Tożsamość „martwych” (οἱ νεκροί) w świetle Ap 20,4-5

The article analyzes the term οἱ νεκροί, in Rev 20,4-5. All scholars examining this text assume that the term hoi nekroi should be interpreted here literally, i.e. it denotes the dead in a physical meaning (as people who have been killed or died). However such assumption causes a variety of problems concerning especially the chronology of events described in Rev 20,1-10. This problem seems to be resolved if “the dead” are interpreted in spiritual sense (as spiritually dead).Basing on this assumption the presented paper aims to define identity of the dead in Rev 20,4-5. The presentation has been made in three stages. At the beginning the state of research has been presented. This analysis points out a necessity of another look at the term οἱ νεκροί, used in Rev 20,4-5. The second stage consists in examining the question whether the spiritual meaning of οἱ νεκροί is possible in the light of other passages of the Book of Revelation and in the context of the whole Johannine tradition (especially in the Forth Gospel). At the end the role of οἱ νεκροί in Rev 20,4-5 has been defined.