posted
In studying the 1,000 year period in Rev. 20, I kept wondering how beheaded saints fit into the picture. I understand these to be those who have died to self and been resurrected to the new life with Christ, who now are priests with him. I know that all saints who have physically died for Christ were not beheaded; but died in various ways; nor have all saints actually suffered martyrdom.
I looked up the word beheaded in the Strong's.
3990 pelekizo (mean an ax) to chop off (the head) behead.
That seemed pretty clear; but it didn't fit. A few days later I saw a web discussion in which a person had looked up beheaded. This man continued to the word pleazo, which pelekizo comes from.
pleazo 4141 (form of 4111) (through the idea of flattening out) to pound, ie. (fig) to inflict with (calamity):-smite, comp. 5180
4111- plasso: to mould, shape or fabricate:-form
5180 tupto : to thump (with a stick or bastinado) but in any case repeated blows. by impl. to punish; fig. to offend (the conscience) beat, smite, strike, wound.
By looking up all other words that pelekizo came from or is complementary to , I began to understand what was being said. These saints , kings and priests who reigned with the Lord after dying to self and living the new spirit filled life (first resurrection) were being persecuted, beaten up, wounded, etc. That fits perfectly. Jesus told us that the world would hate us as it hated him. His disciples lived persecuted lives and died at the hands of angry men. Today, if you speak the truth, you are still persecuted. Usually, in US it is verbal or mental abuse. However, the time may come when we must also suffer physical abuse as the early church and the disciples.
I’ve also come to see that the passage in Rev. 20 didn’t necessarily say that all the saints the passage refers to were actually beheaded. Thus, if we take the first meaning of a literal beheading, we see not all these saints were said to have been beheaded.
Anyone else have any comments on which way this should be understood?
-------------------- 1 Thes. 5:21 (KJV) Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
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