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DoWeKnow Studies the Book of Revelation CHAPTER 8:2-7 (24754 bytes)

-CHAPTERS 20:4-5a-

Introduction to the Twenty-third Rendering of
Daniel's Seventieth Week

(The authors' on-line book the Clock of the Ages is a study of Matthew 24 & 25, a lengthy passage which contains the most thorough prophetic teaching given by our Lord Jesus. Because those prophecies will affect the Church and because those prophecies are essential to our understanding of the Book of Revelation, it is recommended that Clock of the Ages be read before entering this study.)

Jesus gave us the key to understanding the prophecies of the Book of Revelation in His discourse to the disciples in Matthew 24 and 25. (This key applies to other major prophetic portions of the Bible as well.) We discussed the key in some detail in chapter twenty-nine of our book The Clock of the Ages, where we referred to His prophecies as "Spiritual Replays." (Click here to go to Clock of the Ages, booklet eight, chapter 29--use the "back" button on your browser to return to this page.) In that discourse Jesus gave us ten important end-time prophecies, each prophecy to take place at the end of our age, and each prophecy ending with the same event; i.e., the Rapture of the Church. Because the prophetic portion of Revelation covers the time period from the Rapture of the Church to the end of the world at the end of the Kingdom Age, the period for each replay includes the two remaining "night watches" assigned to Israel: i.e., "the cockcrowing"--the first 3 1/2 years of Daniel's 70th Week just prior to the installation of the Kingdom Age, and "the morning watch"--the second 3 1/2 period of Daniel's 70th week at the end of the Kingdom Age. (For a study of the prophetic watches of Israel's night, click here to go to Clock of the Ages, booklet seven, then scroll to chapter 28--use the "back" button on your browser to return to this page.)

SET TWENTY-THREE

-The 1st 1/2 of Daniel's 70th Week-
Rev. 20:4 The two halves of this set are in contrast. The first half is reserved to honor those who rejected the beast and who were martyred for Christ.
-The 2nd 1/2 of Daniel's 70th Week-
Rev. 20:5a This half refers to those of all the ages who rejected their Maker and died in their sins. As you can see, there is not much that can be said about them.
Revelations 20:4

4 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.

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them...

Mt. 19:28
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Mt. 20:23b
...to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

I Cor.  6:2a
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?...

I Cor. 6:3
Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

...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.

It seems that there will also be a special session of the Judgment Seat of Christ at the end of the 1st 1/2 of Daniel's 70th Week when those who had refused the mark of the beast and were martyred for their stance / faith in Christ during that 3 and 1/2 year period shall be resurrected and given their rewards at the onset of the Kingdom Age.

Revelations 20:5a

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.

Since those without Christ have never lived spiritually, this has to apply to their having some sort of a body in which to dwell for eternity. From Luke 16:19-31 we learn that those in hell (who will eventually be cast into the lake of fire to burn forever and ever [Rev. 20:14-15]) will have a form that can see, that has a tongue and can talk, and that is able to feel torment.

Luke 16
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou
wouldest send him to my father's house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets,* neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Apparently, these bodies will be such that fire actually serves to preserve them (Mark 9:43b-44)

Mark 9:
43b ...it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

*Church, we should never forget how important it is that the world hear our testimony!!!

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