Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Blessed - (cf. Revelation 14:13; Revelation 19:9.)
On such the second death hath no power - even as it has none on Christ now risen.
Priests of God. Apostate Christendom being destroyed, and the believing Church translated, there will remain Israel and the pagan, the majority of men then alive, who, not having come into contact with the Gospel, have not been guilty of rejecting it. These will be subjects of a general conversion (Revelation 11:15). "The veil" shall be taken off Israel first, then from off "all people" (Isaiah 25:7). The glories attending Christ's appearing, the destruction of Antichrist, transfiguration of the Church, and binding of Satan, will prepare the nations for embracing the Gospel. As individual regeneration goes on now, so a "regeneration" of nations then. Israel, as a nation, shall be 'born at once-in one day' (Isaiah 66:8). As the Church begins at Christ's ascension, so the kingdom at His second advent. The humiliation of civilized nations will be, that nations which they despise-Jews and barbarians, the negro descendants of Ham, under the curse of Noah, Kush, and Sheba-shall supplant them, (cf. Deuteronomy 32:21; Romans 10:19; Romans 11:20, etc.) Since the Jews' rejection, revelation has been silent.
Both Old and New Testaments are written by Jews. If revelation is to recommence in the millennial kingdom, converted Israel must head humanity. Jews and Gentiles stand on an equal footing, as both alike needing mercy; but as regards God's instrumentalities for establishing His kingdom on earth, Israel is His chosen people. The Israelite priest-kings on earth are what the transfigured priest-kings are in heaven. A blessed chain of giving and receiving-God, Christ, the transfigured Bride, the Church, Israel, the world of nations. A new time of revelation will begin by the outpouring of the Spirit (Zechariah 12:10). Ezekiel (Ezekiel 39:29; Ezekiel 40:48), son of a priest, sets forth Israel's priestly character; Daniel, the statesman, its kingly; Jeremiah (Jeremiah 33:17-21), both its priestly and kingly. In the Old Testament, Israel's national life was religious in an external legalism. The New Testament Church insists on inward renewal, but leaves outward manifestations free. But in the millennial kingdom, all spheres of life shall be Christianized from within outwardly. The Mosaic ceremonial corresponds to Israel's priestly office; the civil law to its kingly office. The Gentile Church, adopting the moral law, exercises the prophetic office by the Word working inwardly. But when the royal and the priestly office shall be revived, then-the principles of the letter to the Hebrews remaining-the ceremonial and civil law also will develop its spiritual depths in divine worship (cf. Matthew 5:17-19). Now is the time of preaching; then the time of liturgy of "the great congregation" shall come. Our present defective governments shall give place to perfect rule in Church and State. Under the Old Testament the Jews exclusively, in the New Testament the Gentiles chiefly, enjoy salvation; in the millennium both Jews and Gentiles united, under the first-born brother, Israel, walk in the light of God, realizing the full life of humanity.
The human race is not an aggregate of individuals and nationalities, but as organic whole, laid down once for all (Genesis 9:25-27; Genesis 10:1; Genesis 10:5; Genesis 10:18; Genesis 10:25; Genesis 10:32; Deuteronomy 32:8, declares that from the first the division of the nations was made with relation to Israel). Hence, arises the importance of the Old Testament to the Church. Three grand groups-Hamites, Japhethites, and Shemites-correspond respectively to man's three fundamental elements-body, soul, and spirit. The flower of Shem, the representative of spiritual life, is Israel: as the flower of Israel is He in whom all mankind is summed up, the second Adam (Genesis 12:1-3), Israel is mediator of divine revelations for all times. Even nature and the animal-world will share in the millennial blessedness (Isaiah 65:20-25). As sin loses its power, decay and death will decrease (Auberlen). Earthly and heavenly glories shall be united in the twofold election.
Elect Israel in the flesh shall stand at the head of the earthly; the elect spiritual Church, the Bride, in the heavenly. These elections are not merely for the good of the elect, but for those to whom they minister. The heavenly Church is elected, not merely to salvation, but to rule in love, and minister blessings over the earth, as king-priests. The glory of the transfigured shall be a blessing to men in the flesh; as at the transfiguration the three earthly disciples enjoyed the glory of Jesus, and of Moses and Elias, so that Peter exclaimed, "It is good for us to be here:" 2 Peter 1:16-18 makes the transfiguration the earnest of Christ's coming in glory. The privilege of "our high calling in Christ" is limited to the present time of Satan's reign; when he is bound, there will be no scope for suffering for, and so afterward reigning with, Him (Revelation 3:21: cf. note, 1 Corinthians 6:2). None are saved in the present age, in the Christian pale, who shall not also reign with Christ, the preliminary to which is suffering with Christ now. If we fail to gain the crown, we lose all-`the gift of grace as well as the reward of service' (DeBurgh).