Charles Ellicott Commentary Revelation 20:4

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years." — Revelation 20:4 (ASV)

THE MILLENNIAL REIGN.

And I saw thrones, and they sat... There is a prominence given to the thrones, because the thought of the reign of the saints is uppermost in the mind of the seer. The thrones are seen, and those who sat on them.

It has been asked, “By whom are the thrones occupied?” The answer is supplied in the latter part of the verse. Those who are in the latter part said to reign with Christ are clearly those who sit upon the thrones which first caught the prophet’s eye; these are all the real servants of God. They appear before the seer in two great classes:

1. The martyrs who have been faithful to death; for he speaks first of seeing the souls of those who have been beheaded (strictly, “slain with the axe,” but clearly the special class of beheaded martyrs is to be taken as representing all), because of the testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God. The number of the martyrs is now complete ; these form the first class mentioned.

2. Those who have been faithful in life occupy these thrones. The prophet sees these, even whosoever did not worship (during life) the wild beast, nor yet his image, and did not receive the mark on their forehead and upon their hand. The triumph and sovereignty, whatever they are, are shared by all the faithful. These things are stated as constituting their privileges. They lived, while the rest of the dead did not live; they reigned, and judgment was given them. This last has been felt to be a difficulty. What sort of judgment is intended?

The passage in Daniel (Daniel 7:22) is clearly suggestive of the present one. The phrase (judgment was given) is not to be understood there as meaning that right was done them (see Note in Speaker’s Commentary on Daniel), nor must it be so understood here.

Judicial powers are given to the saints as to those who occupy thrones; “the chief power in governing” (Gebhardt) is given them (Compare to Matthew 19:28 and 1 Corinthians 6:2–3). They reign, they judge, they live; the true and full powers of life are seen to be theirs.

And is this not always the case? Who, next to Him who knows the secrets of our hearts, exercises judicial powers over men? Do not those whose lives, as we read them, rebuke our own? Truly, those who lived for God and refused the mark of earthliness reign and judge us in our worldliness and weakness. This is their sovereign honor here, besides the glad reign in the unseen world.