Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 20:5
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AR 850. Verse 5.And the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished, signifies that besides these now spoken of, none were taken up into heaven, till after the dragon was loosed, when their quality was proved and explored. By "the rest of the dead" are signified they who are also rejected by those who are in faith alone, because they worshiped the Lord, and lived according to His commandments, but whose quality was not yet proved and explored. That here by "the dead" these are signified, may be seen above (n. 847). For all after their departure out of the world, come first into the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and are there proved and explored, and thus prepared, the evil for hell, and the good for heaven. It is said of these that they lived not again, that is, they were not yet so conjoined with the Lord, and consociated with the angels of heaven, as the former. That afterwards also many were saved, appears from (verses 12 and 15) of this chapter, where it is said that "the book of life also was opened, and if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire."

AR 851. This is the first resurrection, signifies that salvation and life eternal is primarily to worship the Lord, and live according to His commandments in the Word, because thereby conjunction is effected with the Lord and consociation with the angels in heaven. The reason why all these things are signified by "This is the first resurrection," is because it follows as a conclusion from what goes before, and therefore involves them; the preceding things which these words involve, are contained in (verse 4), and partly also in (verse 5). In (verse 4) are these things: "I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not adored the beast nor his image, nor had received his mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived and reigned with Christ." That by "the souls of them that were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God," are signified such as were rejected by those who are in falsities from their own intelligence because they worshiped the Lord, and lived according to His commandments in the Word, may be seen above (n. 846, 847). That by "they adored not the beast nor his image, neither received his mark upon their forehead and upon their hand," is signified that they rejected the heresy of faith alone, may be seen above (n. 848); and that by "they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years," is signified that they have conjunction with the Lord and consociation with the angels of heaven, may be seen above (n. 849). These things therefore are what are involved in these words, "This is the first resurrection." By "resurrection" is signified salvation and life eternal, and by "the first" is not meant the first resurrection, but the very and primary of resurrection, thus salvation and life eternal; for there is only one resurrection to life, a second is not given; therefore a second resurrection is nowhere mentioned; for they who are once conjoined with the Lord, are conjoined with Him forever; and this in heaven, for the Lord says:--

That this is what is meant by "the first resurrection" appears also from the following verse.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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