(Through the Bible) Revelation 19-20 — Chuck Smith

Revelation 19: The Return of Christ and the Righteousness of God's Judgment

This time, shall we turn in our Bibles to the 19th chapter of the book of Revelation. After these things, after the destruction of Babylon, religious and commercial, chapter 17 and 18, I heard a great voice of many people in heaven saying, Hallelujah, salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord, our God.

The judgment of the earth, as far as God's wrath being poured out, has been completed on Babylon. We have one final little battle here to take place in chapter 19. But the vials have all now been dispensed upon the earth of the judgment and the wrath of God.

And now the time has come for the Lord Jesus Christ himself to return in power and great glory and establish God's kingdom upon the earth. And because of this, there's great rejoicing in heaven. That great multitude, I expect personally to be a part of that multitude.

I expect to be there in that heavenly scene declaring, Hallelujah, salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord, our God. For true and righteous are his judgments. All the way through, we have had this affirmation that the judgments of God are true and righteous.

And I think that this has been declared all the way through because this is one of the areas that Satan constantly challenges concerning God. The fairness of God's judgment or judgments, when he deals and meets out his judgment upon man, there are always those who are ready to challenge the fairness of it.

There are always those who say, but what about the people who have never heard? What about little babies and so forth? God's going to be fair and just. This is the declaration that is made all through the period of judgment.

True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord. The concept that Satan brought to Eve in the Garden of Eden, that God wasn't fair. That God was trying to hold her back from something that was beneficial.

God was somehow trying to protect himself. He had his own self-interest at heart when he told Eve not to eat of the tree, that God is holding back something good. He really isn't fair to you. Was the was the insinuation behind Satan's remarks all the way along?

The fairness of God's judgment has been challenged. I don't know what God is going to do in a lot of cases. I do know that whatever he does will be absolutely fair. True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord.

Never worry about the righteousness of God's judgment. You can be worried about the righteousness of my judgments. I sometimes make snap judgments. I sometimes judge without having all of the facts in hand.

And so my judgments are often wrong. And I have to apologize sometimes for my judgments. That's something God will never have to do. Apologize. Oh my, I didn't know. Well, I'm sorry. It'll never happen.

True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord. For he has judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication. That is spiritually in chapter 17, that great religious system that corrupted the earth.

Religion, Grace, and the True Worship of God

Who was it? Marx that said religion is the opiate of the people. I agree 100%. I think the religion is a tremendous curse upon the earth. I have a hard time stomaching religious people. I believe that religion is vastly different from Christianity.

I believe that religion is man's endeavor to reach God. And it's the various ways by which men are attempting to reach God. Christianity teaches that God is reaching down to man. Exactly the opposite of religious thoughts.

Man trying to reach God. In Christianity, you have a God that is reaching out to man. That is why religions fail. Because you can't start with a finite base and reach to infinity. That's why Christianity is successful.

It's no problem for the infinite God to reach to finite man. Religions tell you that you have to do certain things in order to please God. You have to accomplish certain works in order to be accepted by God.

Christianity tells you your righteousness is as filthy rags. You just have to come on the basis of God's grace and love for you and cast yourself upon his mercy. But that God is merciful. But there is really no good work that you can offer to God that would be acceptable in his sight.

But he will accept you just as you are if you'll just cast yourself upon his mercy and ask for his mercy and grace. Whoever comes to me, I'll in no wise cast out. So the great religious system. Spiritual fornication.

Is that endeavor to worship God in an unprescribed way? How does God tell us to worship him? God is the spirit. They that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. And if you try to worship God in an unprescribed way, setting up little idols or whatever, which God is forbidden.

That's spiritual fornication. That's worship of God in unprescribed ways. That's religion. That's letting religion enter in. God wants a loving relationship, not religion. He doesn't want you to be religious.

He wants you to have a relationship with him, a loving relationship, not a legal relationship. So God has judged the false religious system that corrupted the earth with their spiritual fornication. He has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

Now, Jesus found himself at opposition with the religious forces of his day. And it was the religious people who prompted the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It was the religious leaders that insisted that the Roman government put him to death.

Jesus Christ was a threat to the religious leaders as he would be to all religious leaders. He's a threat to them. Because he tells you, you don't have to be religious to be accepted by God. God loves you and receives you just as you are.

On the basis of his grace and love and mercy. So Jesus was at odds with the religious leaders of his day. And they are the ones that prompted his crucifixion. It was the religious leaders that prompted the persecution against the church.

In its beginning and throughout history. There is, even at the present time, one of the leaders of the YWAM program. Who has been charged in Greece with the charge of proselytizing. Because they gave a Bible to a 16 year old Greek boy.

And they've been charged in the Greek courts with proselytizing. And of course this proselytizing law was prompted by the Greek Orthodox Church. And he has been sentenced to spend three and a half years in jail in Greece.

He's an American citizen, lives, his base is in Sunderland, California. He's in charge of the Anastasia ship. But he is facing a jail sentence of three and a half years in Greece. Because he gave a Bible to a 16 year old Greek boy.

And the boy accepted Jesus Christ as his savior. Now this law that has the backing of the Greek Orthodox Church. Or it was instituted because of the Greek Orthodox Church against proselytization. Is the law that they use to charge him.

Well in Egypt it's a capital offense to lead a Muslim to a faith in Jesus Christ. One of our pastors, Imad, spent some time in the Egyptian jail. He was a medical doctor there. And he had a great desire to bring his brothers, Egyptian brothers, to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

He wrote several tracts, was instrumental in leading several Muslims. From their beliefs to, from their religion to a real relationship with God and Jesus Christ. And as a result was thrown in the jail in Egypt.

And he was then released because of the family influence. And told to get out of the country for his own welfare. That he would be put to death if he stayed. So he's one of our pastors here. But that's what religion does.

Religion is threatened by life. By spiritual life. So God has judged that religious system and avenged the blood of his servants at her hands. A lot of the persecution against the Christian has come from religion.

Religious leaders. And again they said hallelujah for the smoke rose forever and ever. That is of the judgment against Babylon. And the 24 elders representing the church. And the four living creatures, the chair of them, fell down and worshiped God that sat on the throne saying amen, hallelujah.

Here we find the term hallelujah used really for the first time in the New Testament. And it's used four times here. It's a Hebrew word that has become universal. Hallelujah. And it is praise to Jehovah or Yahweh.

And a voice came out of the throne saying praise our God all ye his servants. And ye that fear him both small and great. So here is the praise being given to God. And now the encouragement for that praise coming from the throne of God.

And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude. And of the voice of many waters as the voice of mighty thundering saying hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Imagine the millions upon millions of Christians that will be gathered in that glorious assembly.

And when the voice of the Lord comes exhorting us to praise God and give glory to him. In our response to it that tremendous praise, crescendo of praise that will arise. And John heard it like a voice of many waters or rushing waters.

And the voice of mighty thundering. I can hardly wait. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come. And his wife has made herself ready. So the marriage of the Lamb.

The marriage feast of the Lamb will take place here on the earth. But now we are ready. He is ready to return and establish his kingdom. And take us unto himself. And the marriage of the Lamb has come.

And his wife or bride has made herself ready. And to her that is the bride of Christ the church was granted. That she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.

Imputed Righteousness Through Faith in Christ

What is the righteousness of the saints? Paul the apostle said. As he was recounting to the Philippians. His past credits as a Jew. Hebrew of the Hebrews. Circumcised the seventh day. Tribe of Benjamin.

A Pharisee. Concerning zeal. Persecuting the church. But he said those things that were gained to me. Those credits that I had. My brownie points. I counted loss. For the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

For whom I suffer the loss of all things. And count them but refuse that I may know him. And be found in him. Not having my own righteousness which was of the law. Circumcised. The eighth day. So forth.

Not having that righteousness which was of the law. But now having the righteousness which is of Christ. Through faith. And so it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. That is imparted to me through my faith in Jesus Christ.

God accounts my faith for righteousness. And so I'll be clothed in linen. Pure. White. And clean. And the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. That righteousness that God puts on my account.

Because I believe in Jesus Christ. And so it's imputed righteousness given to you by your faith in Christ. It's not a righteousness of works. It isn't that you've, you know, been faithful in your devotions.

And you've witnessed to so many people. And you've read so many chapters of the Bible. And you've spent so many hours in prayer. And you've, you know, done all of the religious devotional things. Not that at all.

I am accounted righteous by God because I believe and trust in Jesus Christ. There is the basis for my righteousness. That's good. If my righteousness were dependent upon my keeping the law. Or keeping rules or regulations.

If, let's say that we said, alright now, every day. You should be reading five chapters out of the Bible. Every day you should be spending twenty minutes on your knees in prayer. Every day you should witness to at least two people.

Every day, and we set out these rules for righteousness. Then you may be very good all week long. And you put your little star behind each of the categories each evening. Yes, you know, all my gold stars.

But Friday you blew it. And you didn't get your prayer time in. Too bad, you're unrighteous Friday night. Just hope the Lord doesn't come Friday night. You might get left. No, no, no. You see, my righteousness is not on such a tenuous thing as my faithfulness to devotions or works or whatever.

My righteousness is something God accounts and imputes to me because of my faith in Jesus Christ. Thank God. And he saith unto me, write, blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.

And he saith unto me, these are the true sayings of God. Now, the Lord in the end here is really putting a lot of emphasis upon the fact that these are true sayings. Over and over, we'll find this repeated as we approach the end of the book.

These are the true sayings of God. You can believe this. You can trust in this. These are the true sayings of God. It is interesting to me how that God took such pains to protect the innocency of Jesus Christ at the crucifixion.

Judas returned the money to the priest saying, I betrayed innocent blood. Pilate said, I find no fault in him. I've examined him. I find no fault in him. The thief said, we're here because we deserve to be here.

But this man has done nothing amiss. You see, God is making sure you know that Jesus is innocent as he hangs there on the cross. It's not for his crime or guilt. It's for your sin that he is dying. Now, as the Lord closes out his revelation to man, and as he begins to talk to us about the glories of this coming age, the marriage supper of the Lamb, blessed are those that are called to be a part in this.

These are the true sayings of God. You can believe this. You can trust in this. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, see that you do it not. I am your fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus.

Worship God. Now, John is like so many people. We want to worship the instrument that God uses to bring his knowledge or love or grace to us. One of the great dangers of being in any kind of ministry where God is using you, one of the great dangers of exercising any spiritual gift is that people so often look at the instrument that God uses.

They begin to admire the instrument. They begin to worship, in a sense, the instrument that God has used. And here is John falling on his knees before the angel that is giving him all of this revelation.

And he's so overawed and thrilled with what is in store for him. He falls at his feet to worship him. He says, hey man, don't do that. I'm just like you. I'm a fellow servant. Worship God. You see, it is a part of man to need and want to worship something.

And man seems to find it easier to worship an object that he can see rather than an object that he cannot see. And so, this is the hang-up of man. As Paul said in Romans 1, they worship and serve the creature more than the Creator.

Man gets hung up. He stops short. He sees the glorious creation of God and he worships the creation rather than the Creator. And so, as John is making the same mistake, the angel corrects him and says, hey, hey, don't do that.

I'm just a fellow servant with you. I just am a servant of God just like you are. You worship God. And if you're wise and are involved in any kind of ministry at all, when attention and adulation and these kind of things begin to come your way, you'll be wise as the angel to say, hey, don't worship me.

Worship God. God does not want you taking credit for the work that He does. Receiving glory for His work. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. That is, prophecy centers around the person of Jesus Christ.

That's what prophecy is about. That's what history is about. History is actually His story. He's the center of it. It all focuses before Christ and after the year of our Lord. But He is the center, the focal point of history.

It is His story. So, prophecy. Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. It's all centered around Him. The Lord's not so interested in telling you who you're going to marry or what's going to happen to you next week.

The spirit of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The prophecy centers around the person of Jesus Christ. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The witness of Jesus. And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.

And he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. We find that Jesus is called the Faithful Witness. Then He's called the True Witness. And then He's called the True and Faithful Witness in the third chapter of Revelation.

So, here He is sitting upon the white horse. And in righteousness He doth judge and make war. Again, the righteousness of His judgment attested to. His eyes were as a flame of fire. Again, speaking of that burning judgment.

And on His head were many crowns. And He had a name written that no man knew but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. And His name is called the Word of God. In the beginning was the Word.

The Word of God and the Power of Christ's Return

The Word was with God. The Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him. Without Him was not anything made that was made. And in Him was light. And that light was the life of man.

And the Word became flesh. And He dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. And now again He comes as the Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses.

I'll be a part of that army. As will you. Because we're clothed still in the fine linen, white and clean, which is the righteousness of the saints. And out of His mouth there goes a sharp sword. The Word of God is alive and powerful.

Sharper than any two-edged sword. Out of His mouth goes this sharp sword. His Word. That with it He should smite the nations. And He shall rule them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God.

And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Now, this vesture dipped in blood is probably a reference to Isaiah 63. It is not His own blood. But the blood of His enemies that He tramples as He tramples out the rebellious.

Isaiah 63. Who is this that comes from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in His apparel traveling in the greatness of His strength. And that is the question the Prophet answers Jesus.

Jesus answers, I that speak in righteousness mighty to save. The Prophet asked, Why are you red in your apparel and your garments like those that have been treading in the wine fat? It used to be, of course, that they would put the grapes in the vat and then they would all, you know, they would crush them with their feet.

They'd have a big dance and a big party and they crush all of the grapes to get the juice out of them. And, of course, you can imagine the grape juice stains all over your clothes. After having spent a day treading the wine fat there in the wine vat, actually with your feet pressing down all these grapes, you can imagine what your clothes would look like.

Why are you red in your apparel and your garments like the ones that have been treading in the wine vat? He answers, I have trodden the wine press alone and of the people. There was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments.

And I will stain all my raiment for the day of vengeance is in mine heart and the year of my redeemed is come. So he's coming to bring an end of man's rebellion. He's coming to trample the wine vat. There will be here upon the earth millions of people who have gathered together to war against him at his coming.

That whole Middle East area of Israel, all the way through the land from the valley of Megiddo clear on down to Edom, crowded with the vast armies of the world, probably numbering into the hundreds of millions.

There is a scripture that would indicate maybe 200 million. And that is when the blood will flow to the horse's bridle all the way through the valley of Megiddo clear on down to Edom, through the valley of Jehoshaphat, as they gather together against the Lord and his anointed.

And there will second Psalm come into play. Why do the heathen rage? The people imagine a vain thing, for they have gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, let us break his bands asunder.

Let's cast off his law from us. But he that sits in the heaven will laugh, for he will have the nations in derision. So, here we see him, clothed in a vesture dipped in blood. Out of his mouth goes the sharp sword by which these rebellious armies are destroyed.

That is, he destroys them with his word. Now, we are told that he was in the beginning with God and that he created all things. We look at the vast universe in which we live, the material universe, and we realize that he created it.

How did he create it? He spoke it into existence. It's known as divine fiat in the theological term, which means that capacity of speaking things into existence. So, darkness covered the face of the deep and God said, let there be light, and there was light.

He just said it. Let there be light. And light existed. And in the Hebrew it's a little, even more intensive, Yahiyar wa Yahiyar. Light be and light was. God said, light be and light was. I like that.

God speaking into existence the world in which we live. And God said, let the waters above the firmament be separated from the waters below the firmament. And it was so. And God said, let the water bring forth and let the earth bring forth.

And it was so. He spoke these things into existence. The power of the Word of God. Oh, we only realize the power. The Word of God is alive and powerful. And if we only realize the power of the Word of God, we will in that day when He returns and all of the vast military might of the world gathered and assembled together to destroy Him at His coming and He just speaks the Word.

And it's all over. The battle is through. Oh, the power of the Word of Jesus. The sword that goes forth out of His mouth. He destroys the assembled rebels who have gathered together against Him. I don't know exactly what He'll say.

It will be interesting to find out. But I think that it might be just, hey, you've had it. Like when this guy was breaking up with his girl. He said, can I have one final kiss? And she said, you've had it.

On his vesture, on his thigh, a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And I saw an angel standing in the sun. Now, hey, you can't do that unless you're an angel. These angels are going to be interesting creatures to meet, aren't they?

I mean, they have the capacity of standing in the sun. What is it, 750 million degrees Fahrenheit or something like that, you know? And He cried with a loud voice saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God.

Now, we have just been rejoicing because we're coming to the marriage supper of the Lamb. There's going to be another supper. Supper prepared by God for all the birds. That you may eat the flesh of kings, of captains, mighty men, horses, and those that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free in bond, both small and great.

And I saw the beast, that is the Antichrist, and the kings of the earth, which have been drawn by the demonic forces, and their armies gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse and against His army.

The folly of Satan thinking that he would be able to fight against God. Well, the folly of man today who think that they are able to fight against God and to come out victors. There are a lot of people today fighting against God.

There are those who have set themselves deliberately and consciously to fight against God. The humanists in their humanist manifesto have declared their intention of destroying God out of the minds and consciousness of men.

To free men from the restraints that they may feel that have any kind of a biblical base so that you will not be feeling guilty over those things that are prohibited in the Scriptures, but you can go ahead and do these things without pangs of conscience trying to destroy God out of our society, out of our lives.

They'll be gathered together at the inspiration of Satan. And the Antichrist, the beast, was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought the miracles before him with which he had deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and those that worshipped his image.

These both, the two of them, the Antichrist and his false prophet, were cast alive into a lake of burning, fire burning with brimstone, or otherwise called in the Scriptures Gehenna, which is the final abode for the unrighteous dead.

It is the place, Jesus said, that God prepared for Satan and his angels. And so the first two inhabitants of Gehenna will be the beast or the Antichrist and his prophet and they will be the sole inhabitants, it would seem, for a thousand years.

After a thousand years, then they will be joined by Satan and the rest of the Satanic beings or the angelic beings that joined with Satan in his rebellion against God and then those men who have chosen to cast their lot with Satan in rebellion against God.

Jesus describes it as a place of outer darkness where he said there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Hell or Hades is located in the center part of the earth. The abyss is probably right in the very center of the earth because it's called, and correctly translated, bottomless pit.

And there's probably an area right in the center of the earth that is hollow and because of the rotation of the earth and gravitation, oh, you'd be constantly falling. You'd never hit. There'd be a constant falling.

It wouldn't have to be more than ten miles in diameter to hold all of the unrighteous from Adam till now. And of course, all of our finest scientific equipment could not locate such a thing there in the heart of the earth.

The remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse. What is the sword? The word that goes forth out of his mouth. Which sword proceeds out of his mouth? And all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

The Binding of Satan and Christ's Millennial Reign

So vultures invited from all over the earth to come and to feast at the supper that God prepares. I saw an angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

Now earlier, under the fifth trumpet, there was a fallen angel that had the key to the bottomless pit, the abuso, and he opened it and released upon the earth a horde of demonic beings. Now the angel comes with the key and the purpose is not of releasing those in the abuso, but of incarcerating now in the abuso.

And so he had a key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand and he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and he bound him for a thousand years. And so Satan is not put into Gehenna, but he is put into the abuso with a thousand years.

Later he will be put into Gehenna. But at this point, chained and put into the abuso. Various names for Satan. Dragon. Serpent, that is the one who came to Eve in the garden in the form of a serpent. Devil.

And the word devil means slanderer or accuser. And Satan, which word means the adversary. And so he is cast into the abuso and he is shut up and they 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 for a little season.

Satan at the present time is in control of the world system. Paul the Apostle said that at one time you all walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air that even now is working in the children of disobedience among whom you all once had your manner of living.

But he called Satan the prince of this world. Jesus refers to him as such. Satan is in control. It belongs to him. When Jesus came, he came to redeem the world back to God. Satan offered him a deal. Bow down and worship me and I'll give you the kingdoms of the world and the glory.

And Jesus said, It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve. But Satan was offering a compromise. He was offering an escape from the cross. But Jesus paid the price and redeemed the world that it might be God's once again.

And when he comes, he is coming to claim that which he redeemed. To claim his purchased possession. And so the world is still in Satan's hands. Technically, it now belongs to Jesus. He paid the price to redeem it.

But he has not yet taken possession of that which he has purchased. We'll do that in the near future. To me, it is interesting that it has been under Satan's power and control for about 6 ,000 years. If you go back to the time that Adam disobeyed God, turned the world over to Satan, and was ejected from the garden, that was just about 6 ,000 years ago.

Short, just a few years. And I believe that the Lord is going to allow Satan to have it for 6 ,000 years. When a man was sold into slavery, he remained a slave for 6 years. And our period of bondage and slavery to sin is about over.

Satan has just about had his time. His run. The day of redemption is at hand. And all creation groans and travails as they wait together for the manifestation of the sons of God with the redemption of our bodies.

So, now the time has come. Satan is cast into the abyssal during the thousand years that Jesus reigns upon the earth with His church. Satan will be bound. He will not be deceiving the nations. But Jesus will be reigning.

His kingdom will be here on earth. And His will being done here on earth even as it is in heaven. I saw the thrones and they sat upon them and judgment was given unto them. So these first thrones that He sees are the thrones upon which the church does sit.

Jesus said to the church of Thyatira, to Him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with Me on My throne even as I have sat down with My Father on His throne. Or was that Laodicea? I think it was Laodicea.

And so the promise of sitting on their thrones and judgment given unto them. No you're not, Paul said, that you're going to judge the angels. So, I saw then secondly the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, which had not worshipped the beast, neither His image, neither had received His mark upon their foreheads and their right hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

So those martyred saints during the great tribulation period who had faced the Antichrist and had been killed by the Antichrist for the refusal to receive the mark, they too will be numbered with the class who reign with Christ in His reign upon the earth for a thousand years.

But the rest of the dead, the unrighteous dead, do not live again until the thousand years are accomplished for this is the first resurrection. Now the first resurrection began with Jesus Christ. He is the firstfruits of those who rise from the dead.

When Jesus rose from the dead, He led the captives from their captivity, those Old Testament saints that were waiting in faith with Abraham for the promises of God to be fulfilled. Jesus went into the prison, preached to those souls in prison and when He came out, He led them from their captivity.

He who has ascended, Paul said, is the one who first of all descended in the lower parts of the earth and when He ascended, He led the captives from their captivity. And He opened the prison to those that were bound.

He set the captive free, according to the prophecy in Isaiah 61. That is the beginning of the first resurrection. The first resurrection will be complete when the final person is martyred who is to be martyred by the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation period.

That will make up the group in the first resurrection. Going back to the time of Adam, Abel, those righteous of the Old Testament who waited in faith for the promise of God on through to the church, beyond the church, to those martyred saints during the Great Tribulation, all making up the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy is He that has a part in the first resurrection because on them the second death will have no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

And so this millennial reign of Christ in which we will reign with Him upon the earth for a thousand years. Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgment upon the earth.

A statement of prophecy by Enoch quoted in the book of Jude. Paul said, When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory. And so coming with His saints to establish His kingdom upon the earth.

That's different from the rapture of the church. Then He is coming for His saints. When He comes again in power and glory, He will be coming with His saints. I expect to have a part in both. Now when the thousand years are over, Satan will be loosed out of his prison.