John Envisions The Saints Living And And Reigning

11.10.24 Revelation 20:4–6

4 Then I saw thrones, and those who were sitting on them were given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast and his image, and they did not receive his mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years came to an end.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. Instead they will be priests of God and of Christ. And they will reign with him for a thousand years.

We just came off of an election, trying to decide who will rule as president of the United States. It’s a pretty big thing, because the president holds a lot of power over America for at least four years. The president also has power to select who will be on the Supreme Court, which makes judgments in the highest courts of this land. Some envision gloom and doom while others envision peace and prosperity. Only God knows. But what does that compare to ruling in the kingdom of heaven?

John Envisions the Saints Living and Reigning

In John’s vision he sees the thrones of people ruling in heaven and given the authority to judge. John states that the saints live and reign with Christ even now for a thousand year period as they wait for the final resurrection. This is symbolic language, which is obvious as it describes the devil as a dragon who can be bound with a chain. So it is with the thousand years. The thousand years are symbolic of the time between Jesus' death and resurrection and the last Day. Saints live and reign from now until the Day Jesus comes again.

How do you become a saint? John also speaks of a first resurrection. The first resurrection is not talking about a bodily resurrection, but a spiritual one. It happens when people are brought to faith in Jesus as their Savior. Paul described the way that one is born into this world as being spiritually dead, kind of like those zombies you see in the movies. All they live for is to devour and eat flesh. An unbeliever is only born to satisfy his or her sinful nature of flesh. Paul writes in Ephesians 2,

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

But then he describes what happens when you are brought to faith.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

This is the first resurrection. When we come to faith, our minds and our hearts are brought to life, focused on Jesus. Our minds are not captivated by the fears of this world, like who is president or who isn’t. We aren’t driven by fear over a sickness or disease or a war. We don’t live our lives for the next pleasure or promotion or sports team. We don’t live for sex or drugs. We live for Him. We hope in Him. We want to please Him. We want to be with Him forever in heaven. We serve Him as our King and our Lord.

Does this describe you? Do you look forward to being with Jesus? Do you pray to Him? Do you cherish His mercy and grace? Do you live your life in hope of heaven? Then you know you’re alive! Do you struggle with it? Well, then you still have life in you, but you know you want more! But if none of this matters to you, if it all seems boring and useless, then you’re dead even while you’re alive.

But for those of you who are alive, think more about the blessings we have as believers in Christ. John writes, Blessed and holy is the one who has a share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. Instead they will be priests of God and of Christ. And they will reign with him for a thousand years. The second death is the physical death that we all face when we die. It has no spiritual or emotional power over us. We’re not afraid of it, because we know that when we die we get to go to heaven with Jesus, all because He died for us. We go out in faith and hope. Think of how we sing this song of hope -