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To: xone
>>>Christ comes again once at the 'end' to judge the living and the dead. The dead in Christ are in heaven now as their souls. On the last day their bodies will be resurrected and changed. But they are there now. I won't argue chiliasm with you. Christ returns once at an unknown time not preceded by a known period of peace, the Church is under fire until He returns for it; the many passages attesting to these facts are not in figurative or prophetic language but clear ones.<<<

How do you explain two resurrections in Rev 20:

1) This is the first resurrection: Revelation 20, verse 4-6.

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." (Rev 20:4-6 KJV)

How do you explain the highlighted parts of verse 5 if everyone is resurrected on the last day, as you claim?

Note there is a pause at the end of the 1000 years while the devil was loosed out of his prison to deceive the world and make world-wide war against the Church.

2) This is the second resurrection: Revelation 20, verse 12-15. At least, it certainly appears to be a second resurrection more than 1000 years after the first.

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
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.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

That scenario: Christ's resurrection, the first resurrection, and the final judgement follow Paul's outline in 1 Corinthians 15:22-26. Paul states the last thing destroyed is death, which is similar to verse 14 above.

Of course, there is that pesky Daniel 12, where only Daniel's people (Israel) are mentioned, and only a partial resurrection is indicated:

"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 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." (Dan 12:1-2 KJV)

That passage in Daniel implies there will be another resurrection.

Philip

344 posted on 03/12/2014 5:29:55 PM PDT by PhilipFreneau
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To: PhilipFreneau
How do you explain two resurrections in Rev 20:

The first occurs when a believer dies in Christ. His soul is in heaven. On them the second death has no power. The second resurrection is for the dead in sin on the last day.

356 posted on 03/12/2014 8:10:03 PM PDT by xone
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