Yes, this is the Premill interpretation of Rev 20.
It is one way to interpret that passage.
My problem with interpretting it this way, is 1) it creates conflict and confusion with the dozens of clear passages in the gospels and NT epistles that teach the 2nd coming is the climax of human mortal history and the day the faithful are rewarded and the wicked are judged and cast out; and
Rev 20 is quite clear on the two days of judgment and resurrection. No other passage contradicts that although none are as clear as Rev is.
2) every single mention of group resurrection in the bible refer to it as ‘the resurrection’ singular not plural, occuring at the same time for all men wicked and just often also being associated to Christ’s day of return, which also conflicts the premill interpretation of multiple future resurrections (plural) of various groups at various times (OT saints, OT wicked, NT saints, NT wicked, Trib saints, Trib Wicked, Mill saints, Mill wicked, unbelieving OT Jews, unbelieving NT Jews, beliving Holy-Ghostless trib super evangelist Jews, Mill animal sacrificing Jews, Mill sand-of-the-sea rebellion Jews, etc….it gets very complicated and wishy-washy in trying to determine and pin down when and which and whose resurrection is involved in the multiple-resurrections of multiple-groups in the premill systems.
All relevant passages speak of two resurrections, one for the saved and one for the unsaved. Only one passage says how much time is inbetween the two, Rev 20.
I prefer the more clear scriptures that tell me when Christ returns on the last day at the last hour, He will call all of the dead out of the graves, some to everlasting life, some to everlasting contempt, and none missed.
Clarity is only found using ALL relevant scriptures. Leaving out what Rev says is clear error and will lead to the false interpretation that all rise on the same day, which isn't true.
Revelation 20 speaks of two groups of the dead that resurrect/live again.
Rev 20:4 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.
Rev 20:5 But
the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 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.
The first resurrection is the resurrection of this first group of the dead because they resurrect first.
The rest of the dead have to wait for their resurrection:
"
the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished" (Rev 20:5)
This is the
last resurrection of those who are dead. One group resurrected and "the rest" or the
remaining ones did not resurrect when the others did.
This proves they partake of the second resurrection also known as the last resurrection because no one is still physically dead after they "live again". This also proves without a doubt that there are two separate days of resurrection separated by a thousand years and how long that actually is doesn't matter.
Part of the dead resurrect and then "the rest of the dead" will resurrect after a period of time.
That's the dead resurrecting in two parts separated by a period of time.
The first group resurrects
before the thousand years begins and the second/last group resurrects
after the end of the thousand years.
Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life, and
some to shame and everlasting contempt.
First group resurrection: "to everlasting life"
Second group resurrection: "to shame and everlasting contempt"
More corroboration:
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good,
unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil,
unto the resurrection of damnation.
First group resurrection: "resurrection of life"
Second group resurrection: "the resurrection of damnation"
Acts 24:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
First group resurrection: "the just"
Second group resurrection: the "unjust"
Take note that in every passage where the resurrection of the saved and unsaved are mentioned that the saved or just is
always mentioned first. That's important because it is they that resurrect first! Scripture never deviates in this order. Revelation, John, Daniel and Acts all say the saved first, then the unsaved in that exact order.
What we learn from these verses is that there are two resurrections. One resurrection is to life and the other resurrection is to damnation and contempt. Two resurrections! Never is there a single resurrection of both righteous and unrighteous at the same time.
We also see here that the
saved/righteous are resurrected first, and at some time later
the unsaved are resurrected and judged.
What these verses do not tell us is how much time is inbetween the two. For that we have to go to Revelation 20 where Christ tells John there is a thousand years inbetween. "the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished". There we have the dead separated into two groups. One who are saved and will be resurrected and judged first, like Dan 12:2 and Joh 5:29 show, and the other group that has to wait until the thousand years are finished before they are resurrected and judged.
This is Premill through and through.
Amill errs on the first two passages because it ignores the information in Revelation 20 about the time inbetween and wrongly interprets that the saved and unsaved are resurrected and judged at the same time on the same day which simply isn't the case. This is why one needs to involve
all passages that deal with the resurrections and judgments rather than focusing on some and not others, namely information found in Revelation. During the canonization process it was an Amill that did not want Revelation to be canonized. Revelation supports the Premill type of view so it's no surprise there was an effort to deny it's canonization.
The earliest identified Amillennialist is a presbyter in Rome in the third century, named Gaius, who as a Catholic opposed the canonization of the book of Revelation. After that, the Alexandrian school gave rise to several Amillennialists in the mid-third century, with its emphasis on allegorical and spiritual hermeneutics. Amillennialism is a Catholic invention! Amillennialism did not exist before the 3rd century. All the earlier church fathers were Chilastics which was Premillinialism before that term was created.
Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
There will come a time/hour that all baseball teams will play against another team but that doesn't mean all on the same day. A time will come for all the dead to be raised. First, the dead in Christ rise, then after a thousand years "the rest of the dead" will rise. That's what we find when looking at all of the related passages. Leaving the most important passage out of this is clear error.
Another analogy:
"For the hour is coming, in which all who start and complete highschool shall graduate."
No one would argue that every single person who completes highschool will all graduate the same hour, or same day, or even the same year. Obviously, freshmen don't graduate when seniors do.
To understand this even more fully the word "hour" must be understood:
"hour" can be any amount of time since it can be literal or figurative:
G5610
??´?a
ho¯ra
ho'-rah
Apparently a primary word; an “hour” (literally
or figuratively): - day, hour, instant, season, X short, [even-] tide, (high) time.
Total KJV occurrences: 108
It's been translated as hour, day and even season.
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
So, in this unknown amount of time there will be two resurrections. First (called the first resurrection) the dead in Christ will be resurrected. Then much later in this same "hora", at it's end, will the second and last resurrection take place and that's "the rest of the dead" who did not rise with the first group.
)...the main point that I was making, is that the chronology of the world, and the non-chronology of eternal events--for lack of a better term, come in "real time." Meaning, there is no discrepancy between the past tense language used in the scriptures...like "before" the foundation of the world, or we "were" crucified with Christ. But rather that the language is a form of translation of what is otherwise eternal seemingly placed with in a timeline. There is much more that can be said of this phenomena, but I shouldn't confuse matters.
