Revelation · Bible in Basic English
Revelation 20 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the great deep and a great chain in his hand.
1 I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he took the dragon, the old snake, which is the Evil One and Satan, and put chains on him for a thousand years,
2 He seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years,
3 And put him into the great deep, and it was shut and locked over him, so that he might put the nations in error no longer, till the thousand years were ended: after this he will be let loose for a little time.
3 and cast him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time.
4 And I saw high seats, and they were seated on them, and the right of judging was given to them: and I saw the souls of those who were put to death for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and those who did not give worship to the beast, or to his image, and had not his mark on their brows or on their hands; and they were living and ruling with Christ a thousand years.
4 I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life again till the thousand years were ended. This is the first coming back from the dead.
5 The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Happy and holy is he who has a part in this first coming: over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will be ruling with him a thousand years.
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be let loose out of his prison,
7 And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison
8 And will go out to put in error the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to get them together to the war, the number of whom is like the sands of the sea.
8 and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up over the face of the earth, and made a circle about the tents of the saints, and the well loved town: and fire came down out of heaven for their destruction.
9 They went up over the width of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God and devoured them.
10 And the Evil One who put them in error was sent down into the sea of ever-burning fire, where the beast and the false prophet are, and their punishment will go on day and night for ever and ever.
10 The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white seat, and him who was seated on it, before whose face the earth and the heaven went in flight; and there was no place for them.
11 I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the sky fled away. There was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, taking their places before the high seat; and the books were open, and another book was open, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by the things which were in the books, even by their works.
12 I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and Hell gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man by his works.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.
14 And death and Hell were put into the sea of fire. This is the second death, even the sea of fire.
14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone's name was not in the book of life, he went down into the sea of fire.
15 If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
Cross references (15)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Revelation 1:18; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Revelation 9:1–2; Revelation 18:1
- 2 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 12:9; Jude 6; Isaiah 27:1; John 12:31
- 3 Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1; Daniel 6:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:9–11; Revelation 12:9
- 4 Daniel 7:27; Daniel 7:18; Matthew 19:28; 1 Corinthians 6:2–3; 2 Timothy 2:12
- 5 Philippians 3:11; Revelation 11:15; Ezekiel 37:2–14; Luke 14:14; Revelation 11:11
- 6 Revelation 2:11; Revelation 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:12
- 7 Revelation 20:2
- 8 Revelation 16:14; Ezekiel 38:1–39:1; Revelation 20:10; Revelation 20:3; Hebrews 11:12
- 9 Ezekiel 38:16; Ezekiel 39:6; Ezekiel 38:9; Ezekiel 38:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:8
- 10 Matthew 25:41; Revelation 19:20; Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:2–3; Revelation 20:14–15
- 11 Revelation 21:1; 2 Peter 3:7; Daniel 2:35; Matthew 25:31; 2 Peter 3:10–12
- 12 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 16:27; Daniel 7:10; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Revelation 2:23
- 13 John 5:28–29; Revelation 6:8; Hosea 13:14; Revelation 20:14; Isaiah 26:19
- 14 1 Corinthians 15:26; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 1:18
- 15 John 3:36; Matthew 13:50; 1 John 5:11–12; Acts 4:12; Matthew 25:41
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… them sit down, and minister to them; or if this be in the second, or it be in the third, blessed are they." Again John also says the very same in the Apocalypse: "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection." Then, too, Isaiah has declared the time when these events shall occur; he says: "And …
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, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." Those who, on the strength of this passage, have suspected that the first resurrection is future and bodily, have been moved, among …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
For after the times of the kingdom, he says, "I saw a great white throne, and Him who sat upon it, from whose face the earth fled away, and the heavens; and there was no more place for them." And he sets forth, too, the things connected with the general resurrection and the judgment, mentioning "the dead, great and small." …
do not ye judge them that are within?" "And the souls," says John, "of those who were slain for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God,"--understanding what he afterwards says, "reigned with Christ a thousand years," --that is, the souls of the martyrs not yet restored to their bodies.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Moreover," he says, "the book of life was opened, and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books, according to their works; and death and hell were sent into the lake of fire, the second death." Now this is what is called Gehenna, which the Lord styled eternal fire.