Revelation 20:5

[Karl Kozlowski]

In recent months I’ve been exposed to the developing “Satan’s Little Season” Eschatology, which teaches that we’ve been in that period of history for at least 2-and-a-half centuries (if not a little over 4 centuries). I see enough details between the doctrine of Chiliasm (which—correct me if I’ve misunderstood this—has the end of the 7,000th year coinciding with the Lake of Fire being cleansed (Jeremiah 31:40) once the Great White Throne judgment has ended), Ezekiel 38:1-39:16, and Revelation 20 to conclude that “Satan’s Little Season” will last less than half a year (1 Corinthians 15:52, Leviticus 25:8-10, Ezekiel 39:12, Revelation 20:3,7,13).

But one of the ways they try to break down this Biblical timeline is that Revelation 20:5 simply reads “This is the first resurrection.” (no implication of the general resurrection occurring within a year of Satan’s release) in the Peshitta. I’ve done enough research on Peshitta Primacy claims to know that the case for it relies on an absurd amount of selective presentation of evidence, but then I came across someone else pointing out that Codex Sinaiticus agrees with the Peshitta here. I know Codex Alexandrinus has the reading the LGV follows, and that Revelation 5:9-10 demonstrates this wouldn’t be the only time Sinaiticus was wrong and Alexandrinus was right.

But does anyone know the LGV’s justification for including “(But the rest of the dead do not come to life until the thousand years should expire).” in Revelation 20:5? Is there an early patristic quotation I’m overlooking? I tried looking up Victorinus’ Commentary on the Apocalypse, but while the key phrase is present in Jerome’s version of the text, the earlier version found in 1918 doesn’t seem to have it. Seriously, what am I overlooking?

[Timothy]

Karl,

Justin Martyr did not quote Rev. 20:5 directly, but he described its contents in very clear language. It was definitely contained in his copy of Revelation, copied only a few decades after John’s death (early 2nd cent.). It is the earliest witness to this statement of which I am aware.

“For as Adam was told that in the day he ate of the tree he would die, we know that he did not complete a thousand years. We have perceived, moreover, that the expression, ‘The day of the Lord is as a thousand years,’ is connected with this subject. And further, there was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was made to him, that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem; and that thereafter the general, and, in short, the eternal resurrection and judgment of all men would likewise take place. Just as our Lord also said, ‘They shall neither marry nor be given in marriage, but shall be equal to the angels, the children of the God of the resurrection.’” (Justin, Dialogue with Trypho, ch. 81).

Tertullian alludes to the same also without directly quoting it in “On the Resurrection of the Flesh” (ch. 25).

Regarding the manuscript evidence, the first part of Rev. 20:5 is indeed missing from Sinaiticus, (Vaticanus does not contain the book of Revelation at all). But it does appear in Alexandrinus which is just as old as Sinaiticus, and in virtually all Greek cursive copies, and in the Latin copies.

That it is missing from Sinaiticus and the Aramaic Peshitta should not come as a surprise. At about the time these copies were being made “Chiliasm” was being heavily assailed and even called ‘heresy.’ Even Papias’ works, which were heavily based on this passage in supporting Chiliasm, were destroyed by Rome. Likewise, Victorinus’ commentary on Revelation (4th cent.), which contains this passage, along with the Chiliastic interpretation (like Justin and Tertullian), was heavily redacted by Augustine in order to remove his Chiliasm. Augustine’s revision then ends with an anathema against those who hold to a Chiliastic interpretation of Rev. 20. The 1000-year rule of Christ, with the first resurrection being BEFORE His rule and the general resurrection being AFTER the 1k years, was being reinterpreted for political reasons. The new doctrine (Amillennialism) claimed only one general resurrection and judgement of both the wicked and the righteous. The whole point of this radical reinterpretation was to make the “Church” the Kingdom, rather than the Kingdom following the return of Christ and the “first” resurrection (of believers only). Augustine’s “The City of God” was intended to lay the theological foundation for Amillennialism, that Rome (led by the ‘Christian’ emperor) was the “City of God,” that Christ’s Kingdom began at His ascension, and that the bishop of Rome (pope) was the ‘Vicar’ of Christ reigning on earth over Christ’s Kingdom in the place of Christ. Roman Catholicism was the result.

Since Rev. 20 clearly has two resurrections of the dead separated by a millennium, the ‘first’ resurrection had to be reinterpreted as being non-literal. The part of vs. 5 omitted in Sinaiticus regarding the ‘rest of the dead’ being raised after the millennium exposed the flaw in the Amillennial interpretation because it used the same language for both resurrections (“lived again”). Since the amillennial ‘first resurrection’ was said to be ‘spiritual’ and not a bodily resurrection, if the disputed clause remained, it would require that the 2nd resurrection after Christ’s Kingdom (which they interpreted as current in the ‘Church’) must also be non-literal. Thus, it would deny the bodily resurrection at Christ’s alleged return after this ‘Church’ age. In other words, the disputed clause makes the amillennial interpretation impossible. So it was omitted.

The LGV follows the overwhelming evidence that all of Rev. 20:5 was original to John, as it appears in the vast majority of manuscripts (both Geek and Latin), all of the printed Greek editions, and all English translations.

Here is Victorinus’ (unedited) commentary on Rev. 20:1-4. While he did not quote the omitted part of vs. 5, it was definitely in his copy of Revelation.

“And the scarlet devil is imprisoned and all his fugitive angels in the Tartarus of Gehenna at the coming of the Lord; no one is ignorant of this. And after the thousand years he is released, because of the nations which will have served Antichrist: so that they alone might perish, as they deserved. Then is the general judgment.
“Therefore he says: ‘And they lived,’ he says, ‘the dead who were written in the book of life, and they reigned with Christ a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has a part in the first resurrection: toward this one the second death has no power.’ Of this resurrection, he says: ‘And I saw the Lamb standing, and with him 144 thousands,’ that is, standing with Christ, namely those of the Jews in the last time who become believers through the preaching of Elijah, those who, the Spirit bears witness, are virgins not only in body, but also in language. Therefore, as he reminds above, the 24 elder-aged said: ‘Grace we bring to You, O Lord God who has reigned; and the nations are angry.’
“At this same first resurrection will also appear the City and the splendid things expressed through this Scripture. Of this first resurrection Paul also spoke to the Macedonian church, thus: ‘For as we have thus said to you,’ he says, ‘by the Word of God, that at the trumpet of God, the Lord Himself will descend from heaven for raising up; and the dead in Christ will stand first, then we who are living, as we will be taken up with Him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord.’ We have heard the trumpet spoken of; it is observed that in another place the Apostle names another trumpet. Therefore he says to the Corinthians: ‘At the last trumpet, the dead will rise, will become immortal, and we will be changed.’ He says the dead will be raised immortal for bearing punishments, but it is shown that we are to be changed and to be covered in glory. Therefore where we hear ‘the last trumpet,’ we must understand also a first, for these are two resurrections. Therefore, however many were not previously to rise in the first resurrection and to reign with Christ over the world, over all nations, will rise at the last trumpet, after the thousand years, that is, in the last resurrection, among the impious and sinners and perpetrators of various kinds. He rightly adds, saying: Blessed and holy is he who has a part in the first anastasis: toward this one the second death has no power. For the second death is being thrown into hell.” (Victorinus’ Commentary on the Apocalypse, unedited version, translated by Edgecomb, Kevin P., https://earlychurchrevival.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/st-victorinus-of-poetovio-translated-by-kevin-edgecomb.pdf).

BTW, the LGV does not follow any single manuscript, either Sinaitius, Vaticanus, etc., but generally follows the printed NA 28 Greek text, with some exceptions where the MT text has very good support.

• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by Timothy.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by Timothy.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by Timothy.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by Timothy.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by Timothy.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by Timothy.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by Timothy.

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