1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven. He had the key to the bottomless pit, and he had a great chain in his hand. 2 He took hold of the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the bottomless pit. He shut it and sealed it over him. This was so that he would not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were over. After that, he must be set free for a short amount of time. 4 Then I saw thrones. Seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony about Jesus and for the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image, and they had refused to receive the mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is anyone who takes part in the first resurrection! Over these the second death has no power. They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. 7 When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be released from his prison. 8 He will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to bring them together for the battle. They will be as many as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints, the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who is seated on it. The earth and the heaven fled away from his presence, but there was no place for them to go. 12 I saw the dead—the mighty and the unimportant—standing before the throne, and the books were opened. Then another book was opened—the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was recorded in the books, according to their deeds. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and the dead were judged according to what they had done. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. 15 If anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation · Unlocked Literal Bible
Revelation 20 Unlocked Literal Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
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.