Rev 20 Part II

THE Revelation of Jesus Christ
Chapter 20
Part II
(VS 4-6)

Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The thrones are sat upon by those to rule and reign with Christ. But who are on these thrones?

Speaking to Peter;
28And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Matt 19:28 (NASB)

The enthronement of Jesus was an integral part of His ministry. The way to the throne culminated at the cross with the subsequent exaltation to the right hand of the Father. Jesus inherited His Kingdom as a result of His triumph over God’s probation tree as the second Adam (see Tim Brown’s commentary on “Psalm 2”). It is believed Peter was martyred between the years AD 65- AD 67 under Nero. The plain (but necessary) reading would put Peter on one of these mentioned thrones here in Rev 20. Judging apostate Israel as the city of Jerusalem was trampled under by its own people first, and then ultimately destroyed by Titus and his armies in AD 70.

Paul gives some insight to the thrones as well by including the Saints.

2Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? 1 Corinthians 6:2 (NASB)

Never the less, we can not precisely know the judges and the judged, other than the righteous in Christ stading in authority over the wicked of the world.

Continuing in chapter 20, there are two lines of thinking that will both be covered from an amillennial perspective; the text reads;

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God……...(and they came to life)


If we narrow it down to only those who have in fact became martyrs in the mentioned manner, decapitation, we would I think be missing the point1. Most commentators see this as not just a description of the martyrs, but would include all who have died in Christ.
Regardless, it is the souls that are seen here coming to life, as opposed to the ‘bodies’. This event is described as the ‘first resurrection’. Since John says that those who participate are blessed and holy, and it is the souls that come to life and not the bodies, we have two possibilities as to the meaning of the ‘First Resurrection’.

1) The reference here is speaking of those who have been raised spiritual in Christ. The regeneration by the Spirit is said to quicken the soul. Paul uses similar language when describing our new birth.

4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together £with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Paul very obviously uses a simile that speaks of our conversion as being ‘made alive’. He as well goes a step further by saying we are raised up with Christ in the heavenly places. Clearly, resurrection type language indeed can be used in conjunction with conversion.

The most glaring passage that would lend this 'first resurrection' to a sinner’s conversion comes from the same author as the text under review. In John chapter 5, Jesus gives an analogy between the ‘two’ resurrections. One spiritually as a sinner is saved, and another general and physical in nature.

24“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
25“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26“For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28“Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. John5:24-29 (NASB)

Jesus uses contrasting metaphors to differentiate the events. The tense in verse 25 is present, they are presently experiencing eternal life as they have been raised from death to life. The use of 'is coming' and the present tense of ‘and now is’, qualifies this first resurrection as spiritual one upon belief and repentance in line with both Ephesians 2 and Revelation chapter 20. Beleivers from then forward are included as having eternal life, and yet still obtaining it; an 'all ready, not yet' theme is introduced. The correlation should become more defined as we continue along in John 5. The exclusiveness of the first resurrection is merged into the physical resurrection in verse 28 only to be separated out again, as those who herd unto eternal life, will inherit that life. All who did not hear the voice unto life, will hear it unto judgment. The first resurrection is simply the selective conversion of the sinner, and the second is general and bodily. The thrones occupied by those who have been made alive by the Spirit would not only have the Saints reigning in the Heavenly realm, but lend credence to the rule of the Christian on Earth. Those of a dominion flavor would indeed lean in this direction.

2) The souls that come to life relate simple to those who have experienced regeneration, and upon death they are immediately ushered into the presence of the Lord. They came to life upon death. Absent from the body, present with the Lord. These ‘myrters’ upon death enter into their position of reigning with Christ. More specifically within the context of the passage (those who hold an early date for the Revelation) of the myrters ruling and judging the 12 tribes of Israel as they are dispersed umong the nations. (Mat 19).

11 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
2 Tim 2:11-12a (NASB)

This understanding is simply to die is gain as the believer experiences no soul sleep; instead he is whisked into the presence of the Lord to rule and reign with Him for ‘a thousand years’.

those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand;

Also of chapter 20, we find reference to the preceding ‘Beast’, thus tying us to a sequenced event directly following chapter 19.

5The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.

The rest of the dead would be the unbelievers who will be raised bodily unto judgment at the consummation.

This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

The first resurrection referring back to the ‘New Birth’ in conversion or the position with Christ of the person upon natural death. The blessedness of the participants of the first resurrection stands in contrast to the final judgment (2nd death). Those who are born twice, die once. Those who are born once, die twice.

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 (NASB)

The reign of the redeemed is not limited to 1000 years, yet is limited until the general bodily resurrection and final judgment of all men. The thousand years simply means a really long time, a time that is inaugurated at the enthronement of King Jesus, and lasts until the consummation of all things.








Footnotes:

1) Chilton here interestingly relates the term for beheading to John the Baptist specifically. He and those OT prophets he represents.