Rev 20:4-6 | RWP | e4.org | And they sat upon them ( κα εκαθισαν επ' αυτους ). First aorist active indicative of καθιζω . Another period here apparently synchronous (verse ) with the confinement of Satan in the abyss. No subject is given for this plural verb. Apparently Christ and the Apostles ( ; ) and some of the saints ( ), martyrs some hold. Judgment was given unto them ( κριμα εδοθη αυτοις ). First aorist passive of διδωμ . Picture of the heavenly court of assizes. The souls ( τας ψυχας ). Accusative after ειδον at the beginning of the verse. Of them that had been beheaded ( των πεπελεκισμενων ). Genitive of the articular perfect passive participle of πελεκιζω , old word (from πελεκυς an axe, the traditional instrument for execution in republican Rome, but later supplanted by the sword), to cut off with an axe, here only in N.T. See ; ; for previous mention of these martyrs for the witness of Jesus ( ; ; ). Others also besides martyrs shared in Christ's victory, those who refused to worship the beast or wear his mark as in ; .; ; . And they lived ( κα εζησαν ). First aorist active indicative of ζαω . If the ingressive aorist, it means "came to life" or "lived again" as in and so as to verse . If it is the constative aorist here and in verse , then it could mean increased spiritual life. See for the double sense of life and death (now literal, now spiritual) precisely as we have the second death in ; , . And reigned with Christ ( κα εβασιλευσαν μετα του Χριστου ). Same use of the first aorist active indicative of βασιλευω , but more clearly constative. Beckwith and Swete take this to apply solely to the martyrs, the martyrs' reign with Christ.

‏ Revelation of John 20:4-6

And they sat upon them ( κα εκαθισαν επ' αυτους ). First aorist active indicative of καθιζω. Another period here apparently synchronous (verse 7) with the confinement of Satan in the abyss. No subject is given for this plural verb. Apparently Christ and the Apostles (Mt 19:28; Lu 22:30) and some of the saints (1Co 6:3), martyrs some hold.

Judgment was given unto them ( κριμα εδοθη αυτοις ). First aorist passive of διδωμ. Picture of the heavenly court of assizes.

The souls ( τας ψυχας ). Accusative after ειδον at the beginning of the verse.

Of them that had been beheaded ( των πεπελεκισμενων ). Genitive of the articular perfect passive participle of πελεκιζω, old word (from πελεκυς an axe, the traditional instrument for execution in republican Rome, but later supplanted by the sword), to cut off with an axe, here only in N.T. See 6:9; 18:24; 19:2 for previous mention of these martyrs for the witness of Jesus (1:9; 12:17; 19:10). Others also besides martyrs shared in Christ's victory, those who refused to worship the beast or wear his mark as in 13:15; 14:9ff.; 16:2; 19:20.

And they lived ( κα εζησαν ). First aorist active indicative of ζαω. If the ingressive aorist, it means "came to life" or "lived again" as in 2:8 and so as to verse 5. If it is the constative aorist here and in verse 5, then it could mean increased spiritual life. See Joh 5:21-29 for the double sense of life and death (now literal, now spiritual) precisely as we have the second death in Re 2:11; 20:6, 14.

And reigned with Christ ( κα εβασιλευσαν μετα του Χριστου ). Same use of the first aorist active indicative of βασιλευω, but more clearly constative. Beckwith and Swete take this to apply solely to the martyrs, the martyrs' reign with Christ.

The rest of the dead ( ο λοιπο των νεκρων ). "All except the martyrs, both the righteous and the unrighteous" (Beckwith). But some take this to mean only the wicked.

Lived not until the thousand years should be finished ( ουκ εζησαν αχρ τελεσθη τα χιλια ετη ). See verse 4 for the items here. "To infer from this statement, as many expositors have done, that the εζησαν of v. 4 must be understood of bodily resuscitation, is to interpret apocalyptic prophecy by methods of exegesis which are proper to ordinary narrative" (Swete). I sympathize wholly with that comment and confess my own ignorance therefore as to the meaning of the symbolism without any predilections for post-millennialism or premillennialism.

This is the first resurrection ( αυτη η αναστασις η πρωτη ). Scholars differ as to the genuineness of this phrase. Accepting it as genuine, Swete applies it to "the return of the martyrs and confessors to life at the beginning of the Thousand Years." According to this view the first resurrection is a special incident in the present life before the Parousia. It has no parallel with 1Th 4:16, where the dead in Christ are raised before those living are changed. Some think that John here pictures the "Regeneration" ( παλινγενεσια ) of Mt 19:28 and the "Restoration" ( αποκαταστασις ) of Ac 3:21. No effort is here made to solve this problem, save to call attention to the general judgment out of the books in 20:12 and to the general resurrection in Joh 5:29; Ac 24:15.

Blessed and holy ( μακαριος κα αγιος ). A fifth beatitude (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9) already and two more to come (22:7, 14, seven in all). Here αγιος is added to the usual μακαριος. The second death ( ο δευτερος θανατος ). The spiritual death of 2:11; 20:14; 21:8 in contrast to the first or physical death. This language raises a question about the interpretation of the first and the second resurrections, whether both are of the body or one of the spirit. There seems no way to reach a solid conception about it. In 1Co 15:23 there is no mention of the resurrection of any save "those of Christ" ( ο του Χριστου ), though the end follows (verse 24). However, Paul elsewhere (Ac 24:15) speaks of the resurrection of the just and of the unjust as if one event.

Priests of God and of Christ ( ιερεις του θεου κα του Χριστου ). As in 1:6; 5:10; 22:3, 5.

Shall reign with him ( βασιλευσουσιν μετ' αυτου ). As promised in the same passages. The servants of God are to be priests with Christ and to reign with him (Mt 19:28). In 5:10 επ της γης (upon earth) occurs, but this item does not appear here. "No hint is given as to where this service is to be rendered and this royalty to be exercised" (Swete).