Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible quotes are from the Legacy Standard Bible, © 2021
Revelation 20:4-6 is considered to be quite controversial, depending on one’s eschatological position. Most evangelicals today are premillennial, meaning they believe Jesus will return to earth bodily before the Millennium to establish His thousand year reign with the saints. They use Revelation 20:4-6 as a proof text.
4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their witness
of Jesus and because of the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast
or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their
hand; And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were
finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection. Over
these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of
Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
This text does not establish an eschatological view, but your eschatology radically influences your interpretation of this text. We’ll start by asking, “Who are the ones who came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years? The answer is found in the first part of verse 4.
The vast majority of believers today maintain that the Great Tribulation Period is yet future. With such a view, this text in Revelation must be future also. I don’t want to turn this into a lesson on eschatology, but I have proven in other works that this is a Preterist passage, meaning that it was fulfilled in the past. I refer you to my book, God’s Lawsuit: Bible Prophecy Like You’ve Never Heard It Before … But Should Have! I also have articles and audio clips on this blog.
The saints who made it through the Great Tribulation, the years leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in A.D.70, formed the Church, who now rules and reigns with Christ until the final resurrection, which we will look at shortly. (By “shortly,” I do not mean 2000 years from now. But that’s an inside joke.)
Well isn’t there a literal one thousand-year gap between the resurrection of the wicked and the resurrection of the righteous? That’s what it says!
That view is very problematic. Dispensational, pre-tribulational premillennialism is the majority position of the Church today, but that does not mean that it is accurate. In their construct, they actually see three different resurrections. They teach a resurrection of Christians at the rapture of the Church, when the dead in Christ rise first, and then the living saints are “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air. They also believe in a resurrection of tribulation saints at the end of the Great
Tribulation Period so that they will enter into the Millennium, the thousand years, to rule and reign with Christ. Finally, there is a resurrection of everybody left, the rest, at the end of the Millennium, which is the end of history before going into the Eternal Sate.
No verse of Scripture stands alone. There are a number of other Scripture passages that must be considered. What is the overall teaching of the Bible? We cannot play the game of “Verses Versus Verses.” You know the drill. You show me a verse that agrees with your position, and I show you a verse that supports my position. I don’t like your verse, because it destroys my theology. You don’t like mine for the same reason. Consequently, neither of us comes to an accurate understanding that considers both verses. That kind of petty foolishness is not the way to interpret Scripture.
So what are the two resurrections? We will consider a number of passages to answer that question. A good grasp of the Old Testament is essential to interpret the New. We will start in the book of beginnings. Genesis 2:16&17 says,
16 Then Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the
garden you may surely eat;
17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it,
for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
As of yet, there was no death in the world. Man was created morally pure. Adam was given a test in these verses. Then in Genesis 3:1-5, Satan challenged God’s morality.
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which Yahweh
God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not
eat from any tree of the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we
may eat;
3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God said,
‘You shall not eat from it, and you shall not touch it, lest you die.’”
4 And the serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!
5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The serpent called God a liar, promising Eve equality with God, just like he himself wanted. He did so by saying the exact reverse of what God said. “God is holding something good back from you, and that’s not fair.”
Eve decided to test God’s word. One of them was right, and one of them was wrong. Who’s right, God or the serpent? In the event that the serpent was right, she would be like God. She would have to answer to no one, not even God! She assumed that it was worth the risk. The problem was that the only way to test God’s word was to break it, to disobey it.
I think is noteworthy to point out that Eve had not sinned yet. Some teach that she got off on the wrong foot by adding to what God said when she said and you shall not touch it, lest you die. It is just as likely that we simply weren’t told the whole conversation in Genesis 2:16&17. God very well may have said not to touch it. We simply aren’t told, so I don’t like to go beyond what is written. Eve said that in her yet unfallen state, so I have no reason to doubt her word.
Adam and Eve did eat of the fruit, in Genesis 3:6 – Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, so she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Did they die in the day that they ate it? God said they would surely die, but did they? Was God mistaken? Did He change His mind? Was the serpent right?
They surely did die—spiritually. Physical death, the result of spiritual death, followed 930 years later. But notice, in man’s fall, first there was spiritual death, and almost a thousand years later came physical death.
We are about to see that in redemption, the order is the same. First comes spiritual resurrection, and physical resurrection comes a thousand years later.
THE FIRST RESURRECTION: SPIRITUAL
Numbers 19:11-13
I have stated numerous times in many of my works that without a good understanding of the Old Testament, many passages in the New Testament are sure to be misinterpreted. So to understand the two resurrections, not to mention the book of Revelation and eschatology, we will begin with Numbers 19:11-13.
11 The one who touches the corpse of any person shall be unclean for seven
days.
12 That one shall purify himself from uncleanness with the water on the third
day and on the seventh day, and then he will be clean; but if he does not purify
himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean.
13 Anyone who touches a corpse, the body of a man who has died, and does
not purify himself, makes the tabernacle of Yahweh unclean; and that person
shall be cut off from Israel. Because the water for impurity was not splashed on
him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him.
The NASB, NIV, KJV, NKJV, and even the Hebrew, translate the word splashed as sprinkled. The ESV translates it thrown. Obviously, as a Presbyterian, I go with sprinkled, which I believe to be the proper mode of Baptism. Most translations support my view.
This text is overloaded with Biblical imagery. Why did Yahweh say such things in His word? Why was this established as ceremonial law? Obviously, those specific details are there for a reason. It’s a picture of something. But what?
Uncleanness results from contact with a dead person. This is ceremonial uncleanness which is symbolic of being dead covenantally. Covenantal death needs covenantal resurrection. But notice that there is first a cleansing on the third day in verse 12. This is symbolic of a spiritual resurrection from the dead. He is considered to be purified from his uncleanness.
Notice that the person is sprinkled with water to attain cleanness. We were spiritually dead, but something happened to us. We also get sprinkled with water and undergo a spiritual resurrection. Non-Reformed Christians don’t like to quote some passages because they seem to contradict their theology. For instance, what did Ananias tell Saul to do? Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name (Acts 22:16). To have sins washed away, water is applied to one’s body in a ceremonial rite, the rite of Baptism.
In Numbers, which we just saw, it was sprinkled. Immersionists will never make these connections. This is what it means in 1 Corinthians 15:29 when it says, . . . what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? He was most likely referring to that Old Testament law, which symbolizes resurrection. Simply put, if there is no resurrection, why would God include something like this in His Law?
Now, who was raised on the third day? Obviously, Jesus. We must be partakers in Jesus’ resurrection. Are we? We partake of (have part in) Christ’s resurrection, the first resurrection, when we are made alive.
How do we partake of Jesus’ resurrection? We go to Romans 6:3-7.
3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus
have been baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that
as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too
might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly
we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that
our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves
to sin;
7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
Through baptism, we partake of, we are united with, His death, burial and resurrection. This is not a proof text for immersion just because it looks like burial and resurrection. It is by an act of sprinkling (baptism) that we partake of Christ in His death and resurrection.
Lest accusations fly, let me tell you what I didn’t say. I did not say that we are converted by being baptized. I do not believe in Baptismal Regeneration. But I do believe in the efficacy of Baptism, that it really does something to us when we are ceremonially sprinkled with water. We are really brought into the covenant, just like circumcision did in the Old Testament. Circumcision didn’t save anybody. But they were commanded to practice it as a sign of the covenant. It was also applied to their sons at eight days. Baptism doesn’t save anybody, but we are commanded to practice it as a sign of the covenant. It too is applied to our children, who are included in the covenant.
There is much more that could be said, but that is not my subject, which is the two resurrections. But a proper understanding of baptism is essential to understand the imagery we are looking at. Suffice to say for now that we who are dead need to partake in Christ’s resurrection.
THE SECOND RESURRECTION: PHYSICAL
Then there is a cleansing on the seventh day. This is symbolic of another resurrection. Contrary to the current premillennial teaching, there is one physical resurrection for everybody. This is seen clearly in John 5:25-29.
25 Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will
hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to
have life in Himself;
27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of
Man.
28 Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the
tombs will hear His voice,
29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life,
those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
In verse 25, there is an hour that is coming and now is. That is when the dead (spiritually) hear the voice of the Son of God. That time was when Jesus was still on earth, because as He was standing there, He said and now is. Now is when the dead hear His voice—when we preach the gospel. The dead become alive. But later, in verses 28&29, a single hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come forth—all at the same time in an hour. Take advantage of this hour that now is so you will be ready for that hour which is coming! That is the final resurrection.
So there is a spiritual resurrection when we come to Christ, followed by a physical resurrection a thousand years later. Keep in mind that this is written by the same author as our Revelation passage. Was John confused? How do we reconcile both passages? One has a gap; the other does not. We can’t ignore either.
First of all, we should know that Revelation is a very figurative book. This is not a cop out; it is a necessity. We are told in Revelation 1:1-3,
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His slaves
the things which must soon happen; and He sent and indicated this by sending
it through His angel to His slave John,
2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the witness of Jesus
Christ, even to all that he saw.
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy
and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
I gave a little more context so you could see that twice within the first three verses of Revelation we are told that the things written must happen soon (v.1) and the time is near (v.3). That was written in the 1 st Century, around A.D.65, about five years before the destruction of Jerusalem.
But for our study, notice the word indicated, in verse 1. The word can be translated “signified.” That means just what it looks like: “sign-ified.” Revelation is written in signs. To try to interpret it in a “wooden literal” sense will leave you hopelessly lost. It is certainly not wise to try to build a doctrinal position from it, especially an eschatological position.
For example, the passage we started with in Revelation 20 is in a chapter that has a non-corporal being, Satan, being bound by a chain. That is obviously figurative. Earlier in the book we have a giant pregnant lady in space with a big space-dwelling dragon after her (chapter 12). Stars fall, which is an impossibility. If one star ever fell from space, the world would no longer exist. A great beast comes out of the Mediterranean Sea having ten horns and seven heads (Rev.13:1). The book is loaded with stuff like this—and we want to build a doctrine on it? That’s just foolish.
But Revelation is figurative. It speaks with images—pictures. But there are other Scriptures that explain things in a didactic way, like the passage we looked at from John 5. Verse 28 says, Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice. That’s pretty straight forward. In a single hour, ALL who are in the tombs will come forth, be raised from the dead. Saved and lost.
There is no one thousand year gap. Their destinations are different, but everybody is raised at that same time. And what time is that? For that, we look at the next chapter, John 6, in which we are told four times when the dead in Christ are raised—verses 39,40,44, and 54.
39 This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose
nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son
and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the
last day.”
44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I
will raise him up on the last day.
54 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
How many times does Jesus have to say something for it to be true? How many times does He have to say something for us to believe it? We simply have to believe Him! Does it sound didactic or figurative? All dead are raised at the same time, on the last day. Period! You can have what is called “last days” in the plural, meaning a period of time. But you can have only one last day in the
singular. All other days are non-last.
Which passage best describes the details of the resurrection? So, in our “verses Vs. verses” game, both passages are true, Revelation 20 and John 5 and 6. Revelation is figurative. Jesus in John’s gospel is not.
Even Martha knew this in John 11:21-24.
21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would
not have died.
22 Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the
last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me
will live even if he dies,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe
this?”
Jesus did not correct her flawed eschatology, because it wasn’t flawed. Even Lazarus will be raised again on the last day.
Paul agreed in Acts 24:15, There shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. Notice, both at the same time. A resurrection is singular. It won’t be two resurrections. There is no gap. Again, this passage is more didactic than John’s in Revelation 20.
What happens to the righteous and the wicked at that time? Jesus told us in Matthew 25:26, These (the wicked) will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. When does this happen? In context, the sheep and the goats are all together at the same time, not separated by a thousand years.
So now, where do we fit in? For that, we go to Colossians 2:12-14.
12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up
with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our
transgressions,
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us,
which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to
the cross.
Do you get it? We are cleansed on the third day when we partake of Christ’s resurrection, when we are raised up with Him. Because of that, we will be raised physically when the figurative one thousand years are finished, and everybody is raised.
With the lost it is not so. They have no part in the first resurrection, so they, the rest, don’t come alive until the resurrection on the last day, also after the thousand years are completed. They do not get to rule and reign with Christ.
So what are the two resurrections? The first is Christ, the first fruits of them that sleep. When we partake in Christ’s resurrection, we are assured of our own resurrection on the last day, because we did not remain unclean.
That may leave one lingering question in people’s minds—“What about the rapture?” I really don’t want to say much here, because I spent considerable time on it in God’s Lawsuit. I will simply say this: When Jesus returns on the last day to conquer His final enemy, death, which He does by resurrection, there will still be billions of people on the earth, both lost and saved, who have never died. Since flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, all those billions of people need to receive their glorified bodies, either for eternal life, or to withstand eternal punishment in the lake of fire. Since those billions never died, they will simply be changed. We will not all sleep. That is what the rapture is. The main thing isn’t being “caught up,” but being “changed.” That squares perfectly
with Scripture. If you don’t understand it, you’ll just have to get my book.
But there is a question lingering on my mind. Have you partaken of Christ’s death and resurrection? Are you raised on the third day, having heard the voice of Jesus Christ calling? When God separates the sheep on His right from the goats on His left, you will be in one of those crowds. Which one will that be?
God had placed a demand on you. Repent of your sins that you committed against a holy God. You have broken His Law. You are spiritually dead, ceremonially unclean. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He died on the cross to save sinners. Trust in the blood of Christ for your salvation. Then be baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit by a reputable minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Get into a Bible-believing and Bible-preaching church. Fellowship with God’s people and submit to the church elders. Don’t rest until you have done so.
I wish you a happy resurrection!