⁴ Then I saw some thrones and people sitting on them who had been given the power to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been ·killed [^Lbeheaded] because ·they were faithful to the message [of their testimony/witness] of Jesus and [^Lbecause of] the ·message from [word of] God. They had not worshiped the beast or his ·idol [image], and they had not received the ·mark [brand; stamp] of the beast on their foreheads or on their hands. They came back to life and ·ruled [reigned] with Christ for a thousand years. ⁵ (The others that were dead did not live again until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first ·raising of the dead [resurrection]. ⁶ ·Blessed [Happy] and holy are those who ·share [have a part] in this first ·raising of the dead [resurrection]. The second death [^Cbeing cast in the lake of fire] has no ·power [authority] over them. They will be priests for God and for Christ and will ·rule [reign] with him for a thousand years.