Thanks ATG for you post about the first resurrection. I see Jesus as being the first resurrection. He was the firstborn from the dead. The Bible appears to say that all true believers will have a part in the first resurrection, meaning that all true believers are able to be born again to a new life in Christ because of Jesus' resurrection from the dead : "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 "
Good post. It's true that those repenting for Jesus' sake and born again, are indeed spiritually resurrected to newness of life, even as newborn babes. However, Rev 20 is after the Lord's return in Rev 19, and speaking of the first
bodily resurrection of the churches of God, called the redemption of the body.
Rom 8:23
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rev 20:5
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.
We see that this resurrection begins a thousand year reign after the Lord's return, rather than the spiritual resurrection after His resurrection, that begins service to Christ for the remainder of our life on earth.
Rev 20:1
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
We also see that the thousand year reign of the resurrected blessed and holy church of Jesus Christ at His return, is while Satan the Devil is chained in the pit of earth.
1Pe 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Until the Lord's return, the roaring devil now continues to seek to devour souls
on earth. The first resurrection in Rev 20, is neither the Lord's personal resurrection, nor the born-again spiritual renewal of life on earth.
Rev 14:3
And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Being redeemed from the earth is the bodily redemption of the saints, not the spiritual resurrection of Christians on the earth. Therefore, this must be the bodily resurrected servants of the Lamb, standing with Him on heavenly Mt Sion.
Heb 12:18
"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, ".
As you rightly quote, the 144,000 on Mt Sion, must be all ye
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; The 144,000 are simply the fulness of Gentiles and Jews the Lord's return, that have entered and been grafted into the Israel of God.
Christians biased toward Jews, not only have to preach a list of 12 tribes that contradict themselves, but also a resurrection entirely of the Jews alone. That includes any spiritual interpretation of Rev 14, that the crucified and risen Lamb of God would isolate to Himself in His spiritual church, only natural Jews to the exclusion of Gentile converts.
It's an even worse form of Judaizing the body of Christ, by circumcision of the flesh. At least then the Gentiles can have part in their 'Jewish' resurrection from the dead. But with an all Jewish 144,000 of the Lamb? Gentiles can't even get circumcised into it.
The Bible speaks of all true believers as being 'the Israel of God'. Thus, I see the 144000 as Bible parable language for all true believers. We learn in the Bible that all true believers have to do with Mount Zion: "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, ".
Absolutely. Thank you very much. It's always refreshing to see Christians quoting Scripture, that
directly interprets prophecy of Scripture. Rather than a bunch of speculative 'scholarship' with no Scripture in sight.
How simple it is, to see that we Christians, who are
all coming to the Mt Sion of the Lamb of God, must be them standing with Him on Mt Sion in Rev 14. Is
Hebrews written to Jews alone? Is the promise of coming to Mt Sion to Jews alone? Has the Son spoken to Jews alone?
Heb 1:1
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
Luk 7:9
When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
When Joshua goes across the Jordan with the twelve Israelite tribes it is a parable picture in the Bible of Jesus crossing beyond the judgment with all true believers unharmed. The name Jordan means 'judgment'. The name Joshua means 'Jehova is salvation' and so does the name Jesus. And all believers are called Jews and Israelites in the Bible. So, Jesus takes all true believers over the judgment unharmed. All in Christ have passed from darkness to light and will not come under condemnation.
This is a new interpretation to me, that at least sounds right for now. It'll certainly have the Judaizers' heads spinning for daring to compare all Jesus-following Christians today, with the Israelites following Joshua across the Jordan. But then, who can deny that the the same can be said of the salvation of the Lord Jesus, for the deliverance of all the Hebrews crossing the Red Sea on dry ground.
However, where do you get that all believers in Christ are
called Jews? I don't read any Scripture saying so. I wouldn't call myself a Jew. But, we can at least say that all believers circumcised by Christ, are certainly Jews
inwardly, while unbelieving outward Jews are no more Jews at all to the Spirit of Christ:
Rom 2:28
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
All born again Christians circumcised by the Spirit, being Jews inwardly, certainly answers to all Christian servants of God, being sealed in the tribes of the Israel of God.
And finally, as with the matter of circumcision, since all Christians believers walking with Christ are all the children of Abraham by faith, then we are certainly also the children of Isaac and Israel by the Spirit of God.
Gal 3:7
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Gal 4:28
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Is Galatians also only written to the Jews? No, since the Gentiles with the faith of Abraham are also children of Abraham, and of Isaac's promise by the Spirit of Christ.