Matthew Poole and continuators on Revelation 14:13

13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write , Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord , from henceforth : Yea, saith the Spirit , that they may rest from their labours ; and their works do follow them .

These words denote the Excellency of the following Saying. It is a Voice from Heaven, therefore worthy of our Attention. Iohn is commanded to write it to be kept in memory for the Comfort and Encouragement of God's People, who might be discouraged at the hearing of those calamitous times which they were like to meet with, during the Reign of Antichrist, in which many of them were like to be put to death.

There is some little difference amongst Interpreters about the Sense of this Particular: certain it is, it is not to be understood of the time following this Revelation exclusively, as to those who before died to Christ; for they also were blessed, they also rested from their Labours, &c. yet the Particle seems to refer to the time to come. The Emphasis of the Particle seems to be, to obviate the Doubts of those who should happen to dy under Antichrist's Rage, because they died not by the Hands of Pagans, and avowed Enemies of the Gospel, but of such as should call themselves Christians; such, saith God, die for the Lord, and are blessed, and shall be blessed.

The Spirit of Truth affirms it.

They shall be at rest from the Troubles of this Life,

and their good Deeds, and patient Sufferings shall follow them as Witnesses for them, before the Judge of the quick and the dead.

Marginal references: 1 Cor. 15.18. 1 Thess. 4.17.; This Phrase of dying in the Lord, is applicable to any Persons that die united to Christ by a true and lively Faith; all such die in the Lord. But if we consider the scriptural Usage of it, it seems rather to signifie Martyrs, such as die for the Lord; for [non-Latin text not transcribed] often in Scripture signifieth, for, Rom. 16.2, 8, 12. 1 Pet. 4.14, &c. If any shall be put to death for Adherence to Christ, they shall be no Losers; for they shall be blessed, and that not only upon the account of that Glory into which they shall pass, but upon the account of that Rest which their Death will give them from the Troubles of the calamitous times before, or hereafter mentioned.; Or, from henceforth saith the Spirit, yea.