Revelation 20:1-8
New King James Version
Satan Bound 1,000 Years
20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, (A)having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of (B)the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and (C)set a seal on him, (D)so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years
4 And I saw (E)thrones, and they sat on them, and (F)judgment was committed to them. Then I saw (G)the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, (H)who had not worshiped the beast (I)or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they (J)lived and (K)reigned with Christ for [a]a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such (L)the second death has no power, but they shall be (M)priests of God and of Christ, (N)and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Satanic Rebellion Crushed(O)
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out (P)to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, (Q)Gog and Magog, (R)to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
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- Revelation 20:4 M the
Revelation 20:1-8
Amplified Bible
Satan Bound
20 [a]And then I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding the key of the abyss (the bottomless pit) and a great chain was in his hand. 2 And he overpowered and laid hold of the dragon, that old serpent [of primeval times], who is the devil and Satan, and bound him [securely] for a thousand years (a millennium);(A) 3 and the angel hurled him into the abyss, and closed it and sealed it above him [preventing his escape or rescue], so that he would no longer deceive and seduce the nations, until the thousand years were at an end. After these things he must be liberated for a short time.
The Millennial Reign
4 And then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those to whom judgment [that is, the authority to act as judges] was given. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had refused to worship the beast or his image, and had not accepted his mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.(B) 5 The rest of the dead [the non-believers] did not come to life again until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 [b]Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) and holy is the person who takes part in the first resurrection; over these the second death [which is eternal separation from God, the lake of fire] has no power or authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and they will reign with Him a thousand years.(C)
The Final Rebellion
7 And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison (the abyss), 8 and will come out to deceive and mislead the [c]nations which are in the four corners of the earth—[including] Gog and Magog—to gather them together for the war; their number is like the sand of the seashore.(D)
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- Revelation 20:1 The Greek words for “And I saw” are used seven times in chs 19 through 21 to indicate a progression at the end of time from the marriage supper of the Lamb to the millennium to the new heaven and new earth.
- Revelation 20:6 This is the fifth of the seven promised blessings. See note 1:3.
- Revelation 20:8 Non-believing descendants of the survivors of the Tribulation.
Revelation 20:1-8
Authorized (King James) Version
20 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 and 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.
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. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 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.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 and 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.
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Revelation 20:1-8
1599 Geneva Bible
20 1 The Angel 2 bindeth Satan for a thousand years. 8 Being loosed, he stirreth up Gog and Magog, that is, privy and open enemies against the Saints, 11 but the vengeance of the Lord cutting off their insolency. 12 The books are opened, by which the dead are judged.
1 And [a]I saw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key [b]of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he took the dragon that old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and he bound him [c]a thousand years:
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and he shut him up, and sealed the door upon him, that he should deceive the people [d]no more till the thousand years were fulfilled: for after that he must be loosed for [e]a little season.
4 [f]And I saw [g][h]seats: and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them, and I saw the souls of them that were [i]beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which [j]did not worship the beast, neither his image, neither had taken his mark upon their foreheads or on their hands: and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 [k]But the rest of the dead men [l]shall not live again, until the thousand years be finished: this is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he, that hath part in the first resurrection: for on such the [m]second death hath no power: but they shall be the Priests of God and of Christ, [n]and shall reign with him a thousand years.
7 [o]And when the [p]thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 [q]And shall go out to deceive the people, which are in the four quarters of the earth: even (A)Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the Sea.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Revelation 20:1 Now followeth the third place of the prophetical history, which is of the victory whereby Christ overcame the dragon, as I note, Rev. 7:1. This place must necessarily be joined with the end of chapter 12 and be applied unto the just understanding thereof. This chapter hath two parts, one of the dragon overcome, unto verse 10, the other of the resurrection and last judgment unto the end of the chapter. The history of the dragon is double: First of the first victory after which he was bound by Christ unto verse 6. The second is of the last victory, whereby he has thrown down into everlasting punishment, thence unto verse 10. This first history happened in the first time of the Christian Church, when the dragon thrown down from heaven by Christ, went about to molest the new birth of the Church in the earth, Rev. 12:17, 18. For which cause I gave warning, that this story of the Dragon must be annexed unto that place.
- Revelation 20:1 That is of hell, whither God threw down the Angels which had sinned, and bound them in chains of darkness to be kept unto damnation, 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6.
- Revelation 20:2 The first whereof (continuing this history with the end of chapter 12) is the 36 year from the passion of Christ, when the Church of the Jews being overthrown, Satan assayed to invade the Christian Church gathered of the Gentiles, and to destroy part of her seed, Rev. 12:17. The thousandth year falleth precisely upon the times of that wicked Hildebrand, who was called Gregory the seventh a most damnable Necromancer and sorcerer, whom Satan used as an instrument when he was loosed out of bonds, thenceforth to annoy the Saints of God with most cruel persecutions, and the whole world with dissentions, and most bloody wars: as Benno the Cardinal reporteth at large. This is the first victory gotten over the dragon in the earth.
- Revelation 20:3 Namely, with that public and violent deceit which he attempted before, Chapter 12, and which after a thousand years (alack for woe) he most mightily procured in the Christian world.
- Revelation 20:3 Which being once expired, the second battle and victory shall be, of which verses 7, 8.
- Revelation 20:4 A description of the common state of the Church of Christ in earth in that space of a thousand years, for which the devil was in bonds: in which first the authority, life, and common honor of the godly, is declared, verse 4. Secondly, newness of life is preached unto others by the Gospel, after that space, verse 5. Finally, he concludeth with promises, verse 6.
- Revelation 20:4 For judgment was committed to them, as to members joined to the head, not [that] Christ’s office was given over [to] them.
- Revelation 20:4 This was a type of the authority of the good and faithful servants of God in the Church, taken from the manner of men.
- Revelation 20:4 Of the Martyrs, which suffered in those first times.
- Revelation 20:4 Of the Martyrs which suffered after that both the beasts were now risen up, Chapter 13, for these three things are expounded.
- Revelation 20:5 Whoever shall lie dead in sin, and not know the truth of God.
- Revelation 20:5 They shall not be renewed with that newness of the life by the enlightening of the Gospel of the glory of Christ. For this is the first resurrection, by which the souls of the godly do rise from their death. In the second resurrection their bodies shall rise again.
- Revelation 20:6 That whereby both body and soul, that is, the whole man is addicted and delivered unto eternal death. So Rev. 2:11.
- Revelation 20:6 A return unto the intended history, by resuming the words which are in the end of the fourth verse.
- Revelation 20:7 The second history, of the latter victory of Christ, as was said verse 1. In which are summarily described the work, overthrow and eternal punishment of Satan.
- Revelation 20:7 Of which I spake, verse 2. Then therefore shall be given unto him liberty to rage against the Church, and to molest the Saints for the sins of men: unto whom the faithful shall have associated themselves more than was meet, tasting with them of their impurity of doctrine and life.
- Revelation 20:8 The work or act of Satan (which is the first member as I distinguished in the verse beforegoing) to deceive the whole world, even unto the uttermost nations thereof: to arm them against the people of God, in this verse, and to besiege and oppress the Church, with his whole strength, in the verse following.
Revelation 20:1-8
Young's Literal Translation
20 And I saw a messenger coming down out of the heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain over his hand,
2 and he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, who is Devil and Adversary, and did bind him a thousand years,
3 and he cast him to the abyss, and did shut him up, and put a seal upon him, that he may not lead astray the nations any more, till the thousand years may be finished; and after these it behoveth him to be loosed a little time.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them, and the souls of those who have been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God, and who did not bow before the beast, nor his image, and did not receive the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand, and they did live and reign with Christ the thousand years;
5 and the rest of the dead did not live again till the thousand years may be finished; this [is] the first rising again.
6 Happy and holy [is] he who is having part in the first rising again; over these the second death hath not authority, but they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years may be finished, the Adversary shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 and he shall go forth to lead the nations astray, that are in the four corners of the earth -- Gog and Magog -- to gather them together to war, of whom the number [is] as the sand of the sea;
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