Good advice. It's what God said the Bereans did after hearing Paul. They searched the scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true or not.
I don't automatically believe anything anybody says about the scriptures. I wait until I can see things for myself from the scriptures and nothing but the scriptures. Nothing wrong with reading other people's ideas, but they must always be compared to the scriptures. I just happen to think Bullinger is right about much of what he says, including about the kingdoms.
Hold on there for one second. Aren't you missing the part about we will meet him up there?
1Thess 4:17,
Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Yes, AFTER we meet Jesus in the air.
Rev 20:5,
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection.
How does that not say there will be 1,000 years between the two resurrections?
By the way, nowhere does it say Christians will be resurrected in either of those resurrections. When Jesus comes in the air, the dead in Christ will be raised from among the dead and those who are alive when he comes will meet Jesus in the air. We are the light of the world. When we go all hell will break loose, i.e. the events in the Book of Revelation begins.
The two resurrections are for non-Christians. They will be raised and judged by Jesus according to their works. They will not get cast into the lake of fire just because they are not Christians. That would eliminate everybody born in the 4,000 years previous to the new birth being made available, as well as the proverbial native in the Amazon who never heard of Jesus. Jesus will judge them fairly according to their hearts how they conducted their life. I can't say for sure, but I suspect more non-Christians will make the cut than not, given that most people are pretty decent. Their actions may not always line up with the truth, but Jesus understands that because of our dead flesh it would simply be not possible for anyone other than Jesus to "earn" a seat in paradise. Jesus will judge righteous judgment is the bottom line.
I guess I'm a premilliennialist, but I agree that Revelation 20 does not talk specifically about any of the above. It deal primarily with judgment. The next two chapters deal with most of those things.
Thanks for the discussion. My experience is that most people give up when I don't agree with everything they say. I'm going to guess that some of what you say is right and some is wrong. About the same for me. At least I think we are both born again, so we'll know the score when he comes back.
God bless.