[ksen]

BTW, the fact that the first resurrection in Revelation 20 is not a literal, bodily resurrection also explains something else which the premills are forced to ignore in Revelation 20. The text says "I saw the souls of those who were beheaded."

What? Here is Revelation 20:4

[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.

John is just describing those who are resurrected and enter the Kingdom. First are those who were sitting on the thrones – the raptured Church. The second group are those who were beheaded for being Christians – the Tribulation Saints.

These two groups, as well as those saved who are still alive when Christ returns are ushered into the literal 1,000 year Kingdom of Christ.

We have to figure out how to read it.

Like those icons of Christian orthodoxy like Philo and Origen? Spiritualize everything?

[the_doc]

My point was that the apostle's language argues that they were not embodied.

John didn't see their corporeal persons, but the souls thereof.

Seems to me that this is the same thing Paul was talking about.