While Satan will be bound for a thousand years, Jesus will reign with some of His disciples. This devotional reading tries to make sense of a difficult passage.
Nuggets
- Some disciples will rule with Jesus during a thousand-year reign.
- Not all disciples will be resurrected in this first resurrection.
Oh, this was such an interesting devotion to write. My head was spinning by the time the end was near.
So, I hope it makes sense.
I had to leave some for the next devotion.
Let’s just jump in.
Let's Put It into Context
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Devotions in the Thousand-Year Reign series
Ruling
“Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Rev. 20: 4 ESV)
Some disciples will rule with Jesus during a thousand-year reign.
This topic of reign has come up a couple of times. We said that we were going to table it until now.
I admit. I partially put it off because this is murky for me. Oh, I get the Jesus-is-going-to-reign-for-a-thousand-years part. Sort of.
It is the who-is-going-to-reign-with-Him part that gets me.
Part of the issue is what Revelation 5 says. “And they [the elders and the living creatures] sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you [the Lamb Who was slain] to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth’” (Rev. 5: 9-10 ESV emphasis added).
Back then, we said we are only kings and priests when we have given our allegiance to the Lamb Who was slain. It is only through the exaltation that we receive for making that decision do we become royalty and priests.
There are some that believe that all disciples will reign with Jesus. Maclaren is one of those in that camp. He wrote, “Every man who has become the servant of Christ is the king and lord of everything else; to submit to Him is to rule all besides.”
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I see three problems with that belief. This isn’t going to be the total resurrection at the end, so it won’t be every man.
Some believe that the Old Testament saints will be resurrected now. That is a good sentiment, even though they aren’t mentioned here. If so, it may be the time where they reaffirm their belief in God and accept Jesus as Messiah – if that is going to happen (and we don’t really read that in God’s Word).
The second problem is that the verses tells us specifically who will be ruling with Jesus. “… seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed” (Rev. 20: 4 ESV).
The verse says those, not all.
Nowhere in God’s Word do I see that we are all going to have thrones. We have crowns – the crown of life especially. But I see us laying that at Jesus’ feet as the elders did.
Revelation Logic had an interesting take on who the rulers were. They felt it will be the elders themselves.
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We know the elders will be sitting on thrones and wearing crowns. “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads” (Rev. 4: 4 ESV).
We said that it is a strong possibility that 12 of the elders will be the Apostles. “Then Peter said in reply, ‘See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel’” (Mt. 19: 27-28 ESV emphasis added).
I can see that the Apostles, if not all the elders (i.e., sons of Jacob/Israel), would be the ones reigning.
It is only after the authority-given statement does John identify two specific groups of people.
- Those who have been beheaded for their faith.
- Those who didn’t take the mark of the beast.
To me, that doesn’t read as they have a part in the ruling. John only says that he saw them.
That doesn’t even get into their state at that time. Have they been glorified and perfected?
Gibbs thinks so. He wrote,
“The [honorable] privilege is not promised to His saints during their imperfect and militant state, which is the proper period of that course of humble obedience and discipline, by which they are prepared for their future exaltation. It constitutes an important part of that gracious reward which shall be conferred on the faithful soldiers of Jesus, after they overcome their spiritual adversaries and finish their good warfare. … Those who share the kingdom of Jesus must certainly reign while He reigns. Their dominion, in conjunction with Him, must be enjoyed during the proper period of His mediatorial kingdom, and not after the termination of it.”
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- Can’t reign while we are imperfect – which we most definitely still are at this point.
- Prepared for the reign with Christ – we are being prepared for eternity.
- Part of the reward – we will be rewarded according to our service, not all equally as the parable says (Lk. 19: 11-19).
- Has a sunset time – it’s only during the thousand years.
The third problem is that we equate that too much with earthly rule. Not that long ago in the scheme of things, we saw Prince Charles coronated as King Charles. That might cloud what we think here.
I don’t think this will be a worldly reign. That brings up another question.
Who are they going to reign over? Is it going to be the survivors of Armageddon – so like every disciple? Remember, the Church has already been raptured at this time.
Is this going to be when Matthew 24 happens? Or is this the time of Daniel 12: 4 and Revelation 10: 4?
- “But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Dan. 12: 4 ESV).
- “And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down’” (Rev. 10: 4 ESV).
Maclaren did have an interesting take on over whom the rulers would be reigning. He thought it would be a reign of themselves.
If it really would be every disciple being a ruler, I could go for that explanation. That would be the only kingdom we really have.
Sparrow agreed because he felt the reign implied holiness. We reign over sin.
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We can only reign over our own sin, not someone else’s.
But Sparrow also had an interesting take. Disciples will reign because we will be the majority and have a greater influence on those around us.
I think that would slip right in with the belief that the thousand-year reign is going on now. No, disciples are no longer the majority, but we still have some influence on others.
I can see it as a collective reign, not divided into legions.
What I can’t see is the thousand-year reign going on now. Jesus isn’t with us, and there are too many unfulfilled prophecies.
A big one is that the whole earth would know Him. Monod had a good discussion about that.
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Is that knowledge of Christ a head knowledge or a heart knowledge? He came down on the side of a head knowledge.
But then, what we would rule is our interactions with life. Can we keep our lives focused on and obedient to God?
We can only rule ourselves. That is the only kingdom we really have.
But we can have influence on others.
What we do not want is this world and life to be our master. We aren’t true disciples if it is because we aren’t under Christ’s control. We haven’t truly submitted ourselves to God.
“For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world” (I Jn. 2: 16 ESV).
Another thing that could tip it to the thousand-year reign being now is the fact that nothing is said about resurrected bodies, but the souls. To me, that means the Rapture hasn’t happened.
Being just souls makes it an invisible reign.
Part of the issue is because we have talked several times about all disciples being priests and royalty. We talked way back in Revelation 5 that we are already royalty but not crowned, and we are already priests.
I liked what Maclaren said about what makes a priest.
- Consecration
- Access to God
- Sacrifice
- Pure character
If I were writing those, I may have made one change. Sacrifice is good. We have to give up our will and do things exactly the way God wants.
To me, that is more submission than sacrifice. The focus isn’t on our giving up. It is on doing things God’s way.
I keep coming back to God’s main focus isn’t physical things, so a worldly reign isn’t going to happen in my book.
God is more concerned about our spiritual condition. If our reign is only of ourselves, that fits in nicely.
Back up a second to Monod. He thought the reigning body would be our secular government. He believed that disciples would hold seats within the ruling powers of the time.
It is always our hope that the ruling class in our countries submit to God.
Revelation Logic also equated this section to Daniel 7.
- “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flame its wheels were burning fire” (Dan. 7: 9 ESV).
- “But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him” (Dan. 7: 26-27 ESV).
I have a problem with the first verse. I think the thrones being placed are those in Revelation 20: 11. “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it …” (Rev. 20: 11 ESV).
I can also see the second verse meaning the elders. To me, “… given to the people of the saints of the Most High …” (Dan. 7: 27 ESV) doesn’t necessarily mean all. We cannot read this without the “… those to whom the authority to judge was committed” (Rev. 20: 4 ESV) part.
Jesus didn’t say He was giving everyone the authority to judge.
Resurrection
“The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection” (Rev. 20: 4-5 ESV)
Not all disciples will be resurrected in this first resurrection.
Once again, let’s just see who are part of the first resurrection.
- Those who have been beheaded for their faith.
- Those who didn’t take the mark of the beast.
Cause of death is only beheading. Yes, there are other types of murder. Yes, there is death from natural causes.
They don’t make the cut.
Some believe as the Homilist did. In Martyrdom a Testimony, it said, “For a man to spend his life amidst social scorn, civil disabilities, and religious intolerance, on account of his [conscientious] beliefs, is a martyrdom, his life is a protracted and painful dying.”
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Feels like doesn’t make it martyrdom. Portraying martyrdom doesn’t make it true martyrdom.
Those who refused to take the mark of the beast make the cut. No, that doesn’t mean those who were sealed by the Spirit – all who have confessed Jesus as their Savior.
It is only those in the end times who refused to choose Satan and weren’t marked on their forehead or right hand (Rev. 13: 16).
I just have trouble believing the thousand-year reign is going on now. We have unfulfilled prophecies. I don’t see there being a resurrection with non-believers still living. We definitely don’t have a society that is submissive to secular laws let alone spiritual laws.
What Monod described hasn’t happened yet. He wrote, “In a word, the temporal happiness of mankind will increase beyond calculation, and will [realize] the most characteristic descriptions of prophecy (Isaiah 65:18, 19).
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“But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress” (Isa. 65: 18-19 ESV).
Nope, not there yet.
Making the Connections #1
We are royalty because we are children of the King. There are a lot of worldly princes and princesses that do not grow up to become kings or queens.
There is only one king that reigns. There is only One King of kings and Lord of lords – Jesus Christ.
But each of us do have to rule ourselves. Most of us probably know one person who cannot rule themselves. That creates a sad, hard life for them.
We’ve got to put Jesus on the throne where He belongs. Yes, that is the throne in Heaven now. Yes, that will be the throne for eternity.
Most definitely, it is the throne of our hearts.
Making the Connections #2
So, how do we reconcile the kingdom of Christ being a spiritual kingdom and His thousand-year reign on earth?
Gibb took a stab at that. He wrote, “On the earth, He will divide the spoil with the strong; judge among the nations; rebuke many people; break in pieces the oppressor.”
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That sound like the separation of the sheep from the goats.
I don’t see it. Again, the thousand-year reign is going to be for some disciples, not all. The Church is already raptured. That separation has occurred.
Making the Connections #3
We can’t look at this without putting this into context. The thousand-year reign only happens because Satan has been bound for a thousand years.
Satan is no longer prince of this world. To me, that means sin has been defeated.
Yes, Satan is going to be released for a short while, but Thomas gave us great comfort. He wrote, “The fall of the great enemy will be complete for a time. The more humanity progresses in intelligence, rectitude, and holiness, the more hopeless his condition becomes.”
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Making the Connections
Benham made a good argument that the thousand-year reign is going on now.
- Jesus conquered Satan when He was resurrected,
- His Church was set up and has lasted since then.
- The Church exhibits Christ’s principles.
- God’s timing is not our 365-days-a-year interpretation. It is 1,000 years x 1,000 days.
- The early martyrs have resigned with Christ.
- Is Jesus really just sitting on a throne in Heaven after His ministry was an active, ministering time?
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What Benham ignores is the mark of the beast. I could go with that if verse 4 didn’t include the mark of the beast. That is an end times occurrence.
But it would be nice if it was going on now.
How Do We Apply This?
- Don’t expect we will be ruling with Jesus.
- Make sure we put Jesus on His throne.
Father God. We know that we aren’t supposed to understand everything. Help us to understand what we should and take the rest on faith. We want to put Jesus – and You – on the thrones where You belong. Amen.
What do you think?
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