Revelation - A Positive Book

Chapter Twenty

Partakers of the Foremost Resurrection, Revelation 20:4-6 Printable PDF

By Ray & Doris Prinzing

“And 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.” (Rev. 20:4)

The qualifications of this people are many, but John makes note of some very clear marks of their spiritual stature. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them.” This gives us the immediate identification that they belong to the corporate body of OVERCOMERS, for “to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne.” (Revelation 3:21) “And judgment was given unto them.” Having been duly processed by the judgments of God themselves, for “Judgment must begin at the house of God,” (1 Peter 4:19), they are now qualified “To execute the judgment written: this honor have all His saints.” (Psalm 149:9) Thus they become “laborers together with God,” in the restoration of all mankind.

“Beheaded for the witness of Jesus. . .and the Word of God.” Beheaded – No stronger word could be used to speak of the process of ending all carnal mindedness, and being renewed into the mind of Christ. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) The RENEWING OF THE MIND brings an end to self-will, in its attitudes and thinking, so that we can mind spiritual things – and bear witness to Him alone. His Word is truth, and we lay down our own life – “and they loved not their lives unto the death,” that His truth might dwell in us richly, filling our thoughts, directing our steps. Then whatever outward persecutions come our way, because we do not think as the world, with joy we shall overcome, and be found to His praise.

“And which had not worshipped the beast. . .neither received his, mark.” No longer do they bear the imprint and character of this world’s bestial system, they have repudiated any allegiance to the flesh, and now bear the marks of God, conformed to His image, that He might be exalted. Truly, they are the Lord’s.

“And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. . .” Whether the “thousand years” is a literal time span, or a figurative one, really doesn’t matter when we are “reigning with Christ.” For as Peter reminds us, “Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8) And to this the Psalmist concurs, “For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” (Psalm 90:4) To be with Christ, to “live and reign” with Him, that is the issue! Again the Psalmist reaffirms this: “Better a single day within Thy courts than a thousand days outside!” (Psalm 84:10, Moffatt). It’s not the time ratio that matters, it is LIVING WITH CHRIST NOW! For “they which receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall REIGN IN LIFE by one, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17) His life is an age-abiding life!

“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall he priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:5-6)

The FIRST resurrection – The Greek word used here for “first” is “protos” and literally means: first, foremost. Foremost in time, place, order or importance. It also implies that there are other orders to follow, but this is FIRST, unique in its working. It bears an analogy to the birth process, and the special position that was accorded to the one born first. “Thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix. . .” (Exodus 13:12) Others can follow in due time, but they can never be the first to be born. Here again we have another view in “the Revelation of Jesus Christ.” For our Lord Jesus Christ is “The Firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have preeminence.” (Colossians 1:18)

The resurrection of Jesus is the keystone of our redemption, the whole arch would fall were it not for that factor. It was in view of this that Paul stated, “If Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain, ye are yet in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17) How triumphantly He can say, “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for ever more.” (Revelation 1:18) Or, again, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25) He is also declared to be “The Firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:20) While none shall ever take His place, it is uniquely His, so that in all He shall have preeminence, yet He is followed by a company rightly termed the “first fruits.” It is a plural, corporate body, which have been conformed to His image through the in-working of His cross, and death to self, and now are to partake of His resurrection. Truly, it is a foremost resurrection. Other resurrections will follow – “In Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order.” (1 Corinthians 15:22- 23) Yet “blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection.”

Paul understood this truth, and cried out, “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection out from among the dead.” (Philippians 3:3:10-11) The Greek text here reads of an “outresurrection.” Not everyone has sufficiently “‘died,” so as to be ready for the resurrection. God does not propose to bring forth a people, half dead to self, and half alive to the Spirit. Paul knew this, too, and thus desired full fellowship in the sufferings and death part, as the Williams translation gives, “as to be continuously transformed by His death.” Then it is “no more I, but Christ.”

“If by any means I might attain. . .” The Greek word used here for “attain” is “katantao” and though it means: to come, to arrive, it is prefixed with the preposition “kata” that means: down. While the overall message is to arrive, come right down against the resurrection, not viewing it afar off, but being right there; yet there is another thought in this word “down.” It is as if Paul were saying, “that I might come down low enough, so as to come up in the resurrection.” A full participation in His suffering and death, a completed work – having come down enough so that I am totally crucified with Christ, then ready for the up-rising, out from among the dead.

Nor was this Paul’s vision alone, for we read those who “were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.” (Hebrews 11:35) No present escape was worthy to be compared with a BETTER, a stronger, more vigorous resurrection. They knew there was a FOREMOST resurrection – one that was better, stronger, lifting them out from among the dead – when a corporate body would open the matrix, and come forth in resurrection life. Any price would be as “less than nothing” compared to partaking of this glory. Indeed, “In my opinion whatever we may have to go through now is less than nothing compared with the magnificent future God has planned for us.” (Romans 8:18, Phillips)

The Greek word for “resurrection” is “anastasis” and it is much more than our Latin derived word, which means a restoring to life again, a raising from the dead to the life we once had. In the word “anastasis” we have the beginning “ana” which means again, pointing to a previous condition of life; while “stasis” means: a standing up, and signifies process. Thus it literally bespeaks of the whole process of rising up and advancing until the highest heavens are reached. For our RETURN INTO HIS LIFE is to return into the realm from whence we came, before “the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope.” (Romans 8:20) Full well He knew of the process of resurrection which He would open up for us, before He subjected us into this death realm. The WAY OF THE RETURN was planned long before man was “turned unto destruction.” (Psalm 90:3) The prayer remains, that we might know “what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own light hand in the heavenlies.” (Ephesians 1:19- 20) Resurrection is a process – an advancing until we are complete in Him, spirit, soul and body. The work begins in our spirit. “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord” (Proverbs 20:27), “For Thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God wil enlighten my darkness.” (Psalm 18:28) We call it the beginning of our new birth, and so it is – it is also the beginning of the resurrection process which lifts us out from among the dead. His Spirit uniting with our spirit begins the upward ascent.

But there is also a resurrection process that touches the soul realm. “And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection.” (Matthew 27:52- 53) Here a different word is used for “resurrection,” the only time in the New Testament; it is the word “egersis,” and comes from the word “egeiro,” meaning: awake, rise again, and is defined as: to gather the faculties, to become mentally alert, all forces brought into focus. This is most significant, because having previously noted that we have been “beheaded,” having laid down our soul life, yet the promise was not “death for the soul,” but “receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your soul.” (1 Peter 1:9) When the headship of self is CUT OFF, it is that He might become our Head. When our will is laid down, it is that His will might become in us. When our intellect is swallowed up into the mind of Christ, and all of our emotions and impulses are controlled by His Spirit, this is an outworking of resurrection – the salvation of our soul!

When Jesus arose from the dead He was not only ALIVE IN SPIRIT, but HE WAS ALIVE IN SOUL – i.e., He had all His mental faculties together. Thank God we can be “renewed in the spirit of our mind.” (Ephesians 4:23) Redemption is for the whole man, and resurrection life is also for the soul/mind realm. There may be those days when the aging process of the natural seems to leave you somewhat disoriented. But the hope is for resurrection, and HE will finish this work in us, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Sound mind – literally one could say, to be calm, cool, and collected. A well-balanced mind is apart of the resurrection process at work in us. “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to AWAKE out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11) “Wherefore He saith, AWAKE thou that sleepest, and ARISE from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” (Ephesians 5:14)

Awake – “egeiro,” gather your faculties together, and arise, stand up out from among the dead. Thus Paul clearly taught that there was an IN WORKING RESURRECTION, however much “in part,” that could be experienced now, and then it would be a steady ADVANCING, as we are “changed from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) “If ye then be RISEN with Christ, seek those things which are above. . .set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:1-3) To be carnally minded is death! Hence we need this resurrection, to RISE UP out of that state, to have all our mental faculties attuned to the things above. With the spirit quickened, and the soul collected, it remains for the body to be changed. “If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11) Not only just a day by day quickening to help us through present times, but ultimately, He “shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.” (Philippians 3:21)

The resurrection PROCESS begins as soon as He quickens us in spirit – and He gives “unto us the earnest of the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 5:5) The process continues as we are renewed into the mind of Christ, and He begins to gather all our faculties into harmony with our awakened spirit. And ultimately these inward changes will be manifested in a CHANGED BODY. “Blessed and holy is he that bath part in the foremost resurrection.” There is an ON-GOING resurrection now, and it is the power of advancing until we shall be completely “found in Him.” (Philippians 3:9)

NOT TO BE SOLD

This book through this website can be printed. It is given free, as a ministry of love. The truths contained therein cannot be valued in terms of material goods, but they are shared with others because they have become life and light to us. Now it is our sincere desire that they might also serve for inspiration and confirmation to those who read them. May they be received in the same spirit of love in which they are shared. If there be any thoughts expressed that seem to be the result of only natural thinking, we trust that a little breath of kindness shall blow the chaff away, that the kernel of truth might remain to bless.