Thanks Lloyd I agree.
You say “it is the resurrection of the first century saints into the heavenly kingdom”. Yes I see. First Jesus is resurrected, then the ‘saints of the most high’ described in Daniel 7 at his parousia. After a while comes the end with the handing over of the Kingdom to the father. Jesus reigns until all his enemies are put under his feet and death is defeated and there is a second resurrection as described in Rev 20. Sorry I didn’t pick that up in the first place. Probably didn’t read it carefully.

The only thing I have a few queries about is the “heavenly Kingdom” into which they, the first resurectionees, if I can use that word, go. What exactly is the heavenly kingdom as compared to the earthly kingdom of God? I assume its about God’s heavenly Kingdom coming to earth which I used to believe but I don’t think the scriptures actually use the kingdom language in this way. Sorry if this is going around in circles.

I suppose we would disagree with the nature of the kingdom being handed over. Yes Jesus and his followers who were in the first resurrection reign from heaven but the Kingdom is the church on earth that follows Jesus as king as initiated by Jesus’ earthly ministry and as establsihed when soverienty was transfrerred from Caesar to Jesus. Remember the resurrection of Jesus and his followers after him was about vindication also. So Jesus rules over us now, we are a kingdom of priests, a holy nation described in Ex19, that will be a light and blessing to the nations and a sign in the present of the renewal to come. So in effect Jesus hands over his reign over the church to the Father? What do you think of that? I’m just thinking aloud here and these ideas are always up for critique. I’m just interpreting the handing over of the kingdom according to a specific framework that is still being developed.

Thanks again Lloyd.
 Ryan