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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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 §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...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 7:E-84
The question now arises, why are these righteous ones in the judgment? There is no other place that they can come up, for there are but two resurrections and since they could not qualify for the first resurrection they must come up in the second which is a resurrection unto judgment. The ones who qualify for the first resurrection (the bride) are not in the judgment. John 5:24, "Verily, verily I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life (that is, the believer is...
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,...
Questions and Answers on Hebrews, part 2
57-1002 §49
Now, but his body... While His soul was over here witnessing to the lost, down here taking the keys from the devil, and coming back and bringing Abraham and Isaac; His soul was laying in the ... His soul was down there doing it, and His body was laying in the grave. That's the reason Jesus said... People say, "Well, why does Jesus say, 'Three days, I will raise it up. Three days I will raise.'? He died on Friday afternoon, raised up on Sunday morning." But watch, it was "within three days," if you'd get the lexicon...
Souls that are in prison now
63-1110M §2
Oh, it'll all be over then. And with joy of heart, we, in faith and courage, we look forward for that day. That's why we are gathered here today, Lord: To confess our wrongs and ask for mercy. That's why we face this altar this morning, because that we know we're mortal, and there's many mistakes in us and we're full of fault. But we come to confess our wrongs and then look to our heavenly Father with open hearts, for the blessings and renewal of strength and faith, that He would give us in this hour; as we have as...