The Bible tells us that at the Second Coming 1. both the living saints and the resurrected saints will “meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:16, 17); 2. all the saints will be taken to heaven to abide in the heavenly “dwelling places” that He Himself has prepared for them (John 14:1-3, NRSV); and 3. only at the end of the millennium will the New Jerusalem come down to this earth and become the everlasting home of the saints (Rev. 21:1-3, 9-11). So, during the millennium, while this earth remains desolated, the saints will reign with Christ in heaven (Jer. 4:23, Rev. 20:4).

 Read 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3 and Revelation 20:4-6, 11-13. Why should the saints participate in the millennial judgment?

 The whole judgment process is intended 1. to vindicate God’s character against the accusations of Satan that God is unfair in the way He treats His creatures; 2. to confirm the impartiality of the rewards of the righteous; 3. to demonstrate the justice of the punishments of the wicked; and 4. to dissipate all doubts that could lead toward another rebellion in the universe. In the pre-advent investigative judgment of the righteous, only the heavenly hosts are involved (Dan. 7:9, 10). But during the millennial judgment of the wicked and the fallen angels, the saints themselves will also participate (1 Cor. 6:3, Jude 6, Rev. 20:4-6).

 The pre-advent investigative judgment began in 1844 when “thrones were put in place.... The court was seated, and the books were opened” (Dan. 7:9, 10, NKJV). The millennial judgment, however, will start after the saints are taken to heaven and sit on thrones, and the judgment is committed to them. Then, once more, the heavenly books are opened, and the dead are “judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Rev. 20:4, 12, NKJV). This process provides an opportunity for the saints to evaluate the heavenly records and to see God’s fair treatment in all cases. He not only rewards all human beings according to what they deserve based on their own decisions, but also explains to them why He does so.