length of the Millennial Kingdom: a thousand years. During the 1000 years, Satan is bound in the bottomless pit. There are some people who try to argue that Satan is bound today. Such a belief is clearly wrong, counter to the weight of scripture, and can be dangerous if someone lives their life with such a belief. The rest of today's blog entry will list scripture to show that the devil is not currently bound and that we must take precaution against his wiles.

1 John 5:19
"We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one."

1 Peter 5:8
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour"

Ephesians 6:11
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

2 Corinthians 2:10-11
"To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

James 4:7
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Matthew 6:13
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

1 Thessalonians 2:18
"Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us."

1 Timothy 3:7
"Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."

2 Corinthians 4:3-4
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

Ephesians 2:1-2
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience"

John 8:44
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

1 John 3:8
"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

John 17:15
"My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."

Galatians 1:4
"Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father"

Acts 5:3
"But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?"

Revelation 12:10
"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."

Revelation 2:10
"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

Revelation 2:13
"I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth."

Revelation 2:24
"But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden."

Revelation 3:9
"Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee."

Job 1:7
"And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand."-- (Rev. 20:1)

Background Reading:
The Coming Earthly Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ - Part 1

"bottomless pit" -- The bottomless pit named here in verse 1 is different from the lake of fire named in verse 10. The devil is bound for 1000 years in the bottomless pit, then is released, and then is cast into the lake of fire where he will remain forever being tormented day and night. Pastor John MacArthur has said this about the bottomless pit: "And again I say, the abyss is not the final eternal lake of fire, it is a place of torment, certainly a place of punishment, a place out of the presence of God, a place of incarceration, a temporary place where God sends demons and where, in this case, He binds Satan."

Currently, some of the demons are already bound in this bottomless pit awaiting their final punishment. It is like a prison -- for demons. In Jude, verse 6, we have this statement: "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." So, some demons are currently being held in chains. 2 Peter 2:4 uses the following argument to make a point: "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment". Thus, the verse reaffirms the idea that the angels that sinned are being held in chains until the day of judgment.

1 Peter, chaper 3, tells us something more about these demons in the bottomless pit in verses 18-20: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." Thus, these were the demons that were disobedient in the time of Noah. The disobedience is recorded in Genesis, chapter 6, verses 1-8: "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD."

Finally, we know that demons are afraid of being locked up in the bottomless pit because of the conversation in Luke, chapter 8. In verses 31-33, the demons that Jesus was casting out of a man begged Jesus that they not be cast into the bottomless pit: "And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked."

Thus, some demons that disobeyed are currently being held in the bottomless pit. Other demons are still free at this time, but are afraid of being cast into the bottomless pit. The devil is currently roaming freely, but after the Battle of Armageddon the devil will be bound for 1000 years in the bottomless pit. After the 1000 years have ended, the devil will be cast into the lake of fire where he will be tormented day and night forever.

"And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." -- (Rev. 19:21)

Background Reading:
A Preacher from the Dead

"And the remnant" -- I will venture today to give a background on what the "remnant" that rebelled against God knew and how despite all the signs and wonders they had been exposed to, still decided to rebel against God. From Revelation, chapter 6, we see a great earthquake, the sun becomes black, the moon becomes like blood, the stars of heaven fall to the earth, the sky recedes as a scroll, and every island and mountain is moved out of its place. In chapter 8, there are thunderings, lightnings, an earthquake, hail and fire mingled with blood, a third of the trees and all green grass burned up, a third of the sea becomes blood, a great star falls from heaven, a third of the waters become bitter, a third of the stars are darkened, an angel shouts from the sky to the inhabitants on earth, locusts torment men for five months, and a third of mankind is killed.

Then, we have this statement:
"And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." -- (Rev. 9:20-21)

Did you get that? After all those things happen, the men on earth still do not repent, but go right on worshipping their same idols and committing the same sins. In 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, God tells us that these men "received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved", and thus, "for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thes. 2:10-12).

The people of today who are looking for signs and wonders to validate their message, whether through speaking in tongues or healings or other such means should take note. Remember the story in Luke, chapter 16, about the rich man and lazarus:

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." -- (Luke 16:19-31)

The Scripture is all we need to bring people to a knowledge of the truth. If they will not believe the Scripture, then they would not believe even the most dramatic signs and wonders. Thus, we must be diligent to spread the word of God and to teach others about the grace of God that is clearly presented in the Bible.