teamventure
Well-Known Member
- Sep 6, 2011
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If you understand the timeframe of the resurrection you will see that the Bible refers to two separate resurrection events. The "first resurrection" is for the elect and these will be resurrected to immortal life in heaven, ruling with Christ in his Kingdom and fulfilling their role as "priests" for those who come back in the second, or general resurrection of the dead later. (Revelation 20:6; John 5:28-29)
Most people are completely unaware that the Bible speaks about two resurrections because the immortal soul doctrine masks it.
The "first resurrection" is obviously first in time and first in importance since it establishes the Kingdom with its full compliment of co-rulers with Christ in heaven just prior to the end of the current world system.
The second resurrection is for those who will experience an earthly return to life.....the one that Christ and his apostles demonstrated in the first century....these ones were returned to this life, and reunited with their families.
The ones taken to heaven will rule those who are raised on earth...this is after all, the place where God put us to enjoy everlasting life in the beginning of man's history. Adam was never told about "heaven or hell"...just "life or death". His continued life depended on his obedience.
So for those who are resurrected back to the earth, God's Kingdom will rule them for 1,000 years gradually bringing mankind back to the sinless condition that Adam and his wife first enjoyed in the garden.
The resurrected ones who were unrighteous when they died, are given opportunity during that thousand years to learn about the Creator and to bring their lives into harmony with his requirements. At the end of the thousand years, satan, who has been imprisoned with his demons all that time so as not to interfere with the purpose of the Kingdom's rulership, (Revelation 20:1-3) will be "let loose for a little while". He will try to mislead mankind once again, but this time, if he manages to take humans away from God, they will be annihilated on the spot. This is how they are raised to "everlasting contempt"...to be given a second chance and still to throw God's generosity back in his face is the ultimate act of contempt.
Being sinless and tempted as Adam and his wife were, there is now nothing to prove....those who succumb will be eliminated from existence to join Adam and Eve in a place from which no one returns. The "goats" are already there as Jesus said, in the place "reserved for satan and his angels", so 'gehenna' will have many more wicked ones sent there for the sentence of eternal death after the thousand years....and there is no mention of the lake of fire ever going out of existence. That way there is a place for those who may abuse their free will in the future. Remember that Adam was sinless and made a bad choice to join his disobedient wife....they had no excuse to sin....but their children, being born with a sinful nature through no fault on our part, God kindly sent his son to redeem us. The Kingdom will bring all redeemed and faithful mankind back into reconciliation with their Creator.
That is what the Kingdom is for.
I think the above covers both....
The majority are being misled and have been for centuries....do you have any idea about what was the truth before Christendom was born?
What Christendom believes is founded on lies.....the trinity....immortality of the soul ....and hellfire are all adoptions from paganism by the "church" that claimed to represent Christ, but did the exact opposite.
Protestantism broke the power of the Roman Catholic church, but it did little to unite the Christians under one banner....they took their mother's dirty laundry with them when they left, and wondered why they ended up in such a disunited and fragmented mess. (1 Corinthians 1:10)
Being given a chance to redeem themselves in the 1,000 years, would not be awakening to everlasting contempt. What you say is unfounded and unbiblical.