The First Resurrection And The Millennial Reign Of Christ: Satan’s Destiny Series

Now we get to take a look at the millennial reign of Christ—the 1,000 year rule of Christ on earth. Now let’s review just a moment two great events that have just been revealed in the previous chapter.

First, Jesus Christ is going to return to earth as conqueror, and He is going to destroy the antichrist and all the war machines and armies of the world at Armageddon. There will not be a shot fired at Armageddon. When Jesus appears in the heavens, He will give one blast of His glory and the most powerful laser beam the world has ever known will destroy the armies and nations of the world.

Second, Christ will take Satan and bind and remove him from the earth for 1,000 years. For 1,000 years Satan will not be able to tempt or deceive people on earth.

Now we get into the next passage, which is the millennial reign of Christ on earth and the first resurrection. READ verse 4. This is the resurrection and rule of the believers. John sees thrones and people sitting on them with the authority to judge and rule. He also sees millions of believers who were martyred during the tribulation, those who were killed for their witness for Christ and their stand for the Word of God. These are those who refused to worship and receive the mark of the antichrist.

Who are the people sitting on the thrones? They are those who live again or come to life again and who reign with Christ. They are those who take part in the first resurrection.

Notice that John sets the martyrs off as a special group of believers. Why? Probably because they paid the ultimate price for Christ—they died for Him. If there is anyone who should be rewarded and given the right to rule with Christ, it should be them.

The Millennium reign of Jesus Christ is:

• When the believers’ rule and reign with Christ begins.

• When Jesus sets up the organization and arrangement of rule and reign throughout the whole universe.

• When Christ gives believers their duties and responsibilities, their assignments and service for eternity.

• When Christ removes the fallen spiritual beings from power. Where Satan and his host are bound and removed from power.

• This is where Christ reclaims the positions of the powers.

READ verse 5. This is the resurrection of believers only. The millennial reign of Christ will see only the resurrection of believers. Verse 6 says it is for those who are blessed and holy and upon whom the second death has no power. In other words, the first resurrection will be only of those who are going to live forever. The rest of the dead, the unbelievers, will not come to life until after the 1,000 years are finished.

READ verse 6. We see here the privilege of the resurrected believers in the Millennium. The resurrected believers will have six privileges in the Millennium.

? They will be blessed. That is what everyone is seeking—to be blessed. The problem occurs when we look at blessing from the wrong viewpoint. For instance, we tend to think that a blessing is when we get a better position in our job, when we come into money, or more possessions, or fame, power, and worldly pleasures. The only blessedness is found in Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can raise a person in the first resurrection. He is the only one who can give a person the right to rule and reign with Him in His millennial reign.

? The second privilege for the resurrected believers is that they will be holy. That is, they will be perfected into the holiness of Christ Himself. They will be perfectly separated from the world and set apart unto God.

? The third privilege is that the resurrected believers will never be touched by the second death. What is the second death? It means a second kind of death. The first death is when we leave this world and pass into the next world. The second death refers to eternal death, being separated from God forever. It means to be put in a different place other than where God is. When we get to verse 14 we will see more about the second death.

? The resurrected believers will serve as a priest of God and of Christ. This means that we will have the same right that we now have on earth, the right to enter the presence of God and Christ as needed. It will be as it is now except that then we will be face-to-face with God and Christ whereas now we approach Him through prayer and thought.

? The resurrected believer will rule and reign with Christ. These will be the different positions of service that are mentioned in chapter 19. (Rev. 19:8)