Revelation 20:4 describes the people of God being seated on thrones and being given the power to rule.
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.
This coming to life to rule is called the first resurrection, and it is linked with the Binding of Satan.
This is the first resurrection. 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 (Rev 20:5,6).
The first resurrection is not a future event. It is the rebirth of the believer that takes place at conversion. Paul taught that those who are baptised into Christ, have not only died with him, but are raised with him (Rom 6:1-10).
Having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God. God made you alive with Christ (Col 2:12,13).God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:6).
These two verses are past tense. A Christian is united by faith with Christ in his death and resurrection. They have died with Christ, and are raised to new life in him. At the moment they believed, they are born again to a new life. In the spiritual dimension, they are raised up to sit at the right hand of the Father to reign with Jesus. They are able to reign because Satan is bound. This is the first resurrection. It takes place at the resurrection of Jesus (or when believers appropriate it by being born again) when new life was established for all who would believe in him in the future.
The first resurrection is only for those who have faith in Jesus.
The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended (Rev 20:5).
This is the second resurrection. It is the resurrection of the body that takes place at the second coming of Jesus at the end of the age (Rev 20:12,13).
The first resurrection gives new spiritual life to believers. Those outside Christ are spiritually dead. The second resurrection is the general resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked at the end of the age.
These two resurrections are distinguished in John 5:24,25,28,29.
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
Jesus said that whoever hears his word and believes has eternal life: they have already crossed from death to life. The time has already come when people who are spiritually dead will hear the voice of God and live (John 5:24,25). This is the first resurrection. It is limited to those who believe in Jesus. It has already taken place, as it happens when a person believes in Jesus (or more correctly when Jesus was raised).
Jesus spoke of the second resurrection at the same time (John 5:28,29). He said that all people will hear the voice of God in their graves. The righteous will rise to eternal life, and the wicked will rise to be condemned. This resurrection involves all people. It takes place at the end of the age, just before the last judgment.
Christians have tended to forget the significance of the resurrection for human history. It is not just proof of Jesus' divinity. It did not just win new life for believers. The resurrection brought a dramatic change in the balance of power in the world. Satan's power was destroyed. Jesus was established as Lord of all creation. Those who are raised with him share in that tremendous victory.
At the resurrection, God began to work in the world in a powerful and dramatic way. He will continue to work until his kingdom is complete. This is why the resurrection is so important. Those who were raised with Christ at the first resurrection will rule with him. This ruling is not something that takes place in the future, but is something that Christians should be doing in the present age. They are seated on the throne of God now. They have already experienced the first resurrection. Having been raised with Christ, we should be ruling with him. Because Christians have lost sight of the authority that they have in Jesus, this ruling has not been a reality.
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