Who are these people?

[B-A-C]

So there has been much debate about the rapture and tribulation and millennial reign and the over of events. Rather than re-hash all of that right now, I'd like to talk about what happens after that.
There will be people who die for their faith during the tribulation.

Rev 20:1; Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2; And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
Rev 20:3; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
Rev 20:4; Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Rev 20:5; The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.

Rev 14:13; And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them."

If you don't believe the rapture happens before this, then the only people ruling with Christ during the millennial reign will be those who died during the tribulation.

Rev 20:6; Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Rev 20:7; When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,
Rev 20:8; and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
Rev 20:9; And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
Rev 20:10; And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Rev 6:9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;
Rev 6:10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"
Rev 6:11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

Rev 7:13; Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?"
Rev 7:14; I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev 7:15; "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.
Rev 7:16; "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;
Rev 7:17; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

So, OK. These are the believers who either got saved or remained saved during the tribulation, and did not receive the mark of the beast, and were beheaded. They rule with Christ, seemingly here on earth,
for a thousand years. ( Rev 20:6; ) but we don't know what happens to them after the thousand years.

After this thousand years, satan is released and gathers up a huge army. The number of his army is like the sand of the seashore ( Rev 20:8; )
So apparently there are still non-believers on the earth after the millennial reign of Christ here on the earth.
This army surrounds "the camp of the saints and the beloved city" ( Rev 20:9; ) but then they are defeated in the next verse ( Rev 20:10; )

It seems many people believe there will be no sin on the earth, no deception after Christ returns (the millennial reign) but this does not seem to be the case.
There will still be many ( like the sands of the seashore ) non-believers on the earth at this time. Also who is Christ reigning over on the earth? Will there be believers left on the earth during this time?
Or, is he reigning over the non-believers that will rebel against him after the thousand years?

this is getting long, so I will post my second question in the next message.

 

[B-A-C]

In the previous post, we talked about the huge army satan will gather after the thousand year reign of Christ on the earth. Some believe the millennial reign will happen in the New Jerusalem, but I don't think so.
Because we don't see the New Jerusalem coming out of heaven until the next Chapter. ( Rev 21; )

Rev 21:1; Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
Rev 21:2; And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3; And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
Rev 21:4; and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

So, OK the millennial (thousand year) reign on earth is over, satan has been defeated. We don't know exactly what happens to those ( who were beheaded and did not receive the mark of the beast ) after the thousand years.
But then the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven. ( Rev 21:2; )

Now the battle of meggido (armageddon ) has already taken place ( Rev 14:20; ). Also satans final battle has already taken place back in the previous chapter ( Rev 20:8-10 );
So are there still any unbelievers left on the earth?

Rev 21:23; And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
Rev 21:24; The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
Rev 21:25; In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed;
Rev 21:26; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it;
Rev 21:27; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Who are these nations? Who are these kings on the earth? Why aren't these people in the New Jerusalem? Verse 27 talks about people that practice abomination and lying.
Who are these people?

Rev 22:11; "Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy."

Rev 22:14; Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.
Rev 22:15; Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

Inside the New Jerusalem are the faithful saints, but outside the New Jerusalem are the immoral. murderers, idolators, and liars. ( dogs and sorcerers )
Who are these people? Why didn't they die when satan's army was defeated back in chapter 20?

If there is no more pain or sickness in heaven (or the New Jerusalem) who needs healing?
Rev 22:2; in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Is this the nations of unbelievers? Will there still be un-believers on the earth at this time?
Who is Christ and saints reigning over during this time?

 

[vangard]

Rev 20:4; Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Rev 20:5; The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.

Rev 14:13; And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them."

If you don't believe the rapture happens before this, then the only people ruling with Christ during the millennial reign will be those who died during the tribulation.

What we see in that passage of Revelation 20.4 is a vision of the Resurrection given to John; if it mentions those who died as martyrs and who has not taken the mark of the Beast, it doesn't mean they're the only ones resurrected then.

About the Resurrection: The scripture says that NOBODY knows the time appointed by God:

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. (Mark 13. 32-33)

For that reason, the Pre-Trib Rapture doctrine is not biblical because it pretends knowing when the LORD would come back, setting it even before the Tribulation would start.

What is important - and what we've been warned of - is to take heed, watch and pray; to sanctify our lives and get ready, rather than try guessing the moment of His return. It's okay to study the prophecies and rejoice while seeing the actual signs of His imminent return, but what bothers me is when people are making an official doctrine of when the Rapture should come; they're disobeying God doing so. So many people are falling for this and also blindly believe that stuff!!!

It's also spiritually dangerous because if the Rapture, for example, would come only during the late second part of the Trib, what would happen to all those people who were expecting to be delivered from all sufferings and not spiritually prepared to face strong persecution or death? I'm afraid they'll be the ones that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24.9-10.

... If you don't believe the rapture happens before this, then the only people ruling with Christ during the millennial reign will be those who died during the tribulation.

Of course! Paul mentioned that the ones remaining alive at that time would be resurrected after the others... Those others are the "already dead" believers (including Noah, Abraham, Jacob, David, Paul himself, your departed friends and maybe your grandmother...):

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. 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. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The promise given to the overcomers of Thyatira (Rev. 2) to reign with Christ over the nations in the Millenium proves effectively that the Resurrection happens before that era: And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations — He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels.

 

[B-A-C]

What we see in that passage of Revelation 20.4 is a vision of the Resurrection given to John; if it mentions those who died as martyrs and who has not taken the mark of the Beast, it doesn't mean they're the only ones resurrected then.
About the Resurrection: The scripture says that NOBODY knows the time appointed by God:

Actually, verse 4 does say, "the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended". That pretty much rules out everyone else.
I've never heard anyone say "nobody knows the time of the resurrection". I've always heard "nobody knows the time of the rapture".

For that reason, the Pre-Trib Rapture doctrine is not biblical because it pretends knowing when the LORD would come back, setting it even before the Tribulation would start.

I have to say for me, that makes very little sense.
If the rapture is pre-trib, I won't know when it's going to happen. It could happen tomorrow, it could happen in 500 years.
If the rapture is mid-trib or post-trib, then it's easy, I'll know exactly when it happens. Either 3 and half, or seven years after it starts.
If the rapture is only the dead "Noah, Abraham, Jacob and my grandmother", then these verses are incorrect.

Matt 24:17; "Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house.
Matt 24:18; "Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.
Matt 24:21; "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

Matt 24:27; "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Mat 24:39; and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Mat 24:40; "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
Mat 24:41; "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
Mat 24:42; "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

 

[vangard]

Actually, verse 4 does say, "the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended". That pretty much rules out everyone else.

No it doesn't : the rest of the dead mentioned in that verse are the unbelievers, the unsaved. Those will rise for the Jugement of the Great White Throne (which is also AFTER the millenium). There is NO believer that is not of the first resurrection (the dead ones in first, followed by the remained alive ones), except the ones who are simply not born yet at that time.

That's also why it is written "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection" (Rev. 20.6).

I've never heard anyone say "nobody knows the time of the resurrection". I've always heard "nobody knows the time of the rapture".

For your information, the word "Rapture" does NOT exist in the Bible, it's a modern theological expression: the exact word used by Jesus-Christ, the prophets and the apostles is Resurrection, not rapture!

If the rapture is mid-trib or post-trib, then it's easy, I'll know exactly when it happens. Either 3 and half, or seven years after it starts.

No, you don't... ! Right now you don't even know when the Trib will take on; and when it will become more evident that it has started, you will still not know! All that "pre-trib, mid-trib post-trib rapt" this is all theological yap-yap. The Word of God says: God only knows the day and the hour or else, Jesus would be a liar!!!

If the rapture is only the dead "Noah, Abraham, Jacob and my grandmother", then these verses are incorrect (...)

Where did you take such idea? I never said that!!! What I said(according to 1 Thess. 4.15) is: the DEAD in Jesus are RISING FIRST, not before the remaining.

I think some should read a little more carefully before answering...

 

[B-A-C]

No it doesn't : the rest of the dead mentioned in that verse are the unbelievers, the unsaved.


You are welcome to your opinion, but that isn't what it says. The only two groups of people mentioned are those beheaded during the tribulation, and everyone else. It doesn't say the saved or unsaved or believers or Jews or Gentiles or young or old or men or women. It just says "the rest" as in "everyone else".
Anything else is speculation and adding to scripture.

For your information, the word "Rapture" does NOT exist in the Bible, it's a modern theological expression: the exact word used by Jesus-Christ, the prophets and the apostles is Resurrection, not rapture!

The word resurrection doesn't appear in the Bible either. Resurrection is an English word. The Bible was written in Hebrew and Greek.
All rapture means is "catching up". The difference between the rapture and the resurrection is that resurrection happens to everyone eventually.
The righteous and the wicked. Only the righteous will be in the rapture. Also, the rapture will include those still alive. The resurrection is for the dead.

 

[vangard]

You're basing beliefs and doctrines out of ONE VERSE! Go make a study and you'll find out that the word - that was translated R-E-S-U-R-R-E-C-T-I-O-N, WHATEVER the language you read is - appears in many places (both the Old and the New Testaments) and are actually talking about the same thing.

The expression RAPTURE has been invented later to specify the people that ARE STILL ALIVE (= not physically dead) when the 1st resurrection will happen for they will be resurrected alive just after the dead ones (Abraham and your grandmother)...

Is that so complicated?

 

[B-A-C]

You're basing beliefs and doctrines out of ONE VERSE! Go make a study and you'll find out that the word - that was translated R-E-S-U-R-R-E-C-T-I-O-N, WHATEVER the language you read is - appears in many places (both the Old and the New Testaments) and are actually talking about the same thing.

The expression RAPTURE has been invented later to specify the people that ARE STILL ALIVE (= not physically dead) when the 1st resurrection will happen for they will be resurrected alive just after the dead ones (Abraham and your grandmother)...

Is that so complicated?

The rapture is just what we call the following event.
1 Thes 4:17; Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

G726
ἁρπάζω
harpazō
har-pad'-zo
From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).

harpazo = caught up = rapture.

Matt 24:40; "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
Matt 24:41; "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
Matt 24:42; "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

1 Thes 4:13; But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
1 Thes 4:14; For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
1 Thes 4:15; 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 not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1 Thes 4:16; For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
1 Thes 4:17; Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Matt 24:31; "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
1 Cor 15:52; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

G1996
ἐπισυνάγω
episunagō
ep-ee-soon-ag'-o
From G1909 and G4863; to collect upon the same place: - gather (together).

episunagō = gather = rapture.

I would be interested in any verses that say people who are alive will be resurrected, if you have them.

 

[james1523]

Resurrection and rapture will be in various stages. There is two resurrections and two raptures. And one of these raptures includes resurrection then rapture.

We have various groups of people, there are many. We have the martyrs from old testament times until time of Jesus. We have new testament martyrs. We have all the general saved dead. We have all the overcoming dead (the strong saints). We have all those martyred during the tribulation period. We have the 144,000 virgins. We have the unbelievers who side with satan against Christ, and we have the unbelievers who are for Christ by not being against Him (Mark 9:40), aka "Christians by honor".

Rev 6:9 and until Rev 20:4 refers to all the martyrs from the old testament times until the 5th seal.
The 5th seal is Christian martyrdom from the first century to the time near the end of the age.

Rev 12:5 the man-child is the stronger and faithful Christians out of all the dead Christian on the Earth, caught up to God and the throne. This is the resurrection and rapture. First they are resurrected, then they are raptured.

Rev 15:2 are those who are killed through the tribulation period, who overcome the anti-christ and not receive his mark, and are killed during the reign of antichrist. Revelation 14:13, Rev 15 and Rev 20:4 is the martyrs during the tribulation period.
These martyred are resurrected in Rev 20:4 to participate in the 1000 year reign of Christ, along with all those who are resurrected in the first resurrection.

Reigning with Christ is reward for those who attain to the first resurrection from the dead.

“So apparently there are still non-believers on the earth after the millennial reign of Christ here on the earth.
This army surrounds "the camp of the saints and the beloved city" ( Rev 20:9; ) but then they are defeated in the next verse ( Rev 20:10; )”

Yes the 1000 year reign of Christ includes the nations who are captured. They will rebel under satans rule one last time at the end of 1000 year reign of Christ.
After the 1000 year reign of Christ, the rest of the unsaved dead will be resurrected for the post-millenial judgement (Rev 20:5).

Inside the New Jerusalem are the faithful saints, but outside the New Jerusalem are the immoral. murderers, idolators, and liars. ( dogs and sorcerers )
Who are these people? Why didn't they die when satan's army was defeated back in chapter 20?

If there is no more pain or sickness in heaven (or the New Jerusalem) who needs healing?
Rev 22:2; in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Is this the nations of unbelievers? Will there still be un-believers on the earth at this time?
Who is Christ and saints reigning over during this time?

The answer is that not all the non-believers will join satan and war.
There is a group of people who are for Christ by default, who are not necessarily followers of Christ but who are yet not against Him.
These ones are the sheep in Matt 25:31 and are the ones who help the saints during the tribulation period.

Jesus is speaking about unbelievers who are kind to the Christians:

Mark 9:40 whoever is not against us is for us
Mark 9:41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
They are rewarded by not suffering the same fate as the devil. They are the people that the Christians will rule over.

They could be called "nominal Christians", or "church going unbelievers". They don't have saving faith, but neither do they join satan and fight against Christ.

During the 1000 year reign of Christ, the Christian gets to rule over the unregenerate nations. Only a part of this people will join satan and rebel against Christ after the 1000 year reign.
Outside the New Jerusalem are the sheep (Matt 25:31), the ones who did not rebel, which will be the nations that the Christians in their glorified bodies will rule over in the new earth.
These people, do not have eternal life, are not regenerated, and must rely on the tree of life for survival, they will have no more death because of the tree of life. These are the ones who walk around the New Jerusalem by its light.
Their beings will be restored to the state of Adam and Eve before they sinned and the state of the earth will be like a new garden of Eden. They will not be supernatural and immortal in themselves, like the Christians.

This is what the bible teaches and what the apostles believed, before Catholicism started and corrupted the doctrines, to leave us with a simplistic view of heaven, hell, purgatory in between, those in heaven, those in hell and with no consideration of the New Jerusalem, new heaven and earth etc, and 1000 year reign of Christ. Catholicism not only brought in new doctrines such as purgatory, they also dropped the true goal of the Christian faith.

Roman Catholicism has heaven as its goal, with the aim to get into heaven through purgatorial cleansing, by paying indulgences. Protestantism has continued this doctrine but taken out the purgatory. That is, Protestantism has seen that purgatory is not in the bible, but they have not seen the end goal like the apostles saw.

In contrast, the apostles and early church had New Jerusalem as its goal, with a view towards attaining to the resurrection of the dead, and the rapture, and being found worthy to rule and reign with Christ, over the unbelieving, yet friendly, gentiles.

Some Christians get to rule over many cities of unbelieving gentiles, others only a few:
Luke 19:17 ""'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'"

 

[B-A-C]

Some Christians get to rule over many cities of unbelieving gentiles, others only a few:

The parts about reigning with Christ, I agree with.
2 Tim 2:12; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
Rev 5:10; "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."
Rev 20:6; Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Rev 22:5; And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
Matt 24:46; "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
Matt 24:47; "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

I do wonder about the discrepancy between 20:6 and 22:5, the only thing I can think of is those beheaded during the tribulation only get 1,000 years, and the other Christians reign forever and ever.
Why would they get less? I'm not 100% sure, but one thought is...

John 20:28; Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
John 20:29; Jesus *said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."

Those who get saved during the tribulation, will not be able to deny God is doing the things in the world that are prophesied in the Bible. Perhaps they will get less blessing than those who simply believed in the first place.

As for the part about "nominal Christians" ... not so much I need to study this more.
Rev 3:16; 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
Rev 2:4; 'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

 

[spirit1st]

We need to understand what the Great tribulation is? It GOD wrath upon the world. Not His children. That why we go before the Great Tribulation begins.
God Cannot bring His Wrath upon His own family and household. He tells us Not to bring our wrath on our children, why would He do it to us?

Our is a One on One Relationship . It not about serving a cult or religion or churches here or popes or pastors or anything else here.
But man wants too use those who truly love the Lord .

Better to allow GOD to use us and guide us .

The first Resurrection, begin when Those He freed from hell went up. That was after He walked the earth Again for 40 days. He had to be the first too enter the New Heaven [New Jerusalem] Not sure if it ends at the great tribulation or after ? Then again ? It could go on til before the judgment day?

We see for sure many who are killed during the great tribulation go right to New Jerusalem. They too Must be in the first Resurrection !

The 2nd Resurrection must be after the judgment day?

Of course I believe Revelation stops at the end of chapter 11 where we see the judgment day . And begins again telling it some what differently in chapter 12

We also see in chapter 10 Time is Not more.

Rev 10:6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

 

[james1523]

The parts about reigning with Christ, I agree with.
2 Tim 2:12; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
Rev 5:10; "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."
Rev 20:6; Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Rev 22:5; And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
Matt 24:46; "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
Matt 24:47; "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

I do wonder about the discrepancy between 20:6 and 22:5, the only thing I can think of is those beheaded during the tribulation only get 1,000 years, and the other Christians reign forever and ever.
Why would they get less? I'm not 100% sure, but one thought is...

John 20:28; Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
John 20:29; Jesus *said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."

Those who get saved during the tribulation, will not be able to deny God is doing the things in the world that are prophesied in the Bible. Perhaps they will get less blessing than those who simply believed in the first place.

As for the part about "nominal Christians" ... not so much I need to study this more.
Rev 3:16; 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
Rev 2:4; 'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

I don't see a discrepancy there. 20:6 is a reward to faithful believers on the old earth. 22:5 refers to all believers on the new earth. The ones who rule and reign for 1000 years, will of course also be there on the new earth too.

After the first resurrection (resurrection of the just, all saved believers), will be 1000 year rule on old earth. Only the overcoming and victorious saints will get to rule with Christ for 1000 years. The rest go to "outer darkness" for punishment (Matt 8:12, 22:13, and 25:30) and will not be able to enter the millenial kingdom of God on Earth. This will be determined at the judgement seat of Christ, the believers judgement. Some get to rule over many cities (Luke 19:17), others get nothing and go to punishment in the outer darkness (Luke 19:26), and after the 1000 years, those who hate Christ's rule, are killed at second death, lake of fire (Luke 19:27). At end of 1000 years, will be the resurrection of the damned, the great judgement, the unbelievers cast into the lake of fire. Then old earth will pass away, then all believers will rule for eternity on the new earth.