My question, in Revelation 20:4, I understand it to mean that only the martyrs of Christ will reign with Him one-thousand years. Will all saints reign and rule with Him, or only the martyred saints from the Tribulation period?
Q. In Revelation 6:9, John saw souls under the alter that were slain for the word of God and the testimony which they held. They were given white robes and told to rest until the remainder of their fellow martyrs were killed. In 7:14-15, more white robed people who have come out of the Tribulation are seen by John. They will serve Him in His temple, and live with Christ. Then, in Revelation 19:8, the Bride of Christ are arrayed in fine linen entering the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
My question, in Revelation 20:4, I understand it to mean that only the martyrs of Christ will reign with Him one-thousand years. Will all saints reign and rule with Him, or only the martyred saints from the Tribulation period?
A. Rev 1:5-6(KJV) says, “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
It was written to the Church. This same language is also seen in Rev. 5:9-10, the so-called Song of the Redeemed. The church is in view there as well.
Tribulation martyrs serve the Lord in His Temple. (Rev. 7:14-15) It’s a priestly role. They aren’t ever referred to as kings. Rev. 20:6 says that they will be priests of God and will reign with Him, but only the Church is given the status of royalty (1 Peter 2:9) and granted a seat at the Lord’s side on His Throne. (Ephes 2:6) Therefore both groups will assist the Lord in His eternal rule, each according to its assigned role.
http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/do-all-saints-rule-with-christ/
Reigning With Christ
Q. In Revelation 7:15 the Angel tells John that the great multitude who is worshiping God and the Lamb are those who came out of the Great Tribulation (Martyrs). They are then serving God in His temple day and night. I believe you have mentioned that they have a different destiny than the Church, who will reign with Christ. But when we get to Rev 20, that same group of martyrs comes to life, and then we see them reigning with Christ also (Rev 20:4).
We know that this second group is the same as the first group, because John mentions that they didn’t take the mark or worship the beast, so they are clearly Tribulation martyrs, just like in Rev 7. Can you reconcile the differences? I was under the impression that only the Church will reign with Christ, but here we see non-Church members also reigning with Christ.
A. People on Earth are not required to take the mark of the Beast until Rev. 13:10. This is too late for the group that arrives in Heaven in Rev. 7:9-17. So while both this group and the one from Rev. 20:4 are composed of post Church believers, the Bible is not giving us two views of the same group.
The confusion on timing comes from the phrase “they who have come out of the Great Tribulation” in Rev. 7:14. The Greek word translated “out of” is ek and it means out of the time as well as the location of an event. In effect it means they will have arrived in Heaven before the Great Tribulation begins. John used the same Greek word in Rev. 3:10 where it’s translated “from”, meaning the Lord will keep the Church from both the time and location of the End Times judgments.
There’s a line of distinction between the Church, who are called kings and priests (Rev. 5:10), the multitude of Rev. 7:9-17, who serve the Lord in His Temple but are not called priests, and the martyrs of Rev. 20:4, who reign with the Lord but are not called kings (Rev. 20:4). To me this looks like a hierarchy of rulership with the Church in the superior position.
http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/reigning-with-christ/