The answering voice of “a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluiaa,” also belongs to the afterlife. This comparison marks his special, reciprocal enthusiasm and strength, “for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth” (6). This verse has a prophetic and proleptic character: it refers to the fall of Babylon that is about to take place, although it is still only taking place in the world, which is also the accession of Christ. And this enthronement is further described as taking place in the second part of this chapter (11-21), in the war of “King of kings and Lord of lords.” This war is still about to take place, but here it is evidenced only proleptically. The meaning and power of this future accomplishment, which is pre-depicted as having already happened, is expressed in images of unique and exceptional significance. They seem to sum up everything that has happened in the world so far. This is the marriage of the Lamb. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him,” sounds in heaven the call to heavenly joy, which anticipates events, perceiving the future as already accomplished, for “for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready” (7).

So, the participants in the first resurrection are promised to be priests of God and Christ. But this priesthood — not hierarchical, but universal — is inseparably associated with universal prophecy (which is spoken of by the prophet Joel and in the speech of the Apostle Peter: “and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.”) The sons of the Kingdom of God, together with the gifts of prophetic and priestly service and inseparably with them, will take part in the royal ministry of Christ, on the paths of His enthronement: “they shall reign with Him a thousand years” and should be understood in this sense. The content of the XX chapter still refers to the state of the world when Christ, although He enthrones in it, is not yet completely, as evidenced by the new liberation of Satan along with the rebellion of the peoples — Gog and Magog — against Christ (7-8). Thus, the expression: “they shall reign” (6) does not mean “they will already become kings,” but they will enthrone together with Him. They are credited with some active participation in this enthronement with Christ. What this reign may consist of and how it will be expressed is also the mystery of the future. We cannot help but note, however, that this enthronement will not be accompanied by war, which has temporarily — precisely for a thousand years — already passed, and Satan — also temporarily — has been weakened. (Here comes to mind the prophecy of Isaiah and others about the triumph of peace on earth). Consequently, enthronement with Christ presupposes not only efforts to combat evil, but also the triumph of good. This is the positive construction of the Kingdom of Christ on earth, which prepares for the enthronement of Christ at His Second Coming. Thus, here is contained a highly important dogmatic thought about theanthropic synergism as applied to the final destinies of the world and the enthronement of Christ, according to the manifestation of two wills and energies, divine and human. This enthronement is not only a Divine matter, but also a human one, and not only through the union of two natures and two wills in the God-man himself, but also in the own existence of human nature. The entire earthly history of mankind, as it is symbolized in Revelation, is such a synergistic preparation of the Kingdom of Christ and His new coming into the world. His thousand-year Kingdom is one of the final links in this preparation, if not yet the last, then already its penultimate page. Moreover, what is said here about the accession of the participants of the first resurrection in the reign of Christ, and specifically about them, cannot, of course, mean the non-participation of the living, whom the millennial kingdom finds while still on earth. Moreover, what is said here about the enthronement of the participants of the first resurrection in the enthronement of Christ, and specifically about them, cannot, of course, mean the non-participation of the living, whom the millennial kingdom finds while still on earth. But here it speaks directly and positively about the new participation of the saints who are still in the afterlife, together, of course, with the entire earthly Church in this construction of the Kingdom of Christ. In any case, here is evidence of the advent of a new, unprecedented era in the life of the world, which in the language of Revelation is called the thousand-year kingdom of Christ.