I see absolutely no evidence of there being two future resurrections of the righteous. I see one for the righteous and one for the wicked, but two future resurrections for the righteous? Don't see it, sorry. Show me your proof on this. Do you see all those who died before the return of Christ taking part in the pre-millennial resurrection? If not, who gets resurrected at the return of Christ and who gets resurrected after the millennium?
Who gets resurrected when Christ returns?
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
The saints are raised from the dead. No one is in heaven right now (John 3:13 leaves out all of those in the hall of fame in Heb 11 prior to Christ including Enoch and Elijah. Acts 2:34 show the man after God's own heart is not there.). In fact, no one ever goes there...
Joh 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
Christ said He would return and resurrect the saints. I Cor 15:22-23, 50-52, I Ths 4:15-17 and this is called the first resurrection...
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Since you see a resurrection before the millennium and you see humans on earth during with births and deaths then you obviously see a mix of spiritual beings (billions of them) with human beings. We know that spiritual beings are not being born, dying or getting married from the below...
[SUP]30 [/SUP]For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.
I assume you take the above passage to mean the resurrected on earth are like angels in heaven. So during the millennium, is God still in heaven with His angels while Christ is on earth with the resurrected spiritual-bodied humans?
Those Christians resurrected at Christ's coming will assist Christ in offering the truth of God to those humans who survive the Great Tribulation, the Day of the Lord and the return of Christ and live over into the Millennium without being converted yet...
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
This parable of Christ reveals a lot...
Luk 19:12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom,
and to return.
This is obviously Christ's first coming and the return is His second coming. He commissions those called to...
Luk 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them,
Occupy till I come.
Live here and fulfill the Great Commission (Mat 28:18-20) until He returns.
Luk 19:15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
Luk 19:16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
Luk 19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
This is more than just metaphor, Christ is showing that Christians that grow in grace and knowledge receive rewards according to their works...
Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Salvation is not according to works, reward in the Kingdom is.
Okay, I understand your view. not sure I agree, but let's continue.
Most likely we don't agree.
So, you are saying that living believers are transfigured at Christ's pre millennial return too? So Christ returns with every believer who has died to that point, OT and NT saints alike? That would mean all saved are spiritual bodied and all other humans are unsaved?
All those who have been converted prior to the Second Coming are raised from the dead to eternal life as we saw in I Cor 15 and I Ths 4. Those humans who live over into the Millennium are then taught by Christ and the resurrected saints. Those who choose life will be resurrected to eternal life, those who reject Christ are buried and await the resurrection to the Lake of Fire.
How will this opportunity be given?
The opportunity for salvation will be given to those who have never had a chance just as it is to all other people. They will be raised from the dead as humans, the Bible will be opened to them and they must then choose...
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened:
The books plural, all 66 of them form Genesis to Revelation.
and another book was opened, which is the book of life:
The Book of Life is opened and they have an opportunity to have their name written in it.
and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Notice it is books? Again plural? They are given the same Word we are the written Word of God and they are judged according to it. The same Books Christians today learn of Christ from.
Clearly, those who took the mark of the beast will not be destroyed but will be tormented day and night forever. We are told this. Now, I admit, this is a select finite group that this is said about.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, [SUP]10 [/SUP]he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. [SUP]11 [/SUP]And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Clearly, the above are not destroyed. They are tormented forever!!
This is a metaphorical passage. The word used in "forever and ever" is aion and means age. Again, ages. If these people are burning forever then that contradicts Rom 6:23, Mat 10:28, Ezek 18:4, 20 and many others. If people are tormented forever and ever then this is simply not true...
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
So, is the Father sitting up in heaven by Himself and His angels at the start of the millennium then as time passes and those who die during the millennium join him?
No one EVER goes to heaven. Christ returns to the earth and after the Millennium, the GWTJ and the Lake of Fire burns, the Father comes to the earth. (Rev 21 shows this)
We know people will die during the millennium, I agree with you on that. So, where do they go? Aren't they supposed to be "absent from the body and present with the Lord?" They can't stay on earth when they die because they would be getting resurrected one by one for 1,000 years. They would be like zombies, dying, then immediately waking up as spiritual beings. See the problem here?
Those who accept Christ during the Millennium (and most will, there will be very few who reject Christ) will simply be changed into spirit beings and join His family just like those who were resurrected at His return. They will then begin to reign with Christ and teach other humans the way to salvation.
The very few who reject Christ are buried and await the third resurrection. This is the resurrection to damnation (word means destruction not eternal torment).
The second resurrection...
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Again the books (the Holy Bible) are opened and they are judged from the books (the Holy Bible).
The third resurrection...
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Notice the books are not opened? They already had their chance, this is simply the resurrection to be cast into the Lake of Fire. The result for these people is this...
Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Mal 4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
Thanks for sharing your view. We have some minor differences but let's face it, the scripture is pretty vague in some of these areas.
I do agree here. All is not spelled out completely.
