Its nice of you to imply I have not addressed this issue; If you would look back over our conversation, you will see that I have, indeed, dealt with 'reconciling' the two resurrections...and, as I said, I do so from scriptures primarily outside of Revelation. See post #533
I rechecked post 533 of yours. It is filled with assumptions and pulling different doctrines about different issues to justify making this a one resurrection event!
Sorry but I rebutted it before with Scripture as written and not allegorized! But let me ask you this:
How do you know and by what authority do you trust your allegorical reinterpretation of this passage is teh correct one from several out there?
Let us look again!
Revelation 20
King James Version
20 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,
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.
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.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
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.
Looking at this from the literal/historical/grammatical method of hermeneutics we can absolutely conclude the following:
We see no language to say anything here is allegorical, metaphorical or symbolic! No "like", Likened unto" , "is as" or any other comparative terms to let us know that god was making a comparison! But we shall humor you for a moment and assume the 1,000 years mentioned 4 times here is symbolic.
1. It must be symbolic of some passage of time!
2. Satan is bound for that symbolic passage of time so he can deceive the nations no more until that symbolic passage of time is up! verse 2&3
3.Verse 4&5 are interrelated! Verse 5 directly says those resurrected in the "first resurrection" are those described in verse four. HOw can we dare say this? They were beheaded, thus dead, now they are alive and will reign with Jesus for that symbolic passage of time!
4. THIS IS KEY!!!!! The rest of the dead!!!!! Let me repeat that so we don't miss it! THE REST OF THE DEAD!!! REst= remainder or balance of those not made alive in verse 3. This event of verse 4 is called the first resurrection!!!!!
5. Because there is a REST OF THE DEAD. It demands a second resurrection and lo and behold this chapter gives us that second one!!
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.
13 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.
this is "the rest of the dead" who did not live and reign with Christ for that symbolic passage of time!
And Sorry but teh seond death? it says here without having to scour the rest of Scripture whom the second death has authority over!
Let us repost those passages again !
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
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.
See, the bible says that those are part of this first resurrection are called blessed and holy! Tjhey are saved! Then it says that the second death has no authority over them. The reverse is just as true!
Those in teh second resurrection are not blessed and holy as those in th efirst resurrection and the second death does have authority over them! Just like it says here plain and simple!
Now if you wish to get into soteriology and anthropology and harmartiolgy concerned with the resurrection of teh dead and then add how God adds passage of time between resurrections- I am all for it! But please do not redefine this simple passage! For if you do then you are not teaching the word of God but a re-definition of the word of God!