The Martyrs of Revelation 20:4 and the timing of the Rapture

In Revelation 20:4, we see those who were martyred for their faith during the time of the "beast" and the implementation of his "image."  The text says that they "lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."  This quote is from the New King James, but translations like the ESV say that they "came to life and reigned..."  This translation is why some would argue that their resurrection was at this point in time; and this is an argument against a PreWrath or Post-Trib rapture, because why were they resurrected at this point in time and not with those resurrected at the end of the Great Tribulation in a PreWrath or Post-Trib rapture scenario?

The text identifies them as "souls," and I see no reason not to see them as those identified earlier in the 5th seal of Revelation 6.9-11.  Those souls in the fifth seal were martyred for their faith, and there were more to come, and I can't see why they are not the same as the souls of Revelation 20.4.  

The word "souls" in Revelation 20.4 surely reminds the reader of those previously mentioned in the fifth seal.  At this point in the vision, which John is receiving, special attention and recognition are given to these souls.  I think that the designation "souls" doesn't have to mean disembodied spirits that still need to be resurrected, but particular people who are seen and remembered and now comforted about their future.  It's not that they were resurrected as a distinct group apart from others, but they are given special attention at this point in the vision, and their status is revealed.

Translations make it sound like they are resurrected at the time of Revelation 20.4, which would be an argument against a Prewrath or Post-Trib rapture view, because if the rapture was Post-trib, why weren't they resurrected with the dead believers at the end of the Great Tribulation?  I believe they were resurrected then, but they receive particular attention and recognition at that point in the vision.   

The word translated "lived" in the NKJ is the same as the word "reigned" in tense, being indicative/ aorist / active, and they both speak of their fate, being they "lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."  This is in contrast to the unsaved who do not live again until after the thousand years: "But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished." 20:5 NKJ  The verb "live" in verse 5 is also the same Greek tense.   The Martyrs will both live and reign with Christ for a thousand years, while the unsaved will not even live during the thousand years.  

Revelation 20.5 also says that "This is the first resurrection."   The first resurrection would be the one preceding the Rapture.  The Martyrs were part of that Resurrection, and they will both live and reign with Christ.  The unsaved will be resurrected later, and they will not live until after the Thousand years.

I think that a Post-trib view has a little advantage over the PreWrath view in this, because the Prewrath view has an undetermined amount of time between the end of the Great Tribulation, when the resurrection and rapture happens, and the end of the 70th Week or the Bowls' judgments, which they usually put beyond the 70th Week. For what of any new believers who possibly die as Martyrs, as these need to be accounted for?  But I'm not sure if PreWrathers are seeing the Martyrs of Revelation 20:4 as a very specific group between the Rapture at the end of Great Tribulation and the final defeat of the Beast by Christ.   I think the Martyrs of Revelation 20:4 are the same as the fifth seal Martyrs.  

It makes sense to me that the "souls" of Revelation 20:4 are the fifth seal Martyrs who are resurrected at the end of the Great Tribulation, and those particular individuals get special attention and recognition: they will both live and reign with Christ for a thousand years.

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6

Parable of the Sower: varied outcomes to the saving message

Matthew 13:3-9; 18-23; Mark 4:1–9; 13-20; Luke 8:4–8; 11-15

Jesus called it the parable of the Sower, though it seems it is about the soils and their conditions.  It must be that it is simply a message about how the Sower should be prepared for different results.  The parable is not designed to answer every question one can throw at it.  It doesn't explain why or how the soils are different.  We see that the seed spread has different outcomes based on the precondition of the soil.  We don't get any information as to whether the soil is stuck in the condition forever.  We only see the outcomes from the sowing of the seed in different soils and the outward affect by certain forces on the growth (or non-growth) of the seed in such soils.

In the explanation of the parable, looking at parallel texts, we see that the seed is the word of God and the word of the kingdom.  In the First Case-example, the word is not understood, and Satan takes the word out of the recipient's heart, so they may not believe and be saved.  This reveals that the word here is a saving message.  The Word of the Kingdom to be a saving-content message must be concerning Jesus as the Christ who is Savior from sin for those who believe in Him for it; for to believe this is to be born again and qualify to see and enter the Kingdom of God—according to John 3 and what we read about the Samaritans in John 4 who believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Savior of the World.  If one doesn't understand the message, as far as the terms of salvation, then Satan works in a way to keep one from understanding it and believing it.

The next 2 Cases are debated as to the outcome of the recipients as to whether they are actually saved. It seems common for Free Grace folks to believe they are saved (see quote one below), while non-Free Grace do not, though there may be exceptions (see quote two below).  The latter expects a perseverance of the saints view in salvation, while the former would say that Salvation does not guarantee perseverance.   The outcome in Cases Two and Three are that the results are short-lived due to the condition of the soil and the outward conditions on the plant.  We can't answer questions with this parable that the parable wasn't meant to answer or doesn't answer.  Persecution and the cares of life will bring failure if one is not rooted and grounded in the truth.   That is the outcome in these cases.   Is the failure due to these not really understanding and therefore not believing? It is tempting to make arguments from silence, since we are not told whether they understood and believed or didn't understand and disbelieve.  It seems they did understand and believe, but their sanctification-progress was later interrupted by worldly cares and persecution.  It seems they are both those who do not "endure to the end" (Mat 10:22, 24:13:  they are those who did not "lose their souls for Christ's sake and the gospel"—as Jesus said, (Mark 8.35)..."whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Mat 16.25)   The truth is that Jesus did not say whether they understood and believed or didn’t understand and disbelieved.  One’s view will be based on their soteriology, whether saving faith will persevere or quickly recover or eventually recover (in some reasonable amount of time) after failure under the circumstances that cause the failure.  

The Fourth Case hears the word and understands and bears fruit, but not equally among those who receive it.  We don't know why that is, as far as the explanation, but the good soil has varied outcomes itself.  We don't know why these have good soil and the others don't  We are not told about those who have good soil and bear fruit for a time, then become less fruitful or unfruitful.  Again, the parable doesn’t answer things like that.  Some suggest good soil is regeneration, and that is why they understand and bear fruit, and that will be your conclusion if you are of the Reformed Theology mindset. (Moderate Calvinists might say it is a "quickening," but that is a word used in Scripture for either the resurrection of the body or the new birth, and so it's an attempt to come up with something like regeneration to enable the unsaved to be saved by faith before regeneration.)

Jesus doesn't explain how the soils were prepared.  In farming, we use to prepare soil for planting, by disking, plowing, and dragging—sometimes twice. What creates good soil?  Who's responsible for good soil.  Why varied amounts of fruit?  The parable doesn't answer those questions.  It only illustrates varied outcomes  to the word of God spoken based on human heart-psychological conditions.   

Quote One:  While many commentators say the second soil represents another type of unbeliever, that view is untenable because the seed sprang up (v 5), and clearly germination must precede springing up! Luke 8:13 specifically says that this person believed the saving message for a time. Sadly, apostasy is possible for born-again people. Of course, everlasting life, once it has germinated, is everlasting--even if the faith later fails. Then there are the distracted hearers. Their hearts' interest is deflected away from God toward seductive material and worldly pursuits (Matt 13:22). “The cares of this world" refer to the worries or excessive concerns of this life. “The deceitfulness of riches" refers to the false security offered by the accumulation of temporal wealth (cf. Luke 12: 15-21). Riches may promise fulfillment, but they fail to deliver. The result of the worldly distractions is that the person "becomes unfruitful." The believer represented by this soil perseveres in faith, but his works are not brought to maturity (cf. Luke 8:14).  Quoted from The Grace New Testament Commentary, Matthew, Hal Haller Jr.

Quote Two: D. A. Carson seems to believe Case Two is an unsaved person, for he says the person receives the word "in a thoughtless way" that "may show immediate signs of life and promise to be the best of the crop...But without real root, there is no fruit; and external pressures, trouble, and persecution..., like the sun beating on a rootless plant, soon reveals the shallowness of the soil. ... Such temporary disciples are always numerous in times of revival and were so in Jesus' ministry."

In Case Three, Carson doesn't say he is a nonbeliever, so it's unclear whether in this case he believes unfruitfulness is a lack of spiritual life in a believer or lack of spiritual life in the sense of a lack of eternal life.  Carson says of this person that he "simply never permits the message about the kingdom to control him:  life has too many other commitments that slowly choke the struggling plant, which never matures and bears fruit."  Carson says about the "deceitfulness" or "delightfulness" "of wealth"..."The idea is clear: worries about worldly things or devotion to wealth...snuff out spiritual life...If deceit is understood...these thorns are so subtle that one may not be aware of the choking that is going on...What must be avoided is unfruitfulness, for only fruitfulness, not it's opposite, indicates spiritual life..."   The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Matthew