The Thousand Years

20 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,(A) having the key(B) to the Abyss(C) and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan,(D) and bound him for a thousand years.(E) He threw him into the Abyss,(F) and locked and sealed(G) it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations(H) anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

I saw thrones(I) on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.(J) And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded(K) because of their testimony about Jesus(L) and because of the word of God.(M) They[a] had not worshiped the beast(N) or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.(O) They came to life and reigned(P) with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.(Q) Blessed(R) and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death(S) has no power over them, but they will be priests(T) of God and of Christ and will reign with him(U) for a thousand years.

The Judgment of Satan

When the thousand years are over,(V) Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations(W) in the four corners of the earth(X)—Gog and Magog(Y)—and to gather them for battle.(Z) In number they are like the sand on the seashore.(AA) They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded(AB) the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.(AC) But fire came down from heaven(AD) and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them,(AE) was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,(AF) where the beast(AG) and the false prophet(AH) had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.(AI)

The Judgment of the Dead

11 Then I saw a great white throne(AJ) and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence,(AK) and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small,(AL) standing before the throne, and books were opened.(AM) Another book was opened, which is the book of life.(AN) The dead were judged(AO) according to what they had done(AP) as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades(AQ) gave up the dead(AR) that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.(AS) 14 Then death(AT) and Hades(AU) were thrown into the lake of fire.(AV) The lake of fire is the second death.(AW) 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life(AX) was thrown into the lake of fire.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[b](AY) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,(AZ) and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City,(BA) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,(BB) prepared as a bride(BC) beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.(BD) They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.(BE) ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.(BF) There will be no more death’[c](BG) or mourning or crying or pain,(BH) for the old order of things has passed away.”(BI)

He who was seated on the throne(BJ) said, “I am making everything new!”(BK) Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”(BL)

He said to me: “It is done.(BM) I am the Alpha and the Omega,(BN) the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost(BO) from the spring of the water of life.(BP) Those who are victorious(BQ) will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.(BR) But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars(BS)—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.(BT) This is the second death.”(BU)

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues(BV) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride,(BW) the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away(BX) in the Spirit(BY) to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.(BZ) 11 It shone with the glory of God,(CA) and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,(CB) clear as crystal.(CC) 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,(CD) and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.(CE) 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations,(CF) and on them were the names of the twelve apostles(CG) of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod(CH) of gold to measure the city, its gates(CI) and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[d] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human(CJ) measurement, and it was 144 cubits[e] thick.[f] 18 The wall was made of jasper,(CK) and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.(CL) 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.(CM) The first foundation was jasper,(CN) the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,(CO) the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[g] 21 The twelve gates(CP) were twelve pearls,(CQ) each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.(CR)

22 I did not see a temple(CS) in the city, because the Lord God Almighty(CT) and the Lamb(CU) are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God(CV) gives it light,(CW) and the Lamb(CX) is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.(CY) 25 On no day will its gates(CZ) ever be shut,(DA) for there will be no night there.(DB) 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.(DC) 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful,(DD) but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.(DE)

Eden Restored

22 Then the angel showed me the river(DF) of the water of life,(DG) as clear as crystal,(DH) flowing(DI) from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life,(DJ) bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.(DK) No longer will there be any curse.(DL) The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.(DM) They will see his face,(DN) and his name will be on their foreheads.(DO) There will be no more night.(DP) They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.(DQ) And they will reign for ever and ever.(DR)

John and the Angel

The angel said to me,(DS) “These words are trustworthy and true.(DT) The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets,(DU) sent his angel(DV) to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

“Look, I am coming soon!(DW) Blessed(DX) is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”(DY)

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.(DZ) And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet(EA) of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll.(EB) Worship God!”(EC)

10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up(ED) the words of the prophecy of this scroll,(EE) because the time is near.(EF) 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”(EG)

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

12 “Look, I am coming soon!(EH) My reward is with me,(EI) and I will give to each person according to what they have done.(EJ) 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega,(EK) the First and the Last,(EL) the Beginning and the End.(EM)

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes,(EN) that they may have the right to the tree of life(EO) and may go through the gates(EP) into the city.(EQ) 15 Outside(ER) are the dogs,(ES) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus,(ET) have sent my angel(EU) to give you[h] this testimony for the churches.(EV) I am the Root(EW) and the Offspring of David,(EX) and the bright Morning Star.”(EY)

17 The Spirit(EZ) and the bride(FA) say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.(FB)

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:(FC) If anyone adds anything to them,(FD) God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.(FE) 19 And if anyone takes words away(FF) from this scroll of prophecy,(FG) God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life(FH) and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

20 He who testifies to these things(FI) says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”(FJ)

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.(FK)

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.(FL) Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 20:4 Or God; I also saw those who
  2. Revelation 21:1 Isaiah 65:17
  3. Revelation 21:4 Isaiah 25:8
  4. Revelation 21:16 That is, about 1,400 miles or about 2,200 kilometers
  5. Revelation 21:17 That is, about 200 feet or about 65 meters
  6. Revelation 21:17 Or high
  7. Revelation 21:20 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
  8. Revelation 22:16 The Greek is plural.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

And 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.

10 And 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.

11 And 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.

12 And 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.

13 And 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.

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

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

21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

22 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.