Reigning with Christ on the earth.

 

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

 

This is speaking about the Great Tribulation which occurs at the end of the church age,

Those who are martyred for Christ, who had not took the mark of the antichrist, it is they that live and reign with Christ for a thousand years.

So this tells us that the Millennial reign of Christ the 1000 years only begins after the Great Tribulation.

This verse mentions resurrected saints who rule and reign with Christ.

Many other passages, both in the OT and NT, indicate the saints will co-rule with their Lord. Isaiah indicates a coming righteous reign where princes will rule with Messiah:

 

Isa. 32:1 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.
 

Daniel received detailed revelation concerning the timing and reality of the rule of the saints. It does not occur until after the Beast is destroyed, just as the book of Revelation records (Rev. 19:20).
We know from Revelation Rev. 19:20 that the Beast is destroyed at the Second Coming of Christ, therefore the reign of the saints has not yet come:
Rev 19:20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
 

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

 

Christ comes again and receives his church, both those who sleep in Christ and those  who are alive at His coming and they meet the Lord,

where), in the air.
 

1 Thess 4;13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
 

However, Zechariah 14 tells us that Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives.
 

After He has caught up the church, Jesus returns to this earth.

 

Zech 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
 

Act 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
 

A cloud received Him and He will come back with the clouds. He departed from the Mount of Olives and He will return to the same place.

Revelation 5:9-10 9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth.”

 

After the 1000 years, the second resurrection takes place. While the phrase "second resurrection" is not there, the concept is definitely
portrayed when it says:
 

But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.... -Revelation 20:5 (NKJV)
 

Also to say that blessed is he that takes part in the first resurrection suggests that there is a second.

 

The devil is then thrown into the lake of fire and the judgments that were decided during the 1000 years are executed, with all those not being found in the Book of Life being cast into the lake of fire (v15), which is the second death (Rev 21:8).
 

God then creates the earth anew:
 

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. -Revelation 21:1 (NKJV)

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