That isn't what Rev 20 is talking about. Saved Christians will physically die, then be physically resurrected and they will rule over the nations with Christ. No one is doing that yet because the resurrection is future not past or current.
Rev. 20:1-15 According to the "
Progressive Amillennial view", the understanding is
that
"a thousand years" IS NOW, being symbolic of God's Grace through Christ, to ALL the world, ever since Pentecost.
20:1-3
A. "In chains of
darkness"- Satan no longer has access to God's throne. He also no longer has the Light of God's truth.
B.
Bottomless pit is this earth, the place of
satan's grave and his
endless death.
20:4.
The Three Stages of the Church, during God's present Age of Grace, through faith in Jesus.
All those who are martyred, are symbolized as being "beheaded",
beginning with the martyrdom of John the Baptist and Stephen.
A.
The Early church age: the12 disciples etc., being the witnesses of Christ's death and resurrection, suffered martyrdom. Also, let's not forget about those saints who were being thrown to the lions in Rome.
en.m.wikipedia.org
B.
The Mid-church age: called the "Reformation age". Numerous "protestant saints", who protested against the RCC, suffered martyrdom. Martin Luther comes to mind, by whom today, we know of the Lutheren Church.
By 1611,
Protestants were the first to publically "publish" the gospel (in 1611 the first printed bible)
to all the world, preaching: "salvation by faith alone".
Edit: Mark 13
[
10] And the gospel must first be
published among all nations.
C.
The End-time church age: those who refuse the "mark of the beast", "should be killed" (martyred).
One should read "Fox's Book of Martyrs". It's a history of all reported martyrs, since the "Early church age".
20:5
A.
"The rest of the dead", are those who are in Christ, and died in Christ, being those who were
not martyred, but were born again, and then lived out their physical lives
having "the faith
of Jesus".
20:6
A. All born again Christians are made to be "
partakers [having part] of the divine nature", who is Christ, "the FIRSTborn from the dead", being Himself "the FIRST resurrection". If you and I are
"partakers", then we ARE having part in Christ's resurrection, who at the moment, is the only FIRST resurrection.
20:7-8
A.
"...Is AS a thousand years" is symbolic in meaning of God's Age of Grace, which is the "Promise" He made through the OT prophets, etc.
Psalm 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8.
Jesus Himself is that "Promise".
Since Pentecost, God's Grace HAS BEEN made available to all, through His Son.
From His death and resurrection, to the Day of His Glorious return, is the period of God's Age of Grace.
His Grace ENDS when no more people come to Him in repentance, and for NO OTHER reason. In the day that He
alone decides that His Grace shall STOP, He will send Jesus to redeem ALL His saints.
Mat. 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations;
and then shall the end come.
B. Satan shall be released from the
restraining influence that the gospel message has had on him, while it was being preached in all the world, and has hindered Satan immensely.
When one is honest with themselves, they can see that
the gospel message is now waning in the world, and those that remain to be "the man of sin", "the natural man", are on the rise in every social platform and structure that there is, working at being
openly "lawless", which is "that spirit of antichrist".
C. Satan is now deceiving and driving ALL the nations (Gog and Magog) into lawlessness, gathering them together to the battle of Armageddon.
(Gog and Magog, and Armageddon are the SAME event of "flaming fire" coming down from Heaven, who is Jesus- 2 Thes. 1:8).
However, in the midst of that prophecy, there shall come the time of when "the mark of the beast" will be issued, under a new economic paradigm of "Digitized money".
The "beast" will have
evolved (now visibly in process) into it's FINAL form, of a tyrannical "
Economic Master" over the world, with
the UN as it's image, of which
shall CAUSE ALL to take "the mark", in the form of a "Digital ID".
20:9
A. [
9] And
they went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about [individually]**, and the beloved city [collectively]** and
fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them., who is Jesus, returning from heaven "in flaming fire".
(In the TR Greek, Rev. 20:9 reads:
(Edit 1) "and they went up to the breadth of the earth and surrounded the intercession (correction "interference") of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from God out of heaven and consumed them").
See also 2 Thes. 1:8 about the fire that consumes
them.
I urge you to examine the word
(Edit 2) "
intercession"
(correction: "interference"- in the TR Greek: παρεμβολὴ
ν) of Rev. 20:9 (KJV).
(Edit 3): Rom. 8:26, Heb. 7:25. It will be that
"they" of the world shall attempt to
cut off God's provisions of their basic needs of/for the "camp of the saints"(KJV).
That attempt, will be the "mark of the beast".
We, who are born again are each
a "CAMP" unto the Lord. A "camp" of any sort, is a temporary dwelling place.
It is He who is dwelling within our
temporary mortal flesh.
"The Feast of Tabernacles"/temporary shelters-booths", is about God dwelling within our
mortal flesh, and
NOT about the Jews and their vain religious observance.
2 Cor. 4:7 But we have
this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
** Note: We ourselves, individually and collectively,
ARE that holy city.
20:10
A. For all the details, see 2 Thes. 1:7-10.
In the KJV, for the above verses, please notice the word
"when". It is written two times.
It WILL BE a simultaneous event. Redemption for the saved and destruction for the unsaved!!
