The Bible — World English Bible
Revelation 20
In brief
Revelation 20 describes the last events before the new world. Satan is bound for a thousand years, those who stayed faithful to Jesus reign with him, then Satan is released, deceives the nations and is finally defeated. The judgment before the great white throne follows: the dead are judged and only those whose name is in the book of life escape the second death. Christians understand the nature of the thousand years differently, but all see in it God's certain victory over evil.
The chapter in 4 parts
1I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2He seized the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years,
3and 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.
4I 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.
5The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6Blessed 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.
7And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison,
8and 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; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9They 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.
10The 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.
11I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.
12I 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.
13The 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.
14Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
Key verses
He seized the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years, 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.
An angel chains Satan for a thousand years so that he can no longer deceive the nations. Christians are divided over this passage: some see a future period, others an image of Christ's present reign.
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. The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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.
Those who were faithful to Jesus reign with him, and the second death has no power over them. The text stresses the blessedness of those who share in this first resurrection.
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.
After his last revolt, the devil is thrown into the lake of fire. The adversary who deceived the nations is finally removed, which assures us that evil will not have the last word.
I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. 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.
Before the great white throne, the dead are judged according to their works, as recorded in the books, and the book of life is opened. The final judgment is serious, a reminder that everyone is accountable before God.
If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
The last verse puts the book of life in the spotlight. For the believer, confidence rests on Jesus Christ, whose name written in this book is the guarantee of salvation.
Test your knowledge
What the sermons say
Frequently asked questions about Revelation 20
What do the thousand years of Revelation 20 mean?
Christians answer in several ways. For premillennialists, it is a visible reign of Christ on earth after his return. For others, it is the present period, between Jesus' first and second coming. Still others see a symbolic image. All traditions agree on Christ's final victory.
What is the great white throne?
It is the scene of the final judgment described in verses 11 to 15: the dead stand before God, books are opened, including the book of life. Several sermons remind us that believers rely on Jesus Christ, who bore their condemnation, while this text makes us understand the seriousness of the decision of faith.
What is the second death in Revelation 20?
The text defines it in verse 14 as the lake of fire, where death, Hades and those not written in the book of life are thrown. Verse 6 specifies that it has no power over those who share in the first resurrection.
Articles quoting Revelation 20
World English Bible translation — public domain.