Revelation 20:4
Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Then I saw thrones
The imagery of "thrones" in Revelation is significant, symbolizing authority and judgment. In the Greek, "thronos" refers to a seat of power, often associated with divine or kingly rule. Historically, thrones have been a symbol of sovereignty and governance. In the context of Revelation, these thrones represent the divine authority granted to the saints, emphasizing the fulfillment of God's promise that believers will share in Christ's reign (2 Timothy 2:12).

and those seated on them had been given authority to judge
The phrase "authority to judge" underscores the role of believers in the eschatological judgment. The Greek word "krisis" implies a judicial decision or verdict. This authority is not self-derived but granted by God, reflecting the biblical theme that judgment is ultimately a divine prerogative. The saints' participation in judgment highlights their vindication and the triumph of righteousness over evil, as promised in 1 Corinthians 6:2-3.

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God
The "souls" here refer to the martyrs who have suffered for their faith. The Greek term "psuchē" can denote life or the essence of a person. The specific mention of "beheaded" indicates the severe persecution faced by early Christians. Historically, beheading was a common form of execution in the Roman Empire. These martyrs are honored for their unwavering "testimony of Jesus" and adherence to "the word of God," reflecting the high value placed on faithfulness and witness in the Christian life (Matthew 5:10-12).

and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image
This phrase highlights the steadfastness of believers who resisted idolatry and allegiance to the "beast," a symbol of oppressive, anti-Christian powers. The refusal to worship the beast signifies a commitment to God above all else, echoing the first commandment (Exodus 20:3). Historically, this resistance would have been a direct challenge to the Roman imperial cult, which demanded emperor worship.

and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands
The "mark" symbolizes allegiance and identity. In the ancient world, marks or seals were used to denote ownership or loyalty. The refusal to accept this mark signifies a rejection of the beast's authority and a commitment to God's sovereignty. This imagery contrasts with the "seal of God" on the foreheads of believers (Revelation 7:3), emphasizing the distinction between those who belong to God and those aligned with evil.

And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years
The phrase "came to life" signifies resurrection and the fulfillment of God's promise of eternal life. The Greek word "ezēsan" implies a return to life, underscoring the hope of resurrection. The "thousand years" is often interpreted as the millennial reign of Christ, a period of peace and righteousness. This reign with Christ reflects the ultimate victory of good over evil and the establishment of God's kingdom, as foretold in Daniel 7:27. The believers' participation in this reign is a testament to their faithfulness and God's faithfulness to His promises.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Thrones
Symbolic of authority and judgment, these thrones represent the seats of those given the power to judge alongside Christ during the millennial reign.

2. Those Seated on the Thrones
Believers who have been faithful to Christ, possibly including the apostles and martyrs, given authority to judge.

3. Souls of the Beheaded
Refers to martyrs who were executed for their unwavering testimony of Jesus and adherence to the word of God.

4. The Beast and Its Image
Represents the antichrist and the false prophet, symbols of ultimate rebellion against God.

5. The Thousand-Year Reign
Known as the Millennium, a period where Christ reigns on earth with His saints, characterized by peace and righteousness.
Teaching Points
Faithfulness in Persecution
The passage highlights the reward for those who remain faithful to Christ even unto death. Believers are encouraged to stand firm in their faith despite trials.

Authority in Christ
The authority given to the saints to judge reflects the believer's future role in God's kingdom. This should inspire a life of righteousness and responsibility.

Victory Over Evil
The refusal to worship the beast or receive its mark signifies victory over evil. Christians are called to discernment and steadfastness against worldly pressures.

Hope in the Millennium
The thousand-year reign with Christ offers hope and assurance of God's ultimate plan for peace and justice. This should motivate believers to live with an eternal perspective.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the promise of reigning with Christ for a thousand years influence your perspective on current trials and tribulations?

2. In what ways can you prepare yourself to be faithful like the martyrs mentioned in Revelation 20:4?

3. How does understanding the authority given to believers in the future impact your daily walk with Christ?

4. What practical steps can you take to resist the pressures of conforming to worldly systems, as exemplified by those who did not worship the beast?

5. How can the hope of the Millennium encourage you to live with an eternal perspective in your daily life?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Daniel 7:9-10
Describes thrones set in place and the Ancient of Days taking His seat, paralleling the authority and judgment seen in Revelation 20:4.

Matthew 19:28
Jesus promises His disciples that they will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, connecting to the authority given to those in Revelation 20:4.

1 Corinthians 6:2-3
Paul speaks of the saints judging the world, which aligns with the authority given to those seated on the thrones in Revelation 20:4.

Revelation 6:9-11
The souls under the altar who were slain for the word of God, similar to the martyrs mentioned in Revelation 20:4.
Martyrdom a TestimonyD. Thomas Revelation 20:4
The Restraint Upon EvilR. Green Revelation 20:1-10
The Second Scene in the History of Redeemed HumanityD. Thomas Revelation 20:3-6
Christ's Millennial ReignJ. Gibb.Revelation 20:4-6
Martyrdom a TestimonyHomilistRevelation 20:4-6
Soul PriesthoodHomilistRevelation 20:4-6
The Age of Moral TriumphD. Thomas, D. D.Revelation 20:4-6
The Blessed Dead Living and Reigning with Christ During the Thousand YearsC. Clemance, D. D.Revelation 20:4-6
The First ResurrectionC. H. Spurgeon.Revelation 20:4-6
The First ResurrectionJ. A. Seiss, D. D.Revelation 20:4-6
The First ResurrectionH. Bonar, D. D.Revelation 20:4-6
The First ResurrectionJ. Donne.Revelation 20:4-6
The Happiness of Being Saved from the Second DeathA. Horneck, D. D.Revelation 20:4-6
The MillenniumH. Monod.Revelation 20:4-6
The MillenniumH. Monod.Revelation 20:4-6
The Reign of the Martyrs with ChristW. Benham, B. D.Revelation 20:4-6
TriumphantRevelation 20:4-6
People
Gog, John, Magog
Places
Patmos
Topics
Account, Authority, Beast, Beheaded, Borne, Bow, Brows, Christ, Committed, Death, Didn't, Entrusted, Forehead, Foreheads, God's, Hands, Homage, Image, Judge, Judging, Judgment, Kings, Mark, Message, Receive, Received, Reign, Reigned, Ruling, Sat, Seated, Seats, Souls, Statue, Testimony, Thousand, Thrones, Wild, Witness, Worship, Worshiped, Worshipped
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Revelation 20:4

     4609   beast, the
     5154   forehead
     5358   judges
     5485   punishment, legal aspects
     5581   throne
     5829   defiance
     8251   faithfulness, to God
     8450   martyrdom
     8481   self-sacrifice
     8738   evil, victory over
     9230   judgment seat

Revelation 20:1-6

     9155   millennium

Revelation 20:1-15

     9155   millennium

Revelation 20:2-7

     1655   hundreds and thousands

Revelation 20:4-5

     6139   deadness, spiritual
     9130   future, the

Revelation 20:4-6

     9137   immortality, NT

Library
"But if the Spirit of Him that Raised up Jesus from the Dead Dwell in You, He that Raised up Christ from the Dead, Shall Also
Rom. viii. 11.--"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." As there is a twofold death,--the death of the soul, and the death of the body--so there is a double resurrection, the resurrection of the soul from the power of sin, and the resurrection of the body from the grave. As the first death is that which is spiritual, then that which is bodily, so
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Profanations of Good and Truth
I. Goods and Truths and Their Opposites The Divine good that goes forth from the Lord is united with His Divine truth, as heat from the sun is with light in the time of spring. But angels, who are recipients of the Divine good and Divine truth going forth from the Lord, are distinguished as celestial and spiritual. Those who receive more of the Lord's Divine good than of His Divine truth are called celestial angels; because these constitute the kingdom of the Lord that is called the celestial kingdom.
Emanuel Swedenborg—Spiritual Life and the Word of God

The Life of the Blessed in Heaven.
Having examined the glorious gifts with which the risen body is clothed, and seen that it perfects the soul in all her operations; understanding, moreover, that the glorified senses are to contribute their share to the happiness of man--we shall now consider the happy life of the blessed in heaven, including the resurrection. But, remember, it is not a new life that is now to occupy our thoughts. It is a continuation of the same life that was begun the moment the vision of God flashed upon the soul.
F. J. Boudreaux—The Happiness of Heaven

An Awful Contrast
"Then did they spit in his face."--Matthew 26:67. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away."--Revelation 20:11. GUIDED BY OUR TEXT in Matthew's Gospel, let us first go in thought to the palace of Caiaphas the high priest, and there let us, in deepest sorrow, realize the meaning of these terrible words: "Then did they spit in his face." There is more of deep and awful thunder in them than in the bolt that bursts overhead, there is
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 42: 1896

The Seventh vision "In Heaven"
H^7. Chap. xix. 1-16. The final heavenly Utterances and Actions. We now come to the last of the seven Visions seen "in Heaven," which is the subject of chap. xix. 1-16, giving us the final heavenly Utterances and Actions which lead up to, explain, and introduce the five concluding judgments which close up the things of Time, and pass on to what we call the Eternal State. This last Vision "in Heaven" is divided into two parts, each having its own independent construction. The first contains the words
E.W. Bullinger—Commentary on Revelation

The Sea of Sodom
The bounds of Judea, on both sides, are the sea; the western bound is the Mediterranean,--the eastern, the Dead sea, or the sea of Sodom. This the Jewish writers every where call, which you may not so properly interpret here, "the salt sea," as "the bituminous sea." In which sense word for word, "Sodom's salt," but properly "Sodom's bitumen," doth very frequently occur among them. The use of it was in the holy incense. They mingled 'bitumen,' 'the amber of Jordan,' and [an herb known to few], with
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

A Few Sighs from Hell;
or, The Groans of the Damned Soul: or, An Exposition of those Words in the Sixteenth of Luke, Concerning the Rich Man and the Beggar WHEREIN IS DISCOVERED THE LAMENTABLE STATE OF THE DAMNED; THEIR CRIES, THEIR DESIRES IN THEIR DISTRESSES, WITH THE DETERMINATION OF GOD UPON THEM. A GOOD WARNING WORD TO SINNERS, BOTH OLD AND YOUNG, TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION BETIMES, AND TO SEEK, BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, TO AVOID, LEST THEY COME INTO THE SAME PLACE OF TORMENT. Also, a Brief Discourse touching the
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Second
refers to Genesis iii., the promise being "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death" (ii. 10, 11). The reference is to Genesis iii., where death first enters. But the promise goes beyond this; for it relates not merely to the death which came in with sin, but to the "second death," which is revealed in Rev. xx. 14; xxi. 8.
E.W. Bullinger—Commentary on Revelation

The Lapse of Time.
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."--Eccles. ix. 10. Solomon's advice that we should do whatever our hand findeth to do with our might, naturally directs our thoughts to that great work in which all others are included, which will outlive all other works, and for which alone we really are placed here below--the salvation of our souls. And the consideration of this great work,
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

Jesus Heals Two Gergesene Demoniacs.
(Gergesa, Now Called Khersa.) ^A Matt. VIII. 28-34; IX. 1; ^B Mark V. 1-21; ^C Luke VIII. 26-40. ^b 1 And they came to the other side of the sea [They left in the "even," an elastic expression. If they left in the middle of the afternoon and were driven forward by the storm, they would have reached the far shore several hours before dark], ^c 26 And they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is over against Galilee. ^a 28 And when he was come into the country of the Gadarenes. ^c 27 And
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The General Resurrection
Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. A n object, great in itself, and which we know to be so, will appear small to us, if we view it from a distance. The stars, for example, in our view, are but as little specks
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Appendix xix. On Eternal Punishment, According to the Rabbis and the New Testament
THE Parables of the Ten Virgins' and of the Unfaithful Servant' close with a Discourse on the Last Things,' the final Judgment, and the fate of those Christ's Righ Hand and at His Left (St. Matt. xxv. 31-46). This final Judgment by our Lord forms a fundamental article in the Creed of the Church. It is the Christ Who comes, accompanied by the Angelic Host, and sits down on the throne of His Glory, when all nations are gathered before Him. Then the final separation is made, and joy or sorrow awarded
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Seventh (And Last) vision "On Earth"
E^7, xix. 17&151xx. 15. THE FINAL FIVE JUDGMENTS. We must get a complete view of these in order to embrace them all and view them as a whole. The Structure shows their true sequence: E^7., xix. 17-- 15. The Seventh (and Last) Vision "on Earth." E^7 A^1 xix. 17-21. MEN. The Judgment of the Beast and the False Prophet. B^1 xx. 1-3. SATAN. The Judgment of Satan (Before the Millennium). A^2 xx. 4-6. MEN. The Judgment of the overcomers. The "rest of the dead" left for Judgment. B^2 xx. 7-10.
E.W. Bullinger—Commentary on Revelation

"Now the End of the Commandment is Charity Out of a Pure Heart, and a Good Conscience, and Faith Unfeigned. "
[It is extremely probable that this was one of the probationary discourses which the author delivered before the Presbytery of Glasgow, previous to his ordination. The following is an extract from the Record of that Presbytery: "Dec. 5, 1649. The qlk daye Mr. Hew Binnen made his popular sermon 1 Tim. i. ver. 5 'The end of ye commandment is charity.'--Ordaines Mr. Hew Binnen to handle his controversie this day fifteen dayes, De satisfactione Christi."--Ed.] 1 Tim. ii. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Second Coming of Christ.
^A Matt. XXIV. 29-51; ^B Mark XIII. 24-37; ^C Luke XXI. 25-36. ^b 24 But in those days, ^a immediately after the { ^b that} ^a tribulation of those days. [Since the coming of Christ did not follow close upon the destruction of Jerusalem, the word "immediately" used by Matthew is somewhat puzzling. There are, however, three ways in which it may be explained: 1. That Jesus reckons the time after his own divine, and not after our human, fashion. Viewing the word in this light, the passage at II. Pet.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

That Gospel Sermon on the Blessed Hope
In 2 Timothy, 3:16, Paul declares: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;" but there are some people who tell us when we take up prophecy that it is all very well to be believed, but that there is no use in one trying to understand it; these future events are things that the church does not agree about, and it is better to let them alone, and deal only with those prophecies which have already been
Dwight L. Moody—That Gospel Sermon on the Blessed Hope

Sanctions of Moral Law, Natural and Governmental.
In the discussion of this subject, I shall show-- I. What constitute the sanctions of law. 1. The sanctions of law are the motives to obedience, the natural and the governmental consequences or results of obedience and of disobedience. 2. They are remuneratory, that is, they promise reward to obedience. 3. They are vindicatory, that is, they threaten the disobedient with punishment. 4. They are natural, that is, happiness is to some extent naturally connected with, and the necessary consequence of,
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

The Saints' Privilege and Profit;
OR, THE THRONE OF GRACE ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The churches of Christ are very much indebted to the Rev. Charles Doe, for the preservation and publishing of this treatise. It formed one of the ten excellent manuscripts left by Bunyan at his decease, prepared for the press. Having treated on the nature of prayer in his searching work on 'praying with the spirit and with the understanding also,' in which he proves from the sacred scriptures that prayer cannot be merely read or said, but must
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness.
^A Matt. IV. 1-11; ^B Mark I. 12, 13; ^C Luke IV. 1-13. ^c 1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, ^b 12 And straightway the Spirit driveth him forth ^c and ^a 1 Then [Just after his baptism, with the glow of the descended Spirit still upon him, and the commending voice of the Father still ringing in his ears, Jesus is rushed into the suffering of temptation. Thus abrupt and violent are the changes of life. The spiritually exalted may expect these sharp contrasts. After being
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Resurrection
'Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.' John 5:58, 29. Q-38: WHAT BENEFITS DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE FROM CHRIST AT THE RESURRECTION? A: At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgement, and made perfectly blessed in the
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Word
The third way to escape the wrath and curse of God, and obtain the benefit of redemption by Christ, is the diligent use of ordinances, in particular, the word, sacraments, and prayer.' I begin with the best of these ordinances. The word . . . which effectually worketh in you that believe.' 1 Thess 2:13. What is meant by the word's working effectually? The word of God is said to work effectually when it has the good effect upon us for which it was appointed by God; when it works powerful illumination
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

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