Revelation of John 20:5 · Bible study
Revelation 20:5 Commentary: The First Resurrection
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the meaning of the 'first resurrection' in Revelation 20:5, a key text in the millennial debate between literal bodily resurrection and
Research Summary
- Meaning: Distinguishes two resurrections: the first for the martyrs/faithful, the second for the rest.
- Key words: 'lived' (ἔζησαν, Aorist Indicative); 'rest of the dead' (οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν νεκρῶν); 'first resurrection' (ἀνάστασις ἡ πρώτη).
- Main debate: Whether the 'first resurrection' is a literal bodily resurrection before the millennium or a spiritual rebirth during the church age.
- Theological theme: The vindication of the martyrs and the certain hope of resurrection for all believers.
- Best use: As a key text for understanding the millennial debate and as a comfort for suffering believers.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
KJV King James Version 1769
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished. This is the first resurrection.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and the rest of the dead did not live again till the thousand years may be finished; this is the first rising again.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
the rest of the dead did not live till the thousand years had been completed. This [is] the first resurrection.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The rest of the dead lived not, till the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Mas los otros muertos no tornaron á vivir hasta que sean cumplidos mil años. Esta es la primera resurrección.
Mas os outros mortos não reviveram, enquanto não se completassem os mil anos. Esta é a primeira ressurreição.
Les autres morts ne revinrent point à la vie jusqu’ à ce que les mille ans fussent accomplis. C’ est la première résurrection.
Die andern Toten aber wurden nicht wieder lebendig, bis daß tausend Jahre vollendet wurden. Dies ist die erste Auferstehung.
Maar de overigen der doden werden niet weder levend, totdat de duizend jaren geeindigd waren. Deze is de eerste opstanding.
Il rimanente dei morti non tornò in vita prima che fosser compiti i mille anni. Questa è la prima risurrezione.
A insi z umarłych nie ożyli, ażby się skończyło tysiąc lat. Toć jest pierwsze zmartwychwstanie.
Прочие же из умерших не ожили, доколе не окончится тысяча лет. Это — первое воскресение.
這是 頭一次的 復活。（其餘的 死人 還沒有 復活，直等 那一千 年 完了。）
The rest of the dead did not come to life again till the thousand years were ended. This is the first coming back from the dead.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Revelation of John 20:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators from various traditions agree that verse 5 draws a contrast between those who 'lived and reigned with Christ' (v.4) and 'the rest of the dead.' All recognize that 'the first resurrection' distinguishes this event from a second. But they diverge sharply on what kind of resurrection is meant. Gill (Baptist) and JFB see a literal bodily resurrection of martyrs at the start of a millennial reign. Cambridge and Lange note that the early church read it literally, while Augustine and many Catholic theologians interpreted the first resurrection as a spiritual rising from sin into the life of righteousness within the church age. Barnes treats it as metaphor for special honor shown to martyrs during a future golden age. All agree that 'the rest of the dead' have no share in this first resurrection, its benefit is reserved for the faithful witnesses of Jesus.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal Premillennial: Revelation 20:4-6 teaches that martyrs will be raised bodily at Christ’s coming and reign a thousand years before the general resurrection.
- Amillennial (Spiritual): Augustine and many later theologians apply the first resurrection to conversion and regeneration; the thousand years represent the present age between the two comings.
- Postmillennial: Some hold that the first resurrection is spiritual, but the thousand years refer to a future era of gospel triumph before Christ’s return, connecting with Romans 11:15 and the fullness of the Gentiles.
What is clear: The first resurrection is for believers who have suffered for Christ and will result in their reigning with Him and exemption from the second death.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the first resurrection | It is a resurrection of believers, called 'first' to distinguish it from a later resurrection. | Some (Gill, JFB, Cambridge) read it as a literal bodily resurrection of martyrs. Others (Augustine, Barnes) interpret it as a spiritual resurrection, conversion from sin to righteousness, or a special honor given to the faithful. |
| Timing of the thousand years | The thousand years precede the final rebellion and the general resurrection of the rest. | Premillennials place the thousand years after Christ’s second coming; amillennials see the thousand years as symbolic of the entire church age; postmillennials see it as a future golden age before Christ returns. |
| Identity of 'the rest of the dead' | They are distinct from the martyrs and faithful witnesses who lived in v.4. | Gill identifies them as the wicked dead who will not be raised until after the millennium. Barnes and Cambridge consider them to be less eminent believers who await a later resurrection. The text itself does not settle whether they are saved or unsaved. |
| Significance of the thousand years | The number symbolizes a complete, God-ordained period. | Some interpret it as a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth; others as a symbolic representation of the current age between Christ’s ascension and return. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits within the apocalyptic vision of Revelation 20, a chapter steeped in Jewish and early Christian expectation of a millennial kingdom. The concept of a thousand-year reign draws on Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8, 'a thousand years are like a day', and appears in Jewish tradition (the Epistle of Barnabas, rabbinic writings) as the duration of the Messiah's kingdom on earth. Early Christian chiliasts such as Papias and Irenaeus took the thousand years literally, expecting a future bodily resurrection of the martyrs to reign with Christ.
By the fourth century, Augustine redirected interpretation. In The City of God he argued that the 'first resurrection' is the spiritual rebirth of believers now, and the thousand years represent the entire church age between Christ's first and second comings. Satan is bound, not absolutely, but so that he cannot prevent the spread of the gospel. This amillennial view became the dominant reading for over a thousand years, shaping how medieval Christians read Revelation.
The Reformation saw a resurgence of literal millennial hopes among Anabaptist and later Puritan groups, while Reformed and Lutheran traditions largely kept Augustine's framework. The diversity of interpretation reflects the book's layered, symbolic language, John offers a vision that has comforted suffering believers across centuries, even as they have understood its timing differently.
Textual Notes
The text has minor textual variants. Some early manuscripts (Codex Alexandrinus, Codex Ephraemi) omit 'again' after 'lived,' reading simply 'lived not' rather than 'lived not again.' The conjunction is also disputed: the earliest witnesses favor 'and' (καί) over 'but' (δέ), making verse 5 closely connected to verse 4. These variants do not significantly affect the meaning; both readings underscore a contrast between the two groups.
Reception History
Early Christians such as Papias and Irenaeus understood the first resurrection literally, expecting a bodily raising of the martyrs to reign on earth for a thousand years. This chiliastic hope was common in the second century. Augustine of Hippo (d. 430) offered a decisive reinterpretation in The City of God Book 20, reading the first resurrection as the spiritual rebirth of believers and the thousand years as the entire age of the church. This amillennial view became the dominant tradition in medieval Catholicism and classical Protestantism. During the Reformation, Anabaptist groups revived literal millennial expectations. The seventeenth century saw a rise in premillennialism among Puritans (e.g., John Gill). Today the verse continues to be read both ways, testifying to the deep symbolic richness of the Apocalypse.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- A Sharp Distinction. The text sets apart two groups: those who 'lived' (the martyrs and faithful witnesses of v.4) and 'the rest of the dead.' This resurrection belongs only to the first group.
- A Wait Until Completion. The rest do not live until the thousand years finish. The delay is not denial, it is a matter of ordered hope.
- A Defining Declaration. Verse 5 calls this 'the first resurrection,' marking it as the beginning of a resurrection that will culminate in the final raising of all.
Five-Point Outline
- The identity of the living saints: they had been beheaded, refused the beast, kept the testimony of Jesus.
- The nature of their life: they 'lived and reigned with Christ' during the thousand years.
- The timing of the rest: they did not live until after the thousand years were complete.
- The contrast: the first resurrection brings blessing, exemption from the second death, and priesthood with Christ (v.6).
- The larger hope: whatever one's interpretation, the passage assures that Christ’s victory over death is secure and final.
Illustration Hooks
- The 'early graduation' ceremony, some students graduate with highest honors ahead of the main ceremony. Their recognition comes first, but all eventually walk the stage.
- The delayed inheritance of a child who must wait until a certain age, while an older sibling receives a portion earlier. Neither is forgotten.
- The tension of suffering for a cause now, knowing that vindication, though not seen, is coming. Like a legal case that will finally be heard after a long stay.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Will I be resurrected at the same time as everyone else, or is there a special resurrection for certain believers?
- If this resurrection is spiritual, what does that mean for how I live now? Does it change how I face persecution?
- How does this passage encourage Christians who have lost loved ones to martyrdom or hardship?
Leading a Discussion
This verse stands at the center of one of the most debated passages in Revelation, the millennium and the first resurrection. It raises deep questions about when and how believers share in Christ’s victory. But whatever our view, all Christians agree that Christ’s resurrection guarantees our own. Use these questions to help your group explore the text and wrestle with its meaning.
Discussion Questions
- Read Revelation 20:1-6. What do you notice about the sequence of events? Who is resurrected, and when?
- Why do you think John describes the resurrection in verse 5 as 'the first resurrection'? What does 'first' imply about a second?
- Some Christians interpret this resurrection as a literal bodily raising of martyrs before the general resurrection. Others see it as a spiritual rising to new life in Christ now. Both claim biblical support. What does each view emphasize, and what does it risk losing?
- Look at the phrases 'the rest of the dead' and 'did not live.' In what sense are these people dead? (Consider the literal dead and the spiritually dead.)
- How does Revelation 11:11 (the two witnesses raised) and Ezekiel 37 (dry bones) influence how you read 'lived' here?
- If the first resurrection is happening now through conversion, how should that change how we view evangelism and discipleship?
- What hope does this passage offer to believers who suffer for their faith today, especially in places where Christians are persecuted?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Ezekiel 37:2 | He caused me to pass by them all around; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and behold, they were very dry. |
| Ezekiel 37:14 | I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken it and performed it,” says Yahweh.’” |
| Luke 14:14 | and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.” |
| Romans 11:15 | For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead? |
| Philippians 3:11 | if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. |
| Revelation of John 11:11 | After the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. |
| Revelation of John 11:15 | The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!” |
| Revelation of John 19:20 | The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his sight, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes the common view that martyred believers are raised a thousand years before the rest of the dead and reign with Christ on earth during that period. He expresses strong doubt about this interpretation, finding the matter uncertain rather than clearly taught.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes takes "the rest of the dead" to mean the ordinary pious dead, not the lost. He reads the first resurrection figuratively: it refers to special honor and influence granted to martyrs and eminent saints during a thousand-year period, not a literal bodily rising. The others, though truly saved, do not share that particular exaltation until later.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary argues that the most natural reading of the first resurrection is a literal, physical rising of martyrs before the thousand-year reign, while the general resurrection of all the dead comes later. It acknowledges Augustine’s spiritual interpretation (resurrection from sin into the Church) has been standard in Catholic tradition but finds that view strained and less convincing than the literal sense.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that Satan's binding is temporary and purposeful: he is sealed in the pit specifically to stop deceiving the nations for a set period. After the thousand years end, he must be released for a short time, showing God's sovereign control over evil's limits.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill insists the first resurrection in Revelation is a literal, bodily raising of the righteous at Christ's coming, not a spiritual conversion or revival of the church. He argues the wicked dead are raised only after the thousand years, making this the first in time and the chief resurrection.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB ties the first resurrection to the transfiguration that fits saints for heavenly rule over earth. They argue the millennial reign rests on far more than one Apocalypse passage, finding it confirmed throughout Old Testament prophecy. They contrast the papacy as a false anticipation of the kingdom, while the Bride will exercise priestly kingship in holiness.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees the binding of Satan as a period when his power is drastically limited, giving the church an extended season of peace. During these thousand years, the souls of martyred believers reign with Christ as priests, untouched by the second death. After this, Satan must be briefly released before his final destruction.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent points out that the Greek word often translated "lived again" is actually a textual variant. He argues the correct reading is simply "lived," matching the same verb used earlier in the passage. The supposed resurrection sense may be a misunderstanding.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley distinguishes two distinct thousand-year periods that both begin and end sooner than commonly thought, with Satan's binding and loosing taking place entirely in the invisible world. This, he argues, reconciles prophecies that seemed to clash between a future flourishing church and fatal security in the last days.