Hi Arion,
That part of the Scripture in Rev. 20:5 "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished," does seem to be spurious according to Tischendorf’ list.
Act 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious
Day of the Lord.
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
There is a number of Scripture that referr to the "day of the Lord." So what I'm thinking is He could do quite a few things in that time period. As the Elect could be raised 'first' and take their place with Christ and return to earth with Christ on the same day. Ray does go into this a bit in 'Exposing the "Secret Rapture" Theory.' Here is a excerpt.
http://bible-truths.com/rapture.htm -------------------
The fourth time this Greek word apatesis is translated "to meet" is in I Thes. 4:17: "... we, the living who are surviving, shall at the same time be snatched away together with them in the clouds, to meet [apatesis] the Lord in the air."
Now I am almost sure that I can hear faint protests in the distance from objecting rapturists. Notwithstanding, based on all the usage's of this word apatesis [to meet], and we read them all, when someone went out to meet someone else, where did they always go next? That’s right, back where they came from. So if God is consistent with the use of this word, then when the saints of I Thes. 4 meet the Lord in the air, they will then return with Christ back to the EARTH!
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We are the children of the promise, we are reckoned as the seed, we are SPIRITUAL ISRAEL.
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything, but a new creation. And WHOSOEVER shall observe the elements by this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, also upon the ISRAEL OF GOD" (Gal. 6:16).
WE are the true Israel of God! And it is WE who will rule the nations along with "ALL the saints" (I Thes. 3:13). Paul says,
"... the saints shall judge the WORLD"
And also,
"... we [saints] shall be judging MESSENGERS" (I Cor. 6:2-3).
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Christ and the Saints do return to "judge the world."
Act 17:31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."
Also we have in Scripture many time "the resurrection of the dead," it says "the resurrection" or one resurrection. There is no place that I could find 'resurrection
s,' as in more than one.
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Even this verse in John 5 does not seem to indicate two resurrection, but two part that could take place on the same day.
mercy, peace and love
Kat