Again continuing on the Timing Revelation, end times and prophecies, I pick up from Part 2 of this series of articles on “why we should read the book of Revelation”, when we are living in the the end times spoken of in the books of Matthew, Mark and Luke, in the Bible. And the book of Revelation is the last unfolding of it all.
So we read in the last article (Part 2) that chapters 4 to 18 hold the blueprint of God on how He will put an end to the rebellion of Babylon – the godless system of anti-Christ which has been existing already in the earth.
After the seals, the trumpets and the vials that bring the wrath and judgments of God upon those who rejected Him we read in chapters 17 and 18 of the book of Revelation, the doom and the fall of Babylon.
Chapter 19 shows us what takes place in heaven at that time where “a great voice of much people” glorify the Lord, saying:
“Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
v.2_For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.”
and again we read of some other groups in heaven glorifying God around the throne:
Chapter 19, continued...
v.4_”And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
5_”And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
Then in that same chapter, we read about the marriage supper of the Lamb which is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world – one individual at a time.
6 “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7_”Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8_”And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
And in verses 9 to 10, John says:
9_”And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
10_”And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Then after this, we read about the rider on the white horse who again is none other than Jesus Christ:
Verses 11 to 16:
11_“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12_“His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13_“And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14_“And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15_“And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16_“And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.
And then jumping over to chapter 20 we read about satan being bound for a thousand years
in verses 1 to 3, it says:
1“_And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2_“And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3_“And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season..”
Then we read about those who lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Live and reign with Christ a thousand years
v.4 of Chapter 20...
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
And then verses 5 and 6 tell us about the 1st resurrection:
5_“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
So in other words we just read that after the 1000 years there will be again some rebellion but only for a short time, and then those who died at that time would be resurrected again.
6_”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 of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”
So those who are born again don't have to be resurrected again but those who died not being born again will have to be resurrected for the judgment.
So in verse 4 we read about those who reigned with Christ for a thousand years – i.e.: those who were beheaded for their witness of Jesus in the tribulation and who had not worshipped the beast and received the mark on their foreheads and hands...
And verse 5 tells us that “the rest of the dead did not live again until after the thousand years:.
So who are “the rest of the dead” -- they are those who were not resurrected to reign with Christ for a thousand years and will be resurrected only at the end for judgment.
And we will pick up from here in the next article, Part 4...
/DMH
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