This obviously refers to the wicked dead, those who from the beginning of time have gone into Christless graves and those who have perished at the second coming of Christ. This is clear from the fact that all the righteous dead arose in the first resurrection. Therefore “the rest of the dead” must refer to the wicked dead (see on v. 2).
Textual evidence may be cited (cf. p. 10) for the omission of the sentence, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished,” though it is generally held that the preponderance of evidence is in favor of retaining it. The doctrine of the second resurrection is not, however, dependent upon this statement. It is clearly implied in the chapter. If the nations are to join Satan in his assault upon the Holy City (v. 9), they must be brought back to life. The term “second resurrection” is derived from the observation that there are only two main resurrections (John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15) and that the resurrection of the righteous is called the “first resurrection” (see on Rev. 20:2, 4).
The passage, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished,” is parenthetical. The sentence that follows, “This is the first resurrection,” is connected directly with the resurrection referred to in v. 4.
For a discussion of the textual aspects of the problem of v. 5 see Additional Notes at end of chapter, Note 1.