A frequent misinterpretation spiritualizes the first resurrection as the present-day regeneration or conversion of believers, eliminating any literal future event or millennial kingdom, which ignores the verse's clear chronological sequence tying it to the thousand years and the delayed resurrection of the rest; another error posits that the rest of the dead are eternally annihilated without resurrection, contradicting the text's specification that they do not live again only until the millennium ends, implying their subsequent raising for judgment.
Revelation of John 20:5
King James Version (1769)
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Revelation 20:5 describes the timing of resurrections in end-times prophecy, stating that after the first resurrection—where faithful believers, particularly tribulation martyrs, are raised to reign with Christ during the thousand-year millennium—the rest of the dead remain deceased until that period concludes, emphasizing the blessed distinction of participating in the first resurrection as a holy priority leading to eternal life and rule with Christ, while setting the stage for final judgment.