Revelation 20:6 - 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.
Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power. Yes, there are two deaths. There's physical death, and there's spiritual death.
There's an old saying that says that a believer is somebody who has been born twice but dies once. You're physically born, and you're spiritually born. And when you physically die, that will be the only death you will experience because you'll be with Christ forever.
The non-believer is somebody who is born once but dies twice. They die in death here, and then they are resurrected and put in the lake of fire for the second death.
So blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:8 - And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, meaning the entire earth.
I believe I shared this in the past, but Gog and Magog, we call it May-gog in English, but in the Greek, it is pronounced Mah-gog. Gog is the word that the Jews use for all people who are the enemies of Israel. All enemies of Israel are called Gog. This is all taken from imagery in Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39. In that picture, as it is here, the kings of the east will come through the dried-up Euphrates River and attack God's people.
Magog is the god, or idol of Gog. So, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. We're talking millions.
Revelation 21:7 - He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
The term "he that overcomes," sounds like a challenge. It sounds like it would be a Subjunctive, a possibility, like if you do it. But in the Greek text, it is the one (who is) overcoming. Back in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3, the seven letters to the seven churches, at the end of each message, the same phrase is found, to the one who overcomes, he will receive a reward.
But again, it's a Present Participle. It's the one who is overcoming. All genuine born-again believers are pictured in the scriptures as overcomers. It's impossible to not overcome! In 1 John 4:4, it says the spirit of antichrist is in the world, but we have overcome them, Perfect Tense. It's already done, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
So, if Christ is always in me from the very second that I receive Christ, and He'll be there throughout eternity, then it will be impossible for me to not overcome, because He overcomes, and has overcome! So, to the one who is overcoming, he shall inherit all things. And I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
I am doing my best to follow and study what you are posting, just one or two questions. I agree if you say the first resurrection is when Jesus returns to earth, in Revelation 19, is the rapture. We see in Revelation 17:14 when the Lamb overcomes the beast and the 10 kings/battle of Armageddon, the ones with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.
You say, "After the thousand years, we leave with Christ. And the people on the earth who are left over from the tribulation, who still are not saved, but they've been given this one-thousand-year opportunity to live under the rule of Christ with Satan bound, when Satan is let loose, we will see that they will go back to serving Satan again."
After 1000 years, where do we go if we leave with Jesus? It seems you are saying those who go through the tribulation are given 1000 years to repent, so do people not die during the 1000 years? Are there no saved during the 1000 years? Forgive me if I am misunderstanding this.
Also, I believe that there will be some but not all who will be saved during these 1,000 years. It is hard to fully comprehend what these 1,000 years will be like, but with Satan bound for the duration, I would have to believe that things are going to seem perfect with Christ here.
But not all will receive Him. There will be many that will still continue to reject Him no matter how great conditions are. And when Satan is loosed after the 1,000 years, they will go right back to serving him. If a person's heart has been completely hardened, they will never surrender their life to Christ.
In our last discussion, I asked and was hoping you would share with me your understanding of who the Jews believe their Messiah is. Before Christ came, they believed in a Messiah and that He would one day come. Who did they believe was their Messiah? If you ask a Jew, they will tell you that God is their Messiah.
I ask this because you had mentioned that Jesus became the Messiah at His baptism which I believe He was the Messiah that they were expecting to come. So, if Jesus became the Messiah at His baptism, would He not be God, the Messiah the Jews rejected? There can only be one Messiah (God) who the Jews were expecting to come, and from what you were telling me in our last discussion, the Messiah was here. If this is one you choose not to answer, I understand.
Well brother, I do thank you for the questions and as always, I enjoy our conversations. I don't think we are going to come to an agreement on this, but I am open to continue this discussion as time permits.
Regarding the return of Jesus, I only see in Scripture that He returns once. As seen in 1 Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28, John 14:3, Acts 1:11, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Hebrews 9:28, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 6:12-17, Revelation 19:11-21, through Revelation 20:1-6, is the same event when Jesus returns, and it occurs after the tribulation of the beast. My understanding is that there is only one Day of the Lord, and that is when Jesus returns.
Regarding the Messiah, I have never asked a Jew about their understanding of it. What I have previously read about Jewish faith is that one day a charismatic Jewish leader, the anointed of God, a man with the characteristics of God, a direct descendant of the Davidic line, will gather Jews from around the world, and bring them back to the Land of Israel and restore the kingdom ridding them of all oppressors.
That was what they were looking for during the time Jesus was here during His 3.5-year ministry, a human conqueror. The disciples were looking for Him to set up the kingdom; they even asked Him after He was resurrected, Acts 1:6-7. They were looking for what we see will happen in the millennium when Jesus returns to earth.
It was mainly the leaders of Jerusalem who did not see or did not hear, which caused blindness in part to happen to Israel, who rejected Jesus; many accepted Jesus as the Messiah while He was here. The leaders of Jerusalem played a prominent role in turning the crowds against Jesus, and it was the nation of Israel as a whole that rejected Him. And today, most Jews do not believe the Messiah has come.
I know we may not agree, but I hope I answered your question.
Thanks again for your message. This may come as a shock, but I am in agreement with you on everything you just said. Like you, I also believe that Christ will return once. It is known by many as the Second Coming of Christ.
Also, my understanding matches yours that there is only one Day of the Lord which is when Jesus returns. It will be a day of judgment.
About the Messiah and what the Jews believe, I have visited several Jewish websites to see what various Rabbi's had to say, and from the things you have read, and the things I've read, their descriptions of the Messiah all point to Jesus as their Messiah.
It is not my belief that the first resurrection is when Jesus returns to the earth. That doesn't seem to fit. My understanding is that Jesus' return to the earth is His second coming, just like the first time He came all the way to the earth. I believe that the second coming of Christ and the rapture are separate. At His second coming, He comes all the way down to the earth. At the rapture, the dead in Christ are resurrected from the grave to meet the Lord in the air, and believers who are alive will also meet Him in the air. I see this as the first resurrection. This is not His second coming as He does not come down to the earth. Also, at His second coming, we know that all eyes will see Him. This cannot be said about the rapture.
Now, we probably both agree that the bible does not give us much to go on concerning post-millennium and the whereabouts of Christ after the 1,000-year reign comes to an end. But wherever Christ is after the millennial period, that's where we will be. So, wherever He goes, we go with Him.
Brother, my apology to you if what I am presenting is causing misunderstanding. I'm not too sure that I would say that we are misunderstanding each other, but rather, an understanding that we have different beliefs about the rapture of the church and the deity of Christ.
If this clears anything up, I will say that there might be some (although very few) who will survive the tribulation period. They will be part of the 1,000-year reign. I don't recall ever saying or even alluding to anyone living through the entire 1,000 years. However, I do believe that people will live much longer during this time.
Revelation 21:2 - And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
This is one of the many instances where the New Jerusalem is compared to as a bride of Christ. This one would be the bride of Christ.
Revelation 21:5 - And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
These are the words believers are to hold to, not because the bible says so, but because God says they are true, and they are faithful, and they will come to pass.
Revelation 21:6 - And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
And he said unto me, It is done. Again, the same word for it is finished.
I am Alpha and Omega. That's the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These are phrases that are attributed to be of God, also found in Isaiah 44:6, and Isaiah 48:12. He says I am Alpha and Omega, which means, as he says, the beginning and the end of everything, and everything in between. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
By the way, these phrases, these titles that God is giving from the throne, it's also referred to Jesus in Revelation 22:13, the same phrases, making reference to His deity.
So, God says I will give the one who is thirsting from the fountain of the water of life freely. That is the word DOREAN meaning without cost.
Revelation 20:11 - And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Remember, they tried to get away. They tried to hide in the rocks. They even called out to the rocks and the mountains saying fall on us, so we don't have to face Him. But there was no place to hide!
Revelation 20:12 - And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: Notice plural.
And another book was opened. So, we've got at least three. Another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:14 - And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Right now, there are no believers in Hades. They were released with the Lord's message to them. After He died on the cross for them, He descended into the lower parts of the earth. And all the believers that were in that part of Hades, Abraham's Bosom, they were taken with Christ.
But the non-believers were left there. And that's where the non-believers go today, until the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ. And then they will be resurrected, the sea will give up its dead, the earth will give up its dead, and then they'll stand before Christ, and the books will be opened. And they will be judged, every man according to their works.
And even death and hell, it's kind of like emptying out the compartments. Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. So, both Hades, and hell itself will be gone, poured into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:10 - And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
We saw this earlier on in Revelation that all people who reject Christ, they will be in torment day and night forever and ever. And there is a teaching going around now that says that a God of love would not put people in torment, and that once you die, you die. You just cease to exist. And they say that hell is not a place of torment.
But the bible is very specific in its detail as to what hell (the lake of fire) is really like. Also, in Matthew Chapter 24, Jesus said that hell was prepared for Satan and his angels, not for people.
But people go there for two reasons. Number one is that Satan is the spiritual force in which they serve. And secondly, they don't want to be in heaven. Most people do not take that into consideration, is that there are people who are in hell that are there, and they're not happy about it, but they only have one other choice, and they don't want to be there either. Well, they're stuck!
It's sort of like here on earth. People live miserable destructive lives as the consequence for their sins, but they won't surrender to Christ, have the burden taken off their back, and make peace with God. They want to keep sinning. They just don't like the consequences of their sin. But they won't surrender to Christ.
So, fire comes down and devours them. And the devil is cast in the lake of fire with the beast and the prophet. And they're tormented day and night forever and ever.
In Verses 11 to 15, we have the vision of the Great White Throne Judgment:
Revelation 20:6 - 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.
Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power. Yes, there are two deaths. There's physical death, and there's spiritual death.
There's an old saying that says that a believer is somebody who has been born twice but dies once. You're physically born, and you're spiritually born. And when you physically die, that will be the only death you will experience because you'll be with Christ forever.
The non-believer is somebody who is born once but dies twice. They die in death here, and then they are resurrected and put in the lake of fire for the second death.
So blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:8 - And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, meaning the entire earth.
I believe I shared this in the past, but Gog and Magog, we call it May-gog in English, but in the Greek, it is pronounced Mah-gog. Gog is the word that the Jews use for all people who are the enemies of Israel. All enemies of Israel are called Gog. This is all taken from imagery in Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39. In that picture, as it is here, the kings of the east will come through the dried-up Euphrates River and attack God's people.
Magog is the god, or idol of Gog. So, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. We're talking millions.
Revelation 21:7 - He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
The term "he that overcomes," sounds like a challenge. It sounds like it would be a Subjunctive, a possibility, like if you do it. But in the Greek text, it is the one (who is) overcoming. Back in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3, the seven letters to the seven churches, at the end of each message, the same phrase is found, to the one who overcomes, he will receive a reward.
But again, it's a Present Participle. It's the one who is overcoming. All genuine born-again believers are pictured in the scriptures as overcomers. It's impossible to not overcome! In 1 John 4:4, it says the spirit of antichrist is in the world, but we have overcome them, Perfect Tense. It's already done, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
So, if Christ is always in me from the very second that I receive Christ, and He'll be there throughout eternity, then it will be impossible for me to not overcome, because He overcomes, and has overcome! So, to the one who is overcoming, he shall inherit all things. And I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
I am doing my best to follow and study what you are posting, just one or two questions. I agree if you say the first resurrection is when Jesus returns to earth, in Revelation 19, is the rapture. We see in Revelation 17:14 when the Lamb overcomes the beast and the 10 kings/battle of Armageddon, the ones with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.
You say, "After the thousand years, we leave with Christ. And the people on the earth who are left over from the tribulation, who still are not saved, but they've been given this one-thousand-year opportunity to live under the rule of Christ with Satan bound, when Satan is let loose, we will see that they will go back to serving Satan again."
After 1000 years, where do we go if we leave with Jesus? It seems you are saying those who go through the tribulation are given 1000 years to repent, so do people not die during the 1000 years? Are there no saved during the 1000 years? Forgive me if I am misunderstanding this.
Thanks, brother
God bless,
RLW
(Part 2):
Also, I believe that there will be some but not all who will be saved during these 1,000 years. It is hard to fully comprehend what these 1,000 years will be like, but with Satan bound for the duration, I would have to believe that things are going to seem perfect with Christ here.
But not all will receive Him. There will be many that will still continue to reject Him no matter how great conditions are. And when Satan is loosed after the 1,000 years, they will go right back to serving him. If a person's heart has been completely hardened, they will never surrender their life to Christ.
In our last discussion, I asked and was hoping you would share with me your understanding of who the Jews believe their Messiah is. Before Christ came, they believed in a Messiah and that He would one day come. Who did they believe was their Messiah? If you ask a Jew, they will tell you that God is their Messiah.
I ask this because you had mentioned that Jesus became the Messiah at His baptism which I believe He was the Messiah that they were expecting to come. So, if Jesus became the Messiah at His baptism, would He not be God, the Messiah the Jews rejected? There can only be one Messiah (God) who the Jews were expecting to come, and from what you were telling me in our last discussion, the Messiah was here. If this is one you choose not to answer, I understand.
Well brother, I do thank you for the questions and as always, I enjoy our conversations. I don't think we are going to come to an agreement on this, but I am open to continue this discussion as time permits.
Many blessings to you in Christ Jesus!
Regarding the return of Jesus, I only see in Scripture that He returns once. As seen in 1 Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28, John 14:3, Acts 1:11, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Hebrews 9:28, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 6:12-17, Revelation 19:11-21, through Revelation 20:1-6, is the same event when Jesus returns, and it occurs after the tribulation of the beast. My understanding is that there is only one Day of the Lord, and that is when Jesus returns.
Regarding the Messiah, I have never asked a Jew about their understanding of it. What I have previously read about Jewish faith is that one day a charismatic Jewish leader, the anointed of God, a man with the characteristics of God, a direct descendant of the Davidic line, will gather Jews from around the world, and bring them back to the Land of Israel and restore the kingdom ridding them of all oppressors.
That was what they were looking for during the time Jesus was here during His 3.5-year ministry, a human conqueror. The disciples were looking for Him to set up the kingdom; they even asked Him after He was resurrected, Acts 1:6-7. They were looking for what we see will happen in the millennium when Jesus returns to earth.
It was mainly the leaders of Jerusalem who did not see or did not hear, which caused blindness in part to happen to Israel, who rejected Jesus; many accepted Jesus as the Messiah while He was here. The leaders of Jerusalem played a prominent role in turning the crowds against Jesus, and it was the nation of Israel as a whole that rejected Him. And today, most Jews do not believe the Messiah has come.
I know we may not agree, but I hope I answered your question.
God bless,
RLW
Thanks again for your message. This may come as a shock, but I am in agreement with you on everything you just said. Like you, I also believe that Christ will return once. It is known by many as the Second Coming of Christ.
Also, my understanding matches yours that there is only one Day of the Lord which is when Jesus returns. It will be a day of judgment.
About the Messiah and what the Jews believe, I have visited several Jewish websites to see what various Rabbi's had to say, and from the things you have read, and the things I've read, their descriptions of the Messiah all point to Jesus as their Messiah.
God Bless!!!
(Part 1):
It is not my belief that the first resurrection is when Jesus returns to the earth. That doesn't seem to fit. My understanding is that Jesus' return to the earth is His second coming, just like the first time He came all the way to the earth. I believe that the second coming of Christ and the rapture are separate. At His second coming, He comes all the way down to the earth. At the rapture, the dead in Christ are resurrected from the grave to meet the Lord in the air, and believers who are alive will also meet Him in the air. I see this as the first resurrection. This is not His second coming as He does not come down to the earth. Also, at His second coming, we know that all eyes will see Him. This cannot be said about the rapture.
Now, we probably both agree that the bible does not give us much to go on concerning post-millennium and the whereabouts of Christ after the 1,000-year reign comes to an end. But wherever Christ is after the millennial period, that's where we will be. So, wherever He goes, we go with Him.
Brother, my apology to you if what I am presenting is causing misunderstanding. I'm not too sure that I would say that we are misunderstanding each other, but rather, an understanding that we have different beliefs about the rapture of the church and the deity of Christ.
If this clears anything up, I will say that there might be some (although very few) who will survive the tribulation period. They will be part of the 1,000-year reign. I don't recall ever saying or even alluding to anyone living through the entire 1,000 years. However, I do believe that people will live much longer during this time.
Running out of space, please see Part 2...
Revelation 21:2 - And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
This is one of the many instances where the New Jerusalem is compared to as a bride of Christ. This one would be the bride of Christ.
Revelation 21:5 - And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
These are the words believers are to hold to, not because the bible says so, but because God says they are true, and they are faithful, and they will come to pass.
Revelation 21:6 - And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
And he said unto me, It is done. Again, the same word for it is finished.
I am Alpha and Omega. That's the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These are phrases that are attributed to be of God, also found in Isaiah 44:6, and Isaiah 48:12. He says I am Alpha and Omega, which means, as he says, the beginning and the end of everything, and everything in between. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
By the way, these phrases, these titles that God is giving from the throne, it's also referred to Jesus in Revelation 22:13, the same phrases, making reference to His deity.
So, God says I will give the one who is thirsting from the fountain of the water of life freely. That is the word DOREAN meaning without cost.
Revelation 20:11 - And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Remember, they tried to get away. They tried to hide in the rocks. They even called out to the rocks and the mountains saying fall on us, so we don't have to face Him. But there was no place to hide!
Revelation 20:12 - And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: Notice plural.
And another book was opened. So, we've got at least three. Another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:14 - And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Right now, there are no believers in Hades. They were released with the Lord's message to them. After He died on the cross for them, He descended into the lower parts of the earth. And all the believers that were in that part of Hades, Abraham's Bosom, they were taken with Christ.
But the non-believers were left there. And that's where the non-believers go today, until the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ. And then they will be resurrected, the sea will give up its dead, the earth will give up its dead, and then they'll stand before Christ, and the books will be opened. And they will be judged, every man according to their works.
And even death and hell, it's kind of like emptying out the compartments. Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. So, both Hades, and hell itself will be gone, poured into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:10 - And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
We saw this earlier on in Revelation that all people who reject Christ, they will be in torment day and night forever and ever. And there is a teaching going around now that says that a God of love would not put people in torment, and that once you die, you die. You just cease to exist. And they say that hell is not a place of torment.
But the bible is very specific in its detail as to what hell (the lake of fire) is really like. Also, in Matthew Chapter 24, Jesus said that hell was prepared for Satan and his angels, not for people.
But people go there for two reasons. Number one is that Satan is the spiritual force in which they serve. And secondly, they don't want to be in heaven. Most people do not take that into consideration, is that there are people who are in hell that are there, and they're not happy about it, but they only have one other choice, and they don't want to be there either. Well, they're stuck!
It's sort of like here on earth. People live miserable destructive lives as the consequence for their sins, but they won't surrender to Christ, have the burden taken off their back, and make peace with God. They want to keep sinning. They just don't like the consequences of their sin. But they won't surrender to Christ.
So, fire comes down and devours them. And the devil is cast in the lake of fire with the beast and the prophet. And they're tormented day and night forever and ever.
In Verses 11 to 15, we have the vision of the Great White Throne Judgment:
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