Revelation 20:5 what does this mean?

Question

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished....What thousand years
This is the first resurrection.What is this talking about?

Answer 1

What does Revelation 20:4-6 indicate as to those who will be resurrected?

Rev. 20:4-6: “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 they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.”

It is not “the rest of the dead” who share in the first resurrection. That resurrection is for those who rule with Christ for the thousand years. Does this mean that no others of mankind will live during the thousand years except the ones who rule in heaven with Christ? No; because, if such were the case, it would mean that there was no one on behalf of whom they were serving as priests, and their domain would be a desolate globe.

Who, then, are “the rest of the dead”? They are all those of mankind who died as a result of Adamic sin and those who, though survivors of the great tribulation or those who may be born during the Millennium, need to be relieved of the death-dealing effects of such sin. Compare Ephesians 2:1.

In what sense do they not “come to life” until the end of the thousand years? This does not mean their resurrection. This ‘coming to life’ involves much more than merely existing as humans. It means attaining to human perfection, free from all effects of Adamic sin. Notice that the reference to this in verse 5 occurs immediately after the preceding verse says that those who will be in heaven “came to life.” In their case it means life free from all effects of sin; they are even specially favored with immortality. (1 Cor. 15:54) For “the rest of the dead,” then, it must mean the fullness of life in human perfection.

Answer 2

They make a diffrence between the first resurrection that is only for the people that belived in Jesus and fought for the Christianity. When the rest of the people suffer on earth with Satan for 1000 years the righteous will live with God in heaven.

I think they use 1000 years because at the time when the Revelation was written a 1000 years was a very very very long time almost like eternity since they hadnt started to write history in the same way as we did today when people can say that the Battle of Hastings was 1066. 1000 years shows that it will be a very long time.

Answer 3

The first resurrection is of the saints mentioned in Revelation 6:9-11. The thousand years mentioned is the millennial reign of Christ (hence 1,000 years) of Revelation chapter 20. The second resurrection is mentioned in Revelation 20:11-15 and occurs after the 1,000 years. This is the great white throne judgment.

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
Revelation 20:6

Answer 4

The "thousand years" seems to be what we are living in RIGHT NOW. Pre-millennialists view it as a reign of Jesus on earth, but Jesus told people that THEY WOULD SEE HIS KINGDOM IN THEIR LIFETIME. Either Jesus lied (impossible) or HE IS REIGNING RIGHT NOW. The kingdom ON EARTH clearly refers to THE CHURCH. Peter writes that the heavens and earth WILL BE DESTROYED. There will be NO MORE EARTH and NO MORE REIGN ON THE EARTH.

The FIGURATIVE language in Revelation MUST be interpreted in light of the CLEAR language elsewhere.

2Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar. Fire will destroy everything in them. God will judge the earth and everything in it. 11 So everything will be destroyed. And what kind of people should you be? You should lead holy and godly lives.

Mark 9:1 Jesus said to them, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Some who are standing here will not die before they see God’s kingdom coming with power.”

1Corinthians 4:20 The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk. It is a matter of power.

1Corinthians 15:23 But here is the order of events. Christ is the first of those who rise from the dead. When he comes back, those who belong to him will be raised. 24 Then the end will come. Christ will destroy all rule, authority and power. He will hand over the kingdom to God the Father. 25 Christ must rule until he has put all his enemies under his control. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

1Corinthians 15:50 Brothers and sisters, here is what I’m telling you. Bodies made of flesh and blood can’t share in the kingdom of God. And what dies can’t share in what never dies. 51 Listen! I am telling you a mystery. We will not all die. But we will all be changed. 52 That will happen in a flash, as quickly as you can wink an eye. It will happen when the last trumpet sounds. The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised to live forever. And we will be changed. 53 Our natural bodies don’t last forever. They must be dressed with what does last forever. What dies must be dressed with what does not die.
54 In fact, that is going to happen. What does not last will be dressed with what lasts forever. What dies will be dressed with what does not die. Then what is written will come true. It says, “Death has been swallowed up. It has lost the battle.” 55 “Death, where is the battle you thought you were winning? Death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin. And the power of sin is the law.
57 But let us give thanks to God! He wins the battle for us because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. 58 My dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Don’t let anything move you. Always give yourselves completely to the work of the Lord. Because you belong to the Lord, you know that your work is not worthless.

Answer 5

You gotta read around the verse, if you take out any one verse it can be interpreted completly different if you were to read it along with the other versus.

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.


The 1000 years is when Jesus comes back to reign over the earth, and Satan is locked up.

Answer 6

my interpretation ok......first the rapture will happen where all those who saved will be taken from the world, reserrected or if their alive, they'll 'disappear' and go to be with God. those that aren't saved and are in the grave stay in the grave. those that are still alive when the rapture have a thousand years where they'll go about life 'normally' i guess, like we do now. accept the anti-christ will be on earth too. so at the end of the 1000 years the unsaved in the grave will be raised and everyone left will be judged. but i havent studied revelations that in-depth.

Answer 7

After the resurrection of the Just (or the first resurrection) we will live on a paradisaical earth, presided over by Christ at the head of the Government. After a thousand years to progress, the resurrection of the unjust (or final resurrection) will occur. The first resurrection started with Christ and will end when He comes again, resurrecting all righteous souls.

Answer 8

It is referring tio the dead that are not believers in Christ upon their death in the current age. The first resurrection is the resurrection of the believers. This will happen at Christs return to Earth where he will reign for 1000 years. The second resurrection mentioned in Rev:20 describes those who have rejected Christ and are resurrected for their eternal judgement.

Answer 9

Try Apocalypse Revealed off my website:

&851. By "resurrection" is signified salvation and life eternal, and by "the first" is not meant the first resurrection, but the very and primary of resurrection, thus salvation and life eternal; for there is only one resurrection to life, a second is not given; therefore a second resurrection is nowhere mentioned; for they who are once conjoined with the Lord, are conjoined with Him for ever; and this in heaven, for the Lord says:
I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, shall live; whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall not die to eternity (John 11:25, 26).
That this is what is meant by "the first resurrection" appears also from the following verse.

Answer 10

After the final wrath of God, there will be a thousand year reign of Christ on earth. After that, satan will rise again, be uterally and finally destroyed, and then judgment will occur.