Thanks for attentive reading. Elke outjie maak 'n foutjie. I'm very sorry. Nevertheless you can check this up,
Christiaan Gerhardus Ebersöhn
14 hrs · . 'Error 502' occurred on christianityboard while I tried to fix my typo.
But you could not READ Revelation 20:5 its very WORDS? Davy crooked!
Revelation 20:5 you meant, not Acts 20:5 like you posted? OK, no problem. I'll check out Revelation 20:5 in place of what you said.
You said Rev.20:5
"defies physical literalness in any sense."
There's verses before that in context, so let's not throw those away. Pulling out a single verse and trying to say something outside the Scripture context where it is found is not how to treat God's Holy Writ.
Rev 20:1-6
20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
No doubt about who this is, it's Satan himself, bound for a thousand years. Doesn't tell us what timeline to put that "thousand years" in just yet. We have to keep reading here.
3 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.
OK, we know Satan is still today deceiving the nations. So... this cannot be about our present world, for Peter showed that Satan like a roaring lion is still walking about seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet.5:8). There is no previous evidence in God's Word about Satan having been bound yet. Can't use John 12:31 as being this, because it doesn't tell us what Satan is cast out of there, and John 14:30 Jesus warns us that the prince of this world "cometh", suggesting that Satan is coming to our world. Lo and behold, this is what Revelation 12:7-9 reveals, that after the war in Heaven Satan with his angels are cast out of Heaven down to the earth, and those on earth are given a Woe, and the power of Christ then comes in Heaven, because the accuser is cast out. That is pointing to the future tribulation time when Satan is cast out of the heavenly dimension, and instead into our dimension.
So this event of Satan being locked up in the bottomless pit must be after this present world we are in, for the great tribulation is to happen at the end of this world, since the last sign Jesus gave for the end of this world is His second coming.
4 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.
The 5th Seal of Revelation 6 is specifically about souls beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God. That covers both OT saints, and NT saints who are killed for giving a Testimony for Jesus during the future great tribulation timing. This beast and image hasn't happened yet, for it is related to the false one of Rev.13 that is to appear in Jerusalem working great signs and wonders, raining fire down on earth from heaven in the sight of men. No generation has seen that yet. And one certainly cannot say that 'beast' was our Lord Jesus, just because He did work many miracles at His 1st coming. No, these are about those persecuted for Christ especially during the coming great tribulation. But in this timeline here, the tribulation is over, and these are receiving their rewards. We know Jesus doesn't hand out the rewards until after... His second coming, so that puts this in the ballpark after... His second coming.
We also know per Rev.2 that those in His Church that overcome shall rule over the nations with a rod of iron with Jesus. That certainly has never... happened in this world to this day. So that's another huge pointer that this is for after Christ's second coming.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Here's the verse you referenced to me, with a claim that this disproves Rev.20 as being meant literally.
Actually, this 5th verse is very... literal! We are supposed to understand from previous Scripture (like about the "day of the Lord" events of God's consuming fire burning man's works off the earth, the change at the twinkling of an eye Apostle Paul taught, and the manifesting of the spiritual body or resurrection body at Christ's coming), and not forget those things when reading this. Also, Jesus showed us about the unsaved walking around in flesh bodies today, how inside they are full of dead men's bones, simply because they reject Him and thus Eternal Life.
Since on the day of Christ's return, all flesh is as grass and is burned up, the covering cast over all nations being removed, with death being swallowed up in victory (Isa.25), the ONLY type of death remaining at this point will be the "second death", which is the casting of one's spirit body with soul into the future "lake of fire" at the end of this "thousand years". This is very... literal. The second death is the death the unsaved especially need worry about! For those in Christ, we shall never be subject to the "second death".
Matt 10:28
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him Which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
KJV
Our Lord Jesus forewarned to not fear flesh man who can kill our flesh body, but not our soul. But fear God Who can destroy both our 'body' (spirit body after flesh death) with soul into the lake of fire (word 'hell' there is geena from the Hebrew about the perpetual burning garbage pit outside Jerusalem. Our Lord Jesus used it as a symbol for the future "lake of fire" that will destroy the wicked). So is that meant literally??? You bet it is!!! So is that Rev.20:5 Scripture meant literally. Those during the thousand years still with 'dead' souls will not live (in Christ) unless they believe on Jesus. That is how those will still be subject to the "second death" destruction into the "lake of fire", exactly what Jesus was talking about there in Matthew 10:28. Those 'dead' are the "resurrection of damnation", the unsaved, like the "synagogue of Satan" that will be made to bow to Christ in that future time at the feet of His elect per Rev.3:9.
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.
KJV
Again, the "second death" casting into the future "lake of fire" at the end of the thousand years will not apply to those in Christ Jesus. The fact that a cardinal number "first" is mentioned with that idea of a resurrection of the saved, that suggests there will be at least one more resurrection of life at the end of the thousand years. It's not pointing to the "resurrection of damnation" of John 5:28-29, because Jesus showed that one will occur on the day of His second coming, along with the "resurrection of life".
Thusly:
1. Jesus second coming - Satan locked in his pit prison; resurrection of both the just and the unjust; the unjust are the 'dead', meaning spiritually dead souls still subject to the "second death". These will not live again UNLESS they believe on Jesus during the thousand years.
2. During the thousand years - Jesus and His elect reign over the unsaved with a rod of iron for a thousand years. The saved not subject to the second death. The unsaved bow to Jesus as Lord and King. The unsaved who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmured shall learn doctrine (Isa.29). Some of the unsaved will believe on Jesus, their 1st opportunity to hear The Gospel.
3. End of the thousand years - Satan loosed a final time to tempt the nations; Satan destroyed, the unbelieving judged out of the book, the saved names found in the book of life; those not found in the book of life cast into the lake of fire along with hell and death.
