The Daily Word of Righteousness

The True Hope: "Rapture" or Resurrection?, #31

For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (Zechariah 14:2,3)

The wicked nations of the earth, those that have surrounded and invaded Jerusalem, will attempt to resist the coming of the Lord and His army.

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. (Revelation 19:19)

But Antichrist and the False Prophet will be slain and cast into the Lake of Fire. They will still be alive and in their bodies, for all people will be rewarded or tormented while in their bodies.

And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with sulfur. (Revelation 19:20)

"These both were cast alive (that is, in their bodies) into a lake of fire."

The destruction of Antichrist is precisely as Paul described it in Second Thessalonians.

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (II Thessalonians 1:7)

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (II Thessalonians 2:8)

Revelation, Chapter Twenty

Notice very carefully the following three verses, for they describe the first resurrection from the dead, that is, the resurrection that will occur when the Lord returns. We have referred to the three verses previously.

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. 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 be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6)

"This is the first resurrection."

It is not possible that there could have been a resurrection and ascension prior to Revelation, Chapters Nineteen and Twenty. The Scripture states, "this is the first resurrection." If there were a resurrection and ascension before the resurrection described here, then this would not be the first resurrection.

To be continued.