Title of the Word: Glory for them who participate in the First Resurrection
Revelation chapter 20 reveals what will happen when the present wicked world is over testified by Apostle John. Those who live in the evil world now are thinking that this world will last forever, but when the Satan that has been ruling is captured by the Lord Jesus Christ, who will return, this world will end.
The old serpent, that brought sin to the world and stole the earth totally that was given to the first man Adam, is called the devil, and the devil has ruled the world for six thousand years, and finally shall become red dragon. It shall be caught by the Lord Jesus Christ coming back to take the earth over that was taken away, and the devil shall cast into an endless deep pit for a thousand years.
During this one thousand years, the Lord Jesus Christ will establish his kingdom and gather the remnant of them for his kingdom. In order to test those who are worthy of his kingdom, one thousand years later, the devil shall be released for a short time for him to tempt the world again. All the nations of people deceived by the Satan shall besiege the camp of the saints to fight against the chosen people of Israel, and to kill the brides of Christ in the New Jerusalem, who came down from heaven. But fire shall come down from God out of heaven shall devour all of them. God will give the opportunity to all nations of people as many as the sands of the sea to save even one person for a long period of a thousand years, but people do not repent to the end, but do evil and are judged. Apostle John testified that the devil, who deceives them, would be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, and shall suffer forever and ever with the beast and the false prophet .
The Lord Jesus showed John the Apostle to those who would participate in the first resurrection and reign for a thousand years in the kingdom of Christ. They were the souls who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God. During the Great Tribulation period, they were slaughtered by the false prophet who made the image of the Antichrist, the beast, because they not worshipped the beast, neeither his image, and neither they receive his mark upon their foreheads, or in their right hands; they live and reign with Christ a thousand years. And they shall be the priests of God and Christ. They must be the Jews that are chosen as the nation of Priest in the future:
Apostle John testifies that they are the ones who participate in the first resurrection. Jesus spoke beforehand about the first resurrection and the second resurrection when he was in the world as the Son of Man:
” Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”(John 5: 25-29)
The difference between the first resurrection and the second resurrection is that in the first resurrection they hear the voice of the Son of God they believe, but when they are resurrected in the second, they hear the voice of God. Apostle John testified about those who participated in the second resurrection and the judgment they received:
” And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.“(Rev. 20: 11-15)
Now we see the plan of God that all those who participate in the first resurrection and those who did good shall dwell eternally in the heavens, on the earth, and in the New Jerusalem. Then, there shall be no need for death or hell, and those two shall be thrown into the lake of fire. Apostle John testified of the eternal world to be reigned by God who has completed his will fir seven thousand years in the book of Revelation 21 and 22 chapters.
Long time ago, King David gave a prayer of faith to God in the Holy Spirit, looking forward to the first resurrection of the Israelites in the coming days of the Great Tribulation and looking forward God who will save them from the hands of all nations when the kingdom of the thousand years shall be over:
” Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
7Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
8Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. “(Psalm 144: 5-8)
The Holy Spirit witnesses three times over the first resurrection through the apostles. In other words, the resurrection of the saints of Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Great Tribulation:
” But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
24Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.. “(1 Corinthians 15: 20-26)
Jesus became the first fruit of the resurrection by His resurrection, and the saints of Old Testament resurrected as the first fruits upon His resurrection to Him. In other words, they became the first of the first resurrection. Apostle Matthew testified of their resurrection:
” Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51And, 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;
52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. “(Matthew 27: 50-53)
Apostle Paul testified to the saints of Thessalonian Church about the first resurrection of the second. He testified to the saints of the Corinthians that they belong to Christ:
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. “(I Thessalonians 4: 16-18)
Apostle Paul testified about the life of the saints of the New Testament that are Christ’s are to participate in the first resurrection:
” And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5: 24-26 )