Priests of God and Jesus Christ (Rev. 20:5-6)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR

11/16/2005

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Priests of God and Jesus Christ

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Revelation 20:5-6

            Message of the verse:  “5  The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.  6  Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

            I have been taught that at this point all of the righteous will have been raised from the dead and the one’s being written about in verse six are those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Dr. Wiersbe points out that verse six contains the sixth of seven beatitudes that are in the letter of Revelations. 

            Another thing has just come into my mind as I was again reading the sixth verse and that I have read some commentators who have said that those who come out of the tribulation, who are saved may die during the 1000 year reign of Christ on the earth, but if I understand these verses correctly the only other resurrection will be those who are lost and then go into the Great White Throne Judgment.  With this been said I think that not only all of those who have come out of the tribulation period alive and were believers, along with all of the offspring that they have will stay alive until the 1000 years is complete.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Verse six also talks about being priests or God and of Christ for those 1000 years, and this is speaking of the Kingdom age with Christ.  In Peter’s writing he writes about the believers of the Church age as being priests and so I am a priest.  A priest, among other things, intercedes with God on behalf of others, both the saved and the lost, and so I would like to be affective as one of the Lord Jesus Christ’s priests each day.

The Word of God has challenged my heart as I read and studied it this morning.

My Steps of Faith Today:  Continue to put my trust in the Lord to see me through the trials that He has sent me into.