Explicating Revelation 20:4-6
Mar 13, 2017 10:28:29 GMT
Post by Colossians on Mar 13, 2017 10:28:29 GMT
This material is for the teaching of the Body of Christ, however the author reserves copyright over it.
Stylistics
Scripture is replete with the literary device referred to as “synthetic parallelism”.
Here is an example from the OT:
“God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran” Hab 3:3
: “God” and “the Holy One” are necessarily in reference to the same Person.
Here is an example from the NT:
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come” Rev 22:17
: are not they that are the bride of Christ and they that hear one and the same?
______________________________
EXPLICATING REVELATION 20:4-6
[4] “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.”
Taking this verse first of all as a whole, we are presented with yet another instance of synthetic parallelism: they that sit upon thrones are of necessity one and the same as they who are beheaded for the witness of Jesus. For is it not said here of the latter that they reign with Christ? And do not they that reign sit on thrones?
: “and judgment was given unto them”
Which of course, and taking this “judgment” in its salient sense, excludes any judgement against them who are not numbered amongst the congregation:
“For what have [we] to do to judge them also that are without? do not [we] judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth” 1 Cor 5:12,13.
___
Such judgement shall therefore be manifest in one of two ways:
1. Judgement unto correction and edification of some in the congregation who are born again.
2. Judgement unto excommunication of some in the congregation who are not born again and therefore a judgement which places such folk without the fellowship and which therefore reserves the judgement thereof for God.
Concerning (1):
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” Gal 6:1.
Concerning (2):
“Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person” 1 Cor 5:13.
___
Who shall judge?
“ye which are spiritual” Gal 6:1.
___
How shall they know that they are spiritual?
By means of the same mechanism that they who are born again know they are born again: the Spirit witnesses within.
Which Spirit in those spiritual is the same also who cautions:
“[Let not any] man that is among you … think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but [he should] think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” Rom 12:3.
So then:
“But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man” 1 Cor 2:15.
: “and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God”
We have pointed out that they who are beheaded for the witness of Jesus are the same also who sit on thrones and the same also to whom it is given to judge. And so and now broadening the scope of “judgement” so as to include notions such as discernment and discrimination, given that it is given to all in Christ to judge to varying degrees – whether as to what they shall eat or drink, what days (if any) they shall esteem above others, how they shall answer any concerning the hope that is within them, how they should walk before others within and without, the correction of the Body, the excommunication of false brethren – all in Christ are of necessity declared ‘beheaded’ for the witness of Jesus.
For if he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist who was actually (i.e. physically) beheaded for Christ (see Mt 11:11), shall not such an one be considered to be at the very minimum also ‘beheaded’ for Christ?
For is not he that is least in the kingdom part of the Body of Christ? And is not the Body of Christ of ‘anatomical’ necessity attached to the Head of Christ? And so are not the members of the Body they who have Christ as their Head in place of their own? And if Christ as their Head in place of their own, are they not necessarily ‘beheaded’ for Christ?
Indeed:
“[Christ is] the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God” Col 2:19.
: “and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image”
And so they in the Body are further described: because they are that “new creature” (2 Cor 5:17) which is adjured to “forget what is behind” (Phil 3:13), and because they are declared to be without sin (see 1 John 3:9, Rom 7:20), of necessity is it also declared that not only do they not worship the beast, but that they have never done so.
“ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” Col 3:3
: dead men tell no tales simply because they have no way of remembering them.
: “neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands”
The accompanying pragmatic: the works of the mind and the works of the hands of the New Man that is the Body in union with the Head, are of necessity wrought by the Spirit which resides within its members: any and all works to the contrary are declared to be those of ‘the old man’ and thus declared null and void (see Ps 32:2, John 5:24, Rom 7:20, 8:1, 1 Cor 3:11-16, 2 Cor 5:17, Phil 3:13, (implicatively) Col 3:9, (implicatively) Rev 14:13, (implicatively) Rev 19:7).
: “and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years”
The same of whom we have thus far been speaking are declared to reign with Christ. We therefore understand that Christ reigns now. For if the Body reigns, how much more the Head to which that Body is attached?
[5] “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. [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.”
As we have indicated, we who are in the Body of Christ are in the first resurrection right now. For as Paul has said at Rom 8:15, we have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry “Abba, Father”: there is of necessity no condemnation possible to those in Christ Jesus.
So then:
“If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death” John 8:52
which “death” is that which brings the condemnation of God eternally to bear and which is here at Rev 20:5 called “the second death”.
: “they shall be priests of God and of Christ”
“But ye are … a royal priesthood” 1 Pe 2:9.
Summary
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” Mt 28:18.
“[God] hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Eph 2:6.
Epilogue
Does not the Spirit bear witness within us who are of the New Testament church that we are in God’s eyes at least the equal of Enoch and Elijah, with whom God was so pleased that He took them directly to Him without further delay?
If we are assured by the Spirit that the second death has no power over Enoch and Elijah, shall we not be also assured by that same Spirit that the second death has no power over us and that we are therefore in the first resurrection?
Amen.
(See also our works: “The necessarily-figurative 1000-year reign of Christ”, “The New Heavens and the New Earth in the light of the Cross”, “Our ‘form’ in the resurrection”.)
Stylistics
Scripture is replete with the literary device referred to as “synthetic parallelism”.
Here is an example from the OT:
“God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran” Hab 3:3
: “God” and “the Holy One” are necessarily in reference to the same Person.
Here is an example from the NT:
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come” Rev 22:17
: are not they that are the bride of Christ and they that hear one and the same?
______________________________
EXPLICATING REVELATION 20:4-6
[4] “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.”
Taking this verse first of all as a whole, we are presented with yet another instance of synthetic parallelism: they that sit upon thrones are of necessity one and the same as they who are beheaded for the witness of Jesus. For is it not said here of the latter that they reign with Christ? And do not they that reign sit on thrones?
: “and judgment was given unto them”
Which of course, and taking this “judgment” in its salient sense, excludes any judgement against them who are not numbered amongst the congregation:
“For what have [we] to do to judge them also that are without? do not [we] judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth” 1 Cor 5:12,13.
___
Such judgement shall therefore be manifest in one of two ways:
1. Judgement unto correction and edification of some in the congregation who are born again.
2. Judgement unto excommunication of some in the congregation who are not born again and therefore a judgement which places such folk without the fellowship and which therefore reserves the judgement thereof for God.
Concerning (1):
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” Gal 6:1.
Concerning (2):
“Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person” 1 Cor 5:13.
___
Who shall judge?
“ye which are spiritual” Gal 6:1.
___
How shall they know that they are spiritual?
By means of the same mechanism that they who are born again know they are born again: the Spirit witnesses within.
Which Spirit in those spiritual is the same also who cautions:
“[Let not any] man that is among you … think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but [he should] think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” Rom 12:3.
So then:
“But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man” 1 Cor 2:15.
: “and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God”
We have pointed out that they who are beheaded for the witness of Jesus are the same also who sit on thrones and the same also to whom it is given to judge. And so and now broadening the scope of “judgement” so as to include notions such as discernment and discrimination, given that it is given to all in Christ to judge to varying degrees – whether as to what they shall eat or drink, what days (if any) they shall esteem above others, how they shall answer any concerning the hope that is within them, how they should walk before others within and without, the correction of the Body, the excommunication of false brethren – all in Christ are of necessity declared ‘beheaded’ for the witness of Jesus.
For if he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist who was actually (i.e. physically) beheaded for Christ (see Mt 11:11), shall not such an one be considered to be at the very minimum also ‘beheaded’ for Christ?
For is not he that is least in the kingdom part of the Body of Christ? And is not the Body of Christ of ‘anatomical’ necessity attached to the Head of Christ? And so are not the members of the Body they who have Christ as their Head in place of their own? And if Christ as their Head in place of their own, are they not necessarily ‘beheaded’ for Christ?
Indeed:
“[Christ is] the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God” Col 2:19.
: “and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image”
And so they in the Body are further described: because they are that “new creature” (2 Cor 5:17) which is adjured to “forget what is behind” (Phil 3:13), and because they are declared to be without sin (see 1 John 3:9, Rom 7:20), of necessity is it also declared that not only do they not worship the beast, but that they have never done so.
“ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” Col 3:3
: dead men tell no tales simply because they have no way of remembering them.
: “neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands”
The accompanying pragmatic: the works of the mind and the works of the hands of the New Man that is the Body in union with the Head, are of necessity wrought by the Spirit which resides within its members: any and all works to the contrary are declared to be those of ‘the old man’ and thus declared null and void (see Ps 32:2, John 5:24, Rom 7:20, 8:1, 1 Cor 3:11-16, 2 Cor 5:17, Phil 3:13, (implicatively) Col 3:9, (implicatively) Rev 14:13, (implicatively) Rev 19:7).
: “and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years”
The same of whom we have thus far been speaking are declared to reign with Christ. We therefore understand that Christ reigns now. For if the Body reigns, how much more the Head to which that Body is attached?
[5] “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. [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.”
As we have indicated, we who are in the Body of Christ are in the first resurrection right now. For as Paul has said at Rom 8:15, we have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry “Abba, Father”: there is of necessity no condemnation possible to those in Christ Jesus.
So then:
“If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death” John 8:52
which “death” is that which brings the condemnation of God eternally to bear and which is here at Rev 20:5 called “the second death”.
: “they shall be priests of God and of Christ”
“But ye are … a royal priesthood” 1 Pe 2:9.
Summary
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” Mt 28:18.
“[God] hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Eph 2:6.
Epilogue
Does not the Spirit bear witness within us who are of the New Testament church that we are in God’s eyes at least the equal of Enoch and Elijah, with whom God was so pleased that He took them directly to Him without further delay?
If we are assured by the Spirit that the second death has no power over Enoch and Elijah, shall we not be also assured by that same Spirit that the second death has no power over us and that we are therefore in the first resurrection?
Amen.
(See also our works: “The necessarily-figurative 1000-year reign of Christ”, “The New Heavens and the New Earth in the light of the Cross”, “Our ‘form’ in the resurrection”.)