The "FIRST resurrection" - THE Focus of the NT saints?

correct.

I need more thoughts on this. The 4th Beast in Daniel 7 is the Empire governing thru 2000 years since Jesus Christ.

But the beast in Rev 13 was emerging from the wounds by war.
If you meant the human organization by the Beast, yes, it could be as it includes the multitude of the people. Apparently the Beast and the False prophet are thrown into the lake.

Yes, but it doesn't mean necessarily that only the one time resurrection is reserved for the Believers.
Again you can read the membership for the Millennium mentioned in 20:4, and the rest will not live again until 1000 years.
The first resurrection is the focus of all the scriptures because it is a big, big event, and the second resurrection after 1000 years is just a follow up for the first. Why does 20:4 specify the qualifications?

 

1260 days is the period of 3 years and half a year, during whuch Elijah shut the sky not to rain, during which Jesus preached the Gospel as a prophet. If you read ch 12, the period after the ascension of Son of God till the end of the earth is mentioned as 1,260 days. Therefore we can safely conclude that 1,260 days is the period for the NT church preach the Gospel, e.g. 2000years from the ascension till the partial rapture of the saints.
As for the Beast you can be right.

 

GE:

Yes, indeed - the plain truth as it is in Jesus Christ for grade ones. That's for me; not explanations like yours that required conferences, infighting and majority decision determined by 'inspiration' and visions.

 

GE:

.... and churches are built upon dogma like this!

 

Here is the Scriptures' definition of the 'first resurrection' that indemnifies the believer from the 'second death' - "first class story telling", as Bob Ryan decided,
"Ye are complete in Him ... in whom also ye are circumcised .... in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh .... being co-buried with Him in the baptism (of His death) wherein ye were co-raised with Him through the faith of the life-creating operation of God who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins .... hath He quickened (co-life-made-'sunedzohpoi-ehsen') together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses."
See also Romans 5/6.
"Blessed (with and trhough the above!) and holy (through and with the above) are those (or, 'is he') who have part in the first resurrection" -- as described here above. Why? "Because on such, the second death (the wages for unforgiven sins as above said in the Word) hath no power." Why? because they "(knew) Him and the power of His resurrection"!

"But the rest of the dead (those who were not partakers in Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection through faith) lived not until the end ..." "the end" namely, "of the thousand years", "the thousand years" namely", during which the martyrs for Christ were beheaded (4) ... none but the present Christian age.

Really 'grade one story-telling' of first calliber Divine Truth!

 

BobRyan:

"John tells us in Rev 20:1-5 about the FIRST resurrection seen to take place at the Rev 19-20 "Return" of Christ ... "

GE:

I don't find it. Who is 'story telling'? No! John tells us the 'first resurrection' took place BEFORE Christ returned. "They lived and reigned with Christ (having been co-crucified and co-raised with Him in His baptism of death and resurrection) a thousand years." And not, "UNTIL the thousand years were finished / expired" (7), shall the devil be freed to begin his last attack against the rule of and kingdom of Christ, and be destroyed by the returning Jesus.

 

"The Thousand Years" is a SYMBOL; like the whole book of Revelation is made up of SYMBOLS. It is NOT literal, because the whole trend of the Book is symbolic.
Revelation is "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" - not of politics or world history. 'John tells', of the Kingdom heaven come true and real in Christ, today!
Speculation kills the message of the Revelation; it kills the message of Jesus Christ. It thwarts the very design of John with writing the Revelation. Speculation should not intrigue us while reading it; faith should - the faith that saves - and despairs not. All these speculations are always depressing, being the desperate attempts of those who fear, to play prophets of doom.

 

I can say - actually I must, say, my life has been one of changing my own mind and own opinions and convictions .... constantly, and constantly, for the better, thank God!

Poor never failing, full proof convicts of their selves!

 

GE;

God is "real"; yet is described in metaphore, even as a "Lamb"!
Angels are "REAL";yet are described in metaphore, even as "winds"!
Saints are "REAL"; yet are described with metaphore, even as "souls under (an) altar"!
The appearing of Christ in REv 19 is "REAL"; which no one has denied but which you have watered down to a job half-done.
The lake of fire in Rev 20 is "REAL"; Really? a "lake", of 'fire'?
The wicked are 'real'; but are described with symbols like beasts, horses, whatever!
The second death is "REAL"; and so is the resurrection in Him, Jesus Christ, of those for whom the second death is as good as unreal, because it has no power over them.
The saints persecuted are REAL and the 1000 years are REAL. In fact as real as you and I today living in the peace and comfort of the very same era. Because of those beheaded before us. We live and rule like kings, because Jesus has triumphed. The whole world, this moment, breaths, because it lives under the rule of Christianity (no matter in how sad a state) and ultimately under the rule of the God of Christianity.

"... just as in ALL CASES the term for "x-number YEARS" is REAL in ALL of scripture when the text speaks either of history or a future event!!" ... while not actually it speaks of 'years', but - as you say - of 'days'? Come on!

 

So if the first resurrection is just the spiritual birth of Christians in this age, then is the second resurrection a spiritual birth of the rest of the lost? Or does that then become a literal resurrection from physical death?

 

GE:

Scriptures do not speak of a 'second resurrection'; it only speaks of a "second death". On the other hand, the Scriptures never speaks of a 'first death'; it only speaks of a "first resurrection".

The 'second death' is eternal damnation; the old and first, death of sin. The 'second death' is what the believer with his sinful nature was born in; and was saved out of, by grace, through faith, in Christ. He never enters into it again. In other words, we are saved out of and from, hell.

This is the death Jesus who died only once, died for our atonement and salvation. He died the second death. Even the Seventh Day Adventists say so. Actually Jesus 'died' eternal death, through His suffering of it alive! He went through death's anguish and pangs, in full consciousness and while exercising His utter free will! That for Christ was 'the hell' -- ours!

His 'hell' became our 'heaven', our, "first resurrection"; our salvation.

So the first resurrection is the spiritual birth of Christians of all ages -- of believers of all ages.

There is no 'first resurrection' or spiritual birth for the lost - only the 'second death' awaits them at the 'second coming' of Christ and their literal resurrection from physical death.

 

When they live again, that is their resurrection. Since it occurs after the "first resurrection" [i.e. of the righteous], it can be called the "second" resurrection.

 

GE:

You may not, 'call' it a 'second resurrection'. "That is their resurrection" - the 'surrection' of the ungodly. The Greek has no word 'again'. "They lived-'edzehsan' not until were (or 'was) finished the (one) thousand years", is all it says.

Yes, the resurrection of the 'rest' of the ungodly, in fact occurs after the 'first resurrection' - and after the whole period during which 'first resurrection' had been possible - the era of grace, this age.