Priests of God

DEVOTION

THE REVELATION

PRIESTS OF GOD

Rev 20:4-6

4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

NIV

Our scholars are both at odds with each other and having a hay-day with this passage in an effort to maintain their position of this being a historic vision. They are trying to find anything that could mean, except what this actually means. First there is no thousand years, but just a long time. Second there is no actual resurrection as John uses the word souls instead of bodies. Third, they cannot reconcile this as future but only see there is a period in which Christianity has a great influence upon the world. That it has it's time when it overcomes the influence of Satan. Yet there appears to be so much they, through their scholarly efforts, have not, or are not willing, to see. First let us examine this word souls and do so in the context of this passage. They conclude souls mean only the soul or spirit of a person and not that actual body. But in the context of the rest of dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended, then these souls are people who came to life. The word soul is the word for breathe, that which has life, a living being. Now it is a little different that some people might believe, but again this all is not exactly in perfect chronological order, so we are not exactly sure the precise moment of the first resurrection. It might appear it is as these thrones are set up, but we already have seen the army of God riding with Jesus coming in the clouds. We also have seen a great multitude in heaven standing by the crystal sea, praising God. If the dead just now came to life to reign with Christ, then it would not agree with the rest of scripture. What we do know is that some people will not be dead when the first resurrection of the believers happens.

1 Cor 15:50-53

50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

NIV

1 Thess 4:13-18

13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

NIV

When we take these passages in context with this revelation of the saints of God, the believers who are to rule and reign with him for a thousand years, we can see who they are. They are the ones who refused to have anything to do with the ways of the world. Those who did not become intoxicated with the wine of adultery, the love of money, the accumulation and trust in money for their future. These are the multitude that have been in heaven with him all along and came riding on their own white horses dress in the righteousness of Christ, fine linen. These are the living beings who have been changed, who have been resurrected, and who have been raised imperishable.  These are those who were either dead or still alive, but both have been taken up to heaven in order to come riding with him in the clouds. We also know that the rest of the dead are not raised yet, because they are those who will be judged and sent on their way to perish. Those who refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will not take part in that resurrection, that time when we all will be changed, when we will be catch up to meet our Lord in the air. That is quite a different time then when we will be riding back to earth on our white horses with him. We also have the insight given to us here that we who believe will not be harmed by the second death. This gives us a view of what is to come. We all, every person on earth will experience the first death, that of our body simply wearing out from old age,  or being extinguished by some violent means earlier in the time of life on earth. But we who believe will only experience this death of the body. Those who refuse Jesus will not only experience the death of their body, but also of their soul, or spirit, the second death. The fact is we will live forever, and for this period of time, we will be a priest of God and of Christ. We should get used to that, and live as though we already are. We should be his priests now, ambassadors to the world, speaking for our Lord.