Christ is not the one coming back to life in Revelation 20, the martyred saints are. Revelation 20 is not about Christ's bodily resurrection. Where are you getting that idea from?
And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. How can 'they' plural be meaning Christ 'singular'?
Good question, indeed. Looks like I need to explain the First Resurrection again for anyone who want to enlightened with.
A solid basis for Christians to understand the
first resurrection was provided by the Scriptures interpreting themselves, and
they clearly declare that the first resurrection was Christ.
But they also declare that we were raised up with him, thus having part in His first resurrection. Those are the unadulterated words of God.
Colossians 2:11-12
- "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
- Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."
Please, stop me when I post Scriptures that are you believe are not true. Because those aren't my words, I am merely bearing witness to the words of my God. You see, the first death was our death in Adam. For
in him we are all dead in trespass and sin. As God told Adam, "
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." And in Adam, we all died, which means that we are all dead in trespass and sin. This is the
first death. Not physical death. Get it? As it is written:
1st Corinthians 15:21-22
- ""For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
- For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."
Did Adam die when he ate of the tree? Yes, but
not physically, he died
spiritually. Therefore the first resurrection from THAT death is also not physical, but
spiritual. It is in Christ, as He is the firstfruit.
Ephesians 2:56-57
- "Even when we were Dead in sins, hath made us alive together with Christ, by Grace ye are Saved,
- and hath Raised us up together, and made us to sit in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
This is the First Resurrection, when we were raised up in Christ
spiritually to live and reign with Him on earth, sitting in heavenly places. Not physically as you thought, but spiritually by preaching the Gospel to the world on behalf of Christ. Again, this is the apostle Paul speaking under the inspiration of God, not I. He declares he is reigning with Christ,
while he is on this earth, and sits (rule) in His kingdom. True or false?
What raising up or "
resurrection" from the dead is this? If it's not the "
first" then all scripture is untrustworthy and nothing to be believed! Because God says Christ is the First born from the dead, that in all things he might have
preeminence. Is that true or not? These souls reigning with Christ reign
because they were in Christ when He went to the cross, and
were raised up with Him (
The First Resurrection) to be seated in heavenly places,
having been given Judgment with Power, because God dwells within them.
This is what being born again is all about! Anyone who tries to tell you that the first resurrection hasn't happened yet, either doesn't know the scriptures very well or is deliberately ignoring them! Selah!
If you recall when Mary's brother Lazarus died, Jesus came to her and she said, I know he will be raised at "The Last Day". Well, the last day is the day of the Rapture, right? But it's the
second resurrection,
not the first! But Jesus made it perfectly clear to her of
another Resurrection.
The First! Consider wisely..
John 11:25
- "Jesus said unto her, I Am The Resurrection and the Life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live,
and whosoever that liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believeth thou this?"
See? If you believe in Christ while you are alive on Earth, you already experience the first resurrection which is being born again, spiritually! Not physically! That is what many people missed!
Perhaps we should ask the Theologians of the Premillennialist churches today if Jesus indeed was the Resurrection, because it doesn't appear that they believe this is true. Jesus was telling her, the first Resurrection unto Life is
in Me,
...it's right here! I Am the Resurrection! He says
he that liveth and believeth in Me shall never die! In other words, neither Lazarus nor you have to die physically and wait until the end of the world (
The resurrection at the Last Day as Martha says) to be resurrected. In fact, if you do wait till that time to be resurrected, you won't see life! The First resurrection is right here and has to take place right now, and without it, you are still "
dead" in trespass and sins and so are still subject to the second death like the "rest of the dead"! But if you have part in this "
First Resurrection" in Christ, the second death has no power over you. And that is exactly what Revelation 20 said about the First Resurrection.
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."
Selah! Those who make the claim that the first Resurrection is not in Christ are contradicting God's Word. God
tells us point-blank in Acts 26 that Christ is the First Resurrection! And he who hath an ear, let him hear and receive it.
Acts 26:23
- "That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the First Resurrection from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles."
Let that sink in, friends. So then, who are we going to believe, God or man? His interpretation, or our own? These are the exact same two Greek words used in Revelation chapter twenty ([
protos anastasis], First Resurrection. So there should be no debate that Christ's raising from the dead is the 'First Resurrection,' ...according to God's word. Again, this is not an interpretation, or my spin on it, it's a direct unadulterated "Quote." That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the 'First Resurrection' from the dead.
And we, raised up in him have part in that First Resurrection. We are the Church of the Firstborn from the dead, aren't we?! For example:
Colossians 1:18
- ""And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."
Hebrews 12:23
- "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect."
So again, it is the witness of the Word (interpretation from God) that Christ "IS" indeed "The First Resurrection," and that we, raised up in Him by believe in him, "ARE" the church of the first born from the dead.
Selah!