Elohim Yachal: The God of Hope (Part 5)

THE HOPE OF GOD’S GRACE IN THE MILLENNIUM

Hope for believers beyond the resurrection is found in their position during the 1,000-year reign of Christ.  We see this discussed in Revelation 20:1-6.  In John’s vision of the last days, he sees an angel from Heaven holding a key in one hand and a chain in the other.  Next, he sees the angel bind Satan and through him into the Abyss and seals it so that the Devil cannot deceive the nations for 1,000 years (Revelation 1:1-3).

The interpretations of Paul’s next statements (vs. 4) are highly controversial.  However, as in all argumentative sections of scripture, we must interpret it considering what the words say as being reflective of scripture as a whole. 

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.  (Revelation 20:4a).

First, John saw thrones and those on those seated had the authority to Judge.  This act of seclusion prompts the first 1,000 years of the eternal reign of Christ (Daniel 7:26-27, NKJV) and “the end of the matter” (vs. 28) describes the continuation of that reign.  Those seated on the thrones include four categories of believers.

1. Old Testament Saints: Habakkuk 2:4 says, “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” Therefore, the Old Testament saints were saved in the same way the New Testament believers are saved, by grace through faith alone. Romans 4:1b-5 describes Abraham’s salvation by faith alone when it says, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?  If in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about — but not before God.  What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’  Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.  However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.’”
2. The Apostles: In Matthew 19, Jesus tells his disciples that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to gain Heaven. In verses 27-28 (NKJV), “Then Peter answered and said to Him, ‘See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore, what shall we have?’ So, Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’”

In continuation of this thought, Jesus tells a story in verse 20 of chapter 19 that begins “For the Kingdom of Heaven…” meaning that He is talking about the resurrection and the Kingdom when He uses the word regeneration in vs. 28.

In addition to this evidence found in Matthew 19, we see Jesus speaking to the twelve in Luke 22:29-30 and saying, “And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

3. The third group of believers who will sit on the thrones will be New Testament Christians. Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:11-12 (NKJV), “This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.”  We will reign with Christ in Glory.

As additional evidence of our reign in Heaven, Paul says to the believers in Corinth (1 Corinthians 6:1-3, NKJV), “If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?  Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?  Do you not know that we will judge angels?”

4. The final group of believers who will sit in judgment with Jesus in the Millennium are those who were slaughtered during the Great Tribulation. Revelation 20:4b “And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands.  These believers came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”  Of this part of the list, there is very little controversy except for those who would spiritualize this section of scripture and conjecture that will never actually happen.  I believe that the words speak for themselves.