As we continue this series, keep in mind that the Revelation of Jesus Christ was given to His followers after He rose from the dead, not only to confirm what He told them while He was on the earth, but to reveal who He is spiritually and what is waiting for them in the eternal city. He also provided a thumbnail sketch of events that would come upon the earth during the Christian era.
Jesus Christ used riddles, enigmas, esoteric imagery and metaphors to convey His message, so that earthly rulers - secular or religious - would never understand, but true believers would understand and be prepared to receive His plans and purposes for their lives. In order to understand the hidden message, we must define the symbolism.
In the last blog we explained what scripture reveals about the first death - when this occurred. Because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve, mankind became spiritually...dead in trespasses and sins...Eph. 2:1. If this is the first death, when was the first resurrection? When did mankind "stand up again" from death to life?
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation...for by Him all things were created that are in Heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers...all things were created through Him and for Him...and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist...and He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence...Col. 1:15-18.
The sinless Jesus, Son of the living God, offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, because...the wages of sin is death...Rom. 6:23. Since the man Jesus never sinned, His was a righteous blood sacrifice, enabling Him to victoriously rise from the dead. When He was resurrected three days after He was crucified, He became the...firstborn from the dead. This is the first resurrection.
By this victory, Jesus Christ defeated the power of death that had been foisted upon the human race by Satan, tormenting them for centuries. The moment Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, Satan was deposed as reigning king on the earth - no longer had dominion over every living thing on the earth. Jesus Christ now reigned on the earth and in the heavens - the Kingdom of Heaven had returned to the earth. The reign of Christ on the earth begins.
Now we can see clearly how the how the first resurrection - Jesus rising from the dead - initiated the reign of Christ on the earth.
During the reign of Jesus Christ on the earth, mankind is provided the opportunity to be spiritually reconciled to God. Salvation...is a gift of God...Eph. 2:8. If a human being, who is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, repents of his sins and accepts Jesus Christ as His personal Savior - gift of salvation - he will experience his first resurrection - stand up again from death to life.
The new believer will physically live on the earth, yet spiritually will begin to reign with Christ on the earth, as well as in heavenly places...Eph. 2:6. The doors of Heaven, previously closed to mankind due to sin, have now opened, because Jesus Christ offered the firstfruits of His salvation to His Father in Heaven...Rev. 14:3-5.
Jesus said to her...I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me though he were dead, yet shall he live...and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die...John 11:25-26. Jesus Christ offers to men, who are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, the only way to be reconciled to God - Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Mankind can choose to accept His offer, or they can reject His offer - God will never force men against their will. They can choose Heaven or Hell as their eternal home.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new...II Cor. 5:17. This text confirms that Jesus Christ made a new creation from an old dead creation. What God originally created in Eden was now spiritually dead - separated from fellowship with Him because of the sin of disobedience - first death. Satan kidnapped men from God - Jesus paid the ransom to get them back. Jesus rose from the dead providing the first
resurrection.
Is the first resurrection and the born again experience (John 3:3) the same event? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
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