Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Comment: At the end of yesterday’s reading there was the phrase ‘until the thousand years were ended.’ Some teach that this is just a description of a long time. I don’t want to take sides with the ‘literalists’ and the ‘symbolists’) if there is such a word! As I read it it says a thousand years, but I acknowledge that we have seen a lot of symbolism in this book of Revelation. There is set out a definite order of authority. King Jesus is the Ruler. Those raised to life are those who have been beheaded and those who remained faithful to Jesus after the great period of judgement and tribulation began and have not received the mark on their foreheads permitting them to be involved in the affairs of anti-God ruling powers. Those who have been faithful to God in the centuries prior to the great judgement trial are not raised at this time. Those who are raised ‘will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.’
Some of those living during the reign of Jesus on earth do not surrender their hearts and lives to Him. They take the opportunity, when the devil is released from the ‘bottomless pit’, to show their rejection of Christ by forming an army under the devil’s control’ They set themselves up for war against the saints but there is no war. Fire comes down from heaven and consumes them. The devil is sent back to the place from where he was released. Reading ahead a bit, the final judgement is about to begin, leading into the promised glorious ending, life without sin!
Prayer: Thank You, Father God that the future is in Your Hands and not chance!
As I read it! 