...but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished...Rev. 20:5. In blog #6 we defined "the rest of the dead" as human beings who rejected God, and Jesus Christ - His plan of salvation and reconciliation - while they lived on the earth. They are waiting in Hades - place of the dead - where they are tormented in this flame according the words of Jesus in Luke 16:19-31. When Jesus Christ returns to gather together His saints, all human beings who ever lived on the earth will appear before the Great White Throne of Judgment, including "rest of the dead." How do I know?
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away...and there was found no place for them...and I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened...and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life...and the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books...the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them...and they were judged, each according to his works...Rev. 20:11-13.
Wow...there is a lot to unpack in this reference, which will obviously take a few blogs to accomplish in order to do justice to the message depicted in this beautiful scene. But to find the answer of our question, we know that the earth and its heaven are destroyed at the return of Jesus Christ...from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away...and there was found no place for them. Are the "rest of the dead" seen in this reference?
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them...and they were judged, each according to his works...verse 13. Now we see clearly that the "rest of the dead" who had been residing in Hades, now are standing before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment - Hades delivered up the dead. This event is commonly referred to as Judgment Day.
We have already established that the "rest of the dead" have been waiting in Hades - tormented in flames. When Jesus Christ returns...the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat...both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up...II Pet. 3:10.
But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished...Rev. 20:5. In this series we have discovered who are the "rest of the dead" and where they are now. But they won't "live again" - appear before the Great White Throne Judgment to have their works judged - until the thousand years were finished. What does this mean?
This means that the rest of the dead will not appear before the Great White Throne of Judgment until the reign with Christ on the earth is finished. When does this take place? While we don't know the date, in blog #6 we explained what triggers the thousand year reign with Christ on the earth to end. It ends the moment the last person on the earth, who desires to do so, accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior - only God will have this knowledge. Just as in the days of Noah - the last person to enter the ark triggered the end of that society. Jesus said that His return would be "as in the days of Noah."
Even though the thousand year reign of Christ on the earth ends - finished - with the earth and its heaven burning up, the reign of Christ spiritually will never end - never is finished. When Jesus died and rose again from the dead the Kingdom of Heaven was once again offered to mankind - the reign of Christ on the earth began. To become part of that Kingdom of Heaven men will need to repent of their sins and accept the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ as payment for their sins.
Once they become born again they will begin to reign with Christ on the earth. When there is no human being left on the earth that desires to accept Jesus as his Savior, the purpose for reigning with Christ on the earth will be finished - prophecy fulfilled. The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. What happens next?
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years...Rev. 20: 6. This verse confirms that those who are part of the first resurrection - those who are born again while they live on the earth - shall be priests of God & Christ and reign with Him a thousand years...Rev. 5:10. But the warning in the middle sentence of this verse, which I left out, explains why a human being would never want to be part of the "rest of the dead." What is the middle sentence and what is its warning?
The middle sentence of Rev. 20:6 is...over such the second death has no power. If a human being is part of the first resurrection - born again - the second death will have no power over him. The "rest of the dead" rejected God and Jesus Christ, while they lived on the earth, so they were not part of the first resurrection - they were not born again while they lived on the earth. They will experience the second death. This is the warning - don't become subject to the second death.
So what in the world is the second death? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
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