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.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 5:E-68
Thou Holdest Fast My Name "To whom can we go? Thou alone hast the words of eternal life!" They held fast then; they were holding fast now, but not with fatalistic dread as men who live out barren lives. They were holding fast in His strength, in the assurance of the Spirit that they were one in Him. Theirs was the sure knowledge of sins forgiven and they bore the name of 'Christian' in testimony to it. They knew and loved that Name that was above every name. Their knees had bowed to that Name. Their tongues had con...
The Lamb's book of life
56-0603 §81
...ipping with blood, yes, it's dripping with blood, This Holy Ghost Gospel (I love it!) it's dripping with blood, The blood of disci... (Let the world say what they want to.) who died for the truth, This Holy Ghost Gospel keeps dripping with blood. Then they stoned Stephen, he preached against sin, He made them so angry, they dashed his head in; But he died in the Spirit, he gave up the ghost, And went to join the others, that life-giving host. Kept dripping with blood, yes........... This Holy Ghost Gospel is drippi...
The resurrection of Lazarus
51-0729A §41
...had Himself, left Himself without a testimony. Now, before the coming of Jesus... Let's take God sent Gabriel down from glory. Now, you can hear of minor Angels coming. But when Gabriel comes, something major's on the road. When Gabriel comes... He's the Archangel. And there's something great fixing to happen. Listen. Gabriel announced the first coming of Christ, and Gabriel will announce the second coming of Christ. There you are. For He will sound the trumpet of God. All right. The first coming... Let's take--go...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 10:E-38
It is "Thus saith the Lord" for that is what Joel 2:23-26 says, "Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for He hath given you the former rain moderately, and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, My great army which I se...
Souls that are in prison now
63-1110M §157
What if I come to you and said, "Say, you congregation, who is your friend? Who shows the fruit of the Spirit? Your kind old priest. Who comes to you in the hospital when you're sick? Your gentle old priest. That's right. Who is it that always loans you some money when you're up against it---in a tight place? You members of his congregation, don't you go to your kind old priest, and he loans you money?" "Who is it that's always loving and kind and showing the fruit of the Spirit? Your kind old priest. Who is it tha...