Revelation 20:6 Meaning and Explanation
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →This promise speaks into humanity's deepest fears: death, judgment, loss, and the seeming triumph of evil. John does not present resurrection as a vague comfort. He describes a share in God's holy future, where those joined to the first resurrection live under Christ's victorious reign and serve God in a sacred calling.
Revelation 20:6 blesses those who share in the first resurrection, declaring their holiness, freedom from the second death's power, priestly service to God and Christ, and reign with Christ for a thousand years.
The Context of Revelation 20:6
Revelation 20 follows the binding of Satan, who is prevented from deceiving the nations for a thousand years. John then sees thrones and those who suffered for the witness of Jesus and the word of God living and reigning with Christ. Verse 5 names this life the first resurrection. Verse 6 pauses to pronounce blessing on those who have part in it. The chapter later describes Satan's brief release, final defeat, the great white throne, and the judgment of the dead. Verse 6 therefore stands as assurance within a chapter that faces both conflict and final accountability.
What Does Revelation 20:6 Mean?
The verse begins, "Blessed and holy," joining joy with consecration. The blessed person has "part" in the first resurrection, language that speaks of a real share in the life John has just seen. The promise then names the "second death," later identified in the chapter with the lake of fire. Its power does not prevail over those in the first resurrection. Their future includes more than escape from death. They "shall be priests of God and of Christ," belonging in reverent service to both, and they "shall reign with him." The repeated phrase "a thousand years" ties their promised life directly to the reign described in the verses immediately before and after.
Within Revelation 20, this blessing answers the violence endured by faithful witnesses. Verse 4 has especially named people who were beheaded for their witness of Jesus and who refused worship offered to the beast and its image. Their apparent defeat is answered by life, judgment entrusted to those on thrones, and reign with Christ. The chapter also distinguishes the first resurrection from the later raising and judgment of the dead. John gives no detailed explanation here of every question readers may ask about the thousand years or the order of these events. He does plainly set resurrection, holiness, service, and Christ's reign against the dragon's deception and the final second death.
The verse's language of reigning with Christ belongs to the larger witness that Christ shares his victory with his faithful people. Revelation has already praised Jesus as the faithful witness whose death and resurrection establish his authority, and it depicts the redeemed as serving God in a kingdom and priestly calling. Here that calling reaches a future scene of resurrection and reign. The promise remains centered on "God and of Christ": priestly service is offered to God, and the reign is exercised with Christ, not apart from him. Those who suffer for Jesus' witness are remembered by the risen Lord, whose own victory gives their hope its ground.
Bible Verses Related to Revelation 20:6
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
- Revelation 2:11
“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
- Revelation 1:6
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
- Revelation 5:10
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:”
- 2 Timothy 2:12
Where Revelation 20:6 Echoes in Scripture
Revelation 2:11 provides a particularly strong echo: Christ promises that the one who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death. Revelation 20:6 expands that assurance by locating it among the blessings of the first resurrection and by adding priestly service and reign with Christ. Together the verses show that the warning about the second death is joined to Christ's promise of protection for those who overcome.
How to Apply Revelation 20:6 Today
This verse invites steady faithfulness when obedience to God seems costly or easily overlooked. The chapter remembers witnesses whose loyalty to Jesus placed them at odds with powerful demands for false worship. Our own situations may be quieter, yet the call remains meaningful: we can refuse what dishonors God, keep Christ's witness, and let the hope of resurrection shape present choices. Priesthood here also encourages reverent service. Ordinary acts of prayer, mercy, truthfulness, worship, and care for others can be received as service offered to God through a life ordered toward his coming kingdom.
Reflection & Prayer
Where does fear of loss, death, or pressure from others most need the hope held out in this verse? Consider the promise that God remembers faithful witnesses and gives them a share in Christ's reign. Pray: "God and Father, make our hope in resurrection steady, keep us holy in our service, and teach us to remain faithful to Christ."