Revelation Chapter 20 — The Thousand Years and Final Judgment
This chapter describes the binding of Satan for a thousand years and the final judgment of all people before God's Great White Throne.
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, who is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth,*TR and NU omit “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, whose number 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 sky 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†or, Hell gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.
14Death and Hades‡or, Hell 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.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Revelation 20:2
“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,”
This verse establishes the period of restraint for the primary antagonist of the biblical narrative.
Revelation 20:12
“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.”
It depicts the universal nature of final accountability and the criteria used for judgment.
Revelation 20:14
“Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”
This signifies the total and final defeat of death itself at the end of the age.
Chapter Summary
Revelation 20 details the events following the return of Christ, beginning with an angel descending from heaven to bind Satan in the abyss for a thousand years. During this millennium, those who were martyred for their faith are resurrected—referred to as the first resurrection—to reign with Christ as priests. After the thousand years are finished, Satan is briefly released and gathers the nations of Gog and Magog for a final battle against the camp of the saints and the beloved city. This rebellion is ended when fire comes down from heaven to consume the attackers, and the devil is cast into the lake of fire for eternity. The chapter concludes with the Great White Throne Judgment. John sees the dead, both great and small, standing before God as books are opened, including the Book of Life. Every individual is judged according to their works recorded in these books. Finally, Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death, along with anyone whose name is not found in the Book of Life.
Frequently Asked Questions
The first resurrection refers to the souls of those beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and those who did not worship the beast. They are brought to life to reign with Christ for a thousand years, and the second death has no power over them.
Satan is released from his prison to deceive the nations once more, gathering them for war against the saints. However, fire comes down from heaven to consume his armies, and he is thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur forever.
The Book of Life is a record mentioned during the final judgment at the Great White Throne. According to the text, individuals whose names are not found written in this book are cast into the lake of fire.
Gog and Magog represent the nations from the four corners of the earth that Satan gathers for battle after his release. They surround the beloved city before being defeated by divine intervention.
Study Note
The thousand-year period described in this chapter, often called the Millennium, is the only place in the Bible where this specific duration for Christ's reign is explicitly mentioned.
Related Chapters
Genesis 3
The 'old serpent' mentioned here refers back to the serpent who first deceived humanity in the Garden of Eden.
Daniel 7
The vision of thrones and judgment parallels Daniel's prophetic vision of the Ancient of Days and the court in session.
Matthew 25
Jesus describes a final separation and judgment of the nations that mirrors the Great White Throne scene.
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