1I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2He seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years, 3and cast him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time.
4I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.
7And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison 8and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9They went up over the width of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God and devoured them. 10The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. 12I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. 14Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
The thousand-year reign of Christ will be participated in by resurrected saints, including those martyred for refusing to worship the beast. The “thrones” mentioned here are rulers’ thrones and those of judges. They are occupied by those who returned with Christ to rule with Him in His kingdom. This includes Tribulation martyrs based on their refusal to worship the beast’s image and being killed by him.
The martyrs live and reign with Christ, indicating that they will have been resurrected. Not everyone will be resurrected when Jesus returns. The wicked will remain in their graves, their souls in hell, waiting for judgment day to come.
The “first resurrection” is a category of resurrection rather than an order of events. Jesus was resurrected first. The church will be resurrected and raptured before returning with Christ to rule. The Tribulation saints who died before Jesus returns will be resurrected at His return. All are resurrected to reign with Christ in His kingdom.
The blessing relates to the regenerate saints. The second death is identified as the lake of fire, from which all saints are exempt, being citizens of heaven. Being priests of God who reign with Christ is the destiny of the saints. The length of their rule is limited to a thousand years, which coincides with Satan’s period of binding.