billy-brown 2

Well, perhaps it is time finally to explain what I mean when I indicate that Rev. 20:4-6 are VISION verses:

Rev. 20
4And 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.

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

6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Now, when I indicate that Rev. 20:4-6 are VISION verses, I mean that these verses were written by John to express primarily to the readers of his day some important truth--truth that would achieve relevancy with what many of them were already experiencing: martyrdom by the beast of that time. What important truth would that be?

Well, whatever truth it would be, that truth would have to provide encouragement to the saints to continue in faith so as to receive a special vindication from God as they would continue to defy the beast of those days, yes? And remember, the beast did the following to people of faith, yes (in the verse below)?

Rev. 20: 4b . . . beheaded (the people of faith) 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; . . .

Yep.

And when we should expect the martyred saints of those days to remain DEAD, the scripture indicates that they actually are LIVING and Ruling--while being DEAD physically.

Yep. They LIVED and Ruled while being DEAD.

In other words, DEATH for the people of faith is resurrection for the people of faith. This is what it means to truly overcome the beast--even to gain VICTORY over the beast. This is what it mean to have (hath) part in the first resurrection:

Rev. 15
2And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.

3And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and marvelous are Your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are Your ways,
King of the nations!

4“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU,
FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.”

Indeed, this is what the VISION of Rev. 20:4-6 is explaining (remember, John was not shown everything, and therefore, he did not write down everything).

And remember, there have been many people of faith that have defied the beast before our time already. I mean, they died by martyrdom only because they were not deceived by the false prophet to worship the beast, right? And the saints of John's time who have died as martyrs already (for example) have been NOW ruling with Christ for quite a while . . .

And it seems that when we remember all of this, that's how we can suggest that the "1000 years" can not be "earth-time-clock-time" literal.

Finally, the point of the VISION of Rev. 20:4-6 is let the saints KNOW what DEAD people are NOW doing during our current age: ruling or not ruling with Christ and so on. Indeed, the notion that the verses of Rev. 20:4-6 deal with what happens during the age of the eternal state is NEVER in view at all: at least, not in terms of what we should be learning from the VISION . . .