It would seem to make sense, then, that Paradise is where this reign is at this time. Again, we’re looking at something that I believe is ongoing at this time, not here in this realm, but in the Hadean realm, in that Paradise realm. Those would be the ones, as well, who would make up that great cloud of witnesses that the Hebrew writer talks about in Hebrews 12:1. [Hebrews 12:1-2: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”].

Not to get bogged down with those who have the Premillennialism persuasion, but they would view this particular scene as being a scene which takes place, they believe, during a literal thousand year reign of Jesus on the earth, when He would come back to the earth and have this kingdom-reign from Jerusalem. But it’s interesting to note, as we have already pointed out, that what John sees here are not bodies! He sees souls—he sees disembodied spirits.

The rest of the dead that John mentions here would appear to refer to those who have died outside of Christ, including those who had been unfaithful, who had allowed themselves to worship the image of the beast and to bear his mark. They are those who have not overcome. Therefore, these ones do not share in the triumph with the Lord. [Verse 5: “5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”]

In verse 6, a particular blessing is pronounced upon the ones who have part in the “first resurrection,” as John depicts it here [“And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection,” verses 4b, 5, 6a]. These are the ones who are the priests of God and Christ and reign with Him for a thousand years [“6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years,” verse 6]. [NOTE: See the end of this lesson for a further explanation of “the first resurrection” in verses 5 and 6.]

I’m using that term, “a thousand years,” because that’s what the text uses. As we established in the beginning of our study of this book, this is not a literal thousand years. It represents a period of time, and like other numbers in the book of Revelation, it is figurative in its nature. We have looked at any number of different numbers (sorry for the repetition) and in the Hebrew mind this number, “1000,” is the number for “completeness.” The number “10” is the number for “complete,” and this is 10 x 10 x 10—completeness to the nth degree, if you will [“nth” is an adjective of the indefinitely large or small quantity represented by a noun—also “enth”].

We know that the priesthood is not limited to martyrs in the New Testament, but priesthood is for all Christians—all are priests. [Revelation 1:5-6: “To Him Who loved us and washed us from our sins in His Own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 2:9-10: “9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His Own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”]

The “first resurrection”has to do with those who share in the glory of Christ after they have overcome. They are those who faithful, those who are tried [as in “tested”], those who are true. [NOTE: See the end of this lesson for a further explanation of “the first resurrection” in verses 5 and 6.] The ones who have a part in this are “blessed and holy,” [verse 6]. To these ones that John describes here, the “second death” has no power over them (and we will speak more about the “second death” a little bit later).

Well, concerning the thrones and the judgment committed to these [verse 4: “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them.”], in light of other passages that are in the book of Revelation, defining “judgment” as “the justice of God upon the evil in the world” and “the avenging of those who have been persecuted,” it would seem that they judge the wickedness of the world as they share in the glory of God.

There a number of different schools of thought that I’ve read on this particular passage. Some would suggest that, indeed, these ones that John has pictured here, these ones who have overcome, these ones who have been beheaded, these ones who have been martyred, are actually making judgments. But I hardly think that that is accurate for the primary reason that the judgment has already been made. You see, there is an implication here that if one is sitting in judgment, there is a certain arbitrary nature to what they may be doing. Jesus is the Only One Who is able to make a righteous judgment, a just judgment, and in that sense, the judgment has already been made. We will be judged by His Word [John 12:48: “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the Word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”].

What I believe makes sense from the several things that I’ve read in this area is that it’s a matter of contrast. In contrast to the world, those who are pictured here, those who have overcome, those who have been martyred, and so on, are seen as, depicted as the Scriptures use it, light from darkness. It is easy, it is simple to discern, between those who have overcome and those who are of the world simply because of who they belong to, you see. Not so much, necessarily, that this group over here that John has in view are perfect—“I’ve never made a mistake” or “I’m sinless”—but they are made perfect by the blood of the Lamb. Those over there—those who are pictured being subject to that second death—by comparison, outside of Christ, outside of the light, have not had the blood of Christ cleanse them from their sins. And so, perhaps, that would be an understanding of what John has in view here, of what is being presented here—not so much that these ones are sitting there (and I don’t mean to be flippant about this) like judges at a sporting event, holding up a card and giving a number. That is not what we have in view here.