“And I saw thrones, and there were those who sat down on them, and power of judging was given them. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed with the ax for the witness they bore to Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had worshiped neither the wild beast [Satan’s political organization] nor its image and who had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:4, 6.

⁵ Among the first of these future kings and judges who died as faithful witnesses of Jesus and his Father, Jehovah, were the 11 loyal apostles. At Luke 22:28-30, Jesus describes these as sitting on thrones with him in his kingdom, “to judge the twelve tribes of Israel [nonpriestly, representing the rest of humanity].”

6. How many associate judges will assist Christ when he judges the living and the dead, and what transformation do they undergo when they are resurrected?

⁶ Other scriptures show that this unique privilege of being associate kings and judges with Christ in his kingdom is limited to a “little flock” of 144,000 faithful Christians “bought from the earth,” “bought from among mankind.” (Luke 12:32; Revelation 14:1-4) These give up the normal and natural hope of living forever on earth in order to “be united with him [Christ] in the likeness of his resurrection.” (Romans 6:5) Of such ones, Paul also wrote: “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised up in incorruption. . . . It is sown a physical body, it is raised up a spiritual body. . . . Flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom . . . This which is mortal must put on immortality.”​—1 Corinthians 15:42-53.