Revelation Bible Study #28 The Glorious Honeymoon

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Revelation #28

“The Glorious Honeymoon”

Revelation 20:1-6

READ 20:4-6

VIEWPOINTS:

Premillennial View – There is much dispute over the identity of the persons who were seen seated upon the thrones (v. 4), whether they were (a) God, Christ, and the angels; (b) the twenty-four elders (cf. Rev. 4:4); (c) the martyrs and those who refused to worship the beast (mentioned later in the verse); or (d) all the saints of both the Old and the New Testaments (cf. Matt. 19:28). The last view mentioned seems to be preferred by most expositors

The right of judging was committed to them (v. 4), which suggests that they participated with Christ in the judicial rule of the nations during the Millennium.[1] 

As to the 1000 years If other periods of years like the 3 ½ and 7 years are seen as literal years so must this 1000 years been seen as literal

Amillennial View – Two views prevail among amillennialists concerning the venue of the saints in this vision. The older view, proposed by Augustine, is that the picture is that of the spiritual reign of believers on earth in the present age, symbolizing the victory through which it is written that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

An alternative view, attributed originally to the nineteenth-century German scholar Kliefoth, is that the vision describes the blessedness of the departed saints in heaven after death, but prior to the resurrection. This is the more widespread view today among amillennialists.

The thrones (v. 4) are apparently in heaven, as were those in Revelation 4:4, upon which the twenty-four elders sat. Likewise, the souls of those who had been beheaded for Christ are no doubt seen in heaven here, as they were in Revelation 6:9. That this period is referred to as a thousand years (v. 4) need give us no trouble, even though the actual age of the church has by this time run nearly twice this length of time. There is nothing surprising in finding the use of a symbolic number here as elsewhere in Revelation. The number “a thousand” is frequently used in Scripture without the intention of conveying statistical information  We find this resurrection of bodies from their graves at the end of the Millennium (v. 13). It follows that there can be no other physical resurrection than that mentioned at the end of the chapter and that the “first resurrection” mentioned in verses 5 and 6 must therefore be a spiritual one. Such a conclusion is justified by the fact that the Christian’s experience of regeneration is frequently spoken of in terms of a spiritual rising from death to life [2] They would not see the “rest of the dead did not live again” as being literal but referring to the fact that since they are not regenerated they only experience resurrection to the judgment but not the first “spiritual resurrection”.  The saints reigning with him is seen as the collective church participating with Christ in reigning through the church age

Postmillennial View - The meaning of the first resurrection (vv. 5, 6) is not a unanimously settled matter among postmillennial writers. It is said of the martyrs that they lived and reigned (v. 4) for the thousand years, which is taken by some to mean that the future victory of Christianity after its earlier history of persecution amounts to nothing less than a rebirth of the cause for which the martyrs died. John Jefferson Davis writes: “The ‘first resurrection,’ then, refers to the future restoration and vindication of the cause for which the martyrs died.” An older view of Daniel Whitby, followed by A. A. Hodge in the nineteenth century and James Snowden in the early twentieth century, was that the first resurrection refers to a revival of the martyr spirit.  

Chilton points out that the “first resurrection” may be a reference back to Christ’s own resurrection from the dead. Paul refers to Christ as “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20) and as “the firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18). As Chilton says, when Christ arose, “He rose from the dead, and resurrected all believers with Him.” Thus the beatitude is not pronounced upon those who have risen from the dead, but rather he who has part in the first resurrection (v. 6). Every believer “has part in” the resurrection of Christ—those souls seen in heaven illustrate that the life they have received while on earth continues, uninterrupted by death, in heaven. Chilton raises a pertinent question, only to answer it: 

Having been resurrected with Christ, Christians are to rule and to promote His rule in the world at this present time. Chilton, Rushdoony, and other Christian Reconstructionists believe that this rule of the saints on earth will ultimately take the form of “a Christian Republic, where God’s law rules.”[3]

Considering all the viewpoints and possibilities … how do we decide?

We get our word for HOUR from the Greek and Latin words hora … and it means a period of 60 minutes

We get our word for year from the word annum thus our word annual, which means a space of 365 days, 1 year.

We get our word for 100 years from the word for 100, centum … it means an actual 100 years

The word “millennium” combines 2 latin words, mille meaning 1000, and annum, a year.  A Millennium is 1000 actual years. 

It is even more clearly pointed out as specific because it is called THE 1000 years in our text or THE MILLENNIUM.  This is NOT symbolic, or a spiritual lesson, or an undetermined period of time … this is a SPECIFIC, identifiable period of time that is 1000 years in length

There is a very specific event on either side that identifies it.  Satan is BOUND that he may NOT deceive, then he is loosed for a short time so that he can deceive.

There has never been a time when Satan has NOT been about the deception of man, since Eve and Adam in the garden until now, it has been the constant and militant activity of Satan to deceive the world away from the things of God.  It hasn’t stopped for a day let alone 365,000 days, so we know it is yet to come.

We know that it comes at the end of the Tribulation because it follows Armageddon.

It follows a Glorious Appearing as well as a cataclysmic and gruesome end to the age as we have known it.

What are some things that we know about this Great and Glorious Honeymoon.

We must tie it together with what has come before it.

I believe that the Church has been caught up and taken out of this world.  That the 70th week prophesied by Daniel 9 has finally come. 

A great world leader will arise and bring the world into a false sense of peace and unity

Leaders of the world will give him sweeping authority

There will be 2 witnesses that will take the place of the church proclaiming truth from Jerusalem, they will be indestructible and unable to be silenced until 1260 days or 3 and ½ years passes.  They will then be struck down and killed, lay dead in the streets for 3 days.  Then they will be both resurrected and then caught up into heaven.

There will be 144,000 Jewish Evangelists that will rise up during these years that will proclaim Christ as the Messiah and call the world, especially Israel to Christ 

There will be wars, natural disasters, famines, and more than ½ the world’s population will die

Seven Seals will be opened and reveal the details in Heaven

Seven Trumpets of Judgment will sound

The Antichrist will be revealed for who he is and be worshipped as god led by a false prophet.

He will break a covenant of 7 years with Israel 3 ½ years in and desecrate the Temple and pour out his wrath on Israel for 42 months

7 final bowls of judgment most severe will be poured out in this period of 3 ½ years

Millions of people who come to Christ in his tribulation will be martyred for their faith

Many of Israel will flee to the Desert Regions and be protected and provided for by God.

The Antichrist will incite the world to fight against Israel and against God

In Heaven the Church, the Bride of Christ will be wed, pure and holy to Christ,

Finally, Christ will appear in the sky, leading his faithful, riding white horses, he will descend to earth, and destroy all those who oppose him with the Word of his mouth, the Word of God

The Antichrist and the False Prophet will be cast into the lake of fire

Satan will be bound and cast into the Abyss for 1000 years

THEN we enter into our GLORIOUS HONEYMOON with Christ

And there are only 3 verses here, but what do we know about this Time.

1. This is a Fulfillment of MUCH Prophesy

Which illuminates this time of promise

Some Scriptures:

Isaiah 2:1-5; 4:1-6: 11:1-9; 12:1-6; 30:18-26; 35:1-10; 65:17-25

Zeph 3:11-13; Zech 9:9,10: 14:16-21;

Ps 2; Luke 1:30-33;

The scriptures are too numerous to even read and studying in weeks of teaching

2. This is a Time of Reclamation of the Earth

Romans 8:19-20

This earth LONGS to be restored to it’s original power and strength

Some prophesy says the moon will be like the sun and the sun like 7 days worth of light

The point is we are not getting the slightest bit of what God intended for us to experience in this earth.

In The Millennium Ezekiel 47:8-12 tells us the a river will come out of Jerusalem and it’s Fresh water will even turn the Dead Sea to Fresh and teaming with life

Dr. Criswell recounts this imagination of what that time might be like …

I can imagine in that day a ride through the western deserts of America.  You could imagine it through the Sahara, you could imagine it through the Gobi Desert of China.  Let’s just imagine it through the western deserts of America.  And as we ride, say, on a train, we look out the window and there are beautiful crystal clear streams, beautiful streams of water.  And we say, “How could it be in the desert such marvelous streams of water?”

And the reply comes, “The Lord reigns in Zion and waters burst forth in the wilderness.”

And as we ride through the desert there are beautiful verdant and emerald fields, surrounded by hedges of roses.  And we say, “How could such a thing be?”

And the answer comes from glory, “The Lord reigns in Zion and the desert shall blossom like the rose.”

And we get off the train and go through one of the cities, and there are treasures open, gold and silver and diamonds.  And we say, “How could such a thing be unguarded, out of the bank vault in open view?”

And the answer comes, “The Lord reigns in Zion and every man does justly by his neighbor.” 

And as we walk down through the streets of the city, we say, “Where are the asylums for the crippled and the lame?”

And the answer is, “The Lord reigns in Zion and the lame shall leap like the hart, like the deer.”

And we say, “Where are these that are in institutions and they’re old and they are forgotten?”

And the answer comes, “The Lord reigns in Zion and there’s not any age.  We don’t grow old anymore.”

And as we walk through the cities, we say, “Where are the great munitions factories?”

And the answer is, “The Lord reigns in Zion and the nations have beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  They don’t lift sword against nation anymore and we don’t learn war.”

Think of the blessings that accrue to the Gentiles and the nations of the world!  The whole creation is made anew.  It is Edenic as it was in the purpose of God in the beginning. 

3. This is a Time of Celebration

Remember that the wedding celebration was measured by the wealth of the groom or his family’s wealth …

Only the Bride and Groom and their “ friends” will enter into the Millennium.  Remember that the friends of the Bride who were not watching were shut out in Jesus’ parable of the maidens. 

What a celebration it will be what how much we will have to celebrate

The world will be like Eden

The world will be free from Satan’s influence

Peace will reign

Can you imagine

Daily Worship

Teaching of Truth to the children that will come up

Stories of God’s faithfulness recounted

4. This is a Time of Resurrection

1 John 3:1,2

We will be like him … Those of us who had entered the Millennium as his Faithful of the Old Testament, or his Bride the Church, or the Tribulation Saints saved as it were by fire, will be all like him

In 1 Cor 15:23 … a bit of progression in resurrection is suggested

You may not have caught it or thought of it but there is a progression of this Resurrection

Christ is the firstborn of the dead

The church is the firstfruits of the resurrection

At the rapture, which I believe comes in Revelation 4:1 … it is described in 1 Thes. 4 --- That is just the church.  It says the “dead in Christ” will rise first.

That would say that the Bride of Christ receives her new body, then comes the judgment seat of Christ where we receive our crowns, and where our ignoble acts are burned up and our noble acts become fine linen for us to create our wedding garments.

But the Old testament saints then will also be resurrected … Daniel 12 talks about it being AFTER the end of the time of trial and the Tribulation, thus AFTER God purifies his covenant people Israel through the tribulation and through the time in the desert. 

And at that same time perhaps … before the millennium begins … as verse 4 says, the Tribulation saints are also resurrected … given new bodies.

The saints of God from every age enter the Millennium with new bodies, eternal bodies.

It also seems from reading the latter verses as well as the prophesies that there will be those who are born in that era who will die. 

And they will be part of the 2nd Resurrection and judged for whether they are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life

5. This is a Time of Reigning and Serving

There are thrones seen in verse 4 and there are those seated who had been given authority to judge … and those who were martyred also reign with him

Jesus told the disciples that those who had given up much for him would be rewarded, that they would rule over the 12 Tribes of Israel

What does all this mean?

Well the easy one first

  A. Serving Him as Priests

We are in Revelation 1:6 “made to be a Kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father”

Peter says we are a “royal priesthood”

We will serve as priests and servants, holy and pure before God.  We have longed our lives here on earth to live up to what we are.  We are HOLY in God’s eyes, but we are carrying around this body of death.  We say with Paul “o wretched man that I am”

Oh but when we see him, we will be like him!!!

We will be holy, we will serve him as we have wanted to our whole lives, in complete righteousness

We will worship him

We will honor him

We will teach others of his ways

There will be children born in this millennium, they will need to hear the truth and will also make a decision to receive Christ or reject him

  B. Reigning with Him

We already know that the church will be the 24 Elders and we will have authority.

What does that mean completely? 

I do not know.  Why?  Because he doesn’t tell us.

One scholar, a trustworthy one, suggests that we will reign over people who were NOT part of the Armies of Armageddon but part of the nations represented and they will be reigned over by us and Christ with a rod of iron, with exactness and strict justice.

I can’t see that because I do not believe any unrepentant ones will ENTER the millennium, though some will come OUT of the millennium that will choose to follow Satan, but that will be the offspring but not any saved who enter in.

Those thrones are mentioned BEFORE

Things I believe it MAY include

It mentions the thrones and authority given BEFORE it mentions the Tribulation saints … perhaps there is a level of authority that the Church and OT Saints will have over the Trib. Saints.  That is very possible.  Could it be that the Trib. Saints will be judged for their works by the Bride of Christ?  Possibly

Perhaps as there are crowns … those with more crowns will have more authority

I believe that ALL of us will have authority and Dominion over this world in a way we now do not, like Adam did in the garden.

In the Garden Adam had authority as well as instructions to serve and care for the garden

We will have similar authority

But thrones to judge could also refer to authority to the booming world population.  With people living another 1000 years, there will be an amazing population explosion and those who enter in as the Faithful will most likely have authority over those born in the millennium.  Why?  Because we are completely HOLY like our Lord.  We are washed clean and pure

6. This is a Time of Preparation for Eternity

I won’t say more about that, but I believe it is a time of Transition understood completely ONLY in the Mind, Heart, Plans, and Purposes of God.

But Preparation, because a better time is coming even than this

Yes because a NEW Heaven and a NEW earth is coming

I am kind of lead to believe that while there are streams in the desert and flowers in the desert and the animals at peace, and the world at peace.

That we are going to have to do some cleaning up of our mess of this world.

This is just my conjecture as we join Christ, there was much destruction at the end … we may have some cleaning to do … that we might fully understand the scope of our sin

Oh but God is Going to wipe the slate clean as we will see … and A NEW Heaven and a NEW Earth are coming

7. A Time of Telling, Sharing and Warning

We will know what is coming at the end of the 1000 years and know that Satan will be loosed … we will tell our children, grandchildren, 3rd and 4th generations of the goodness of God knowing that some will reject him at that time

But OH what a wonderful time it will be

My mind can’t wrap around what it will be like without Satan

But I don’t want anyone to miss it

The time for Telling and Sharing and Warning is NOT for THEN

It is for Now

Who needs to know

Who do we need to Tell

The 2nd Resurrection is coming at the end of all things and those who’s names are not in the book of life are hopelessly Resurrected for the purpose of forever punishment

Tell the World

Sing For Joy

Sing for Proclamation

One of the most famous songs ever written was Composed by one of the Most Famous of Baroque Musicians ever, G.F. Handel, and it’s lyrics were Authored by perhaps the greatest hymn writer of all time, Isaac Watts. 

Yet we sing it really incorrectly.  We sing it at Christmas, proclaiming the Birth of Christ, but it is NOT a First Advent Song … it is clearly a SECOND Advent Song …

I want us to sing it in PROPHESY

I want us to sing it in PROXY longing for the Day when we can sing it in fulfillment

I want us to sing it in PRACTICE for the 1000 years we will sing it perhaps as every call to worship.  We will teach it to generation upon generation that they may understand and receive their Lord Jesus who will reign on David’s throne in Jerusalem

Jesus the Christ

You know this song well,

But can you imagine how you will sing it

In your glorified Body, sitting on a throne of authority as a Holy Priest of God,

Singing from the OTHER Side of the Millennial anticipation

Singing from the OTHER side of the Rapture, from the other Side of the Tribulation

From the Other side of Armageddon

Joy to the World!

 

1     Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King.
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and heav’n and nature sing.

2     Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

3     No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.

4     He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, and wonders of His love.

[4]

 

Wednesday Night Bible study Fall 2005-Spring 2006

The following resources were used among others in preparation

Bibliography:

Revelation Four Views: A Parallel Commentary – Steve Gregg

W.A. Criswell Expository Sermons on Revelation

Dr. J.A. Seiss Expositions on Revelations

MacArthur Bible Studies: Revelation – John MacArthur

Dr. David Jeremiah Expositions on Revelation

The Pulpit Commentary: Revelation

Wiersbe: The Bible Exposition Commentary

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[1]Gregg, S. (1997). Revelation, four views : A parallel commentary (Re 20:4-6). Nashville, Tenn.: T. Nelson Publishers.

[2]Gregg, S. (1997). Revelation, four views : A parallel commentary (Re 20:4-6). Nashville, Tenn.: T. Nelson Publishers.

[3]Gregg, S. (1997). Revelation, four views : A parallel commentary (Re 20:4-6). Nashville, Tenn.: T. Nelson Publishers.

[4]Logos Hymnal. 1995 (1st edition.). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

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