The dead in Christ are dead.They are not reigning over anyone at the moment.
The resurected saints in revelation 20 are reigning over the nations in the Lords land.That takes place after Christ has come and destroys the beast that killed those saints.
Revelation 2
26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
I know who it is that rules over the nations in the Lords land.As of today,the beast rules over them.Christ has not come and destroyed the beast yet and the kingdom has not been given to those saints yet.
We are reigning now. We are kings and priests on earth now. The "dead in Christ" are kings and priests in heaven now. After we enter into this resurrection we enter into our eternal reign in life on earth (in its yet imperfect sense) and in glory (in its more perfect sense). We reign in life and we reign in death. We reign in time and we reign in eternity.
Please read Romans 5:17,
“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
We are
positionally reigning now in life through Christ. Such was secured through Christ’s victorious work at Calvary. There, Christ defeated every enemy of righteousness – including sin, death, the grave, hell, Satan, sickness, the demonic realm, and so on. The people of God, being “in Christ,” have therefore entered into that victory and have been given kingdom authority over the demonic realm through the blood of Jesus when moving in the Spirit and in the will of God. In fact, the word "shall" in the King James Version doesn’t actually appear in the original but is added by the translators.
Revelation 5, which is evidently located before the Second Advent, describes the same kingly/priestly reign of the redeemed in heaven, saying,
“they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast (aorist active indicative)
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made (aorist active indicative)
us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (v. 9).
There is little doubt this scene is current and relates to a time-period preceding the second coming of the Lord. Moreover, no reasonable Bible student would surely deny that the reading relates to anything other than the redeemed situated in heaven. Here, the disembodied spirits of the elect in heaven are seen reigning as kings and priests now. Significantly, and like Revelation 20:4, the dead in Christ in heaven are described (in relation to their kingship and priesthood) as “hast made” – proving this is speaking of the current fulfilment of the same. The aorist active indicative demonstrates that this is ongoing in this intra-Advent period.
John sees those that have been saved in heaven and explains how they continue in their kingly/priestly position. Here we see the two spiritual offices that believers (dead or alive) exercise and enjoy “in Christ.” They are kings and priests. The humble servant-hood of the true believer and his self-sacrificing walk is connected to his priestly position, whereas his reigning in spiritual power and authority is related to his kingly office.
This dual role of kingship and priesthood is not just restricted to the redeemed in heaven, or does it commence at entry into the heavenly shore, it begins upon this earth at the new birth. The family of God today are positionally reigning as kings and priest in both
heaven and on
earth. They perform such an awesome function
in and
through the person of Christ and His impeccable life, His atoning death and victorious resurrection. In fact, 1 Peter 2:9 says of the Church presently – intra-Advent
, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal (or kingly)
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
We are kings and priests today. The demand of a priest was to make a sacrifices and intercede for the people. We fulfill that spiritually, not in an Old Testament sense. The responsibility of a king was to reign and exercise authority and power within the kingdom. We fulfill that spiritually, not in an Old Testament sense.
We are presently a kingly priesthood. This is current and occurs before the second coming of the Lord.