Rv:20:4: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

What is the meaning of the word "pelekizo" that was used only once in the New Testament and is translated by "beheaded" in Revelation 20:4?

When Herod commanded that John should be "beheaded" in the prison, it should be noted that in the Gospel the word "pelekizo" was not used. In the verses of the New Testament that relate how John was "beheaded", another word was rather used four times: "apokephalizo".

Mt:14:10: And he sent, and beheaded (apokephalizo) John in the prison.

Mk:6:16: But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded (apokephalizo): he is risen from the dead.

Mk:6:27: And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded (apokephalizo) him in the prison,

Lk:9:9: And Herod said, John have I beheaded (apokephalizo): but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

Strong's Ref. # 607
Romanized apokephalizo
Pronounced ap-ok-ef-al-id'-zo
from GSN0575 and GSN2776; to decapitate:
KJV--behead.

There is also the word "axine" that means "Axe", it is found twice in the New Testament:

Mt:3:10: And now also the axe (axine) is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth
good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Lk:3:9: And now also the axe (axine) is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

There is also this word "pelekus" which is not listed in the Strong Lexicon but is a well known Greek Word that means "Axe". (Greek: πέλεκυς, pélekus)

According to the Strong Lexicon, the Word "Pelekizo" which is translated "beheaded" in Revelation 20:4, can also mean to chop off or truncate.

Romanized pelekizo, pronounced pel-ek-id'-zo, from a derivative of GSN4141 (meaning an axe); to chop off (the head), i.e. truncate: KJV--behead.

Since the Greek word "Pelekizo" was only used once in the New Testament, it is not possible to do a comparison with other verses to see in what other context it could have been used.

The Apostle John did not use the Word apokephalizo which means to decapitate, to behead, which was used in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark and Luke describing how John the Baptist was executed. Pelekizo has been symbolically used by the Apostle John to rather portray the axe having been laid to the trees as they have been cut off, "hewn down".

While Jesus was lead to be crucified he said:

Luke 23:31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

In the Book of Revelation the Apostle John also used the word Trees to symbolize men:

Revelation 9:4
And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

Pelekus is a double-headed Axe also called double-bladed Axe that was mostly used for tree cutting. It is believed that Pelekus could be used in battle, on the other hand it can not be proven that executioners had used double bladed axes to behead Prophets and Christian Martyrs of the Early Church. Romans only beheaded Roman Citizens and crucified non-Romans.

Mercenaries of the false gospel quickly jumped on the occasion to invent extra-biblical stories using the beheading theme to manipulate uninformed Christians into buying their prophecy-fiction books.

Jeremiah 17:
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Jeremiah 11:
19 But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

Make sure to read:

1,000 Year Reign with Christ
https://www.brighteon.com/61b722cc-5304-460e-b705-0e15aa45bdaa

Millennium Reign and 144,000 Martyrs from the 12 Tribes of Israel
https://www.brighteon.com/d9849125-6adb-4bf6-ad76-65418a87b839

Very important Studies at this Brighteon Link:
https://www.brighteon.com/channels/vpyt777