Matthew Poole and continuators on Revelation 20:4

4 And I saw thrones , and they sate upon them , and judgment was given unto them : and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, nor his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands ; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

This is a very difficult Text. Thrones are Places of Dignity and Judicature; they seem here to signify only Places of Dignity.

Those mentioned afterward in this Text sate upon them.

That is a Power of Judgment, 1 Cor. 6.2, 3. to be executed afterward.

The Persons sitting upon these Thrones are described to be, 1. Such as had kept themselves from Idolatry, or any Compliance with Antichrist, either in the form of the Beast, or of the Image of the Beast. 2. And for that Non-compliance had suffered Death, and for witnessing to the Truths of Christ contained in his Word. These

are described as living with Christ in Honour and Dignity, all that space of the Churches Rest and Tranquility before exprest. Our learned Dr. More interprets the Thrones and Iudgment, concerning those Thrones or Places of Judicature, upon which the Dragon's Officers sate to condemn the Saints [illegible: 1 span] from whence issued the putting to death of many of [illegible: 1 span] God, and thinks that in this Vision there is a [illegible: 1 span] and Thunder. Now these Saints are said to live and r[illegible: 2 letters]gn [illegible: 1 span] a thousand Years; that is, (say some) in Heaven, in a blessed State of Glory, while the Militant Church upon the Earth, enjoyed great rest and quiet on Earth. Others have thought, that these should be raised from the dead, and live with Christ on Earth these thousand Years. Which Notion (if true) will solve a great Phaenomenon, and render it not improbable, that the Number of the Saints on Earth will, during these thousand Years, be enough to rule the World, and overballance the Number of all the Wicked of the Earth. Those who think thus, judg there will be two Resurrections; the first, of Martyrs, which shall antedate the general Resurrection a thousand Years: but the Scripture no where else mentions more than one Resurrection. For my own part, I shall freely confess that I do not understand this and the two next Verses, nor shall I be positive as to any sence of them: For the spiritual Resurrection, as to the Martyrs, it was long since past, or else they had died in their Sins. But of this see more in the next Verse.

Marginal references: Dan. 7.9, 22, 27. Mat. 19.28. Luke 22.30.; Chap. 6.9.; Chap. 13.12.; Chap. 13.15, 16.; Rom. 8.17. 2 Tim. 2.12. Chap. 5.10.