The translations that make it appear these martyred saints must be made to live again is one of the reasons so many believe the first resurrection is physical and seem not to have understanding of the fact that the first resurrection is the resurrection of Christ one must have part of in life to be alive after death
We do not need Revelation 20 to tell us the first resurrection is physical. That was a fact since Abraham accepted that if Isaac was killed as a sacrifice, he would be raised back to life. The promise of a physical resurrection was seen throughout the OT. They were all taught that there would be a physical resurrection on the last day. That is why Amil refuse to accept the first resurrection happened with Lazarus, but keep up the OT belief that the only physical resurrection is the last mentioned judgment, which is not a resurrection at all, but the verdict applied for the death that was sentenced upon them at physical death which all have been waiting for in sheol.
The resurrection of Christ was physical, because he physically came out of the tomb. It was the same body for a couple of reasons. That body still had the wounds of the nails and the spear in his side. The other reason is because Jesus was not born with Adam's dead corruptible flesh. His physical body would not ever return to the dust.
That is why Jesus is the Resurrection. Jesus is the Life which is also the spiritual birth into God's family.
It is Amil and their changing Revelation 20 to the here and now who need Revelation 20 to prove that these beheaded symbolize the church. Calling these beheaded the church does not prove the 1,000 years is the here and now. Saying this resurrection is not physical in opposition to all the Scriptures that claim otherwise is only opinion and not Scriptural.
The whole point is the entire dead can be given life after the 1,000 years means they will receive a physical resurrection after the 1,000 years, while these beheaded have a physical resurrection now before the 1,000 years. Being in Christ is not this first resurrection. It has been pointed out many times that being alive in Christ can happen decades before physical death. Why are you trying to claim these physically dead souls are given this life in Christ years after already being dead? Is there a phenomenon where spiritual birth can be granted to souls in sheol after decades of suffering in sheol? That is the logic and literal point you have to make. This resurrection is at least 42 months after some have physically died. You are literally declaring one can be physically dead and then experience this spiritual resurrection in Christ months after their physical death. There is no way you can convince this life giving phenomenon in Revelation 20:4-6 to any reader that this happened while they were still physically alive. That is not misrepresenting your view. That is pointing out the impossibility of your view.
Not only do you deny these beheaded were just physically killed in the 42 months leading up to this first resurrection. You claim that after they are physically beheaded, at some point they are given a spiritual resurrection allowing them to live and reign with Christ. Yet all the church knows that the second birth can only happen prior to physical death. Once one is physically dead many deny they are given a second chance. Yet John in Revelation 20:5 indicates this same resurrection, even your spiritual resurrection is allowed to the dead at the GWT. At the GWTJ some dead may be granted this first resurrection, and escape the LOF. That is if you stick with your point this resurrection is in Christ. That would make the dead at the GWT in Christ at that point.
Now some claim this first resurrection is only physical and all are given physical bodies and then cast into the LOF. But according to your point, many at the GWTJ will be able to avoid the LOF.
I for one agree with you in one point. This first resurrection does prevent the second death. I don't believe these beheaded are symbolic of the church. I don't believe this 1,000 years is symbolic of the here and now. I don't think that all the dead will be granted eternal life at the GWT. I think John was pointing out that if some in sheol wanted to remain in the Lamb's book of life at the GWT, God would allow them to remain, if that was their final decision. Then they would live and reign with Christ on the New Earth, and granted this first resurrection.
This was not written as all would receive a first resurrection after the 1,000 years. It is written in the negative that they did not have an opportunity until the 1,000 years were over.
As for the reason they were beheaded was just that point. This beheading was one's choice to avoid the mark. Take the mark, be removed from the Lamb's book of life for all eternity. Cut off one's head and remain in the Lamb's book of life. But at the point of this decision, there is no going back. It was literally physical death, that keeps one in the Lamb's book of life. That is their testimony and confession of faith. They choose life in Christ at the instant their head is severed from the body. They are not martyred for their faith. They are physically removing themselves from life as a step of faith. They literally only have Revelation 20:4 as the only promise they would be physically resurrected. But to reign with Christ, they had to remove their head. That is currently not a prerequisite for the Second Birth. So this first resurrection is not the spiritual birth you keep claiming it is. No soul is currently reigning with Christ in Paradise without a physical body. That is just plain weird. A physical body sits with a physical Jesus. How can a soul sit and enjoy physical Paradise if it is not in a physical body? Souls probably did not have bodies in Abraham's bosom. But if they did, why would they not after ascending to Paradise when Jesus ascended? Matthew 27:52-53 states they had bodies at that point, then you take those physical bodies away from them?
Comparing Scripture with Scripture, all those in Abraham's bosom are part of this point:
"This is the first resurrection. 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."
Certainly I will not move those yet beheaded back to Matthew 27:52-53. Certainly I am not saying those since the Cross have to spend a few years in Abraham's bosom and then allowed a resurrection into Paradise. But these beheaded were not immediately granted this first resurrection, at the moment they were beheaded. They all had to wait until this judgment at these thrones. No one over the last 1992 years have had to wait for some judgment. At the instant the soul leaves Adam's dead corruptible flesh, the soul enters God's permanent incorruptible physical body of those who have accepted the Atonement Covenant of the Cross. This is the first resurrection, and it is physical. And those dead in sheol have been waiting, and will still be waiting 1,000 years after the Second Coming. That is not contradicting any Scripture nor even twisting, changing, or foisting one's opinion on to the words on the page.