James_Newman said:
You have been threatening to discuss this thousand year issue for a long time. I realize there are symbols in Revelation. However the Bible is pretty clear on what are symbols and in most cases interprets the symbol for you. There is no interpretation given to indicate that the thousand years is symbolic and means a long time.
I'll discuss it.
Unless you are beheaded you won't be reigning for 1000 years, so it probably won't apply to you or anyone you know.
Never let obsure passages trump or override the plain passages. The easy passages should always be used to understand the difficult passages. In other words, the intrepretation of a difficult passage should never contradict an easy passage. Here is an easy passage: John 5:28-29 Do not marvel at this, for
an hour is coming when
all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out,
those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
An hour is coming in which ALL who are in the tombs will come out and be judged, both good and bad.
I Thess 4:13-17 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until
the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
"The" coming (singular), not "a" coming. At "the" coming of the Lord, the dead will rise first. We already know that from John 5 that the good and evil will be raised at one time. So, the faithful dead will rise first, Jesus will bring them with Him and those faithul who are alive and remain will be caught up in the air with THEM and WE will forever be with the Lord.
I Cor 15:50-55 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
"Death is swallowed up in victory."
"O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"
Don't overlook the obvious. We will not all be dead (sleep) but we
ALL (dead and alive) will be changed "in a moment". When will the happen? At the last trumpet. How long will it take? A moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
So, here is the order of events. The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we (who are not asleep) shall be changed.
This will take place in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, or as Jesus said, an hour is coming in which ALL the dead will be raised, good and evil.
