(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. – Revelation 20:5-6

Today’s Scripture Reading (April 3, 2015): Revelation 20

I grew up before the advent of the color television (well, at least my family didn’t have a color television through all of my childhood.) What we had was an old black and white cabinet T.V. And looking back on that time, I am not sure that I understood what I was missing. My imagination filled in the blanks. When I watched the Toronto Maple Leafs play against the Montreal Canadiens, the only two Canadian National Hockey League teams at the time, I knew that Toronto wore Blue and that Montreal wore red (with a blue stripe like a thick belt across the center of their uniforms.) I knew that my favorite team, the Philadelphia Flyers, wore Orange. My mind translated the colors until I could see them on the screen. Back in those days, I didn’t know what I was missing.

But then we got a new color T.V. and I am not sure that I knew how I survived all those years with the black and white set. Now, I have High Definition Color T.V. I have non High Definition channels, but I rarely venture outside of my High Definition selection. The other channels just don’t seem to quite measure up. But I didn’t realize that until I had experienced High Definition. I can’t imagine the innovation that is coming next, but that probably doesn’t surprise anyone. After all, I was the one that was very happy watching in Black and White.

John speaks about their being two resurrections, and like with everything else in life, the reality is that one defines the other. The first resurrection is of those who have trusted in God during their lives. They are blessed and have the honor of being the priests of God during the thousand year reign of Christ. But it is not an honor given to everyone. If it was, then it would cease being an honor and would become something more like an expectation – after all, apparently everyone who runs get the prize. But in John’s vision the first resurrection is actually defined by the second, and the second resurrection is made up of those who refused to trust God, but rather chose to place their trust in other things. And this resurrection does not happen until 1 thousand years after the first, and even then it is a resurrection that results only in judgment.

Today is Good Friday. The day that we celebrate (and that is a very strange word for this day) the death of Jesus. And like with everything else in life, this is the day that gives meaning to Easter Sunday. After all, how can we know what resurrection is if we have not first experienced death? But more than that, this is also the day that makes the first resurrection possible in Revelation 20. If it were not for the sacrifice of Christ on this day, we would all be left for the second resurrection, a thousand years after the reign of Christ. But because of the work of Christ on the cross, we have the hope of the first resurrection. And for those who refuse that hope, well, they continue to horror of this day – they continue to drive in the nails without the knowledge hope that resurrection is even possible.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Revelation 21