UNDERSTANDING
THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Part
Eight
The
First Resurrection to the End
By
Gary Ray Branscome
In chapter twenty verse four John
says, “I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given authority to
judge:
and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony
of
Jesus, and for the word of God, and those who had not worshipped the
beast, or
his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads, or on
their hands;
and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the
rest of
the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the
first resurrection,” (Rev. 20:4-5).
Now, those who read these verses often assume
that
this resurrection is a physical resurrection, and that these “souls”
will be
reigning on earth. However, we know that is not true, because Christ
has
specifically told us that He will not raise
up
believers until the “last day” (John
If we will allow the clear passages of
Scripture to cast light on these verses, we will find that the first
resurrection is not a physical resurrection, but is the spiritual
resurrection
from being “dead in trespasses and sins,” to new life in Christ
(Ephesians
2:5-6). As it is written, “If you have risen with Christ, seek those
things
that are above, where Christ is sitting at God’s right hand” (Col.
3:1).
However, the Book of Revelation is not here talking about believers who
are
still on earth, but those who have gone on to be with Christ. For, “to
be
absent from the body” is to be “present with the Lord” (2Cor. 5:8). In
fact,
all who have died in the faith are, at this very minute, reigning with
Christ
in paradise (Luke
That leaves us with the question: Why does
Revelation 20:4-5 speak of believers reigning for one thousand years?
However, since the Bible does not answer that question, we dare not add
to God’s word by making up an answer. Perhaps that number is
figurative. Perhaps it points to a time when their testimony has
triumphed, and Christianity reigns worldwide. Perhaps it describes the
glory they have in heaven with Christ prior to the resurrection. We do
not know. But we do know that they will not be physically present on
earth, because Christ specifically said that He would not raise them up
until the “last Day” (John 6:40).
At the beginning of chapter
twenty
John saw Satan imprisoned in the “bottomless pit” for a “thousand
years” (Rev.
20:1-3). This “bottomless pit” is the same “bottomless pit” spoken of
in
chapter 9:1. And, we know that the release of Satan at the end of the
“thousand
years” is the same release that is mentioned in chapter 9:1, because in
both
cases Satan’s onslaught ends with the final judgment (compare Rev.
11:18 with
This brings us to the final judgment.
As John tells us what he saw, the words, “I saw the dead, small
and great, stand before God,” tell us that everyone will be
there (Rev. 20:12). There will be no exceptions! We know that those who
claim
that believers will not be present are not telling the truth, because
the
words, “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,” say
just the
opposite (2Cor.
The words, “the Father does not judge
anyone, but has committed all judgment to the Son,” tell us that it is
the Son
who will be sitting on the great white throne (John
On the last day, the trumpet will
sound (1Cor.
At this point, when you read the
words, “everyone was judged according to their works,” it is important
to
understand the proper relationship of Law and Gospel. The Law was given
to show
us our sin and need of forgiveness in Christ (Rom.
Because God is everywhere, the moment
the dead rise they will all be standing before His throne (Matt.
25:31-32).
Therefore, when Christ raptures the saints, He will be saying to them,
“Come,
you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the
foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34). At that time, all believers
will be
caught up to His throne, and will join Him in passing judgment on the
lost.
And, all who are “not found written in the book of life,” will be
“thrown into
the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15). As it is written,
“the saints
shall judge the world” (1Cor. 6:2).
The mention of the “throne” in chapter
21:5 tells us that the account of the last judgment is continued in
that
chapter. So it is in connection with the final judgment that John sees,
“a new
heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1). He
then sees, “the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out
of
heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2). The
word
“bride” in that passage identifies the heavenly
Now, as we look at the description he gives,
it is
important to know that translators have a hard time matching many of
the
ancient names for gem-stones with the names that are used today. For
example:
in verse eleven “jasper” is said to be “clear as crystal”. However,
while
“jasper” is a form of quartz, in modern gemology the thing that sets
“jasper” apart
from other forms of quartz is the fact that it is not clear, even in part. So, perhaps the word “jasper” might be
better
translated simply as “quartz”.
Now, when it comes to the “new heaven” and
“new
earth,” Some Bible scholars believe that it will be completely new,
while
others think that the present heaven and earth will be renovated. As
far as I
am concerned, the fact that the stars fall from the heavens, and the
elements
melt with fervent heat precludes the possibility of renovation.
Moreover, the
fact that the new heavens and new earth will have no sun, moon, or sea
is
strong evidence that it will be radically different from anything we
have known,
and far more glorious (Rev. 21:1 and 23). As it is written, “Eye has
not seen,
nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things
that God
has prepared for those who love him” (1Cor. 2:9).
The words, “Do not seal the words of the
prophecy of
this book: for the time is at hand,” then remind us that the things
prophesied
in this book were beginning to take place at the time the book was
written
(Rev. 22:10).
Jesus Himself then warns us not to add to, or
take
from what is written (Rev. 22:16, 18-19). And, the book closes with the
words,
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
you all” (Rev.
22:21).
Conclusion
The words, “we have not written
anything to you, other than what you read,” tell us that the actual
words of
Scripture, the words that John wrote down, tell us only what John saw
and heard
in his dream, nothing more (2Cor. 1:13). Therefore, whenever men try to
interpret what John saw, they are interpreting a dream, not the words
of
Scripture. For that reason, every interpretation which they devise is a
“private interpretation” (2Peter