Revelation 20

KJV · Chapter 20/22

1And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

3And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

4And 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.

5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6Blessed 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, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

7And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

10And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Satan is bound for a thousand years while the faithful reign with Christ, but after that period he is released briefly to deceive the nations before being permanently thrown into the lake of fire. The chapter culminates in the final judgment before the great white throne, where the dead are judged according to their deeds recorded in the books.

Explanation

The 'thousand years' period (often called the millennium) mentioned six times in this chapter is one of the most debated topics in all of Christian theology, with different traditions interpreting it literally or symbolically regarding its exact duration and nature. Satan's brief release after this period, followed by his final and definitive defeat, reinforces a pattern in the book: even when evil seems to get one last chance, it is decisively destroyed by God's power, without exception. The scene of the 'great white throne' and judgment by the open 'books,' including specifically 'the book of life,' emphasizes that God's final judgment is based both on recorded actions and on relationship (whether or not one's name is written in the book of life). Today's application is living with the awareness that history has a final purpose and a point of accountability, which gives moral meaning to present choices.

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