Fathers

Revelation 20

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And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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What the Fathers say

Revelation 20:6

Eastern Fathers

Oecumenius

Blessed therefore is the one who has part in the first resurrection; for of the second resurrection we shall all partake, willingly or unwillingly. But concerning those who are participants in the first resurrection, that is, the faithful, the second death will have no power. What is it? It is the death of sin, that is, and the punishment of that time; for just as he said first and second resurrection, so also first and second death. …

Commentary on Revelation ↗

Irenaeus

Now "the pain of the stroke" means that inflicted at the beginning upon disobedient man in Adam, that is, death; which [stroke] the Lord will heal when He raises us from the dead, and restores the inheritance of the fathers, as Isaiah again says: "And thou shall be confident in the Lord, and He will cause thee to pass over the whole earth, and feed thee with the inheritance of Jacob thy father." This is what the Lord declared: "Happy are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching. …

Against Heresies Book V ↗

Methodius of Olympus

Such fruit it is necessary that we bring when we come to the judgment-seat of Christ, on the first day of the feast; for if we are without it we shall not be able to feast with God, nor to have part, according to John, in the first resurrection. For the tree of life is wisdom first begotten of all. …

Discourse IX.-Tusiane ↗

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

Here he is speaking not just of bishops and of presbyters (who are now priests in the church) but of all Christians. For just as we call all of them Christs by reason of their mystical chrism, we call them all priests insomuch as they are members of the one Priest. Peter speaks of them as a "chosen race, a royal priesthood." Surely, too, this text implies, however briefly and incidentally, that Christ is God. …

City of God 20.10 ↗

Bede

But they shall be priests of God and of Christ. Another version reads, Priests of God and of Christ. However, this is not said only of bishops and priests, who are properly called priests in the Church, but just as we are all called Christians because of the mystical chrism, so we are all called priests because we are members of the one Priest. As the apostle Peter says: You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Pet. 2).

Commentary on Revelation ↗

Alcuin of York

QUESTION: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. ANSWER: That is, he who keeps what he has gained in his second birth. THERE FOLLOWS: But they shall be saints of God and of Christ. ANSWER: Another edition has "priests of God and of Christ." This does not refer only to bishops and church ministers, who are the ones properly called priests in the Church, but, just as we are all called "christs" because of the mystical unction, so are we all called priests because we are the limbs of one priest; whence Peter …

Questions And Answers Manual On Revelation ↗