Revelation 20:4-6 NLT

Here we go again. It is taking me longer than I would like to be able to blog but we do what we can, right? So without any more wait, lend me your eyes and thoughts so that I may put them into a state of non-conscious. I am going to go after the next three verses the same way I approached the first three. With has much detail that the Lord gives me and will try to use many cross references to back up everything.

So in the first three verses we saw four key things to remember....

1. An angel has gone down to the bottomless pit with a "chain and key"(death and a burden). Rev.20:1

2. The Angel captured the beast. He will be bound like this for 1,000 years!Rev.20:2

3. Those who take part in the first resurrection will be priest of God and reign with Him for 1,000 years! :) Hope you are there. Rev.20:3

4. Satan will be getting released. :( Rev.20:3

That is the main focus of the first three verses. Now to dig into verse 4...

"Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years." Revelation 20:4

Now we see thrones! What are they for? Who is on them? Why are they there? To find this answer we will look back into Revelation alittle bit.

"The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him." Revelation 11:16

Now before I say what I am about to let me specify this.I try not to put my brain into translating the Word of God because my thinking is corrupt(just like yours and everyone else). However I am not able to find a cross reference on the 24. However it jumps out to me that it(this the Theology of Travis) might/could/maybe be the leaders of the "12 tribes"(Genesis 49)! The other 12 could be...the Apostles? 12 and 12 equals 24 right? Makes sense. Remember that this is my stinking thinking though. Take it, leave it, or challenge it.

These 24 have been given the authority to judge. Judge who? Later in this chapter we learn that God judges us. So who do they judge? Probably nobody. Thats right. Look at the verse again. It never says that they are judging anyone. They have the authority to but it never says that they do. Maybe they are maybe they are not. Once again I cannot find a reference has to what they are judging. By looking at later in this chapter you can see that God judges us. So we can say that they do not judge us. We simply don't know what or who they are judging.

Now we see the souls of all who were killed for being faithful to Christ. Those who turned down the mark that the beast wanted to put on them, or worship the statute were tortured, beaten, and murdered. Rev.13 However those who do not receive the mark are rewarded. They get to reign with Jesus for their faith in Him. They take part in the true life. The life that we are intended to live. An everlasting life. A life of peace, hope, and love. A life with Jesus. Here are a few scriptures that tell you about true life Matt.10:39, 16:25, 18:8-8, 19:16-17, 19:29, 25:46, and 27:52 Only those who follow Christ and trust in nothing else will find life. Narrow road folks.

Something to remember here is that it is not a life like you and I now know. It is eternal, pure, painless, and fantastic. Do not get it confused. It is different.

"This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.)" Revelation 20:5

So there is two resurrections. One of life. It is the one where the people will be able to reign with Jesus. The other is without a doubt the most depressing thing I have ever seen, read, or imagined. Those who do not get resurrected in the first resurrection will miss out on being with Jesus. They don't get this thousand years, and because they were not on the narrow road, they don't get to spend eternity with Jesus. They never get to see Jesus in His truest form other than when He is on His great throne and on the verge casting them into the darkness that they have chosen. I know of no other sadness that should grieve you like this should. The lost are going to be lost forever. No take backs. It is a choice that they have to make for keeps.

"Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years." Revelation 20:6

Now here we are at the conclusion of this post. It is a simple one. We (those who have accepted Christ) are blessed. We are going to made holy. Not the Holy that we try to live has but the true "Holy." Faultless! Standing side by side with God. Nothing can touch us. We will stand with Him for one thousand years has His representatives. His chosen people. No sin, no Satan.Nothing can possibly compare to the blessing that we are given in Jesus Christ. Be thankful. If you are reading this then be thankful. Not everyone will stand beside the Lord. Be thankful that He broke you enough to be for you to see Him. Realize that you are blessed.

Here are the key points that we covered in these verses.......

1. Those who do not worship or accept the beast are blessed with life!

2. There are two resurrections. One of life and the other (in contrast) of death.

3. We are blessed!

So click the comment tab below feedback on this one. If you think something needs to be covered more than cover it! Spread the Word!