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.
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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.
Souls that are in prison now
63-1110M §16
Now in I Peter, the 1st chapter and the ... I Peter the 3rd chapter and beginning with the 18th verse, we read again. Now, listen close now. For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:^^ [put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit].^^ By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; ^^ [He preached to these people in prison.]^^ Which sometimes were disobedient, when once th...
Souls that are in prison now
63-1110M §175
God, how we thank You for these who are saved. What a great blessing it is to our hearts to be on the inside now, under the blood, while that last angel passes through the land, taking out ... the ones that's out from under the blood---they died without mercy. That was Moses' last pull. First, a young man talking to Israel; second, went down to deliver them; third, was the last message the miracles had been done. Moses was on his road to the promised land with the redeemed. Oh God, be merciful, I pray in Jesus' nam...
Questions and Answers on Hebrews, part 2
57-1002 §65
You older men, and you older women, maybe some of your husbands and your wives maybe gone on. That doesn't bother anything. Hallelujah! They're just across the curtain yonder, waiting; absolutely. And they're longing to be with you again. That's right, certainly, they are. They're longing to be together again. The Bible said they are; the souls under the altar crying, "Lord, how long?" See, they're not in their right state. God never made us angels; he made us men and women. We will always be men and women, because...
Souls that are in prison now
63-1110M §19
Now the soul of man is not the body of man, it's the soul; and the soul is something that's the nature of the spirit, and then when the nature of a man ... when He said, "We are dead," the Scripture plainly tells us that, "we are dead, and our lives are hid in God through Christ; sealed there by the Holy Spirit." Now, it wasn't that your body died. It wasn't your spirit died. It was the nature of your spirit died, see. The nature, which is the soul. The nature of your soul is God, if you're borned again. If it's no...
Souls that are in prison now
63-1110M §14
Now, let's read over in the Book of Jude first. I believe I have marked down here for the first place in Jude, then over in II Peter, and then over in I Peter. Now Jude---I would like to read it all, but just to save time because it's 10:30 already, I'm going to begin with the 5th verse. Now, Jude was a brother---foster brother of Jesus Christ, as we all know. He was Joseph's son. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt,...