God wants us to be the ruling class
Just what kind of people are we supposed to become in eternity?
Scripture says we are destined to become God’s ruling class. Not only is this hard to understand, but does that mean we should we start acting like it now already? How should our fate as judges, priests, and rulers influence our journey through life?
[This is the third part of a series exploring the most extreme promises of scripture:]
Summary of previous study
Believers are predestined to be saved from destruction and death; their names are written the Book of Life before the foundation of the world; they will not only “inherit the earth” and live forever when Jesus returns, but be expected to reign on thrones and have authority; they are shamed for not being able to judge earthly matters, because they will be expected to judge spiritual matters, and even angels; they are a divinely chosen race and a royal priesthood; our entire universe was created in order to create the appropriate conditions for Jesus Christ and his elect; we will reign in this world for a thousand years, but also transcend the destruction of this creation and go on to enjoy the next one for eternity.
Questions
If what we’ve concluded is valid, then we must ask more questions:
Should we behave like rulers-in-training while we’re alive on earth?
If so, what kind of ruling class should we try to become?
Will we rule over human (mortal) populations during the Millennial Kingdom, or possibly even during New Creation?
Will the populations we rule over still be sinful and need discipline?
These are unusual questions, but quite logical. We know that Satan will be locked away for the Millennial Kingdom and then get released temporarily (Rev. 20:3) and that he ends up being thrown in the Lake of Fire for eternity shortly thereafter (Rev. 20:10), so he won’t be around for New Creation. We also know that everybody who isn’t brought to New Creation will be burned up (Rev. 20:15). So it doesn’t make sense that anyone would reach New Creation without being an immortal saint. But then who or what are we ruling over? Nature? Animals? Angels?
Let’s look deeper into Scripture and see what we can find.
Old promises, new visions
Did you know that already in the Old Testament there was prophecy discussing New Creation? We need to study this section in order to get clues:
(Isaiah 65:17) For look, I am ready to create New Heavens and a New Earth! The former ones will not be remembered; no one will think about them anymore.
Isaiah describes the New Jerusalem, which will be perfect, and the people there being blessed. However, it doesn’t quite match our Christian understanding. For example, it sounds like the inhabitants of the New Creation described in Isaiah will have families, bear children, be married, and eventually die:
(Isaiah 65:20-22) Never again will one of her infants live just a few days or an old man die before his time. Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred, anyone who fails to reach the age of a hundred will be considered cursed.
Wait, so there will be infants, reproduction, and death, but the negative parts of the lifecycle will simply be minimized? How is that possible? Let’s continue:
They will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build a house only to have another live in it, or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit, for my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced.
This is strange, because Jesus said that there will be no marriage in the resurrection, and they will never die:
(Luke 20:35-36) But those who are regarded as worthy to share in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. In fact, they can no longer die, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection.
When Jesus returns, the First Resurrection happens simultanesously. God will establish His Kingdom in Jerusalem, and we will be given thrones there. And although Jesus will destroy Satan’s conspiracy and wipe out the evil armies who served the Man of Sin, and although Jesus will lock up Satan for 1,000 years, this battle of Armageddon will not wipe out all of humanity. In fact, there will be millions of human survivors who were not part of those satanic armies, who will live under our rulership during Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. These survivors will be subjected to our governance, our justice, and our law. It will be a true Kingdom, with a King, subjects, and delegated governors (ie. the 144,000 Israelites and the resurrected Christians).
This configuration fulfills many Old Testament promises about Zion being the source of the “law” for the world, the nations coming to learn from them, and God’s people being a ruling class. I’m confident about that part. And although Isaiah’s prophecy about the new heavens and new earth could be referring to that period, and the blessings that the inhabitants of the earth will experience during our reign, doesn’t it sound like New Creation, where the former things are no longer remembered?
I could delve deeper into the logic of this, but I will refrain for the sake of readers. If you would like a deeper speculation about how this could be configured, let me know in the comments:
For now, I will continue to the matter of our role as rulers.
Who Rules What, and Why?
I am beginning to believe that the New Testament is actually quite nuanced about who rules what. Not everything is mixed together and generic, but quite strategically divided so that certain groups gain special prominence. For example, Jesus told his twelve disciples that they would rule over the twelve tribes of Israel:
(Matthew 19:28) Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth: In the age when all things are renewed, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
Arguably, this “age when all things are renewed” and the ascension of Christ to his “glorious throne” happened when Jesus ascended to Heaven. We have been living in the age of Christ’s spiritual dominion for 2,000 years, and I suppose in some ways all things did become “renewed” in the divine realm, since Satan was cast to the earth with his angels, and the Book With Seven Seals began to dictate world events, as seen in Revelation. Therefore, the twelve disciples would have begun judging and ruling the twelve tribes of Israel within the first century AD. This could explain why Jews have had such a bizarre role in world events since then. It would be an invisible, secret reign of a small group of disciples over a globally dispersed ethnic group of Israelites.
Then we have the 144,000 Israelites and the resurrected martyrs when Jesus returns. I say “martyrs” because they are most obvious ones highlighted, although there could be many more. See for yourself:
(Revelation 20:4-6) Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
Does their reign end after these thousand years? Perhaps. In that case, New Creation does not need a continued rulership of the believers. It would instead emphasize the Millennial Kingdom as a unique period of justice for mankind. The thousands of years of corruption and satanic cruelty would be reversed, and everyone who suffered for God would be given the chance to have esteem, privilege, and power over world events. It’s a beautiful promise, but one that might exclude millions of Christians who—although they are saved from damnation and will see New Creation—did not experience the hardship of prophets, persecuted believers, and martyrs. A thousand years of rebuilding and renewing the world in a true Theocracy. I discuss this in greater depth in my book Maybe Everyone Is Wrong.
Maturity of an heir
It is required for Christians to be “born again” and start their Christian journey with a child-like understanding and faith. But they are expected to mature and become strong, not remain child-like forever. Life is designed to give Christians a wealth of experience, so that they can become worthy heirs of the promises.
