Who Will Reign With Christ

  Who Will Reign With Christ

Published 20250814 Revised 20250828

NB: This is all based on the premise that there is a Pre Tribulation RAPTURE!

I did a word search in the New Testament for the words 'rule' and 'reign'! The reason was that years ago I discovered in Revelation chapter 20 versus 4-5, that it seems to says quite clearly that only those who endure and stand firm through the Great Tribulation will reign with Christ during the thousand years! So lately I thought let's see if any other passages make reference to us Christians ruling and/or reigning with Christ at any time in the present or in the future?

I was quite surprised, because apart from that one mentioned above in Rev 20 there are no passages that clearly says that anyone else will REIGN with Christ? We have the parables, which infer we could RULE with Christ. But some say the parables can not be taken literally, they are allegorical. Well let's look at some scriptures and see what other verses we can find.

In Matthew 24: 43-47 KJV Jesus starts " ..if the goodman ..had known in what watch the thief would come, he ..would not have ..his ..house ..broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh". And He finishes with verse 47 "Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods". Most people believe that Matthew 24 is speaking of the last days followed by the second coming of The Lord; "the Son of man cometh". Those who think this refers to the second coming, would then assume the, "RULE over all his good", is the reward to a good servant. BUT Don't forget it's a parallel?

Then we have Matt 25: 14-30, the parable of the man giving out "talents" to his servants. Ultimately when the man returns, Mat 25:21 KJV "His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:.." To

"ruler over many things;" is more along the lines of an administrative roll to rule over THINGS! And it is nothing like the reference in Rev 20:4 KJV "... and they lived and REIGNED with Christ a thousand years". BUT again Don't forget it's just a parallel?

SUFFERING

Some other passages speak of, "IF we suffer", and the reward after that suffering. 2Ti 2:12 KJV "IF WE SUFFER, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:" And there's another verses in, Rom 8:17 KJV "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be THAT WE SUFFER with him, that we may be also glorified together. They sound promising!

Well we all suffer these day, but our suffering is nothing compared to that described in Revelation 20. Rev 20:4 KJV "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." But that verse is clearly speaking of the beast and his mark so that has to be speaking of the Great Tribulation! And if you believe you will be caught up in the Rapture, then the Great Tribulation hasn't happened yet?

JOINT-HEIRS

Also there is the issue that we are joint-heirs with Christ; as in Rom 8:17 above and in this verse. Gal 4:7 KJV Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Ok some passages say we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, and it would appear that we have that authority in our present day. That's fine that we rule as joint heirs with Christ now in our present day, but we only ruling in the spirit realm. And you need the anointing of the Holy Spirit other wise you end up like the seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19: 13-16. They ordered an evil spirit to leave a demoned possessed man. Their authority was challenged and they got striped naked and severely boated out of the man's house. Act 19:15 MKJV1962 "But answering the evil spirit said, Jesus I know, and I comprehend Paul, but who are you?"

YOUR AUTHORITY NOW

But consider this, your authority in Christ now in our present day, does it compare to that which is described in Revelation 20:4 KJV "... and they lived and REIGNED with Christ a thousand years." And that thousand years REIGN of Christ with us as His joint reigning ambassadors will be quite severe. The world must annually worship the Lord or pay the penalty. Refer Zechariah chapter 14. Zec 14:16-19 KJV "16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.... 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles." Then it goes on to speak of NO rain on their land or the affliction of plagues.

So when we consider REIGNING with Christ what scriptures are you left with? It would appear that the only time anyone will truly REIGN with Christ during the thousand years, is if we have been through the Great Tribulation? But don't forget this is all based on the belief that there is a Pre Tribulation Rapture, and that all of us Christians are Raptured off to heaven and don't go through the Great Tribulation.

THE TRIBULATION

What Happens During The Tribulation. The main references we have for that is in the Revolution, in particular the letters to the churches. But a key phrase that keeps popping up is; "He that overcome".

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Rev 2:1 KJV Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;.... 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

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Rev 2:8 KJV And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;..... 2:11 KJV He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

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Rev 2:12 KJV And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;...... 2:17 KJV He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

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Rev 2:18-26 KJV 18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; 26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works untuo the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

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Rev 3:1 KJV And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Rev 3:5 KJV He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

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Rev 3:7 KJV And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

Rev 3:12 KJV Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

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Rev 3:14 KJV And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;...... 3:21 KJV To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

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Rev 21:7 KJV He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

So each church has been through some horrible persecution, and He that overcometh will be rewarded. And we can see that according to revelation 20: 4-5 they also get to REIGN with Christ during the thousand years!

Then you have all the passages through out the rest of Revelation, speaking of the horrendous things the tribulation saints go through! And they MUST endure them to be accepted by the Lord.

CONCLUSION

Let's say you believe in the pre tribulation rapture, and YOU ARE CAUGHT UP IN THE RAPTURE! All living Christians and the dead in Christ are raptured from earth, and the Seven Year Great Tribulation starts. The tribulation saints go through hell on earth under the rule of the antichrist. Then Christ returns and He sets up His one thousand year Reign on earth. And the Tribulation saints jointly REIGN with Him!

BUT IF you were caught up in the Rapture, when you come back after the Tribulation from that "Seven Years Holiday", then the thousand years reign of Christ starts. BUT you are NOT part of the REIGNING body with Christ? Also it would appear that after the thousand years there is no indication that you will EVER REIGN with Christ throughout eternity!? And if you can find any passages that clearly say anyone who is in the PRE Tribulation will REIGN with Christ by all means let know.

SO YOU HAVE A CHOICE!

Do you want to miss out on the "pre tribulation rapture" and go through the Great Tribulation, so that you can get a chance to REIGN with Christ during the thousand years?

Or

Do you want to be in the "pre tribulation rapture" and "sit in heaven for seven years watching reruns"? Then when you return to earth you have NO real authority and you definitely WILL NOT REIGN WITH CHRIST!

WHAT IF THER IS NO PRE TRIB RAPTURE?

BUT If there is NO Pre Tribulation Rapture, then the world has been living through the great tribulation period for the past 2000 years. Therefore anyone who has been an over comer from Calvary to now will reign with Christ in the millennium.

That sounds more logical to me.

As before if you have any comments drop me a line.

Yours Adrian DEACON