The order of the resurrection in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

(This post will be a chapter in my upcoming book, “The Resurrection: when the church is glorified,” which will be published in 3Q 2024.)

THE RESURRECTION SO FAR IN 1 THESSALONIANS

Before we dig into our focus passage, which is explicitly about the resurrection of the saints, we will briefly review what Paul has already said implicitly about the resurrection earlier in the letter.

2:19. “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming (παρουσία)?” Paul and the Thessalonians will both be “in the presence of the Lord Jesus at His coming” (παρουσία). “In the presence of the Lord Jesus” must be with the Lord Jesus.

This agrees with 4:16-17, where the dead in Christ and those who are alive and remain will be “caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.” This also agrees with 3:13 (below).

3:13. “He (the Lord) may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming (παρουσία) of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”

The first key word here is with (μετὰ followed by genitive). Jesus will be coming “with all His saints.” It is important to note that the coming of our Lord Jesus will not be for His saints, which would mean that His saints are still on earth, but His coming will be with His saints, which means that His saints are already in the air (4:17). Since “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven” (4:16), we conclude that the resurrection of the saints occurs immediately before “the coming (παρουσία) of our Lord Jesus,” and then Jesus returns with all His saints.  

The second key word is all (πάντων). Jesus will be coming “with all His saints.” This means that none of the elect will be missing. All the dead in Christ plus all those who are “alive and remain” will be with Jesus at His coming (παρουσία).

KEY POINT: The resurrection of the saints must occur immediately before Jesus’ coming (παρουσία). And this is exactly what we see in Paul’s teaching in 4:13-17.

THE ORDER OF THE RESURRECTION IN 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-17

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

4:13. Paul is prompted to tell about the resurrection (of the saints) because the Thessalonians are unclear about the events of the last day. Thus Paul begins by talking about “those who are asleep” (i.e., those believers who have already physically died), but he quickly moves to teach about the resurrection of all believers, whether asleep or living.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming (παρουσία) of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

4:14. The first phrase of this verse bears on the fact of Jesus’ bodily resurrection. A paraphrase might be, “Since Jesus was resurrected . . .”

In 1 Cor. 15:1-23, Paul makes a more detailed case for the certainty of Christ’s resurrection from the dead and for how Christ’s resurrection guarantees the resurrection of all those in Christ, but here the apostle makes clear that, as Christ died and rose again, “even so (οὕτως) God will bring with Him (i.e., with Christ; see 3:13) those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”

Paul’s message to the Thessalonians in this verse is, “Do not be worried or anxious about those who have fallen asleep (i.e., physically died). Know for certain that these will be with the Lord Jesus when He returns.”

Now the apostle will go on to describe the events of the resurrection of the saints and how the resurrection relates to the coming (παρουσία) of the Lord Jesus.

4:15. Paul’s first phrase communicates the idea that what follows is God-breathed doctrine and is, therefore, trustworthy and true (“the word of the Lord”). Then the apostle tells us that, at the coming of the Lord, the saints who are alive and remain will be resurrected after those saints who have fallen asleep (i.e., died). Even at this point in the passage, we can begin to discern the order of the resurrection, but with 4:16-17, Paul will remove all ambiguity.

4:16-17. In these two verses, Paul gives us the most explicit teaching found in Scripture about the order of the resurrection.

The events begin with the announcement of the coming of the King when we will hear a shout (of command), the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God sounding together (4:16), declaring to the entire world that, “NOW Jesus is coming! The King of kings is coming to judge the earth” (Psalm 96:13; 98:9; 2 Tim. 4:1).

After the announcement of Jesus’ coming, we discover that “the dead in Christ will rise first.” All those in Christ who have physically died will be resurrected first. Immediately after this comes the resurrection of the living, whom Paul describes as those “who are alive and remain.” Finally, as “the Lord Himself descends from heaven,” all the resurrected saints rise up together “to meet the Lord in the air.”

This passage in 1 Thess. 4 answers many questions about the resurrection of the saints, but it also leaves a few questions unanswered.

A COUPLE OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

Question: When do these events of the resurrection occur? Even though Paul’s teaching explicitly connects the return of Jesus Christ, which occurs on the last day, with the resurrection of the saints, it is possible that some may still be unclear on when the resurrection occurs.

Answer: According to Jesus in John 6:39, 40, 44 and 54, and according to John 11:24, the resurrection occurs on the last day. Since this is explicitly stated five times in John’s gospel, this answer is unambiguous. THE RESURRECTION OCCURS ON THE LAST DAY.

Question: In this passage (1 Thess. 4:13-17), we have seen that, on the last day, all the dead in Christ are resurrected, then all those believers who were still living (“alive and remain”) are resurrected, then they both rise together to meet the descending Lord Jesus in the air. But Paul does not disclose what happens next other than to say that “so we shall always be with the Lord.” The question that follows is, “What happens after the resurrected saints meet the descending Lord Jesus in the air on the last day?”

Answer: Jesus continues to descend to earth with His saints to destroy all the unrighteous. Explanation: Perhaps the best cross-reference for this is Rev. 19:11-21. This passage is the climax of the book of Revelation and pictures the Lord Jesus riding on a white horse as He comes (or “descends”) to judge the nations. “From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations; He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty” (19:15). The awesome scene has an overwhelming sense of finality and concludes in 19:21 with the Lord killing all the unrighteous of the earth. And in the midst of this passage, in Rev. 19:14, we read of “armies clothed in fine linen, white and clean, following Him (Jesus) on white horses.” These armies are all the resurrected saints who have risen “to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:17) and who are now “following Him on white horses” as He descends in judgment. (See also 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14.)

Restating the answer, then, AFTER THE SAINTS MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR, THE LORD AND HIS ARMIES OF RESURRECTED SAINTS CONTINUE TO EARTH TO RENDER FINAL JUDGMENT ON ALL THE UNRIGHTEOUS.

Other passages that confirm this interpretation about what happens when Jesus comes from heaven are Jer. 25:30-38, Rev. 6:12-17 and any Old Testament passage that talks about “the day of the Lord.” Another consideration is Psalm 110:5-6, a powerful psalm about Jesus’ return in judgment. When the Lord (Adonai) comes “in the day of His wrath” (110:5), “He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country” (110:6). The point is that, when the Lord Jesus comes in His παρουσία (1 Thess. 4:15), He is coming to judge the earth (Ps. 96:13; 98:9).

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 5/6/2024                     #700

REVELATION 5:6-14: THE VICTORIOUS LAMB APPEARS IN HEAVEN

(This post is a chapter from my upcoming book, “Studies in Revelation 5:6 – 20:15,” which I hope to publish in the third quarter of 2024.)

TIME PERIOD OF THIS SCENE: The beginning of the thousand years

PRECEDING SCENE: Rev. 20:1-3. Jesus binds Satan in the abyss for the thousand years.

FEATURES OF THIS SCENE: After completing His mission of death and resurrection, the victorious Lamb arrives in heaven (~AD 32) to the praises of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders and myriads of myriads of angels. The Lamb takes the book from the One who sits on the throne and prepares to break its seven seals.

SCENE THAT FOLLOWS: Rev. 6:1-2. The first seal and the rider on the white horse with the bow.

BRIEF REVIEW: We have finished our study of Rev. 20:1-6 in which the thousand years are explicitly mentioned, but we have not finished our study of the scenes in Revelation which take place during the thousand years. Rev. 5:6-14 occurs at the very beginning of the thousand years as the victorious Lamb returns to heaven, having perfectly accomplished the work the Father gave Him to do (John 17:4; 19:30). Consistent with our view of Rev. 20:1-3, we would say that this scene takes place around AD 32. Jesus has died and been raised from the dead; He has commissioned His church (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8) and He has bound Satan (Rev. 20:1-3). Now it is time for Him to take His seat at the Father’s right hand (Psalm 110:1; etc.) and to open the seals of the scroll.

5:6-8. The Lamb appears and takes the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. Then the heavenly beings begin to praise the Lamb.

9 And they *sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” – Revelation 5:9-10

5:9-10. These words of praise for the Lamb are full of meaning.

The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders “sang a new song.”

WORTHY. Their new song begins with “Worthy are You to take the book.” The key word is “Worthy.” Earlier we had seen that the living creatures and the twenty-four elders had worshipped Him who sits on the throne, Him who lives forever and ever, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God” (Rev. 4:10-11). Then in heaven a strong angel had asked, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” (5:2). The new song answers that question. The Lamb who was slain is worthy. As the Lord our God who sits on the throne is worthy, so the Lamb who was slain is worthy. “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain” (Rev. 5:12).

PURCHASED WITH HIS BLOOD. The Lamb “purchased with His blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (5:9). This is obviously speaking of Christ’s atonement on the cross. But who specifically are these whom the Lamb purchased? The answer is that with His blood the Lamb has atoned for every person who will ever be saved. In all the universe, there is only one place where atonement has ever been made and will ever be made. Atonement for all who will ever be saved was made by Jesus in His death on the cross. The theological fact is that the only place and time that the redeemed could ever have been purchased was when Jesus uttered, “Τετέλεσται,” on the cross and bowed His head and gave up His spirit (John 19:30). So, all who were ever purchased were purchased at the cross.

PURCHASED FOR GOD. And we also see that Jesus purchased these for God. Jesus poured out His blood “to purchase for God people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” The Lord Jesus did not shed His blood (i.e., die) to purchase nothing. Rather, in His death on the cross Jesus’ blood purchased people for God, and Jesus’ resurrection confirmed that the transaction was accepted by God. Those for whom Jesus died were actually purchased with His blood for God. Jesus’ atonement really atoned, and those for whom Jesus atoned will be saved.

We have thus seen that Jesus atoned for all the sins of all those who will ever be saved and He purchased for God only those who will be saved. Therefore, we conclude that Jesus the Messiah purchased for God with His blood all the elect (Eph. 1:4; etc.) and none other.

NOTE ON REV. 14:3, 4 AND THE 144,000: In a future study we will be looking at Rev. 14:3, where we will once again see the word “purchased.” “The 144,000 had been purchased from the earth.” We will see that the 144,000 in Rev. 14:3 must be the same group that the Lamb purchased in Rev. 5:9 and, therefore, must also represent all the elect.

Before we continue with the interpretation of this passage, we should note two things. First, we remember when this scene is taking place. This scene in heaven of the victorious Lamb occurs at ~AD 32, at the very beginning of the thousand years. Second, we observe that, in this scene, there are no saints in heaven, at least none that John mentions. Both of these are significant details.

PURCHASED BUT NOT YET PRESENT. Because Revelation is biblical prophecy, the default paradigm for interpretation is figurative and symbolic (See “Introduction.”) Thus even the visions themselves may be best understood figuratively. That is, in fact, the case here. Notice who we see in heaven in this passage. Besides the Lamb we see the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders (5:8) and “myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands” of angels (5:11), but we do not see any people, whether souls or saints. Where are they?

The answer is that there are no souls or saints mentioned because there are none in heaven when this vision occurs. The vision presents the situation in heaven at ~AD 32 at the very beginning of the thousand years when the commissioned church is in its infancy and the ingathering of the nations has only barely begun. Of course, if we were speaking literally, we would see heaven already populated by numerous Old Testament saints, but we are viewing a figurative vision of heaven as “the church” (basically, the apostles and a few others) prepares for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. So, in the vision, we see no saints in heaven. The Lamb has purchased “a great multitude which no one could count from every nation, etc.” (Rev. 7:9), but that great multitude has not yet been gathered from the nations. Every member of the great multitude has already been purchased for God by the atoning blood of the Lamb, but (figuratively) none of them have heard the gospel call demanding repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus, and so none of them have been saved so as to appear in heaven. (Contrast this scene with the scene in Rev. 20:4-6, which takes place during the thousand years, where we explicitly see souls in heaven reigning with Christ. These souls are those who heard the gospel call while they were living and believed in the Lord Jesus for salvation.)

The point is that, at this point in time, atonement has been made by the victorious Lamb, but the commissioned church has not yet used “the bow” of the gospel to conquer the nations (Rev. 6:2) and to gather in the great multitude of the elect.

5:11-14. These verses describe the worship that the worthy Lamb receives from all the heavenly beings for His magnificent work of atonement. “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain” (5:12).         

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 5/6/2024                     #699

When does the resurrection occur? (John 6:39, 40, 44, 54)

OVERVIEW. A brief article reviewing Jesus’ teaching in the gospel of John chapter 6, which tells us that the resurrection occurs on the last day. To be included in “The  Resurrection: when the church is glorified.”

WHEN DOES THE RESURRECTION OCCUR?

Many of the questions about the resurrection are complex, but the question of when the resurrection occurs is straightforward. The resurrection occurs on the last day. Jesus unambiguously declares this four times in the gospel of John, in John 6:39, 40, 44, and 54 (“I will raise him up on the last day”). Our Lord is here obviously speaking about the resurrection of the righteous, and that resurrection occurs on the last day. Later in the gospel, Martha testifies to Jesus about Lazarus, her brother, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day (John 11:24).” Nothing could be clearer.

IMPLICATIONS OF THIS TEACHING

Since the resurrection occurs on the last day, we know the “when” of all passages which talk about the resurrection. If the passage is speaking about the resurrection of the saints, then the passage is speaking about the last day. For example, in 1 Thess. 4:14-17, Paul teaches us about the order of the resurrection.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:14-17

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

4:14. On the last day, God will bring with Jesus the resurrected saints who had previously been dead in Christ (“asleep in Jesus”).

4:15. Those in Christ who are living at the time of the coming of the Lord will not be resurrected before those who are dead in Christ.

4:16. On the last day, the Lord Jesus Himself will descend from heaven, then those who are dead in Christ will be resurrected first.

4:17. Then the disciples of Jesus who are physically alive on the last day will be resurrected, and they will join those who were physically dead in Christ to meet the descending Lord Jesus (4:16) in the air.

CONCLUSION

From this study we have learned the following truths:

  1. The resurrection occurs on the last day. (John 6:39, et. al.)
  2. The resurrection of the dead in Christ and of those who are alive in Christ occurs together on the last day. (1 Thess. 4:16-17) Thus, all those in Christ are resurrected on the last day.
  3. Christ returns on the last day (1 Thess. 4:16) concurrent with the resurrection.
  4. Those who are resurrected will come with Christ on the last day (1 Thess. 4:14; confirm 3:13).

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 4/4/2024                     #698

Romans 6:5 – “united with Him in a resurrection like His”

POST OVERVIEW. An exegesis of Romans 6:5 seeking to obtain a correct interpretation of Paul’s use of “resurrection.” The case is made that “resurrection” here must be understood not as referring to our future glorification but as speaking of our figurative “resurrection” to new life in Christ.

Part of the Appendix for my upcoming book, “The Resurrection: when the church is glorified.”

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. – Romans 6:5 (ESV)

DEATH AND RESURRECTION IN ROMANS 6:5: LITERAL OR FIGURATIVE?

In this article we are going to be examining Romans 6:5 to determine whether the “resurrection” of this verse is to be understood literally, as referring to the final glorification of the saints at the end of the age, or to be understood figuratively.

THE BASIC TEACHING OF 6:1-11. Before we dive into the details of Romans 6:5, we will step back and ask, “What is the essence of Paul’s teaching here in Romans 6:1-11?” Briefly stated, Paul is declaring that the believer cannot continue in sin because, in Christ, they have died to sin and have been raised to a new life of holiness. So, as we take an initial high-level view of the passage, it is apparent that Paul is using died and raised figuratively when he speaks of the believer.

THE CONTEXT OF 6:5. Then, as we look at the immediate context of Romans 6:5, it becomes clear that Paul is not speaking here of our literal death but is using death and died in a figurative sense.

In 6:2, “we died to sin.”

In 6:3, “we have been baptized into His death.” (Christ’s death is literal, but our death is figurative.)

In 6:4, “we were buried with Christ into death.” (Christ’s death and burial are literal, but our death and burial are figurative.)

BAPTISM AS FIGURATIVE DEATH AND RESURRECTION. There is no clearer display of the believer’s figurative death to his old life of sin and figurative resurrection to his new life of righteousness than we see in water baptism. The believer is plunged under the water as a picture of his death and burial to sin and then he is raised up out of the water to walk in new life.

LITERAL DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. We must also notice that, in this passage, Paul is drawing an analogy between the physical death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the figurative death and resurrection that the believer experiences when they first trust Christ as Lord and Savior. His argument goes, “As Christ physically died and was resurrected, so the believer has figuratively died to sin and has been made alive to God.” In this analogy, the literal, physical resurrection of Christ provides the “stage” for all that happens figuratively in the believer. This analogy between Christ’s physical experience and the believer’s figurative experience is crucial to Paul’s teaching in this passage.

ROMANS 6:5. Now as we turn our attention to Romans 6:5 itself, we realize that much of the interpretive work has already been done. First, we have already seen that, when referring to a believer, death and resurrection are figurative, so we would expect that, in 6:5, death and resurrection would likewise be figurative.

But second, there is another point here that removes the possibility of this verse referring to literal resurrection. Since in Romans 6:3 and 6:4, Paul has presented the believer’s death as figurative, he cannot now be speaking of the believer’s literal resurrection in glory. Further, since it is certain that the “death” of this verse (6:5) is a figurative death, we know that the resurrection must likewise be figurative. Remember the analogy, that as Christ’s physical death resulted in a physical resurrection, so the believer’s figurative death must result in a figurative resurrection. Since the death here is figurative, the resurrection is also figurative.

CONCLUSION

The evidence presented leads to the conclusion that the “resurrection” of Romans 6:5 does not refer to the literal final glorification of the saints on the last day but refers to a figurative resurrection of the believer to new life in Christ.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 3/8/2024                     #697

John 11:25-26. “I am the resurrection and the life.”

POST OVERVIEW. An exposition of John 11:24-26 for my upcoming book on “The Resurrection: When the church is glorified.”

The death of Jesus’ friend Lazarus provides the context for this very famous quote from our Lord about His identity and about the resurrection of the saints. Martha has complained to the Lord that, if He had come earlier, Lazarus would not have died. Jesus responded by telling her that her brother would rise again.

24 Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:24-26

11:24. Martha states the doctrine of the resurrection; namely, that there will be resurrection of the dead on the last day. But Martha does not connect the resurrection with Jesus or with faith in Jesus. Her understanding of the resurrection is incomplete.

11:25. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus is the central figure in the resurrection on the last day. He is the one who orchestrates the resurrection and who gives eternal life to all who believe in Him.

“He who believes in Me . . .” We pause here to make the critical point that only believers in Jesus will be a part of the resurrection of the righteous. If you believe in Jesus; that is, if you have denied yourself and taken up your cross daily and followed Jesus (Luke 9:23); if you have passed from death to life (John 5:24); if you have been born again (John 3:3, 5); if you have been justified by faith (Rom. 5:1), then Jesus’ words apply to you. If not, then you are heading toward a resurrection of judgment (John 5:29) and a place in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15).

So, Jesus’ words here are good news only for those who believe in Jesus.

Jesus, as the resurrection and the life, says, “He who believes in Me . . . will live . . . even if he dies.” In the Garden, the LORD God had warned Adam about sin: “The day you eat of it, you will surely die” (Gen. 2:17). Ever since Adam’s first sin, death has reigned over all men because of their sin. “The soul who sins will die” (Ezek. 18:4). My sin guaranteed my death and there was no escape available.

But now Jesus declares, “He who believes in Me will live even if He dies.” To anyone who believes in Him, Jesus makes a promise that renders physical death inconsequential. Our Lord promises that the believer will live. In the garden, God warned Adam that his sin would result in death, but now the Son of God declares that the one who believes in Him will live. Look carefully and you will see that Jesus has taken sin out of the equation. God said that if Adam sinned, he would die, but now Jesus says if the sinner believes, he will live.

Notice that “will live” is in the future tense. When Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life, promises that the believer will live, He is speaking about the believer’s eternal life. We see then that Jesus is saying, “He who believes in Me will live forever in heaven.” And we know that in heaven we will be in our eternal glorified state. In other words, based on Jesus’ promise, it is a settled certainty that he who believes in Jesus will live forever in heaven in glory.

“He who believes in Me will live . . . . even if He dies.” Once you have passed from spiritual death to eternal life (John 5:24) as a result of believing in Jesus, your future glorified life in heaven is guaranteed regardless of whether you are physically alive or dead. In other words, physical death does not affect your spiritual life and cannot rob you of your promised glorified body. Jesus has promised that you will live. Because of this, the believer should no longer fear physical death. Because of my faith in Jesus, my physical death has become a non-event. I am awaiting the resurrection when I will receive my glorified body even if my physical body has died.

But there is another aspect to this short phrase, “even if he dies.” We will receive our glorified body even if we physically die, but there is also the possibility that we will not physically die. In other words, the resurrection may occur while my physical body is yet living. What happens then? Jesus does not explain this possibility in this passage, but Paul has clearly explained this in 1 Thess. 4:15-17 and in 1 Cor. 15:51-52. If the resurrection occurs when the believer is yet living, then he will be quickly changed (1 Cor. 15:52) and will receive his glorified body without having to go through death.

Regardless of your physical circumstances, whether you are asleep or you are alive and remain, you will receive your eternal glorified body in the resurrection.

11:26. “and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” The previous verse talked about the physical aspects of the resurrection, but this verse speaks about the eternal spiritual rewards of believing in Jesus as Lord and God. Jesus declares that everyone who believes in Him will live forever. By his faith in Jesus, the believer has received eternal life and cannot die. Everyone who does not believe in Jesus is dead in their sins (Eph. 2:1), but everyone who believes in Him has forever passed from death to life (John 5:24) and therefore will never die. Eternal life is theirs. Once again, physical death poses no threat to the believer because, whether alive or asleep, he possesses eternal life.

SUMMARY

Mary and Martha were saddened because their brother, Lazarus, was dead, and they were confused because Jesus had not prevented their brother’s death. But Jesus’ message to them is one of immense encouragement: “For everyone who believes in Me, physical death is of no consequence. Believe in Me and you will rise in glory in the resurrection and spend eternity in heaven with Me. I am the resurrection and I am the One who gives eternal life.”

Do you believe this?

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 2/26/2024                   #696

Figurative uses of “resurrection” in the New Testament

POST OVERVIEW. An examination of four New Testament verses where “resurrection” is used figuratively, not literally.

This article will be part of my upcoming book on the resurrection called, “The Resurrection: when the church glorified.”

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “THE RESURRECTION?”

The events of the end of the age are not only a matter of great discussion among believers but these events are also the focus of much teaching in the New Testament. Perhaps the most prominent of these eschatological events is the resurrection of the saints. Many questions exist about this mysterious event when we believers, whether dead in Christ or alive and remaining, will, in the twinkling of an eye, be changed and glorified. For this is the true meaning of “resurrection,” when all those who are in Christ are raised immortal on the last day with their eternal glorified bodies. This is what we will refer to as the “true resurrection.”

FIGURATIVE USES OF “RESURRECTION”

While the term “the resurrection” is only literally applied to that event at the end of the age when all the righteous are instantly glorified, the Bible does use the word “resurrection” figuratively to describe other events in which people come to life. In this article we will look at four prominent examples of this figurative use of resurrection.

How do we know whether a given usage of  “resurrection” is literal or figurative? There are two essential elements of true or literal resurrection: True resurrection 1) involves only the righteous (i.e., believers, the elect, those in Christ, other synonyms) and 2) must include the receiving of a glorified, eternal body. We will see that these four examples lack one of these essential elements and so must be figurative uses of resurrection.

The four examples are as follows:

  • John 5:28-29. “resurrection of judgment”
  • Romans 6:5. “the likeness of His resurrection”
  • Hebrews 11:35. “received their dead back by resurrection.”
  • Revelation 20:5, 6 “the first resurrection”

We will consider these four texts now.

JOHN 5:29. In John 5:29, Jesus teaches that “those who committed the evil deeds will come forth to a resurrection of judgment.” This is a figurative use of resurrection because this “resurrection” involves the unrighteous, and we know that the unrighteous are not participants in the true resurrection.

For clarification, the “resurrection of the unrighteous,” as in John 5:29 (above), is that event on the last day after the death of all the unrighteous (Rev. 19:21) when the souls of the unrighteous are raised out of their various temporary prisons to appear before the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-15) for final judgment in the lake of fire.

ROMANS 6:5. In Romans 6:5, Paul speaks of the believer as being united with Christ “in the likeness of His resurrection.” From the context it is evident that Paul is not speaking of the final glorification of all believers at the end of the age but is speaking of the individual believer’s “resurrection” to newness of life (6:4) as a result of his initial faith in Jesus that was evidenced in his baptism. Our old self was crucified with Christ (6:6; “crucified” is also figurative) and now “we shall also live with Him” (6:8). Paul is drawing a parallel between what Christ experienced physically and what the believer experiences spiritually. As Christ was physically crucified and resurrected, so the believer is figuratively crucified (6:6) to his old life and resurrected (6:5) to his new life in Christ.

HEBREWS 11:35. The text says, “Women received back their dead by resurrection.” The author of Hebrews simply means that, by faith, some who had physically died were miraculously restored to physical life. In these “resurrections” there is nothing stated or implied about glorification, so these are merely figurative resurrections. These who were “resurrected” certainly died again.

REVELATION 20:5, 6. This vision that John saw takes place in heaven (“thrones” is conclusive evidence that this scene is unfolding in heaven) during the thousand years. John sees the “souls” of those who had been beheaded, etc. The fact that the saints exist as “souls” (disembodied spirits) means that the resurrection (glorification) of the saints has not occurred but is yet future. Thus we can say with confidence that “the first resurrection” in Rev. 20:5, 6 is a figurative use of “resurrection” because the saints (believers) here have not received their glorified, eternal body. (See also the separate article in this book that explains Rev. 20:4-6 in greater detail.)

SUMMARY

As a result of our exegesis, we discovered that these four New Testament verses represent figurative uses of “resurrection” and are not speaking literally of the glorification of all believers at the end of the age.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 2/22/2024                   #695

Seeing the resurrection in 1 Peter 5

POST OVERVIEW. A careful examination of 1 Peter 5 reveals that our future resurrection unto glorification is implied in several of the verses in this chapter. In this article, we are looking for the resurrection of the saints. (See also Post #690 on January 31, 2024, for an examination of the resurrection in 1 Peter 1.) This article will appear in my upcoming book, “The Resurrection: when the church is glorified.”

Although not the central theme of 1 Peter, the future resurrection of all believers on the last day appears in various places in this epistle. This article looks at the appearances of the resurrection in 1 Peter 5.

TWO IMPORTANT RESURRECTION IDEAS

Before we begin the examination of 1 Peter 5, we need to discuss two important ideas about the resurrection.

First, resurrection is essentially about the glorification of the believer. Resurrection is the event that inaugurates our glorification. On the last day, at the last trumpet, all believers, whether asleep or alive-and-remaining (1 Thess. 4:16-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-52) will be glorified as they rise and meet the Lord in the air. Again, the resurrection is the initiating event of the eternally glorified state of all believers. At the resurrection, we will be glorified and will continue eternally in that glorified state. So, the resurrection begins glorification.

Second, when we read about our future glory, we should at least mentally note the connection with the resurrection. Both the resurrection and our eternal glory constitute our hope, but in slightly different ways. As the finish line ends the effort and the suffering of a long foot race, so the resurrection ends the trial and the suffering of life here on earth. We persevere to the end, pressing toward the goal for the prize, knowing that there is a finish line not far ahead that will end the difficulty of the race. And so we endure the hardship with hope, knowing that soon we will rise immortal in the resurrection.

But we hope also in our glorification because the knowledge that we will eternally be glorified helps us see the brevity of our earthly distresses. When we compare our tribulations in this life with the glories that await, we can indeed view these trials as “momentary light afflictions which are producing for us an eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:18). We can say with the apostle Paul, “For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

We see, then, that the resurrection and our future glory overlap and blend into one another. Our glorification unto eternity is our hope and that glorification is revealed at the resurrection. The resurrection is to glorification as birth is to physical life and as new birth is to eternal life. The resurrection is the inception of our glorification.

Whenever the Scriptures mentions our future glory, the resurrection is necessarily in view because the resurrection is the event that begins our eternally glorified existence. Thus we can think of in these terms: “our glorification at the resurrection.”

DISCOVERING THE RESURRECTION IN 1 PETER 5

5:1. In 5:1, Peter says he is “a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed.” We also recall from earlier in the epistle (1:5) that all believers are “protected by the power of God for a salvation ready to be revealed at the last time.” These two verses speak about the same thing: namely, of the resurrection of the saints on the last day. In 5:1, Peter is saying that he also (meaning “he along with all believers”) will share in the glory that will be revealed at the resurrection. Similarly in 1:5, the apostle teaches that God Himself is now protecting our salvation, a salvation which will finally be revealed in its glorious fullness in our resurrection on the last day.

In other words, in 5:1, Peter exhorts obedience based on our soon-coming glorious resurrection and in 1:5, he teaches the doctrinal truth that our salvation will remain completely secure until our soon-coming glorious resurrection. In both cases, we can be confident that our glory will soon be revealed. (Consider the same teaching in Col. 3:4 – “When Christ who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”)

5:6. We turn now to 5:6, where Peter is addressing the issue of humility. Because “God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble” (5:5), the apostle commands believers to humble themselves so that God may exalt them “at the proper time.”

But now what is “the proper time” when God will exalt the believer? Notice Peter speaks of the proper time, indicating that there is one proper time when all believers will be exalted. When is that time? Of course, we know that the time when all believers will be exalted is at the resurrection. So, Peter is commanding believers to humble themselves now “during the time of your stay on earth” (1:17), as they “live the rest of the time in the flesh (in the body)” (4:2) “that (ἵνα) He may exalt you (glorify you) at the proper time” (at the resurrection; 5:6).

Therefore, as obedient disciples, we humble ourselves under God’s sovereign hand, rejoicing as we persevere through life’s circumstances, patiently waiting for the promised resurrection when we will be exalted (glorified).

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. – 1 Peter 5:10

5:10. As Peter concludes his letter to these scattered and suffering believers, he makes two more allusions to the resurrection and to our future glorification.

We will begin by examining the phrase, “(God) who called you to His eternal glory in Christ.” This phrase contains two significant theological concepts: first, the doctrine of God’s calling of believers and second, the doctrine of our future eternal glorification.

DIVINE CALLING. The doctrine of God’s divine calling of believers states that we are unable to respond to the gospel, because, in our natural state, all mankind is spiritually dead in our transgressions and sins (Eph. 2:1). Therefore, God Himself must call a person out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). (See also Colossians 1:13; etc.) Unless and until God calls a person out of their spiritual deadness and darkness, the person is helplessly trapped in their sin. God’s calling of an individual is not conditioned on anything about the person nor is it dependent on anything the person does or does not do. Whom God calls and whom God does not call and the timing of God’s calling of an individual are entirely within the sovereignty of God and therefore are outside the control of man. This doctrine also teaches that the calling of God to a natural person dead in their sins cannot be resisted or refused. That is, when God issues His divine calling, the individual human must respond. When God issues His divine call, the sinner comes to life and emerges from their spiritual tomb.

JESUS’ DIVINE CALL TO LAZARUS. This is perhaps best illustrated by the story in John 11 of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus had been dead for four days. He was thoroughly and completely dead. You might say he was extremely dead. He was so dead that his sister said, “By now he stinketh.” But Jesus, as God in human flesh, “cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth.’ The man who died came forth” (John 11:43-44). Jesus sovereignly commanded Lazarus to get up and come out of the tomb and Lazarus, even though he had been dead for four days, could not resist or refuse the command. God called and man the creature obeyed the call. It is the same with all those whom the Spirit of God calls to eternal life. Those who are dead in their trespasses and sins are made alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:1, 5) so that we might experience everlasting joy and “so that in the ages to come He (God) might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). (See also Rom. 8:28, 30; 9:23-24; among many other Scriptures that explicitly teach this doctrine.)

CALLED TO ETERNAL GLORY. Having seen the nature of God’s divine call, we will now explore the purpose of God’s divine call. The text says that “the God of all grace (has) called you (i.e., all believers) to His eternal glory in Christ” (1 Peter 5:10). The meaning of this is not difficult to discern. When we were chosen by God in eternity past (1:1), our divine calling by God in time and space was guaranteed, so that we would certainly attain to God’s eternal glory in Christ. And when will God “Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you”? That is, when will you receive your eternal glory? You will receive your eternal glory when you are glorified in the resurrection. The event that changes us from disembodied spirits or living embodied mortals into glorified immortals is the resurrection.

SUMMARY

What we see then is that Peter ends his letter in much the same way he began. At the beginning of the letter, in 1:3-5 the apostle had spoken of a “living hope,” of an “imperishable inheritance,” and of a “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” We saw that these were references to the resurrection and that this teaching about our future glory encouraged these persecuted believers to rejoice in suffering.

Now, at the end of the letter, Peter again exhorts us to endure our present suffering “for a little while” (5:10) because soon the God of all grace will call us into our eternal glory at the resurrection.

So, we rejoice in the hope of our resurrection through whatever trials and suffering we experience here in this short life.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 2/20/2024                   #694

Revelation 14:1-5. The activity of the 144,000 (Part 2)

POST OVERVIEW. A detailed study of Revelation 14:1-5 where the 144,000 are with the Lamb on Mount Zion. This study explores the details of this scene and discerns the timing of these events.

This article will be included in a future larger work called “Studies in Revelation.”

See also Post #692 (2/8/2024) which addresses Rev. 7:1-8.

CONCLUSIONS FROM STUDY OF REV. 7:1-8

In the previous part of this study in Rev. 7:1-8 we made two important conclusions.

First, “the 144,000” represents all the elect, all the redeemed of all time. The 144,000 represents all those who will ever be justified by faith, all those who will ever be born again, all those who will ever pass from death to life (John 5:24), all those who will ever be called and justified and glorified (Romans 8:30). The 144,000 represents all old covenant saints (twelve tribes) together with all new covenant saints (twelve apostles), “a great multitude which no one could count.”

Second, we concluded that this picture of “sealing” in Rev. 7:2-4 is giving us a picture of God choosing His elect “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4) and then giving them an invisible “seal” identifying them as chosen by Him.

So, the sealing of the 144,000 is the figurative identification, in eternity past, of all the bond-servants of God of all time, the setting apart of those who will be purchased by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 5:9; 14:3), who will be called and justified (Rom. 8:30) and who will be glorified (Rom. 8:30; Rev. 7:9).

OBSERVATIONS FROM REVELATION 14:1-5

We will keep in mind that the 144,000 we see here in Rev. 14:1-5 are the identical group that we saw in 7:1-8 but at a different point in time. That means that the crucial interpretive task for this passage is to determine when this takes place.

14:1. In this vision, the Lamb (the glorified Jesus Christ) is “standing on Mount Zion” (Mount Zion represents heaven) with the 144,000.

THE LAMB IS STANDING. Notice that the Lamb is standing. Psalm 110 describes the reign of the Messiah on the last day and, according to Psalm 110:1, the Lord (Adonai, Jesus) was to sit at the LORD’s right hand until His enemies were made a footstool. Since in this scene the Lamb is no longer sitting at the LORD’s right hand but is now standing, we conclude that He is getting ready “to rule in the midst of His enemies” (Psalm 110:2). The Lamb is standing on Mount Zion as He prepares to mount His white horse (Rev. 19:11) and to come from heaven to judge the nations.

THE NAME HAS REPLACED THE SEAL. Remember that previously the 144,000 had the seal of the living God on their foreheads (7:3), but now, instead of a seal, that same group has the name of the Lamb and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. What is the meaning of the seal being replaced by the name?

Our study of Rev. 7:1-8 revealed that the invisible “seal of the living God” was given to identify those who had been chosen before the foundation of the world for salvation (Eph. 1:4). This seal, invisible to man but visible to God, remained on each individual believer to identify them as those who were predestined for glorification (Rom. 8:29-30) until their glorification was realized. So, when the elect person was “dead in their trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1), they were identified by the seal of the living God. When by grace he was saved through faith (Eph. 2:8), he was still marked with the seal. When he physically died and departed to be with Christ (Phil. 1:23), the seal continued to identify him. But at the resurrection, this elect person received his eternal glorified body and the intended end of his sealing had finally been realized. With his glorification, the final state of salvation had been reached and there was no longer any need for an identifying seal. Thus, where once there had been a seal, there was now “His name and the name of His Father” on the saint’s forehead. What we see, then, in Rev. 14:1 is the Lamb, the glorified Lord Jesus, standing in heaven amidst all His glorified saints.

There is other evidence in this passage that confirms that “the 144,000” represents all the elect and that, in this scene, the 144,000 have been glorified.

ALL THE REDEEMED. We observe that in Rev. 14:3, “the 144,000 had been purchased from the earth.” But we also see that in Rev. 5:9, they sang a new song to the Lamb, “You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Then in Rev. 14:4 we read again of the 144,000, that “these have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.” The point is that, in each occurrence, those who have been purchased represent all the redeemed.

GLORIFIED SAINTS. Since the 144,000 are in heaven with the glorified Lamb, they, too, must be glorified (for “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,” 1 Cor. 15:50).

So, again, in Rev. 14:1, we can see that this scene pictures the Lamb, the glorified Lord Jesus, standing in heaven amidst all His glorified saints.

WHEN DOES THIS SCENE TAKE PLACE?

We have identified what the various elements of this scene represent and now we are in a position to determine when this scene takes place. The fact that we see glorified saints means that the resurrection has taken place when the saints received their glorified bodies. In Revelation, glorified saints appear either on the last day or in eternity in the new heaven and the new earth. We know that this scene does not take place in the new heaven and the new earth because the Lamb (Jesus) is standing on Mount Zion (14:1) as He prepares to complete His work of judgment on the unrighteous (see “THE LAMB IS STANDING” above). Therefore, this scene must take place on the last day. In fact, this scene figuratively presents the glorified saints after they have been “caught up together to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:17) in the resurrection. The Lamb is acting as the glorious warrior-King, marshalling His army of saints around Him (Psalm 110:3; see also Psalm 149:5-9) as He waits for heaven to open. And when heaven opens and the Rider on the white horse appears (Rev. 19:11), He will be followed by the glorified 144,000 because “these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Rev. 14:4). That will be the time when Jesus comes with all His saints (1 Thess. 3:13), when “God will bring with Him (Jesus) those who have fallen asleep in Jesus” (1 Thess. 4:14). The glorified saints will be “the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, following Him on white horses” (Rev. 19:14). What we see, therefore, is that this scene in Rev. 14:1-5 takes place just after the resurrection and just before the coming of the Lord Jesus in judgment.

CONCLUSION

Our study has revealed that the 144,000 represents all the elect, all the redeemed, all those chosen by God for salvation. There are two appearances of the 144,000 in Revelation. The first appearance, in Rev. 7:1-8, pictures the setting apart (“sealing”) of all of God’s people for salvation in eternity past (see also Eph. 1:4, “chosen”), while the second appearance, in Rev. 14:1-5, represents all the saints, all the redeemed, now glorified in heaven after the resurrection and just before they follow the Lord Jesus as He comes to judge the earth (Rev. 19:11-21).

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 2/8/2024                     #693

Revelation 7:1-8. The activity of the 144,000 (Part 1)

POST OVERVIEW. A detailed study of Revelation 7:1-8 and the sealing of the 144,000. This study explores the timing of this “sealing,” the identification of the 144,000, and the nature of “the seal of the living God” in this scene. (The 144,000 also appears in Rev. 14:1-5. This will be another post.)

This article will be included in a future larger work called “Studies in Revelation.”

See also Post #693 (2/8/2024) which addresses Rev. 14:1-5.

THE PRIMARY INTERPRETIVE TASK

We encounter the 144,000 only in Rev. 7:1-8 and in Rev. 14:1-5. As is typical of the prophecy of Revelation, the primary interpretive tasks for the reader are discerning when these two scenes take place and who or what is represented by the figurative elements of the scene.

PRELIMINARY COMMENTS. Before we begin to dig into the text, we will make a few general comments. First, these two appearances of the 144,000 represent the same group of people. In other words, whoever the 144,000 represents in 7:1-8, it represents the identical group in 14:1-5. Second, we assume that the number 144,000 has figurative significance and is not to be taken literally. Third, knowing that numbers in Revelation often have symbolic meaning, we will begin our exploration of these two passages by noticing that the number 144,000 is the sum of twelve times twelve times one thousand. Twelve is significant because it recalls the twelve tribes in the Old Testament and the twelve apostles in the New Testament. In Revelation, the number one thousand represents a large unspecified number. Therefore, one possible interpretation of what the 144,000 represents would have something to do with a really large number of people from the Old Testament era and from the New Testament era. Fourth, in both appearances, it is clear that the 144,000 represents saints. In 7:3, the bond-servants of God are going to be sealed on their foreheads and in 14:1, they are standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, “having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.” Thus we know that the 144,000 are certainly redeemed.

OUR INTERPRETIVE APPROACH. Because the 144,000 in Rev. 7:1-8 is the identical group that is presented in Rev. 14:1-5, we can use clues taken from either appearance to help us identify who this group represents. Also, whatever is true of the group in one appearance must be true of the group in the other appearance, because it is the identical group in both scenes.

Our next step will be to simply read the two passages carefully and observe what we see occurring there.

OBSERVATIONS FROM REVELATION 7:1-8

7:1. Four angels are “holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.” (A figurative picture, but the meaning is unclear). Reading ahead, we see that these winds, once released, will “harm the earth and the sea” (7:2) and will “harm the earth and the sea and the trees” (7:3). Thus these winds represent a threat of harm.

7:2. John “saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun (the east), having the seal of the living God.” Who is this angel who is ascending and who has “the seal of the living God” in his possession? Also, to what “angel” would the living God entrust His seal?

And we also must ask, “What does this ‘seal of the living God’ represent?” It must be of immense significance, for not only is it the “seal of the living God” but history cannot move forward until this sealing has been accomplished. These are clues to what this seal represents.

7:3. The angel ascending from the rising of the sun (7:2) cried out to the four angels, “Do not harm . . . until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.” The interesting word here is “we” (see Genesis 1:26; 11:7). It seems that this “angel” is working together with the living God to seal the bond-servants of God. Again we ask, “Who is this ‘angel’ that shares the responsibility with God of sealing His bond-servants?” We conclude that this “angel” represents Jesus. Thus we see that Jesus and the living God are both involved in this sealing of the bond-servants of God. This gives us more information about what this “seal” represents.

SEALED PASSIVELY. It is also worth noting that the sealing of the bond-servants is accomplished by the living God without the active participation of those who were sealed. That is, the 144,000 were passive in their sealing. This is a clue to what the seal represents.

ALL ARE SEALED. We read that “the bond-servants of our God” were sealed (7:3, 4). We ask then, “Are these who are sealed all of ‘the bond-servants of our God’ or just some of ‘the bond-servants of our God?’” The only answer that makes sense is all. It must be that all the bond-servants of God were sealed with the seal of the living God. Now we think, “What ‘seal’ would Jesus and the living God apply to all the bond-servants of God?” This, too, is a clue to what the seal represents.

IDENTITY. The identity of “the bond-servants of our God” is not difficult to determine. In Rev. 11:18 we read, “the time came to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great.” Again in Rev. 19:5, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” Thus, as we suspected, “the bond-servants of God” is just a phrase for believers, for the redeemed, for the disciples of the Lord Jesus.

REVIEW. We should take a moment to review what we have learned so far.

  • The bond-servants are sealed together at the same time as a group.
  • All the bond-servants of God are sealed with the seal of the living God.
  • The 144,000 are passive in this sealing. That is, they are sealed by the will of the living God alone.
  • “The bond-servants of God” simply means believers (the elect, the redeemed).  
  • The 144,000 represents the full number of believers (proving that 144,000 is figurative).
  • The angel “having the seal of the living God” appears to represent Jesus.

We have gone through the passage very slowly and deliberately, making observations and venturing a few interpretations, but we must still answer three crucial questions.

  1. What does this sealing of the bond-servants of God mean? What is its significance?
  2. What or Who does the 144,000 represent?
  3. When does this sealing of the bond-servants of God take place?

CONCLUSIONS

First, since “the bond-servants of God” represent the full number of believers, we conclude that “the 144,000” represents all the elect, all the redeemed of all time. The 144,000 represents all those who will ever be justified by faith, all those who will ever be born again, all those who will ever pass from death to life (John 5:24), all those who will ever be called and justified and glorified (Romans 8:30). The 144,000 represents all old covenant saints (twelve tribes) together with all new covenant saints (twelve apostles), “a great multitude which no one could count” (7:9).

Second, as we consider the characteristics of the “seal of the living God” and what event of redemptive history this sealing could represent, we conclude that Rev. 7:2-4 is giving us a picture of God choosing His elect “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4) and then giving them an invisible seal identifying them as chosen by Him.

So, the sealing of the 144,000 is the figurative identification, in eternity past, of all the bond-servants of God of all time, the setting apart of those who will be purchased by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 5:9; 14:3), who will be called and justified (Rom. 8:30) and who will be glorified (Rom. 8:30; Rev. 7:9).

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 2/5/2024                     #692

Mark 3:27 – Who binds the strong man? (Rev. 20:1-3)

POST OVERVIEW. In Mark 3:27 (also Matt. 12:29), Jesus tells of first binding the strong man in order to plunder his house. In Rev. 20:1-3, we see a vision of an “angel” binding the dragon (the devil, the serpent of old, Satan – 20:2) in the abyss for the thousand years. This study compares these two and shows these are talking about the same thing.

In Mark 3:27, in response to the accusations of the scribes that He is casting out demons by the power of Satan, our Lord tells a parable about how to plunder the strong man’s house.

But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. – Mark 3:27

THE MEANING OF THE PARABLE

As a reminder, we know that a parable is a story from everyday life that pictures a spiritual reality. Thus parables need to be interpreted to understand their real meaning.

In the context, the meaning of this parable is quite clear. The “strong man” is Satan, “his house” represents those who are currently in the kingdom of darkness, the one who will plunder the strong man’s house (“he”) is the Lord Jesus, and “plundering his house” means “rescuing us from the domain of darkness and transferring us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). In other words, Jesus is declaring that, rather than using the power of Satan (Mark 3:22), His mission is to ruin Satan and to plunder from Satan’s house all those who belong to Him. (See 1 John 3:8b.)

Now the question I want to ask is, “What does Jesus do just before He plunders Satan’s house?” The answer is apparent – He first binds Satan. Jesus first neutralizes Satan and effectively takes him off the playing field. Then Satan must watch helplessly as those who were in his camp are plundered away and joyfully swear allegiance to Jesus. This is what Jesus is here describing in this parable.

Having understood the meaning of this parable, we will now turn our attention to another passage that is similar to Mark 3:27. In Revelation 20:1-3, we read of an angel who binds Satan in the abyss for the thousand years.

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. – Revelation 20:1-3

As a reminder, we know that Revelation is a book of the genre of biblical prophecy, where the elements of the visions have figurative and symbolic meaning. As a result, the visions must be interpreted carefully to understand their real meaning.

SIMILARITIES AND INTERPRETATION

Before we begin to interpret this vision, we should notice the obvious similarity between this vision in Revelation 20 and the parable in Mark 3. In both cases, we see Satan (“the dragon” and “the strong man”) being bound. It is significant that, in both cases, the original Greek for bind/bound is a form of the Greek verb δέω. This is a strong clue.

In Mark 3:27, we see Jesus binding Satan (“he” binds “the strong man”), while in Rev. 20:2, we see an angel binding Satan. This seems to be a dissimilarity until we realize that “the angel” in Rev. 20 represents the risen Lord Jesus. (Elsewhere I have shown that the “angel” in Rev. 20:1-3 is certainly the risen Lord Jesus. See Post #567, 9/9/2022.) So, at this point in our interpretation, we see that both the parable and the vision picture Jesus binding Satan.

THE PURPOSE OF BINDING SATAN

We will now explore the purpose for which Jesus binds Satan in each case. In Mark 3:27, Jesus binds Satan in order to rescue His own from the kingdom of darkness (see above). In other words, Jesus binds Satan so that He can save His chosen ones. We should note that this parable does not indicate when this will take place, it simply indicates that it will take place. Jesus will bind “the strong man” Satan, then He will plunder his house.

In Rev. 20:3 we read that Satan is bound in the abyss for the thousand years “so that (Greek ἵνα) he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed.” To understand the purpose of this binding of Satan, we need to interpret what is meant by “not deceive the nations any longer.”

NOT DECEIVE THE NATIONS ANY LONGER (REV. 20:3). The first thing we note is that “the nations” (τὰ ἔθνη) in Rev. 20:3 refers to the Gentile nations. In Matthew 28:19, the crucified and resurrected Lord Jesus commands His church to make disciples of all “the nations” (τὰ ἔθνη). This speaks of the same group. Now that Christ has come and has died and has been raised, the gospel is to be proclaimed to all “the nations” (τὰ ἔθνη).

The next thing we note is that Jesus bound Satan “so that he would not deceive the nations any longer.” This “any longer” must mean that, up until a certain point in time, Satan had been successfully “deceiving the nations.” But now that Jesus has bound him in the abyss, Satan can no longer “deceive” them. We suggest that, in this context, “deceive the nations” means “prevents them from coming to Jesus to be saved.”

Before Jesus was crucified and resurrected, there was no gospel to proclaim. With no powerful, saving gospel (Romans 1:16) to proclaim, it was easy for Satan to deceive the nations and keep them in darkness. Then Jesus was made flesh in Bethlehem. Then in Matthew 16:18, Jesus declared, “I will build My church and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” Then Jesus willingly went to the cross to die for sinners. And then He was raised on the third day to prove that His work had been perfectly accomplished and was fully acceptable to the Father. Then the Lord Jesus commissioned His church to go and proclaim the gospel to the nations.

But what is to be done about the great deceiver, the one who deceived Eve, the one who has been deceiving the nations since the Garden, the one who is a liar and the father of lies? How will the devil be prevented from continuing to deceive the nations while the gospel is being proclaimed? Remember in the parable in Mark 3:27 (above), Jesus had taught that he was going to bind Satan and then plunder his house. This parable in Mark 3:27 anticipates the binding of Satan that we see described in Rev. 20:3 when the risen Lord Jesus binds Satan in the abyss for the thousand years so that the nations will not be hindered as they come to faith in Jesus through the gospel. Thus this “binding of the dragon” in Rev. 20:2-3 is figuratively describing when Jesus neutralizes Satan and effectively takes him off the playing field for the thousand years of the gospel age. Being bound in the abyss, Satan must watch helplessly as those who were in his camp are plundered away and joyfully swear allegiance to Jesus. This is the meaning of the vision that John saw in Rev. 20:1-3.

SUMMARY

In the end, we see that Mark 3:27 and Revelation 20:1-3 describe the same event. Both Scriptures are telling of the time when the victorious Lord Jesus binds Satan in “the abyss” to prevent him from hindering the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church during the thousand years.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 2/2/2024                     #691