Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things"
2Ti 2:7.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

The First Resurrection - what, and who?

And the graves were opened;
and MANY BODIES OF THE SAINTS which slept arose,
and came out of the graves after his resurrection,

and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.


The First Resurrection
- what is it,
- who partook of that glorious blessing?

Rev 20
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.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Some observations:
1. "They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" - they lived at the beginning of the thousand years. Note this simple fact.

2. "They lived... this is the first resurrection" - this first resurrection is ONLY true of a specific people, i.e. "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." Note this plain fact too.

3. "They lived... the rest of the dead lived not until..." - "they" and "the rest" belong to one COMMON group, that is, they are God's children who were dead. Some of them enjoyed the first resurrection; the rest did not, they shall when the 1000 years were finished.

4. "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." Some partook in the first resurrection, the rest didn't. The rest need to wait for their turn until the 1000 years were finished, at the return of Christ until the 1000 years were finished.

I hope these are plain and simple.
It is a very popular notion to equate the first resurrection as regeneration, an interpretation that repudiates the plain sense shown above. That fable is just impossible - look at the passage again! Think a bit please, and maybe stop regurgitating the elders' tradition!

Where in the Scriptures speaks of the first resurrection mentioned here?
Mt 27:51-53 is the passage that speaks of the first resurrection of many saints, those described in the Rev 20 passage:

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and MANY BODIES OF THE SAINTS which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

This happened at the beginning of the "1000 years" mentioned in Rev 20. Regeneration has been happening since the day of Adam and Eve!

Many bodies of the saints... not all the saints that were lying in the graves, but many of them were resurrected.

The first resurrection spoken of in Rev 20 HAPPENED at the beginning of the "1000 years." So the first resurrection can't possibly be the regeneration of any sort! Also, "they lived" is simple past tense, it occurred as recorded in Mt 27:51-52.

Tell me what you think. I need sharp sounding boards to aid me to think.

Amen gallery has no use for me!

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 Initially posted here:

https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/10204367398360538