Don’t you just hate it when you overlook the obvious, even though it is staring you right in the face?
That’s what happened on Wednesday night when Mr. Russell asked me about Revelation 20:4. It says (NKJV):
“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
The question was basically two-fold:
1 – Does this mean that only the Tribulation Saints will be ruling and reigning during the 1000 year reign of Christ?
[Tribulation Saints = “those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus” and those “who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands”]
2 – Where are the other Christians then?
Answer:
Notice that there is a period after the first part of this verse: “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them.” The Greek has a semicolon. Basically there is a break here. Then the rest of the verse continues: “Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded …”
These two groups are not the same. They are different.
Who then are those in the first part of the verse?
All of the other Christians. 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 states, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?”
Hope this helps!
