Revelation · Berean Standard Bible
Revelation 20 Berean Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain.
1 I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound 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 he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of 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 Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for 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 back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection.
5 The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for 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 When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison,
7 And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison
8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore.
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 marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.
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 devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night forever 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 Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found 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, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.
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 The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.
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 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake 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 was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake 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.