tion that vs. 5 refers to risen saints, but he is mistaken. The text plainly says: this is the first resurrection. And the pronoun this refers back to the statement in vs. 4 concerning the souls that reign with Christ. In answer to the question, therefore, what is the first resurrection, we cannot introduce our own preconceived notion, but we are bound to the text and, therefore, constrained to say: the reign of the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus is the first resurrection! Scripture speaks of the resurrection of the dead in more than one sense. It refers to regeneration in John 5:25: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." The same resurrection is meant in Eph. 5:14: "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." In Rev. 20:5, however, "the first resurrec­tion" refers to the state of the saints in glory immediate­ly after death. They are delivered from battle and from persecution and suffering inflicted on them by the anti-christian forces that are always in the world throughout this dispensation, and they reign with the Lord. The ex­pression "the first resurrection", therefore, does not refer to a separate group of saints that are raised first, in distinction from the raising of the wicked a thousand years later as "the second resurrection", but to a state or degree in the resurrection of the saints. That this is the correct interpretation a comparison with the similar expression "the second death" corroborates. For, "the sec­ond death" refers to the ultimate state of death in hell, chapter 20:14. First and second death are, therefore dif­ferent stages of death, not different groups of dead peo­ple. But, surely, this establishes beyond any reasonable doubt, that "the first resurrection" also refers to a stage in life and glorification. If we may complete the parallel, we would say, that even as first death is phy­sical death, so the first resurrection is the glory that follows immediately upon physical death; and even as "the second death" is the state of perdition of body and soul in hell, so "the second resurrection" is the final state of glory after the resurrection in glory of the body. Hence, "blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years."

Finally, as an objection against this interpretation the Chiliast cannot adduce the first part of vs. 5: "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." Certainly, the rest of the dead are the ungodly dead. And it may be frankly admitted, that the form of the expression would almost invite us to com­plete it as follows: "then they also shall live again." But it must be remembered that the text does not say this and that we have no authority to add to Scripture.

Besides, even the Chiliast would not venture to finish the expression in that fashion. For, although also the wicked shall have a certain rising from their graves and receive their bodies again, it cannot be said of them that they shall live again. Their resurrection will be to eter­nal perdition. And Scripture clearly teaches that this going forth out of the graves unto perdition, will take place at the same time, as in one hour with the resurrec­tion of the righteous, John 5:29. So that the text in Rev. 20:5 can only mean that, while the souls of the righteous were seen as living in glory and power, the rest of the dead had no place in this picture at all and did not live again. And when they do appear once more, it will be to be sent into perdition, to be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.

These blessed and glorified saints, then, reign with Christ. On earth they endured suffering for Christ's sake. It was given them of grace to have the testimony of Jesus and the Word of God in their hearts and in their mouth and, therefore it was given them also in the cause of Christ to suffer with Him, Phil. 1:29. For, they had this testimony in the midst of an antichristian world. That the antichristian power is here described as it will manifest itself in its ultimate realization and consumma­tion, does not signify that only the saints that shall live and suffer in the last days, shortly before the coming of Christ, are included in these saints that reign with Christ. Essentially the power of antichrist, the beast and his im­age are always in the world. And always the believers have the testimony of Jesus and the Word of God. And they refuse to worship the beast and his image, and re­ceive not his sign in their right hand or in their forehead, and therefore, the entire Church triumphant in heaven is meant by these reigning saints. They reign and judge the world with Christ, now they are in glory with Him, a reign that commenced in heaven with the exaltation of their Lord at the right hand of God. That saints over­come and endure unto the end shall reign with our Lord in glory is a common idea in Scripture. "And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers; even as I received of my Father," Rev. 2:26, 27. And again: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also over­came and am set down with my Father in his throne." Concerning this reign with Christ, it is evident that cen­trally and essentially it is the reign of the exalted Lord Himself, to Whom is given all power in heaven and on earth, a name that is above all names. But even as the saints, while they are still in this world and must suffer in the cause of Christ, nevertheless have the victory and overcome and judge the world by faith in Christ, so they

4

Previous Article Spring 2003 Front Page Next Article