Revelation 20:5-6

I do not claim to be any sort of expert on end things. These things are somewhat difficult to understand, and we out to be careful when dealing with such things that are yet to come. The scriptures are sufficient and able to make us wise unto salvation that we might know that we have eternal life, and yet they are not equally clear on all things, and I will humbly admit as I would expect any wise person to that we ought to be careful and tread lightly in such matters of future things. With that said these verses her are the reason that I would hold to a premillenial view of the 2nd coming. It is primarily why we have an entire article in our statement of faith on the millenium. We believe in a literal 1,000 year reign of Christ beginning with the resurrection of the saints and ending with the resurrection of the unrighteous.

There was a woman who was diagnosed with a terminal illness. She was getting her things in order, and so she contacted her pastor to discuss her final wishes. She told him of the songs she wanted sung at her funeral and the scripture verses she wanted read and that she wanted to be buried with her favorite bible. As the Pastor was ready to leave, she remembered one last thing… she wanted to be buried with a fork in her right hand. The pastor looked at the woman with a puzzled look. She explained, In all of my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners when the dishes for the main course were being cleared, some one would inevitably say, “Keep your fork”. It was my favorite part of the meal because something better was coming -like chocolate cake or apple pie. “So when people see me in the casket with a fork in my hand, you can tell them “Keep the fork, the best is yet to come.

Some times in life our main plate is full of brussel sprouts, that we have to endure, but the end result is that if our plate is cleaned we shall have cake. Sometimes the cup that we drink is full of bitter wine.

Those who mourn in this life will be blessed in the life to come.

Matthew 5:3–11 (ESV)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

This passage is one of the 7 beatitudes found in the book of revelation

Revelation 1:3 (ESV)

blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it,

Revelation 14:13 (ESV)

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord

Revelation 16:15 (ESV)

Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments

Revelation 19:9 (ESV)

Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

Revelation 20:6 (ESV)

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection!

Revelation 22:7 (ESV)

Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Revelation 22:14 (ESV)

Blessed are those who wash their robes,

We shall partake in the 1st resurrection.

A first resurrection implies a 2nd.

Daniel 12:2 ESV

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

John 5:29 ESV

and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Acts 24:15 ESV

having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.

Why are theses called the blessed? Because their resurrection that is the first which they shall participate in shall be after the the likeness of the blessed one. They will follow in the likeness of the once slain now risen lamb of God.

Just as those in our household rise at different times, some early and some late.

Hebrews 11:35 (ESV)

Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.

of Christ, as the firstborn of a new humanity which is to be glorified, as its exalted Lord is glorified BDAG

1 Corinthians 15:20 (ESV)

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To escape the second death, their first death must be in Christ. That is to say that those who die in Christ will be spared from the second death but those who die apart from Christ will not escape the sting of death and fires of hell, in the second death. Not that anyone can ever be saved by being a martyr. No amount of suffering in and of itself, that is to say no amount of suffering apart from Christ can bring benefit to us in regards to the eternal state. However the lot of the believer, the burden that he carries in this life is to suffer with Christ. He at the very least is one who like the saints who were beheaded for their faith refused to worship the beast or receive his mark.

Rev 20:9 these people are included with the saints who have already died in the Lord.

The great sin of the people in the book of revelation is the sin of adultery, that is the those who follow after the great harlot who rides the beast.

After all who are the ones who are putting to death the saints here, it is the one who are following after the great whore from Babylon.

Philippians 3:10–11 ESV

that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Who are the ones putting to death the saints of the Lord, the ones who are in opposition to God, the unrighteous ones who will have their part in the second death that is the lake of fire.

We shall not be hurt by the 2nd death.

Why will the second death have no power over them? Because they are the holy one, they are the saints. They have taken on immortality and sin and death itself is no longer a reality or a possibility for them. They have been fully fashioned in the likeness of the Lamb once slain now risen. As He is righteous so they too are righteous. Just as Shadrach Mishac and Abedneigo were cast into the fiery furnace and walked about unharmed so that not even the smell of smoke could cling to them, so neither shall the flames of hell though they be a 7000 times hotter than Nebuchadnezzers furnace, they can not touch even one of God’s saints. So the just and faithful shall be blessed and the faithless shall be brought to judgement.

There is a great Hymn by John Welsey called “Jesus Thy Blood and Righteousness which says: “Bold shall I stand in that great day;

For who aught to my charge shall lay?

While, through thy blood, absolved I am

From sin’s tremendous curse and shame.”

We shall be saved from the demands of the law which is death and hell, for we have received the 1st resurrection of the just.

We shall reign for 1000 years.

1 Corinthians 6:2–3 (ESV)

Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!

We have a high preist who will never die, one who is after another order one different from the priests of old, and so we shall serve as priests of that same order for we shall never cease to offer up the sacrifice of praise to the Lord in His house.

As we look at Revelation 20:5-6

We see that these blessed and holy ones are the same people who have just gone through the bitter trial that led to their death. These are the same blessed ones who refused to worship the beast and receive it mark.

CONCLUSION: Sunday is coming.

Mary and Peter and John will make the journey to the empty tomb.

The doctrine of the resurrection is full of joy to the bereaved. It clothes the grave with flowers, and wreathes the tomb with unfading laurel. The sepulchre shines with a light brighter than the sun, and death grows fair, as we say, in full assurance of faith, “I know that my brother shall rise again.” Rent from the ignoble shell the pearl is gone to deck the crown of the Prince of Peace; buried beneath the sod the seed is preparing to bloom in the King’s garden.

Charles Spurgeon

No man has made much progress in the school of Christ who does not look forward with joy to the day of death and final resurrection. John Calvin