Where and When Do the Souls Under the Altar -jews Who Died in Pogroms of the Ages Resurrect? Will They Be in the Millenium?
1) Direct answer
They will not rise in the first resurrection to reign in the Millennium. The souls under the altar (the Jewish martyrs of the ages) remain at rest until the great tribulation is finished, and they come up after the thousand years, at the general resurrection, to receive their portion among the saved. They are not the Bride and do not reign in the Millennium.
2) Scriptural explanation
- Identity and timing: Revelation 6:9-11 shows them “under the altar,” crying for justice, and they are told to “rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren… should be killed as they were.” That “little season” reaches its fulfillment when God finishes dealing with Israel in the tribulation, when their “brethren” (the sealed of Israel and those martyred under that final persecution—see Revelation 7:1-8; 11) complete the number.
- Who reigns in the Millennium: Revelation 20:4-6 shows the first resurrection—those who “lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” That reigning company is the Bride (Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 20:4). Notice the description in Revelation 20:4 centers on those with the witness of Jesus and who refused the beast. The souls under the altar in Revelation 6 are not identified as having the witness of Jesus; they were blinded in part (Romans 11:25), yet given white robes by grace and told to wait.
- When they rise: Scripture states, “the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:5). Those not in the first resurrection rise after the Millennium to stand at the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-13). From there, the “nations of the saved” walk in the light of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:24). That is where the white-robed, non-Bride redeemed have their portion—saved, but not the ruling Bride in the City.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- They are told to wait until their brethren are also killed—so their case is not finished until after the tribulation.
- The Bible clearly limits the Millennial reign to those in the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4-6). Since Revelation 6 does not place those souls in that reigning company, they do not rise to reign then.
- Therefore, they remain at rest through the tribulation and the Millennium, and they rise after the thousand years to their place among the saved, while the Bride (Revelation 7:9-17; 20:4) reigns with Christ during the Millennium.
4) Reinforcing statement
So, the souls under the altar will not be in the Millennium as rulers. They are preserved by grace, awaiting vindication, and they come forth after the thousand years to their eternal portion among the redeemed nations, while the Bride alone reigns with Christ during the Millennial Kingdom.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Demonology
53-1112 §31
Now, notice. These souls under the altar, here, these souls, I mean... Jesus... Here I read the text a few minutes ago. David foresaw Him always before, said, "Moreover my flesh shall rest in hope, for He'll not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption." A better Scripture than that is found in Peter. He said, "Jesus, when He died, He went and preached to the souls that were in chains of darkness, in prison, waiting for the eternal judgment... That Jesus, when He died at Calv...
Questions and Answers on Hebrews, part 2
57-1002 §48
And now, remember that, when He died, He went first and preached to the souls that wasn't in prison ... that was in prison, and witnessed that He was the seed of the woman. He was the One that Enoch saw coming with ten thousands of His saints. He had to witness the Scriptures that had been preached by Noah, and by Enoch, and by the righteous, that He was that One. Everything had to recognize it! Then He ascended into hell, and received the keys of death and hell from the devil. Come back up into Paradise; and broug...
I will restore unto you, saith the Lord
54-0809A §37
But in the resurrection, the elect out of every one of them will be resurrected. Plant that grain of corn of off it and it will produce another stalk just exactly like come up in the beginning. Amen! So don't worry about grandmother died forty years ago, if she walked in all the light she had, she'll be in the resurrection. Amen. That's right. "I will restore," saith the Lord. Truly. Notice, in these great... Here come Moses with the children of Israel. And now they was a bunch come out of the wilderness ... or, co...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 9:E-28
...this section on the messenger of the Laodicean Age, we must seriously consider these two thoughts. First, this age will have ONE Prophet-Messenger. Revelation 10:7, says, "When he (singular) shall begin to sound." There has never been an age where God gave His people two major prophets at one time. He gave Enoch (alone); He gave Noah (alone); He gave Moses (he alone had the Word though others prophesied); John the Baptist came ALONE. Now in this last day there is to be a PROPHET (not a prophetess--though in this a...
The Entombment
57-0420 §20
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, all the prophets, they trusted and believed that there was coming a resurrection, that the Redeemer was coming. They prophesied of Him. Enoch prophesied of Him; rested solemnly, sealed his testimony with it. Isaac, Jacob, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, they rested solemnly upon the time that the Messiah would come. And they died and their souls went into paradise. They could not go in the presence of God, because (we had it last night) that the blood of bulls and goats could not forgive sins...