Gods Reward System
📖 Revelation 20:1-6 (KJV) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 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. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
📚 Introduction
📌 What we see here is 1000 year reign and this happens after the return of Christ, and the question is why do we need to have this 1000 year reign? Well it’s about Christ ruling and reigning to show us how life is meant be lived then Jesus will give the kingdom up to God, now there are a few things we learn about the millennium reign, and that is those who are from the first resurrection.
1️⃣ The First Resurrection
📖 Revelation 20:4–6 (KJV) 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 they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
✅ Who Are in the First Resurrection?
The First Resurrection includes all the righteous who are raised to life before or at Christ’s return:
1. Old Testament Saints
Daniel 12:2 “Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake… to everlasting life.”
2. Church Saints (Body of Christ)
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 – “The dead in Christ shall rise first…” (rapture)
3. Tribulation Saints
Revelation 20:4 – those beheaded during the tribulation “lived and reigned with Christ”
All these groups = First Resurrection
✅ What Happens to Them?
Those in the First Resurrection:
Are raised or changed into glorified bodies (1 Cor 15:52)
Are immune to the second death (Rev 20:6)
Become kings and priests in the Millennial Kingdom (Rev 1:6, 20:6)
Reign with Christ for 1,000 years (Rev 20:4)
2️⃣ Unsaved survivors
These are people who:
Survive the Tribulation but are not glorified saints
Go into the Millennial Kingdom in their natural (mortal) bodies
Have children, families, nations
Are not automatically saved, and many remain rebellious in heart
🔻 Proofs:
📖 Zechariah 14:16-19 (KJV) 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. 17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up 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.
These are nations outside the New Jerusalem, who must submit to King Jesus
Not all will, some refuse to worship
They have to travel yearly to Jerusalem to worship Jesus
Shows clearly there are unbelievers during the Millennium
📖 Revelation 2:26-27 (KJV) And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
You don’t need a rod of iron for glorified saints
This ruling is over mortal nations, many of whom are still sinful and unsaved
📖 Revelation 20:7-9 (KJV) And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
After 1,000 years, Satan deceives millions
These are people born during the Millennium, who never truly submitted to Christ
They join Satan in rebellion against the King
3️⃣ Rewards
🔎 So in the time of Millennium reign, we have a new government under Christ and this is a temporal kingdom leading up to New Haven and Earth (Revelation 21) and during this time Christ is allowing those from the first resurrection rule and reign with him and how Christ determines where the saints are placed is by our faithfulness here on earth, and Jesus calls these rewards.
📖 Luke 19:12-19 (KJV) He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
📌 So Jesus is explaining a parable about earning rewards while he is a away and then when he returns he will give cites to rule over, and this could only be the millennium reign a time when Jesus is ruling.
📖 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (KJV) Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
📌 What we see here is Paul explaining the reward system and he gives us details about how we can gain rewards, and it’s by doing works that are eternal, that fade not away. This would be things relating to church ministries and soulwinning. Jesus mentions the importance of this in the book of Matthew
📖 Matthew 6:19-24 (KJV) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
🔥 Its important that we understand the realities of eternity and his reward system, because the rewards are placed here for a reason as many christians will not follow through with the spiritual war at hand but rather continue living a life this temporary life which the book of James calls a AA
📌Again we see Jesus giving us details about these rewards in Luke 12….
📖 Luke 12:42-48 (KJV) And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
🔎 Christ gets deeper with these rewards, he shows us that people will be judged according to their knowledge, if they knew to do right then Christ will judge harsher.
📖 James 3:1 (KJV) My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
📖 James 4:14-17 (KJV) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
🔥 Jesus is showing us the real life starts in the next, this is only a passing by to prepare for the millennium reign.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (KJV) Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
