Amill Minute -The First Resurrection

Praise to the Sovereign King, Here, here his people sing,

Solely and only saving His own bride.

There where the Lamb has died, Hark! the Christ is crucified,

Washed by the blood of that great High Priest.

Hi there, welcome to Reformed Ex Mormon. I am Pastor Brayden, and I hope you're having a wonderful and blessed day today.

Today we're going to be continuing our series of Amillennialism Minute, where a minute does not mean a literal 60 seconds, but rather a short amount of time to be able to discuss a topic or subject.

And today's topic that we're going to be discussing is the first resurrection found in Revelation chapter 20, verses 4 through 6.

And before we begin by reading this text, I want to make note of something, that every eschatological view there is will understand what the first resurrection is differently, depending on the way that we understand other topics that are in the text of verses 1 through 6, such as the millennial kingdom of Christ, the thousand year period, the binding of Satan, and even the worshiping of the beast and receiving a mark upon the head or hand.

Depending on the way that we view these things, it will guide and drive the way that we understand what the first resurrection is.

And so thus the majority of most Amillennialists would say that according to chapter 12 of Matthew, verses 28 through 29, and John 12, verse 31, that in Jesus's life, death, burial, and resurrection, the gospel message upon which we are saved if we place faith in, that through those means,

Satan, the strong man was bound, the house has been ransomed, and the ruler of this world has been cast out.

Thus, with that meaning and that understanding, the thousand year period is not a literal physical thousand years, but rather is speaking of a long period of time upon which

Christ is putting all things in subjection under his feet. And at the end of those things,

Christ will come again. So thus, the thousand years started with the first advent of Christ, the first coming of Christ, the inauguration of the millennial kingdom, upon which

Christ says, repent and believe in the gospel for the kingdom of God is at hand. It's a current reality.

And it is then therefore completed in the second coming of Christ, the second advent, or the consummation of the age.

Thus, the first coming was the inauguration, the second coming is the consummation. Now, let's go ahead and read verses four through six, understanding that that's where the

Amillennialist is coming from, and that's what's going to be driving the way they understand what the first resurrection means.

Verses four through six says this, And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them.

And I saw the souls of those who have been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand.

And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.

This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection.

Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

Now, let's go ahead and look at some other Bible verses that might help us understand what this topic of the first resurrection means.

I first want to go to Ephesians chapter two, verses five through six. It says this,

Even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.

By grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly places.

In Christ Jesus. Now I want you to pay special attention to the way that these verses are lined up for us.

It says that we were once dead, we are now alive. And because we have been made alive in Christ, because we've been saved through grace, we are raised up with him and seated with him,

Christ Jesus. Now, to me, I would take note of the fact that we were once dead, and now we are alive.

This sounds like a resurrection. We are resurrected through his death, burial, and resurrection.

And thus we seat with him in the heavenly places. I also want to go to Colossians chapter three, verses one through four.

It says, If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God.

Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

Now, in here, take special attention again that we are dead, and now our new death is with Christ, and now our new life is with him as well.

We have been raised up with Christ. Again, a death to life.

We have died with Christ, I have been crucified with him, and it is no longer I who live, but he lives in me.

So once again, death to life. I also want to make special mention of John chapter 11, verse 24 through 26.

And the context in here is that Jesus is about to be raising Lazarus from the dead.

And in verse 24 it says, Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.

Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me shall live even if he dies.

And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?

Now, once again, there is death that is spoken in this text, and life that is spoken of in this text.

And it says in here that even if we die, we do not really die because we are in Christ who gives us life through us believing in him.

In his death, burial, and resurrection, one will not ever taste of true death, which is also spoken of in Revelation chapter 20, which we'll make mention of here in a moment.

Now let's go back to Revelation chapter 20, verses four through six, while keeping those verses in the back of our mind about death to life and how the

Bible speaks of these things. Revelation chapter 20, verses four through six.

Now, when we see in here in verse four, it says, and I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them.

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded. This is speaking about saints, people that believe in Jesus Christ, who have been persecuted because of, and it tells us why, because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God.

And those who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand.

So these are believers that have a testimony in Jesus Christ.

Thus, they were once dead. They have now been made alive. They have been risen with Christ, and they're seated in the heavenly places.

We've already read that from Ephesians chapter two and Colossians chapter three. So now we can say that these people, even though they died, they never tasted of death, according to John chapter 11, because they had faith.

They believed in Jesus Christ and had a testimony of him. And then it says in here, and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

So when these people believed in Jesus Christ and had that testimony, when were they seated with Christ and reigned with him?

When they believed, according to Ephesians two and Colossians three.

It then goes on to say the rest of the dead, meaning that those that are unbelievers, those that didn't have faith in Jesus, meaning those that actually worshiped the beast and received the image, received the mark.

These people did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.

Once again, that's speaking of the consummation of the age at the second coming of Christ. Then they will be rised again.

In verse five, it says, this is the first resurrection. Thus, what is the first resurrection?

The first resurrection has to be when one is regenerated, is born from above, according to John chapter three, verse three.

They have faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, they are then crucified with them, and it's no longer the individual that lives, but Christ lives in them.

And the life they now live is seated with Christ in the heavenly places, and thus they are reigning with him now.

This is the first resurrection. It's partaking in what

Jesus Christ has done through the means of regeneration of the Holy Spirit, being sealed by him.

Thus, you will never taste of death, which is very fitting for John in this text when we read in verses four through six as an encouragement to all the saints throughout all time.

And in verse six, it says, blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

Now, for those that say that the first resurrection has not yet taken place, and that it's something that takes place at Christ's second coming, and that there's a multitude of resurrections, my question is, how is it that one is blessed and holy?

Is it through having faith in what Jesus has done and being imputed with his righteousness, being imputed with his holiness, being able to stand before a holy

God justified? Or is it by the means of just being physically resurrected at his second coming, that one is made holy and blameless?

I see it being very clear that the first resurrection that saves us from the second death, which what is the second death?

Let's read verses 13 through 15 in Revelation chapter 20. And it says, And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and the death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them.

And they were judged, every one of them, according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.

This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

So thus we see that the future lake of fire, the second death, is meant for those whose names were not written in the book of life.

Thus they did not partake in the first resurrection, in the gospel message,

Jesus' life, death, burial, and resurrection. Those that did not partake in this will be put to the second death.

Now once again, if we are to understand that the first resurrection is just one of time, that's not something that justifies somebody.

The only way that one is justified is through what Christ has done by paying their penalty on the cross.

Colossians 2, verses 13 and 14. Now I hope that this helps us understand what the majority of many amillennialists as well as myself come to the conclusion on, that the first resurrection is speaking of being born from above, being once dead and now being made alive through Christ's death and his burial and his resurrection.

And through that, we are raised with him and seated in heavenly places. Thus we reign with Christ forever.

God bless. Go in peace. Tell the world of the Savior we are so undeserving of,