βασιλεύω/βασιλεύσουσιν basileuo: To rule, to reign.
Christ has made us kings and priests (Revelation 1:6). We shall reign [βασιλεύω/βασιλεύσουσιν] in life [zoe] through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).
Christ has made the 24 elders kings and priests and they shall reign [βασιλεύω/βασιλεύσουσιν] on the earth (Revelation 5:10).
When the seventh trumpet sounds John heard great voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign [βασιλεύω/βασιλεύσουσιν] to the ages of the ages."
In the context of Revelation 20 (and of the entire Revelation), Revelation 20:6 is still talking about those whom John saw alive [zao] and reigning [βασιλεύω/βασιλεύσουσιν] with Christ for a thousand years - after they had been beheaded for their testimony to Christ and their refusal to worship the beast that had ascended from the abyss:
Revelation 13:7-8 & 15-18; Revelation 14:9-13; and Revelation 11:7 provide the context of Revelation 20:4-6, the verses do not exist in isolation from the rest of the Revelation, and this is easily understood by all who do not hold themselves willfully blind to the truth.
Those who hold themselves willfully blind to the truth will also ignore or deny (or both) the fact that the metaphor of chains, the key to the abyss, and a seal set on him are meant to indicate that Satan's ability to deceive the nations was completely incapacitated when John saw it happening in Revelation 20, and there is no indication anywhere in the New Testament that this has happened yet;
and they will ignore the fact that in Genesis chapter 3, we read of how Satan appeared in the Garden of Eden and deceived mankind; and that Revelation 12:9 calls Satan "the great dragon" and "the old serpent called Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world; and that the reason given for Satan being bound in Revelation 20:1-3 is "that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years have expired";
and they will ignore the fact that nothing in Revelation chapters 12-13 or Ephesians 2:2 suggests that this has ever occurred; and they will ignore the fact that the saints are warned to be weary of his wiles and to resist him, and to put on the full armor of God because "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood" (1 Peter 5:8-9; Ephesians 6:11-12; Revelation 2:9-10 & Revelation 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; James 4:7 ).
Those who hold themselves willfully blind to the truth will (and have, and do) use weak and lame and nonsensical arguments such as equating the fact that Christ destroyed Satan's power over death forever and ever (not just for a thousand years) through His own death and resurrection, with Satan being "bound for a thousand years"!!;
and such as asserting that Jesus talking about "binding a strong man" (so that his house could be entered and his goods plundered), was Jesus telling us that Satan was being bound for a thousand years - and they argue this despite the fact that Mark tells us clearly in Mark 3:23 that Jesus was answering those who had accused Him, in parables
- and it's so easy for those who do not seek to corrupt the scriptures to understand that that "the strong man's house" in Jesus parable represented the body of the demon-possessed man, and the binding of the strong man and entering his house to plunder his goods was an illustration that Jesus was giving them of the fact that He is infinitely more powerful than Satan, at any time.
Those who use the above weak and lame argument only prove that the parable is also evidence that Satan did not need to be bound or restricted in any way from deceiving the nations (which is what Revelation 20:1-3 is talking about) before the gospel could be spread by the power of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to the nations.
Those who willfully blind themselves to the truth willfully blind themselves to the tenses of verses of scripture, such as the verses talking about the fact that those whom Christ has made kings and priests shall reign as kings and priests with Christ on the earth.
Those who do not allow scripture to teach us what it's saying but instead in their hubris believe that they can teach scripture what scripture is saying, hold themselves willfully ignorant of all these biblical facts, and more.
And you will often find in these boards those who hold themselves willfully blind to the truth being extremely arrogant and exceptionally rude to those who disagree with them (and actually expecting an answer to what they post). They will accuse you of not knowing what you are talking about, of being being carnal in your thinking, of not having any spiritual discernment, of not understanding this or that, or of not understanding the false interpretation they have given to parts of scripture (as though what they said about it, was true).
Post #63 being one small example of many (and much greater) examples of this. In their faith, such people actually seem to believe that scripture points primarily to their beloved (in Post #63's case, Amillennialist) false doctrine, and only secondarily to Christ, His Kingdom, and His coming Kingdom.
It's no wonder we see so many examples in these boards of how shamefully arrogant some Amillennialists are when they talk to those who disagree with them, whether the person responds in likewise fashion or not.
Many (like myself) have made the mistake in the past of responding to their rudeness and arrogance in like fashion, or even worse, at times even beginning that way, knowing what kind of rudeness will inevitably come from such followers of false doctrine.
But it's a mistake responding in like fashion, because it's not what Jesus wants of us. Jesus said, "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matthew 15:14). He said this immediately after saying that they are "hypocrites who draw nigh unto Him with their mouths, and honor Him with their lips; but their heart is far from Him" and saying that "in vain they do worship Him, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
Naturally, in their hubris they did not realize or know that Jesus was talking of them (until He Himself made it obvious to them that He was talking of them). Nothing has changed in the case of the many today who teach theologies based on the false doctrines they adhere to (Amillennialism being one of a number of examples of this).
So I'll post this post, and leave it at that. The blind will continue to lead the blind - and to be arrogant about it while they do.
