Roger, he would be among the living souls in heaven except that doesn't have to mean he is experiencing the millennium while there, though.
David, he experienced the symbolic thousand years while alive on earth. The thousand years symbolize TIME. Time on earth, not literal time, but symbolic, likened to a thousand years. Heaven exists in eternity where there is no time.
It is in time, symbolized a thousand years that we must have part in the first resurrection, so that in death we can live and reign with Christ even after physical death forever. So, the second death has no power over us. This is what the vision is showing John, and he is telling us.
Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Take this passage for instance, the martyrs in verse 9 are depicted as resting in heaven not reigning on thrones and being priests of God and Christ while in a disembodied state. These in verse 11, their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, why would these not be meaning any of these in Revelation 20:4---which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands?
These martyred souls are NOT yet in heaven in this passage. They are under the altar. Which means they believe the Messiah will come to redeem them from death. But they lived and died faithful saints before the advent of Christ's coming to make atonement for them through His cross and resurrection.
Remember no one could go to heaven after death until Christ went there after defeating sin and death by His cross. He had to first literally go there to prepare a place for them and us. It is because they lived and died before Christ came to earth as man and left us with His Gospel to proclaim unto all the earth, that there is no mention of them being witnesses for Jesus. How could they be witnesses of whom they had not seen or known? But they believed the prophets who proclaimed a Messiah would come to redeem the faithful.
Ephesians 4:8-10 (KJV) Wherefore he saith,
When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
For this reason, they are "under the altar" which means they are covered by Christ's atoning blood, but until His blood literally made atonement for them, they would not ascend to heaven until after Christ gave His life on the cross and resurrected from the dead. These martyred souls are the Old Covenant faithful saints, who died looking for the Messiah to come, and after Christ made atonement for them by His cross and resurrection, we see them again only next time we see them they are first being sealed, and then seen before the throne of God in heaven.
White robes are given to them, and they are told they must wait a little season until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. When is their little season? I believe their little season began when Christ began His ministry on earth. That was when He was baptized by John in the Jordan, and declared to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John bare record that Jesus is the Son of God.
John 1:29-34 (KJV) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me,
Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
So the little season for the martyred souls of Rev 6 I believe began when Jesus came with power at the beginning of His three- and one-half year ministry on earth and ended when Christ defeated sin and death by His cross.
Please don't misunderstand, I am NOT saying Satan's little season will be appx 3 1/2 years. I have no way of knowing that. But after Christ defeated sin and death, we next see these souls being sealed in Rev 7 by the Spirit. Why would the dead need to be sealed by the Holy Spirit? It is the Spirit that gives life, and He is given to be with those of faith until we receive our resurrected immortal and incorruptible bodies. So, the Spirit must seal the Old Covenant faithful because they died before Christ sent Him to make alive all who believer by grace through faith.
If you notice the sealing in Rev 7 is only of the 144,000 faithful from all the tribes of the children of Israel. According to Hebrews in the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem it is only the 'spirits' of just men made perfect. They will not be bodily perfected with all believers until the body is resurrected when the seventh trumpet sounds. But as perfect in spirit through His Spirit they have been made perfect.
Revelation 7:3-4 (KJV) Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed:
and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Ephesians 1:13-14 (KJV) In whom ye also
trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were
sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Hebrews 12:22-23 (KJV) But
ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all,
and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Finally, we see the same 144,000 in Rev 14 the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb. They are now pictured before the throne of God in heaven.
Revelation 14:1-5 (KJV) And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him
an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but
the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
What are the martyrs in verse 9 told to do? that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. That obviously means they continue to rest until every single fellowservant also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, is fulfilled.
I believe their fellow servants and their brethren killed as they were is referring to the remnant of Jewish Christians who were martyred when Christ came to earth a man. It would be Jews like John the Baptist for one. It could not have been more than a remnant because after the cross and resurrection, when the Gospel was sent unto all the nations of the world there ceased being a distinction between Jew and Gentile to all who are of faith. From that time forward whoever is born again of Christ is neither Jew nor Gentile, but a new person in Christ; Christian.
Some will argue, especially you, that time is no more once the 7th trumpet sounds, which means there can't be a thousand years after the 2nd coming because a thousand years consist of time and that it contradicts that time is no more. Why then doesn't a thousand years in heaven contradict anything? Heaven is timeless. A thousand years speaks of time. How is that not a contradiction if a thousand years are somehow relevant in heaven?
I argue when the last trumpet sounds time shall be no longer because that is what the Bible tells us. Rev 10:5-7
Jeremiah 31:35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:
36 If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
According to these verses, the only way it is possible that the seed of Israel can cease from being a nation before God for ever, is if the ordinances in verse 35 can depart from Him. How can these ordinances in verse 35 not involve measurable time? And according to this passage, measurable time like this apparently exists forever, because if it doesn't that means the seed of Israel shall cease from being a nation before Him for ever. How does one get around this passage without making God out to be a liar here?
And then if we factor in verse 37, is one seriously going to argue that heaven above can be measured? That too is the only way the seed of Israel can cease from being a nation before Him for ever, if heaven above can be measured.
Jeremiah 31:31-37 (KJV) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day
that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day,
and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts
is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD,
then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.
Fulfillment of the covenant spoken by Isaiah is fulfilled through Christ, according to Hebrews.
Hebrews 8:6-13 (KJV) But
now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first
covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith,
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
The Seed of Israel is Christ and all who are in Him are Israel of God. That is who the eternal Covenant promise is to. The nation the Seed (Christ) that will never cease is not the natural seeds, but a spiritual SEED. And the people of Christ are a holy nation,, not an ethnic one.
1 Peter 2:9-10 (KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal 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: Which in time past
were not a people, but
are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.