The resurrection of the martyred in Rev 20:4 is PRIOR to the First Resurrection

[ross3421]

Re 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;

These martyred are NOT part of the first resurrection as they are resurrected prior to the first resurrection after Christ returns. I would say after 3 days in the grave all martyred are resurrected. Biblical examples....

1. Christ
2. Two Witnesses
3. 24 elders - Note 12 of these elders were resurrected at the cross the other 12 are the apostles which died a martyr's death. Crowns and white raiment signifies resurrection.
3. Martyred in Verse 20:4

Martyred verse 20:4

Of course it does not say that they are resurrected in three days however when we look at this group we see

1. Only martyred are mentioned here in verse 4 no others. This important fact seems to be glossed over when trying to understand the first resurrection and the rest of the dead in chapter 20. When we see this then we need to ask where are the rest of the dead believers? The rest of the dead....

2. They are ALIVE. This group is reigning and LIVING with Christ whereas the other group is yet to be made alive but still reigns and are priests of God. At the first resurrection they too will be made alive.

Martyred

Re 20:4 and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Rest of the dead (believers)

Re 20:6 but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

3. Judgment has been given them.

Mt 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

There is a reward for a martyr's death and rightfully so. The reward is an earlier resurrection to life and not wait in the grave until Christ returns.

[Beckrl]

I believe these to be those that was given power to rule and reign as a thousand years and that would be consistance with the 'Last Days' as Peter declared that the Last Days had begun fulfilling the prophecy by Joel. (Acts 2:15-21, 30-36.)

2 Peter directly links in context the "day of the Lord" and the "coming day of God" to "a thousand years" and explicitly states that a "thousand years" is like a single day to God. The phrase "thousand years" appears in the NT ONLY in these two passages. The "thousand years" and the "day of the Lord" and the "day of judgment" all appear to be a single "DAY" in these integrated passages, but connecting the thousand years to the Day of Judgment can be equaked at the 'Last Days' From Christ to the Day of Judgment of the Harlot Jerusalem in 70AD.

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,[a] not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (KNJV).



And when John the Baptist preached about the "wrath to come" in the "day of the Lord" when God would loose Satan to raise an army and destroy Jerusalem:

Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?


So these lived and reigned with Christ meaning in heaven sitting on thrones through this time period of given the judgment of God as both John and Peter descibes the thousand years and Peter connects that to the Day of the Lord, but as shown it can also be connected to the full length of time as the Days of vengences or the Last Days.

These saints that have been martyred are those that make up the New Jerusalem where in this heavenly Jerusalem from above these are now the priest as Jesus as the High Priest.

So I don't think that Rev.20:4 shows that those died prior to the thousand years reign, but while and through that time period as the last days.