The book of Revelation is not a book to be read chronologically, or in a strictly literal sense. Throughout scripture the term "1000", or "thousand" is never used literally within a biblical, contextual milieu. Jesus the Christ reigns sovereign over all things (including mankind and their affairs), currently--and will continue to do so throughout eternity. "Beheaded" is a metaphorical term to denote those who have died as martyrs in service to God's great commission; it is not to be restricted to a literal beheading. They "found their lives" by "losing their lives 'here'". They are joint heirs with Christ, are resurrected in Christ, and reign and judge with Him, now, in spirit and in truth. This "Church" age is the time-frame whereby all are actuating their choices with eternal consequences. Those who accept Christ's substitutionary position are redeemed, and inherit His righteousness. In doing this, Satan has been "bound" (not with a literal "chain") by the completed, sacrificial offering made on the cross. He has been bound, and can not resist those whose eternal position has been sealed in Christ. Satan can, however, with his unbinding "at the end (or near the end) of the 'Church age'" (when he is 'loosed' for a short while) come-up-against the Saints, but can not affect their eternal state that has already been determined. He can, however, deceive the nations (those who are lost and elect to do his bidding) into opposing and causing great trial and tribulation against those who comprise the "Holy Nation" (Saints) for a short season, but with no negative, eternal consequence. The "testing of our faith" actually refines and purifies the "bride of Christ", or the "True Church" ("True Israel")--(the "pruned and grafted-in 'Olive tree'" made-up-of both Jew and Gentile, who have become one unified body, with no distinction--the "Bride" with Christ being the "head"). Remember, when Christ returns there will be a resurrection--some to eternal life, and others to eternal destruction. At that time sin, sickness, death, and sorrow will have been eradicated to be no more. All Israel will have been saved (all those prior to the cross of the saved remnant from the 12 tribes of Israel under the old covenant and prophets, along with all those saved after the cross under the new covenant during the times of the 12 apostles: 12 x 12 = 144 x 1000 = 144,000. Recall, "True Israel" is inclusive, not exclusive. The "Church" is not "replacing" anybody; God broke branches off, and replaced them--a grafting of His doing. The Olive tree is "Jew and Gentile" (the "unified Church)--God's doing; not man's.
Issac - 13 years ago
I agree with you Kent.
Kent - 13 years ago
One more thing, although my beliefs are post tribulation, that the rapture and the second coming of Christ are the same event, even if there is a pre tribulation rapture, where is it found in the Bible that this rapture will be a secret event that people will just disappear and no one will know what happened to them that a lot of the pop Christian books, movies, etc, have pushed on us for years now? It is clear that the whole world will see Him coming in the clouds and that they will hear the trumpet of God and the voice of the archangel, hardly a secret event.
By the way, one of the reasons I believe that the rapture will be post tribulation is found in Matthew 24:29-30 directly below where it says after the tribulation there will be signs in the heavens and then the Son of Man will come.
Matthew 24:29-31
29 “IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 THEN THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN WILL APPEAR IN HEAVEN, AND THEN ALL THE TRIBES OF THE EARTH WILL MOURN, AND THEY WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN WITH POWER AND GREAT GLORY. 31 AND HE WILL SEND HIS ANGELS WITH A GREAT SOUND OF A TRUMPET, AND THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT FROM THE FOUR WINDS, FROM ONE END OF HEAVEN TO THE OTHER.
1 Thessalonians15-18
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A SHOUT, WITH THE VOICE OF AN ARCHANGEL, AND WITH THE TRUMPET OF GOD. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Kent - 13 years ago
The Bible doesn't say anything about Christ reigning on earth or all the saints reigning with Him for a thousands years in a literal kingdom on earth. Yes, it does say that only those beheaded for their witness of Christ will reign with Him for a thousand years but it doesn't say that reign is on earth. It also doesn't say that all of the saints will reign with Him for a thousand years, just that the rest of the dead will not rise until after the thousand years which would include both the rest of the righteous dead as well as the unrighteous dead.
Revelation 20:4-6
"AND I SAW THRONES, AND THEY SAT ON THEM, AND JUDGMENT WAS COMMITTED TO THEM. THEN I SAW THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO HAD BEEN BEHEADED FOR THEIR WITNESS TO JESUS AND FOR THE WORD OF GOD, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. AND THEY LIVED AND REIGNED WITH CHRIST FOR A THOUSAND YEARS. 5 BUT THE REST OF THE DEAD DID NOT LIVE AGAIN UNTIL THE THOUSAND YEARS WERE FINISHED. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but THEY SHALL BE PRIESTS OF GOD AND OF CHRIST, AND SHALL REIGN WITH HIM A THOUSAND YEARS."
To those who believe that it is a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth, that anybody other than the people who were beheaded for their faith in Christ (John saw the souls of the beheaded but he didn't see them on earth), and that anybody other than those beheaded will reign with Him in this thousand year period, where in the Bible did you find this? The only reference is in Revelation 20 so it flat out isn't there.
Yes, it does say that those beheaded for their witness of Christ will not be condemned by the second death but it also doesn't say that all of the rest of the dead will be condemned by the second death.
The book of Revelation is not a book to be read chronologically, or in a strictly literal sense. Throughout scripture the term "1000", or "thousand" is never used literally within a biblical, contextual milieu. Jesus the Christ reigns sovereign over all things (including mankind and their affairs), currently--and will continue to do so throughout eternity. "Beheaded" is a metaphorical term to denote those who have died as martyrs in service to God's great commission; it is not to be restricted to a literal beheading. They "found their lives" by "losing their lives 'here'". They are joint heirs with Christ, are resurrected in Christ, and reign and judge with Him, now, in spirit and in truth. This "Church" age is the time-frame whereby all are actuating their choices with eternal consequences. Those who accept Christ's substitutionary position are redeemed, and inherit His righteousness. In doing this, Satan has been "bound" (not with a literal "chain") by the completed, sacrificial offering made on the cross. He has been bound, and can not resist those whose eternal position has been sealed in Christ. Satan can, however, with his unbinding "at the end (or near the end) of the 'Church age'" (when he is 'loosed' for a short while) come-up-against the Saints, but can not affect their eternal state that has already been determined. He can, however, deceive the nations (those who are lost and elect to do his bidding) into opposing and causing great trial and tribulation against those who comprise the "Holy Nation" (Saints) for a short season, but with no negative, eternal consequence. The "testing of our faith" actually refines and purifies the "bride of Christ", or the "True Church" ("True Israel")--(the "pruned and grafted-in 'Olive tree'" made-up-of both Jew and Gentile, who have become one unified body, with no distinction--the "Bride" with Christ being the "head"). Remember, when Christ returns there will be a resurrection--some to eternal life, and others to eternal destruction. At that time sin, sickness, death, and sorrow will have been eradicated to be no more. All Israel will have been saved (all those prior to the cross of the saved remnant from the 12 tribes of Israel under the old covenant and prophets, along with all those saved after the cross under the new covenant during the times of the 12 apostles: 12 x 12 = 144 x 1000 = 144,000. Recall, "True Israel" is inclusive, not exclusive. The "Church" is not "replacing" anybody; God broke branches off, and replaced them--a grafting of His doing. The Olive tree is "Jew and Gentile" (the "unified Church)--God's doing; not man's.
I agree with you Kent.
One more thing, although my beliefs are post tribulation, that the rapture and the second coming of Christ are the same event, even if there is a pre tribulation rapture, where is it found in the Bible that this rapture will be a secret event that people will just disappear and no one will know what happened to them that a lot of the pop Christian books, movies, etc, have pushed on us for years now? It is clear that the whole world will see Him coming in the clouds and that they will hear the trumpet of God and the voice of the archangel, hardly a secret event.
By the way, one of the reasons I believe that the rapture will be post tribulation is found in Matthew 24:29-30 directly below where it says after the tribulation there will be signs in the heavens and then the Son of Man will come.
Matthew 24:29-31
29 “IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 THEN THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN WILL APPEAR IN HEAVEN, AND THEN ALL THE TRIBES OF THE EARTH WILL MOURN, AND THEY WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN WITH POWER AND GREAT GLORY. 31 AND HE WILL SEND HIS ANGELS WITH A GREAT SOUND OF A TRUMPET, AND THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT FROM THE FOUR WINDS, FROM ONE END OF HEAVEN TO THE OTHER.
1 Thessalonians15-18
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A SHOUT, WITH THE VOICE OF AN ARCHANGEL, AND WITH THE TRUMPET OF GOD. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The Bible doesn't say anything about Christ reigning on earth or all the saints reigning with Him for a thousands years in a literal kingdom on earth. Yes, it does say that only those beheaded for their witness of Christ will reign with Him for a thousand years but it doesn't say that reign is on earth. It also doesn't say that all of the saints will reign with Him for a thousand years, just that the rest of the dead will not rise until after the thousand years which would include both the rest of the righteous dead as well as the unrighteous dead.
Revelation 20:4-6
"AND I SAW THRONES, AND THEY SAT ON THEM, AND JUDGMENT WAS COMMITTED TO THEM. THEN I SAW THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO HAD BEEN BEHEADED FOR THEIR WITNESS TO JESUS AND FOR THE WORD OF GOD, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. AND THEY LIVED AND REIGNED WITH CHRIST FOR A THOUSAND YEARS. 5 BUT THE REST OF THE DEAD DID NOT LIVE AGAIN UNTIL THE THOUSAND YEARS WERE FINISHED. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but THEY SHALL BE PRIESTS OF GOD AND OF CHRIST, AND SHALL REIGN WITH HIM A THOUSAND YEARS."
To those who believe that it is a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth, that anybody other than the people who were beheaded for their faith in Christ (John saw the souls of the beheaded but he didn't see them on earth), and that anybody other than those beheaded will reign with Him in this thousand year period, where in the Bible did you find this? The only reference is in Revelation 20 so it flat out isn't there.
Yes, it does say that those beheaded for their witness of Christ will not be condemned by the second death but it also doesn't say that all of the rest of the dead will be condemned by the second death.