Discovery BoxRevelation 20:4-6 
Context20:4 Then 1 I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. 2 I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These 3 had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They 4 came to life 5 and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 20:5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.) 6 This is the first resurrection. 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who takes part 7 in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, 8 but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
2 tn Grk “I saw thrones, and those seated on them, and judgment was given to them.” BDAG 567 s.v. κρίμα 3 says, “judging, judgment, the κρίμα ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς authority to judge was given to them Rv 20:4.”
3 tn Grk “God, and who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “these” as subject.
4 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
5 tn On the use of the aorist ἔζησαν (ezhsan) BDAG 425 s.v. ζάω 1.a.β says, “of dead persons who return to life become alive again: of humans in general (3 Km 17:23) Mt 9:18; Ac 9:41; 20:12; Rv 20:4, 5.”
6 sn This statement appears to be a parenthetical comment by the author.
7 tn Grk “who has a share.”
8 tn The shift from the singular pronoun (“the one”) to the plural (“them”) in the passage reflects the Greek text: The singular participle ὁ ἔχων (Jo ecwn) is followed by the plural pronoun τούτων (toutwn). In the interests of English style, this is obscured in most modern translations except the NASB.
