“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4-6)
Our text from Revelation 20:4 references “…thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge“ (NET). Two Biblical passages allude to the identities of these authorities. One is found in Jesus’ message to the church at Thyatira from earlier in Revelation chapter two: “To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations” (Revelation 2:26). The other comes to us from 2 Timothy 2:12: “If we endure, We shall also reign with Him.” These verses point to future leadership roles for God’s people with authority granted to them by Jesus Himself.
Revelation 20:4 then continues with a rather enigmatic statement: “…I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded” followed by, “They came to life…” (NIV). So, how should we understand these references in the context of eternity? As with many such questions, the first step involves defining our terms.
We can begin with this reference to the “souls” of these individuals. In the original language of this passage, the word translated “soul” is “psuche.” This word serves as the ancestral foundation of modern-day terms such as “psychology” and “psychoanalysis.” In this context, the word “soul” is used to identify the individual personalities that characterize each human being.
This wide-ranging definition covers the spectrum of our emotions, from love and hate to indifference. It also reflects our talents, skills, and abilities, as well as the traits and characteristics we’ve inherited or cultivated. Finally, the soul is comprised of our will, our intellect, and all the attributes that differentiate every human person, past, present, and future. In short, we can associate the soul with the “you” inside your body.
When a man or woman of God passes from this earthly life, he or she enters into God’s presence according to 2 Corinthians 5:8: “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” While opinions vary regarding when God’s people will acquire the eternal, glorified bodies He has promised, our fellowship with God in His presence will never comprise less than our souls. Well see how those glorified bodies may relate to this passage next.