Transcript

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle within us the fire of Thy love.

Oh, Father, please send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the Earth.

Let us pray.

Oh God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant by that same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in Your consolation, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Amen.

Okay, so here we are with lesson six, our last and final lesson of our seminar, Unveiling the Mystery: A Catholic Study of the Book of Revelation.

The title of this lesson is The Millennial Reign, The Great White Throne, and The New Jerusalem.

Three major themes that we'll discover and find and reflect upon in Revelation chapters 20-22.

So here we are at the climax of our study.

I'm just gonna, by way of overview, go over, uh, the, uh, four major concepts or components of tonight's study.

The first will be the millennial reign, the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ that we read about in Revelation chapter 20.

And I'm going to suggest to you the interpretation that the thousand-year reign of Christ is not a literal thousand-year reign on this Earth sometime in the future, but that the thousand-year reign of Christ refers to the church age, right now.

The age of the Church, which is the restoration of the Davidic Kingdom.

And we see these two ideas come together in Revelation chapter 20.

As we examine it, you'll see how those two come together.

The second component is that I wanna look at a few prophecies, uh, that refer both to the literal historical context and the destruction of Jerusalem in the 1st century, but also point toward the future.

So we're gonna look at, uh, the imagery of Satan being loosed and deceiving the nations, and the first and the second resurrection, and the first and the second death, and the imagery of Gog and Magog, or the battle of Gog and Magog.

And we're gonna see how these prophecies and these images refer both to the liter- within the literal historical context both in reference to the 1st century, as well as pointing toward future events, and that is the end of time and the second coming of Christ, et cetera.

Once again, taking this twofold approach to the Book of Revelation, seeing it fulfilled within the 1st century.

It's called the preterist view.

But also, in seeing how within that 1st century, it also points toward the future as well, and the end of time, which would be the futurist view.

So we kind of balance those two views as we've been going through the Book of Revelation for the past five weeks, and we see it also tonight.

The third major component will be the scene of the great white throne judgment, which is an indication that here we have something that's being referred to the end of time, right?

When Jesus comes for the second time and judges the nations.

And that's in Revelation chapter 20.

And then finally, the fourth major component, we'll reflect upon the New Jerusalem.

We find this chapters 21-22.

And John's vision of the New Jerusalem, we'll go through various details and try to draw out the significance of John's vision of the New Jerusalem.

And then we'll make a few concluding remarks to wrap everything up and put a, put a pretty little bow on it.

Amen?

Amen.

Okay, so let's dive right in with the millennial reign of Christ.

As I mentioned, we're suggesting that this thousand-year reign of Christ found in Revelation chapter 20 is indeed the restored Davidic Kingdom.

It is a metaphor.

It is symbolic of the restoration of the fallen Davidic Kingdom, and that restoration of David's kingdom is indeed the Church.

So the millennial reign of Christ is the Church Age.

This is our thesis.

This is our interpretation.

So what are the clues that would suggest to us that the millennial reign is the restoration of David's kingdom, which is the Church Age?

And our first clue is the imagery, various images that first of all call to mind the Davidic Kingdom.

Several details or images that immediately allude to David's reign and the Davidic Kingdom.

First of all, the first image is the key.

In Revelation chapter 20 verse 1, we read, Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit.

Now, for any 1st century Jew to encounter this image or to s- come across this image of the key, they would immediately call to mind the key of the house of David, or the Kingdom of David, as spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 22 verse 22.

Now, within the context of Isaiah chapter 22, it's speaking of a specific position of authority within the Davidic Kingdom known as the Master of the Palace, or the Royal Steward, or the Prime Minister.

And that position of authority was a permanent institutional position of authority that could be succeeded by other men, because the Prophet Isaiah is pronouncing woes against a wicked Master of the Palace, Shebna.

He's being deposed of his position and being succeeded by Eliakim, son of Helkiah.

And in this text, we discover that this Master of the Palace is a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a papa, a pope, right?

Okay.

Pope of the Old Testament.

He would have the authority to up, open, and shut.

Whatever he would open, no one shall shut.

Whatever he would shut, no one would open .

that describes his authority.

He had royal delegated authority from the king himself, and this master of the palace would rule the kingdom in the king's stead.

And then finally, in Isaiah 22:22, it speaks of how it will be gi- the key of the House of David would be given to him, which was a symbol of his authority.

So in the Old Testament, we have key, the key of the House of David, the key of the Kingdom of David.

And in Revelation chapter 20, verse one, we read about the key of the bottomless pit.

So that's our first image in chapter 20 that calls to mind the Davidic Kingdom, the key.

All right.

The second image that calls to mind the Davidic Kingdom is the pit itself.

There in Revelation chapter 20, verse one, recall, uh, the angel holding his hand, the key of the bottomless pit.

Now, how would the bottomless pit call to mind the Davidic Kingdom?

Well, the bottomless pit refers to the sort of the underworld or the gateway to Sheol.

And the bottomless pit was The reason why it calls to mind the Davidic Kingdom because the Dome of the Rock, right, um, the very rock slab that you see here on the PowerPoint over which Solomon's temple was built, that traditional place in the Jewish tradition where Abraham offered Isaac in sacrifice, that dome or that rock, that piece of slab or that rock was understood in the Jewish traditions to be the cap of the bottomless pit that under, uh, the, the rock is this bottomless pit.

And they understood it to be the gateway to Sheol.

So to speak of a bottomless pit in John's revelation would immediately call to mind the temple.

Bottomless pit.

Hey, yeah, that's the, the pit underneath the rock over which Solomon's temple is built.

Thus the Davidic Kingdom.

So if we're We can sort of see how we're reading this text and these images in the key of David.

You know, you play music in the key of G, key of C, key of D, whatever.

Right?

Well, we're reading this in the key of David, and we see a Davidic overtone here.

The third image that calls to mind the Davidic Kingdom, the chain.

In Revelation chapter 20, verse one, this angel holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit is also said to be holding a great chain.

Now, how would that call to mind the Davidic Kingdom?

Well, in the Jewish tradition, Solomon had a chain that he would use to determine the truth of a witness's testimony.

And the tradition goes that if the witness was telling the truth, w- when they would give testimony, they would hold this chain of Solomon.

And when they were telling the truth, none of the links of the chain would break.

But if they were bearing false witness, one of the links of the chain would break.

It was sort of like a miraculous thing.

If they were lying, the chain would break as they were holding it while testifying.

And so for In John's Revelation chapter 20, for this angel to be holding the chain, that would immediately, Hey, yeah, that's Solomon's chain here, right?

So yet another Davidic image.

Fourth image, Satan's binding.

In Revelation chapter 2:20, verse two, we read, And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him.

Now, how is Satan's binding significant in, in regard to David's kingdom?

Well, in the Old Testament, according to 2 Samuel chapter seven, verse 19, we're told that God has shown David a law for mankind.

In the covenant that God erects or makes with David, when he swears the secret oath to David and establishes a covenant with David, God reveals to David a law not just for the Jewish people as it was in the days of Moses, a law peculiar to that people, but David receives a law for all of mankind.

Why?

Because God's intention was that David's kingdom would not only be everlasting, but universal, geographically all over the world.

So God reveals to David a law for the world, for all mankind.

In the original Hebrew, it's, it's, uh, the law of Adam or the law of man.

You see?

Now, why is this significant with the binding of Satan?

Well, because if there is a law for all the Gentile nations now, well, then Satan is going to be bound in his power to manipulate, confuse the nations.

You see?

He's gonna be bound in his power to, um, infiltrate the world with error because God's truth, God's word will be established for mankind, for the peoples.

You see?

And we get a hint of this in 1 Kings chapter four, verse 34.

We read, Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

So while Solomon is reigning in the wisdom that God gave him, all the kings of the earth were hearing of this wisdom, and they would come to Solomon to receive that wisdom that was coming from God.

It is a manifestation of this law for mankind that God promised to give to David in 2 Samuel 7. You see?

And that limits or binds Satan in his deceptive powers.

You see?

This was God's original intention for the Davidic Kingdom.

And then secondly, we can see how Satan's binding calls to mind the covenant with David is because God swore an oath with David for his universal kingship, right?

Once again, in 2 Samuel chapter seven.

Well, what's interesting is that The Greek word that means Or the Greek expression that means to oath out, right?

To make an oath in Greek is associated with exochia.

Exochia.

What does that sound like?

Exorcism.

It's the Greek phrase from which we get the English word exorcism.

Exorcism literally means to oath out.

And to exercise a demon means to bind him, right?

So the fact that God makes a covenant with David, that is he swears an oath, it signifies that God in some way will be exercising the devil.

Binding him, you see?

Because of the law for all mankind that God reveals to David.

Hence, the wisdom literature.

Hence the Psalms, right?

In the Psalms that David gives us and the wisdom literature that King Solomon gives us.

So the bottom line is that the binding of Satan that's spoken of in Revelation chapter 20 would indeed signify and parallels the Davidic Kingdom, and the oath and the covenant that God swears and makes with King David and his lineage, you see?

And then finally, the last explicit image that the binding of Satan or the The millennial reign would signify the Davidic Kingdom is the 1,000 years itself.

When you speak of a 1,000-year reign of Jesus in the first century, you're gonna immediately think of David.

Why?

Because David began to reign about 1000 BC.

It was a thous- It had been a thousand years at the time of Jesus since David began to reign.

Okay?

So the 1,000-year reign of Jesus and the binding of Satan for a thousand years would immediately, within its historical context, call to mind David's kingdom.

So all of these Davidic images would suggest to the re- to the reader of the vision that this millennial reign is the restoration of David's kingdom, which is the climax of the Messianic hope, the hope of the people of Israel, waiting for the Savior and the Messiah to come, the anointed one, the son of David to come and restore that fallen kingdom of David.

Now, how do we know that it's the church age?

Well, in light of the Christian tradition, in light of the ministry of Jesus, we know that the kingdom he proclaims is indeed the church.

But we also see clues in chapter 20 itself that this millennial reign would indeed parallel the church age.

For example So let's look at some of these images.

The first image that would suggest that the millennial reign is the church age, which is the restoration of David's kingdom, is those that refuse to worship the beast and reign with Christ for the thousand years.

We read in Revelation chapter 20 verse 4, St. John writes, Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not worshipped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.

They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

So notice this is referring to those who were martyred for Jesus, refusing to worship who?

The beast.

And remember, who was the beast?

Rome.

Remember Le- let me, let me, let me, um, clarify that.

The beast from the sea is Rome.

Because remember there's a beast from the land, that's Jerusalem.

All right, good.

The beast from the sea is Rome.

So this fits perfectly and parallels the historical context of those Christians who denied the imperial cult, and that mandate to offer incense and to worship Caesar as God.

The Christians in the first century denied that imperial mandate and, of course, were martyred for it.

And so, just as John says, these Christians who reign with Christ for a thousand years, right?

They denied worshiping the beast.

And so it seems to indicate those Christians in the first century who denied the imperial cult, who were beheaded, who enter into the glory of God in heaven and they reign with Christ in heaven, right?

During the church age.

Second image that suggest or, uh, that the millennial reign refers to the church age.

And that is, um, those that reign with Christ are said to be priests of God.

In Revelation chapter 20 verse six we read the following.

Blessed and holy is he who shares in the first resurrection.

And we'll get to that in a minute.

They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall reign with him a thousand years.

So notice how these martyrs who were reigning with Christ are referred to as priests of God, right?

Well, in the Christian tradition, the Christians as a wh- Sorry about the PowerPoint there.

In the Christian tradition, St. Peter describes the Christian faithful, the people of God in the new covenant, the church, as priests.

He writes, uh, Like We are like living stones.

Be Like living stones, be yourselves built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, right?

So that's the Christian tradition.

Christians are referred to as priests, the universal priesthood.

John's vision, he sees these martyrs reigning with Christ during the thousand years as priests of God.

So this seems to indicate that this millennial reign is simply the church age.

Christians who are in heaven in the first century, who were martyred, who were persecuted and killed, and they're reigning in heaven with Christ during the church age .

image number three that suggests the church age, and that is the binding of Satan during the millennial reign in Revelation 20:2.

Well, how does the binding of Satan parallel the age of the church?

Well, first of all, recall in Luke 10:17-18, we discover that the disciples had power over Satan, right?

They were able to exorcise, to oath out demons, to bind demons.

We read, Lord, the devils also are subject to us in thy name.

And he said to them, 'I saw Satan, um, f- like lightning falling from heaven.' So the binding of Satan during the millennial reign parallels the power that the Church has over demonic forces during the church age.

Secondly, Satan has been bound with the cross, according to Matthew 12:29.

The definitive defeat of Satan through the cross will come to fruition at the end of time, but in this time of waiting, Satan is still able to deceive and to tempt.

But he is bound in a profound way through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Because through that cross of Jesus Christ, number one, Satan no longer has a hold on the whole of humanity.

Because before the cross of Christ and his death, humanity and God were divorced.

That relationship was broken due to the original sin of Adam and Eve.

Consequently, no human beings could enter into Heaven, for our prior to the ascension of Christ, right?

Well, that the crucifixion redeems the human race, buys back the human race for God so that God and the human race can be back into relationship.

And thus, Heaven opened to human beings once again.

So, Satan's power over humanity as a whole is bound through the cross of Christ.

And then secondly, through the cross of Christ, grace is administered to those who profess faith in Jesus and accept His love on the cross.

So, the grace that flows through believers binds the power of Satan.

So, Satan's binding during the millennial reign parallels his binding during the church age.

Third, the preaching of the Gospel limits the opportunity for Satan to seduce and to deceive.

In Acts 17:30, St. Paul refers to the old age, that is in the Old Testament, as an age of ignorance.

God indeed having winked at the times of this ignorance, now declareth unto man that all should everywhere do penance.

So, notice how St. Paul indicates that the previous age of salvation history, in the Old Testament before Christ, was the age of ignorance, okay?

There wasn't the fullness of truth revealed from the Father through His Son, Jesus.

But with that Gospel, with that revelation, Satan is limited in his power.

He is bound in his power to seduce and deceive.

He does not have the power to seduce and deceive as he did in the days of old, in the times of ignorance, before the fullness of the revelation of Jesus.

So, the proclamation of the Gospel Remember in Matthew 28:19, Jesus 19 through 20, Jesus tells the apostles, Go out into all nations making disciples, baptizing, which is a form of exorcism as well, thus the binding of Satan, and then secondly, Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.

Right?

So, the apostles were to go out into all nations, proclaim the truth of God, which indeed limits the power and the opportunity of Satan to seduce and to deceive.

And finally, listen to what St. Augustine teaches.

He desires to do us harm.

He cannot do so because his power is subject to another's power.

He who gives the ability to tempt also gives his mercy to the one who is tempted.

He has restricted the devil's ability to tempt people.

So, St. Augustine is referring to the church age, and how in the church age, Satan is restricted in his ability to tempt people.

Why?

Because of the revelation of Jesus Christ and the truth that his church communicates to all of the world.

So, we see that the binding of Satan parallels the age of the Church, and how Satan is bound in the Church.

And so finally, we make this interpretive application to John's vision.

As we've seen the images that call to mind the Davidic Kingdom, and thus suggest a restoration of David's kingdom, and all of these images that would parallel the church age, I would suggest to you, as the church has always suggested in her tradition going all the way back to St. Augustine and before, that the millennial reign of Christ spoken of here in Revelation chapter 20 is the restored Davidic Kingdom, which is the Church.

So, I ask you, are we living within the millennial reign of Christ right now?

Yes, because we are still in the church age.

So, what we see is that the 1,000 years is not a literal 1,000 years, but the 1,000 years is symbolic of the church age.

I mean, uh, th- the number 1,000, from what scholars tell us, within the biblical tradition and Hebraic tradition is symbolic to begin with.

It's a number of perfection.

So, we see that David's kingdom is perfected, restored through Jesus, the son of David, and through the kingdom that he establishes, the Church.

And that's the millennial reign.

Amen?And the catechism of the Catholic Church in paragraph 541, uh, seems to affirm this because listen to what the catechism states.

In paragraph 541 Let's see if I have it here on the paragraph, uh, PowerPoint.

There you go.

This gathering is the church, and the catechism, it's ref- it is referring to the gathering of believers around Jesus.

And it says, This gathering is the church on Earth, the seed and the beginning of that kingdom.

Close quote.

So the church militant and the church on Earth is understood to be an essential component of the Kingdom of Christ.

The church triumphant, the church suffering, the church militant.

So we are an extension of that kingdom.

So it's perfectly right in line with church teaching to say that the millennial reign of Christ is the church age.

Because Christ reigns on this Earth in and through the church.

And we journey to the end of time when the kingdom on Earth will take on the perfection of the kingdom of heaven, when heaven and Earth become one.

And then the kingdom of Christ will enter into its state of perfection.

That is the extended part of the kingdom, the church militant, okay?

So the thousand-year millennial reign of Jesus Christ refers to the church age.

It's right here, it's right now, as opposed to some interpretations that would suggest that the thousand-year reign is a literal 1,000-year reign on this Earth at some time in the future.

Uh, the catechism actually rejects that interpretation.

Um, let me see if I can get this word right.

Calling it, um, mi- millenial, milleniaria Oh, man, I'm I can't remember it.

I just looked over it today, but I can't s- I can't seem to get it.

Uh, so maybe I'll look it up during the break and give it to you in the second half there.

Uh, but the Catholic Church actually rejects this literalistic interpretation of the thousand year, thinking of some g- golden age, right?

Of a literal thousand-year reign of Christ.

But I'll have to get the official term for you, uh, in the second half.

Okay.

Now, let's move to the second component of tonight's study, and that is the prophecies for both historical context and the future.

There are a few details and images that I want us to reflect upon that can apply to the first century as well as the future.

And the first prophecy is this, uh, the idea of Satan being loosed and deceiving the nations.

And we read about this in Revelation 20:3 and then in verse 8. So Satan is bound, right?

And then at the end of the thousand-year reign, then it speaks of Satan being loosed and deceiving the nations.

Now, some scholars will point out how this can be applied in the preterist view.

That is, within the literal historical context of the first century.

How so?

Well, there seems to be parallels between the present wickedness of Jerusalem in the first century, um, which comes at the end of the thousand years from David.

Because note how the vision speaks of how there will be the loosing of Satan.

At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be loosed, right?

And he will deceive, and there will be much wickedness.

Well, some scholars point out that in the first century, Jerusalem was at the highest point of its wickedness in salvation history.

And when, wh- when did that take place?

A thousand years after David.

You see, at the end of the thousand years from David's kingdom to the first century.

All right?

So let me share with you what Jesus Our, our, our first supporting evidence comes from Jesus Himself.

Jesus teaches about the great degree of wickedness within that present generation.

In Matthew 12:43-45, we read this.

When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, but he finds none.

Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

Then he goes and brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there.

And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.

So shall it be also with this evil generation.

Close quote.

So Jesus is insinuating that the present generation of the southern Israelites, of Jerusalem, right, were at the height of wickedness in comparison to previous states of wickedness for God's people throughout all of salvation history.

All right?

Now, when is this taking place?

At the end of the thousand years since David started the kingdom, since David's reign.

The kingdom would start with Saul, but since David's reign, right?

So at the end of this literal thousand years since David's reign, you have this great degree of wickedness implying that Satan is being loosed at this time in a literal historical context and deceiving many of God's people.

That is, the Israelites, the Jews.

Now, we also have a second piece of supporting evidence from the Jewish historian Josephus.

In his work, The War of the Jews, when he describes the Roman-Jewish war, Josephus writes, quote, Nor did any other age ever breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness than this was from the beginning of the world.

Close quote.

So this Jewish historian, Josephus, who actually witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, acknowledges and affirms actually what Jesus spoke about, that that present age of Israelites were more wicked than ever before, which would seem to fit with this vision of the end of the thousand years, Satan is loose, deception, great degrees of wickedness.

So we can see how this vision can be applied in its literal historical context, which would support the preterist view.

But we also see how this vision of John of Satan being bound during the 1,000 years, being loosed after the 1,000 years, and deception and great wickedness, that applies to the future as well.

You see?

So as we stated, the 1,000 years refers to the Church Age, and at the end of the Church Age, at the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be loosed and he will deceive the nations.

You see?

And there will be a great degree of wickedness, wickedness like never seen before.

So what took place in the first century of the wickedness that was found among the nation of Israel that brought destruction upon themselves, so it will be at the end of time where the nations will be of such a great degree of wickedness, they will bring destruction upon themselves.

At the end of the Church Age, Satan being loosed and deceiving, great degrees of wickedness.

And we have supporting evidence of this interpretation for a futuristic application from paragraph 657 of the Catechism.

Um, actually, you know what?

I don't know if it's 675 or 657.

I have a discrepancy here.

I don't know.

Uh, oh, in my notes I have 657.

In your handout I have 675, right?

Yes.

Okay.

So let's go with 675.

It might be that one.

We'll see.

I'll have to check that during the break, too, right?

I missed this little detail here.

Okay, so here's what the Catechism states.

Quote, Before Christ's second coming, the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.

What did John say in the vision at the end of the 1,000-year reign?

At the end of the 1,000-year reign, at the end of the Church Age, Satan will be loosed and deceive many, you see?

Well, the Catechism affirms that and says, At the end of time, at the end of the Church Age, the Church is gonna pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.

Continue in the quote.

The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on Earth will unveil the mystery of iniquity in the form of a religious deception.

Oh, yeah, by the way, here's that word I was looking for a while ago.

And we're gonna have it, we're gonna get it right here.

The mystery of iniquity in the form of religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth.

The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist.

Notice, The Antichrist.

We do believe, as St. John reveals in the Book of Revelation, as St. Paul speaks about, and as St. Peter refers to, there is an individual, the Antichrist, that will come and usher in and lead this final push of evil and this final trial.

So, The Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.

Close quote.

So notice there's a pseudo-messe- messianism.

Now, in regard to the word I was looking for, it's not there.

I thought it was, but it's not.

It's in the surrounding, uh, paragraphs of the Catechism, so I will have to find it during the break.

But the Antichrist leads this pseudo-messianism.

But notice how there will be a great deception.

It indicates or it implies a great deception, because notice at the outset of the text it said, of the quote, it said that, The final trial will shake the faith of many believers.

The Church affirms what John speaks of if Of how when Satan is loosed at the end of the 1,000-year reign of the Church Age, there will be great deception.

And many believers will be deceived by this pseudo-messianism, offering man, right, uh, apparent solutions to their problems at the price of the apostasy of From the truth.

So just as a side note, in order to protect ourselves, whenever this may be, if we're still alive or not, we don't know the day or the hour when this time will come, right?

But in order to protect ourselves from this deception of Satan and the Antichrist, we have to be grounded, rooted in the truth of our Catholic faith.

We have to know what our Catholic faith teaches and what God has revealed to us in order that we're not deceived by any false opinion or doctrine.

As St. Paul writes in Ephesians chapter four, verse 14, So that we're not tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.

We must be grounded and rooted on the rock solid truth of our Catholic faith.

You see?

And this is This serves to be a source of protection for us if we're still alive when the Antichrist comes or even if, as St. John talks about, the spirit of Antichrist, which is present with us today.

The spirit of Antichrist, which is a form of deception, which deceives us, right?

In order not to be deceived and led into error, we must be formed in our Catholic faith.

And this, my dear friends, is the very hope and intention of Pope Benedict XVI in this year of faith, that we reappropriate and come to a greater understanding of the contents and the knowledge of our Catholic faith so that we can be rooted in it and not be deceived.

Whether by little antichrist, small A, now, or the Antichrist at the end of time.

Mmkay?

So, a source of reflection there for you.All right.

So that's, uh, the, the prophecy of Satan being loosed and deceiving the nations.

We see an application within its literal historical context within the first century, coming to at the end of the thousand years since David's reign, right?

A high degree of wickedness within Jerusalem, uh, much deception going on.

I mean, they're killing their Messiah, right?

Okay.

The very Messiah who would deliver them and save them, they're killing him.

Obviously, there is deception going on through demonic influence.

Well, so too, that also serves to be a type for at the end of time, at the end of the church age, in the millennial reign of Christ, when Satan will be loosed, deceive many, and there will be a final trial, much wickedness, and God will eventually come and bring victory.

Okay?

All right.

Now, the second thing I'd like for us to reflect upon here in Book of Revelation, particularly chapter 20, is, uh, St. John's r- mentioning of the resurrections and the deaths.

He talks about a first resurrection, which implies a second resurrection.

He talks about a second death, which implies a first death, right?

Uh, so what is St. John referring to here?

And within this vision that John is having and the description of the vision, we see applications both on the preterist level and the literal historical context and the first century, but also, we see applications to the end of time in the future as well.

So here we go.

Revelation chapter 20, uh, verse 4. Starting with verse 4. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.

They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Okay, so those are the martyrs.

They come to Christ.

They reign with Christ during the millennial reign.

Then in verse 5. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.

This is the first resurrection.

The first resurrection applying to those who are reigning with Christ.

Verse 6. Blessed and holy is he who shares in the first resurrection.

Over such, the second death has no power, but they shall be priest of God and of Christ and they shall reign with him a thousand years.

So here we have St. John talking about this first resurrection in reference to those who are reigning with Christ for the thousand years over which, over whom the second death has no power.

Okay?

So let's reflect upon this.

In regard to the first resurrection, there are two possible interpretations.

The first interpretation that some scholars attribute to the first resurrection spoken of here about those reigning with Christ is baptism, and there are three pieces of supporting evidence.

The first piece of supporting evidence is that in the Christian tradition, resurrection, the image of resurrection is associated with baptism.

As St. Paul teaches in Romans 6:3-4 and Colossians 3:1, Ephesians 5:6-14, and as well as the Catholic Church teaches today, that we rise to a new life in the sacrament of baptism.

Not only do we die with Christ, but we rise to a new life.

So baptism is indeed our spiritual resurrection.

So if John is speaking of the first resurrection in his heavenly vision, which implies a second resurrection, right?

And we know that the second resurrection refers to the bodily resurrection at the end of time, but then the s- first resurrection may very well apply to baptism.

And so all of those who are baptized become Christian or incorporated into Jesus, and thus reign with him during the church age.

The church age being the age of the Christians, the baptized ones, right?

Second piece of supporting evidence for the first resurrection being baptism is that St. John talks about how these who participate in the first resurrection are priests of God and of Christ and they shall reign with him a thousand years.

Well, in the Christian tradition, when you're baptized, you become what?

Priest, prophet, and king, precisely because you are incorporated into Jesus Christ.

And then finally, the third piece of supporting evidence is that those who do not share in the first resurrection are said to be dead, which is an expression used for those not baptized.

All right?

It said those Uh, the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.

So some scholars will suggest that if the dead don't come to life until the end of the thousand years, that is, they don't become a Christian, they're not baptized until the end of life, because death is associated with the soul who is not baptized.

The unbaptized soul is referred to in the Christian tradition as the death of the soul.

So it By virtue of it referring to the dead, in con- in contrast to those who participate in the first resurrection, there seems to be an indication that the first resurrection is in reference to baptism.

So it is those Christians who are incorporated into Christ, who are baptized and who reign with Christ in this millennial reign in, in the church age.

Now, the second possible interpretation of the first resurrection is that it refers to the soul entering heaven at the particular judgment.

Okay?

And the first piece of supporting evidence is the second death that St. John speaks of.

The second death, which is damnation.

Okay?

Going to hell.

That's the second death.

Well, that second death has no power over those who participate in the first resurrection.So, it's possible that the first resurrection refers to those who died in friendship with Jesus at their particular judgment, because it is only those souls that the second death has no power over, right?

Can any soul in heaven Can any soul who dies in friendship with Christ and who is destined for heaven, can that soul experience damnation?

No.

Is it possible for that soul to go to hell?

Absolutely not.

So, the fact that St. John says that the second death, damnation, lake of fire, all of that stuff, has no power over those who participate in the first resurrection, that would seem to indicate that those who participate in the first resurrection are those who already in Are already in heaven, reigning with Christ during the church age, because they cannot be touched by the second death.

Uh, and now contrast that to those who are baptized.

You see, the baptism interpretation seems to have a bit of a problem because those who are baptized, is it possible for a baptized Christian to go to hell?

Yes.

Just because we're baptized, we're not guaranteed salvation.

I mean, we receive the gift, but it's possible in this life during the church age that those baptized Christians can throw the gift away.

I can give you a gift, you can go throw it in the trash can, right?

The Father gives us the gift of everlasting life and salvation in the sacrament of baptism, but baptized Christians can possibly lose that gift and throw it away and forfeit it through mortal sin, right?

And if s- If that is the case, well, then can the second death have power over the baptized?

Yes.

But St. John said the second death can't have power over those in the first resurrection.

So, the first resurrection seems to apply to those who are dying in friendship with Christ at the particular judgment entering into the heavenly existence and reigning with Christ during the first, uh, during the church age.

And the second piece of supporting evidence is that those whom the second death has no power over are said by John to be those who endure the persecution and receive the crown of life.

If we fast-forward in Revelation Uh, let's Well, actually, we're gonna go backwards.

If we go back to Revelation chapter two.

Now, where were we at?

We're in Revelation 20, right?

This is where John speaks of the first resurrection.

Well, if we go back to Revelation chapter two, St. John talks about the first resurrection there.

And in that text, he's referring to the martyrs who persevere and die in friendship with Christ and receive the crown of life.

Here's what he says, verse 10 of Revelation two, quote, Do not fear what you are about to suffer.

Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested for ten days, and you will have tribulation.

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

He who has an ear, let him hear the What the Spirit says to the churches.

He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death.

Notice that.

Revelation two, Jesus is talking about the one who conquers to the end and receives the crown of life, the second death has no power over them, right?

Well, in Revelation 20, John talks about those who participate in the first resurrection are those over whom the second death has no power.

So, in Revelation 20, the second death has no power over those in the first resurrection.

In Revelation two, the second death has no power over those who are martyred and persecuted and endured to the end and received the crown of life.

So, who are those who participate in the first resurrection?

It is those who die in friendship with Christ, who endure to the end and were martyred and were persecuted and, thus, receive the crown of life.

It is those who participate in the first resurrection over which the second death has no power.

And finally, uh, the third supporting evidence of the first resurrection referring to those who died in friendship with Christ and persevered until the end, in particular, those 1st century Christians, right?

Those 1st century Christians who were enduring the Jewish persecution and even the Roman persecution, dying for Jesus Christ, ha- Being beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, they're participating in the first resurrection.

Why?

Because the implied second resurrection refers to the bodily resurrection at the end of time, the general judgment, right?

So, if the implied second resurrection refers to the bodily resurrection in the general judgment, well, that seems to suggest that the first resurrection would apply to the particular judgment that the soul receives at the moment of death.

As Hebrews 9:27 says, I've appointed for every man to die once, then the judgment.

Second Corinthians 5:17, We all stand before the judgment seat of Christ receiving good or bad depending on what we have done in the body.

Receiving a reward depending on what we have done in the body, good or bad.

You see?

Okay.

And, and we have text of this in John 5:28-29.

Jesus refers to the bodily resurrection at the end of time.

Do not murmur about this for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come forth; those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

So, Jesus refers to an end of time resurrection, which is the second resurrection at the general judgment.

And in paragraph 998 of the catechism, Who will rise?

All the dead will rise.

Those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

In the Christian tradition, we understand that the second resurrection is at the end of time, which would imply that the first resurrection that John talks about in Revelation 20 is at the particular judgment of the soul.

That is those who died in friendship with Christ.And then finally, we come to the second death that's spoken of in Revelation chapter 20, verses 14 through 15.

That death is indeed damnation.

We read, Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.

This is the second death, the lake of fire.

And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Now, this incident here, where Death and Hades and all of those not written in the book of life are thrown into the lake of fire, suggesting that they're cast out from what John will go on to describe to be the new Heaven and the new Earth, those who are cast out, that happens at the end of time.

That happens at the general judgment, right?

That's the second death, being cast into the lake of fire.

Well, what does that imply about the first death?

The particular judgment of the soul, when the soul stands before the judgment seat of Christ.

So if you look at that, or if we kind of try to tie all this together, note how St. John talks about the second death.

We know that's at the general judgment, damnation, right?

Well, that implies the first death is particular judgment, right?

Okay.

Well, St. John talks about a first resurrection, which implies a second resurrection, right?

And in the Christian tradition, what is the second resurrection?

The bodily resurrection at the end of time, the general judgment.

So what would the first resurrection be?

The particular judgment of the soul.

So you have the first resurrection and the first death referring to the particular judgment of the soul, and the second resurrection and the second death referring to the end of time and the general judgment.

Hence, we have this two-fold dimension, these two dimensions here to this revelation and this vision of it being applied in its literal historical context for those souls who are dying in friendship with Jesus, who are being martyred, entering into Christ in Heaven and reigning with him during the church age.

That is the particular judgment.

And then it also pointing toward the general judgment at the end of time, a second resurrection, a second death, et cetera.

Okay?

And then finally, before we take our break, I'd like to conclude this first part with a brief reflection on, uh, the imagery of the battle of Gog and Magog in Revelation chapter 20, verse 8 in particular, but I'm gonna start here with verse 7. And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be loosed from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth.

That is Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle.

Their number is like the sand of the sea.

Verse nine.

And they marched up over the broad earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Close quote.

All right.

This image of Gog and Magog for a first century Jew would immediately call to mind a prophecy of Ezekiel.

In Ezekiel chapter 38 and in chapter 39, Ezekiel prophesies about Gog, who is a king, a king by the name of Gog, and the land of Magog.

That is the land of Gog, from what scholars suggest.

Ezekiel prophesized how God will come in judgment on Gog and Magog.

So let's read Ezekiel chapter 38, verse two.

We read, Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal, and prophesy against him.

Okay?

So Gog is an enemy of God, and God will come in judgment upon him.

Chapter 39 of Ezekiel, verse one.

And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say this, 'Thus says the Lord God.

Behold, I am against you, oh, Gog.

I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they shall know that I am the Lord.' Right?

So Ezekiel's talking about God coming in judgment on this King Gog, and of the land of Magog, he will cast fire.

He's coming to whoop some you-know-what.

Amen?

Amen.

Now, we take That's the Old Testament backdrop against which John in Revelation chapter 20, verse eight speaks of Gog and Magog and God coming in judgment upon Satan and upon the beast and the false prophet, et cetera.

So we have a two-tiered level or a two-fold dimension of application here.

We can apply this prophecy both in the present preterist view, but also in the futuristic view.

First of all, the interpretive application within its literal historical context can parallel and refers to Jerusalem, right?

Because just as the land of Magog and King Gog had become an enemy of God, and God is coming in judgment on them in Ezekiel's prophecy, so too Jerusalem has become an enemy of God, an enemy of the Messiah, and thus will incur destruction upon itself.

And remember, what does Ezekiel say?

God would cast fire on the land of Magog, right?

Well, in this prophecy, it talks about God coming.

Uh, uh, the, the beloved city will be surrounded, right?

And fire will come down from heaven.

Well, that parallels the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman Empire.

What is the beloved city in the Book of Revelation?

Jerusalem.

Notice it's surrounded, right?

By the enemy.

Fire will come upon it.

So in its literal historical context, this battle of Gog and Magog refers in the first century to the destruction of Jerusalem.

But there also can be a futuristic interpretation of this vision as well.

It points forward to the Antichrist that will ultimately be the enemy of the Messiah and the church, and thus decert- incur destruction upon himself and the nations that he collaborates with.

You see?

So the destruction on Jerusalem in the first century serves to be a type, once again, of what will come at the end of time.

Because notice in John's vision, it talked about, um, the devil and the beast and the false prophet being thrown into the lake of fire, which seems to indicate that's at the end of time and at the general judgment.

So there's a preterist interpretation, it being fulfilled in its literal historical context with the destruction of Jerusalem, but the fulfillment is not complete, because there's something else left to the prophecy, and that comes at the end of time when Satan and the Antichrist and all of the nations collaborating with the Antichrist are destroyed and come under God's judgment and are cast out, thrown into this lake of fire, signifying that they will not be present on the new Heaven and the new Earth, which will be, uh, the topic of our reflection when we come back from our break.

Okay?

So let's go ahead and pause right now.

We have some goodies.

Uh, recall that, um, to put a little bit of coffee in your cup, not to put too, too much so that we can finish that coffee and get some goodies, and then we'll come back in a few minutes and pick up.

Amen?

Amen.

Okay.

God bless you.