Post by Theophilus on Jan 31, 2010 22:02:45 GMT -5
Reading over various passages, including Matt. 24:1-25:46, Mark 13:1-37, Luke 21:5-36, 1 Cor.15:20-28, 1 Cor.15:50-57, 1 Thess.4:13-18, 2 Thess.2:1-15, 2 Pet.3:3-13, and others, 3 things come across very clear to me:
1. The "Jewish world" will come to an end at Jesus' coming.
2. The dead will be bodily resurrected and all will be judged at Jesus' coming.
3. There is only one "second coming" of Jesus.
The problem is, we know Jesus came in 70AD & destroyed the "Jewish world," but He did not resurrect the dead and bring the final judgment to the whole world. This is very problematc for someone such as myself who believes the Bible clearly teaches these 3 things, and also believes the Bible is divinely inspired and inerrant.
Yesterday, having reread 1 Cor. 15 for the zillionth time, I came up with an idea that might solve this dilemma. Here is a general explanation of my view, and then how it relates to Revelation 20.
Jesus came on the clouds (metaphorically) in 70AD. He destroyed Jerusalem & the Temple. But rather than envisioning a "coming" as a relatively short event, the coming of Jesus refers not only to His arrival in 70AD (where He establishes His kingdom), but His coming also encompasses His entire reign. The beginning of this kingdom reign starts with the judgment over Jerusalem, but Christ continues to reign from the "clouds" over all the nations, as His kingdom continues to grow and spread throughout the earth. Jesus will reign like this for a long, indefinite period of time, until He decides to bring things to a close. At the end of His reign over the nations, all the dead are resurrected, and the final judgment takes place. At this point, all things are handed over to the Father.
Two of the assumptions this interpretation depends upon are:
1. Revelation was written in the 60sAD, and describes in large part, the coming fall of Jerusalem in 70AD.
2. All of the Apostles were martyred by 70AD.
That Satan is bound and prevented from deceiving the nations has to do with the Gospel going forth throughout the world. The thousand years is a symbol indicating a large, indefinite period of time.
These thrones are the 12 thrones promised to the Apostles, from which they would judge the nation of Israel (Matt. 19:28, Luke 22:28-30). They judged Israel by being seated on thrones alongside Jesus when He sat on His throne, judging Israel in the destruction that took place in 70AD. As Christianity is established upon their testimony, they reign with Christ throughout this long indefinite period of time. By "they [Apostles] came to life," it refers to them receiving spiritual life, and not that they were physically resurrected.
The "rest of the dead" that didn't come to life until this long era is over, here, refers to the rest of the saints. During the kingdom reign period, Christians are a "royal priesthood" (1 Pet.2:9), thus they are priests of the King during the King's reign. Unlike the Apostles, the rest of us Christians do not get our own thrones. Rather, Jesus shares His throne with all faithful Christians - "He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Rev. 3:21).
When it says they came to life in v.5, it again refers to spiritual life, not resurrection. They and the Apostles all come to spiritual life during the reign, but they aren't resurrected until the end of the reign.
When it says "this is the first resurrection," it indicates 2 things:
1. "This" tells us that the first resurrection consists of the people already mentioned - the Apostles and the Christians - the resurrection of the righteous (since the second death has no power over these).
2. The first resurrection is in contrast to the second resurrection, which is the resurrection of the wicked.
God brings about the "last day." The righteous and the wicked are separated, and brought before God's judgment seat for the final judgment. The final resurrection takes place. It isn't clear if the 2 resurrections - the resurrection of the righteous & the righteous of the wicked - take place at the same time, or if there is some time period between them. I'm inclined to think they both happen at the same time.
With the reign completed, the resurrection completed, death (the last enemy of Christ) is defeated, and all things are handed over to the Father, so that God may be all and in all (1 Cor.15:26-28). Hallelujah!
Thoughts? Any criticism is greatly appreciated, since I just came up with this interpretation yesterday. So far I haven't come across any insurmountable problems... yet.
1. The "Jewish world" will come to an end at Jesus' coming.
2. The dead will be bodily resurrected and all will be judged at Jesus' coming.
3. There is only one "second coming" of Jesus.
The problem is, we know Jesus came in 70AD & destroyed the "Jewish world," but He did not resurrect the dead and bring the final judgment to the whole world. This is very problematc for someone such as myself who believes the Bible clearly teaches these 3 things, and also believes the Bible is divinely inspired and inerrant.
Yesterday, having reread 1 Cor. 15 for the zillionth time, I came up with an idea that might solve this dilemma. Here is a general explanation of my view, and then how it relates to Revelation 20.
Jesus came on the clouds (metaphorically) in 70AD. He destroyed Jerusalem & the Temple. But rather than envisioning a "coming" as a relatively short event, the coming of Jesus refers not only to His arrival in 70AD (where He establishes His kingdom), but His coming also encompasses His entire reign. The beginning of this kingdom reign starts with the judgment over Jerusalem, but Christ continues to reign from the "clouds" over all the nations, as His kingdom continues to grow and spread throughout the earth. Jesus will reign like this for a long, indefinite period of time, until He decides to bring things to a close. At the end of His reign over the nations, all the dead are resurrected, and the final judgment takes place. At this point, all things are handed over to the Father.
Two of the assumptions this interpretation depends upon are:
1. Revelation was written in the 60sAD, and describes in large part, the coming fall of Jerusalem in 70AD.
2. All of the Apostles were martyred by 70AD.
1Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
3and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
2And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
3and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
That Satan is bound and prevented from deceiving the nations has to do with the Gospel going forth throughout the world. The thousand years is a symbol indicating a large, indefinite period of time.
4Then I saw thrones, and (I)they sat on them, and judgment was given to them And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their 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 on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
These thrones are the 12 thrones promised to the Apostles, from which they would judge the nation of Israel (Matt. 19:28, Luke 22:28-30). They judged Israel by being seated on thrones alongside Jesus when He sat on His throne, judging Israel in the destruction that took place in 70AD. As Christianity is established upon their testimony, they reign with Christ throughout this long indefinite period of time. By "they [Apostles] came to life," it refers to them receiving spiritual life, and not that they were physically resurrected.
5The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
6Blessed and holy is the one who has a 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.
6Blessed and holy is the one who has a 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.
The "rest of the dead" that didn't come to life until this long era is over, here, refers to the rest of the saints. During the kingdom reign period, Christians are a "royal priesthood" (1 Pet.2:9), thus they are priests of the King during the King's reign. Unlike the Apostles, the rest of us Christians do not get our own thrones. Rather, Jesus shares His throne with all faithful Christians - "He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Rev. 3:21).
When it says they came to life in v.5, it again refers to spiritual life, not resurrection. They and the Apostles all come to spiritual life during the reign, but they aren't resurrected until the end of the reign.
When it says "this is the first resurrection," it indicates 2 things:
1. "This" tells us that the first resurrection consists of the people already mentioned - the Apostles and the Christians - the resurrection of the righteous (since the second death has no power over these).
2. The first resurrection is in contrast to the second resurrection, which is the resurrection of the wicked.
7When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,
8and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
9And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
10And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
12And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
8and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
9And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
10And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
12And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
God brings about the "last day." The righteous and the wicked are separated, and brought before God's judgment seat for the final judgment. The final resurrection takes place. It isn't clear if the 2 resurrections - the resurrection of the righteous & the righteous of the wicked - take place at the same time, or if there is some time period between them. I'm inclined to think they both happen at the same time.
With the reign completed, the resurrection completed, death (the last enemy of Christ) is defeated, and all things are handed over to the Father, so that God may be all and in all (1 Cor.15:26-28). Hallelujah!
Thoughts? Any criticism is greatly appreciated, since I just came up with this interpretation yesterday. So far I haven't come across any insurmountable problems... yet.
