Revelation 20:3-13

3 and he threw him into the ¹abyss, and shut it and ²sealed it over him, so that he would ³not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

4 Then I saw ⁴thrones, and ⁵they sat on them, and ⁶judgment was given to them. And I saw ⁷the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their ⁸testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not ⁹worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the ¹⁰mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they ¹¹came to life and ¹²reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. ¹³This is the first resurrection.

6 ¹⁴Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the ¹⁵second death has no power, but they will be ¹⁶priests of God and of Christ and will ¹⁷reign with Him for a thousand years.

Satan Freed, Doomed

7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be ¹⁸released from his prison,

8 and will come out to ¹⁹deceive the nations which are in the ²⁰four corners of the earth, ²¹Gog and Magog, to ²²gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the ²³sand of the seashore.

9 And they ²⁴came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the ²⁵camp of the saints and the ²⁶beloved city, and ²⁷fire came down from heaven and devoured them.

10 And ²⁸the devil who ²⁹deceived them was thrown into the ³⁰lake of fire and brimstone, where the ³¹beast and the ³²false prophet are also; and they will be ³³tormented day and night forever and ever.

Judgment at the Throne of God

11 Then I saw a great white ³⁴throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence ³⁵earth and heaven fled away, and ³⁶no place was found for them.

12 And I saw the dead, the ³⁷great and the small, standing before the throne, and ³⁸books were opened; and another book was opened, which is ³⁹the book of life; and the dead ⁴⁰were judged from the things which were written in the books, ⁴¹according to their deeds.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and ⁴²death and Hades ⁴³gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them ⁴⁴according to their deeds.

Revelation 20:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 20

This chapter contains the binding of Satan, the saints' thousand years' reign with Christ, the loosing of Satan again, the destruction of him, and the Gog and Magog army, and the last judgment: the angel that is to bind Satan is described by his descent from heaven; by his having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand; and by the use he made of them, laying hold on Satan, binding him, casting him into the bottomless pit, and then shutting it up, and setting a seal on him; by all which he will be prevented from deceiving the nations for the space of a thousand years, Re 20:1-3. After this thrones are seen, with persons on them, to whom judgment is given; who are said to be such as had been martyrs for Jesus, and had not worshipped the beast, or professed his religion; whose happiness is represented by living and reigning with Christ a thousand years, when others will not; the second death will have no power on them; they will be the priests of God, and Christ, and reign with him during the said term, having a part in the first resurrection, Re 20:4-6. At the expiration of which term Satan will be loosed, and go out of prison, deceive the nations, and gather Gog and Magog to battle; who, being exceeding numerous, will cover the breadth of the earth, encompass the camp and city of the saints, when fire will come down from heaven and destroy them, and Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, where the beast and false prophet are, and be tormented for ever and ever, Re 20:7-10. And next an account is given of the general Judgment; and the judge is described by the throne he sat on, a white cloud, and by his majesty, which is such, that the heavens and the earth flee from before him, Re 20:11. And next the persons judged are described by their common state, the dead; by their age or condition, great and small, and by their position, standing before God; and then an account of the procedure, or rule of judgment; the books are opened, and the execution of judgment according to what is found in the books, Re 20:12 in order to which the sea, death, and the grave, give up the dead in them, and the two last are cast into the lake, and with them those who are not in the book of life, Re 20:13,14.

Cross References

• 1. Revelation 20:1
• 2. Daniel 6:17; Matthew 27:66
• 3. Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:8, 10
• 4. Daniel 7:9
• 5. Matthew 19:28; Revelation 3:21
• 6. Daniel 7:22; 1 Corinthians 6:2
• 7. Revelation 6:9
• 8. Revelation 1:9
• 9. Revelation 13:12, 15
• 10. Revelation 13:16
• 11. John 14:19
• 12. Revelation 3:21; Revelation 5:10; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 22:5
• 13. Luke 14:14; Philippians 3:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16
• 14. Revelation 14:13
• 15. Revelation 2:11; Revelation 20:14
• 16. Revelation 1:6
• 17. Revelation 3:21; Revelation 5:10; Revelation 20:4; Revelation 22:5
• 18. Revelation 20:2
• 19. Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:3, 10
• 20. Ezekiel 7:2; Revelation 7:1
• 21. Ezekiel 38:2; Ezekiel 39:1, 6
• 22. Revelation 16:14
• 23. Hebrews 11:12
• 24. Ezekiel 38:9, 16
• 25. Deuteronomy 23:14
• 26. Psalms 87:2
• 27. Ezekiel 38:22; Ezekiel 39:6; Revelation 13:13
• 28. Revelation 20:2
• 29. Revelation 20:2
• 30. Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:14, 15
• 31. Revelation 16:13
• 32. Revelation 16:13
• 33. Revelation 14:10
• 34. Revelation 4:2
• 35. Revelation 6:14; Revelation 21:1
• 36. Daniel 2:35; Revelation 12:8
• 37. Revelation 11:18
• 38. Daniel 7:10
• 39. Revelation 3:5; Revelation 20:15
• 40. Revelation 11:18
• 41. Matthew 16:27; Revelation 2:23; Revelation 20:13
• 42. 1 Corinthians 15:26; Revelation 1:18; Revelation 6:8; Revelation 21:4
• 43. Isaiah 26:19
• 44. Matthew 16:27; Revelation 2:23; Revelation 20:12

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "the"
• [b] Lit "sea"
• [c] Lit "breadth of the earth"
• [d] Or "holy ones"
• [e] I.e. burning sulphur
• [f] Lit "face"
• [g] Or "scrolls"
• [h] Or "scroll"
• [i] Or "scrolls"