Revelation 20:1-6

1 And I sawe an angell come doune from heven havinge the kaye of the bottomlesse pyt and a gret chayne in his honde.

2 And he toke the drago that olde serpet which is the devyll and Satanas and he bounde him a thousand yeares:

3 and cast him into the bottomlesse pit and he bounde him and set a seale on him yt he shuld desceaue the people no moare tyll the .M. yeares were fulfilled. And after yt he muste be loosed for a litell season.

4 And I sawe seattes and they sat apon them and iudgement was geven vnto them: and I sawe the soules of them that were behedded for the witnes of Iesu and for the worde of God: which had not worshypped the best nether his ymage nether had taken his marke vpon their forheddes or on their hondes: and they lyved and raygned with Christ a .M. yere:

5 but the wother of the deed men lyved not agayne vntyll the .M. yere were fynisshed. This is that fyrst resurreccion.

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath parte in the fyrst resurreccion. For on suche shall the seconde deeth have no power for they shalbe the prestes of God and of Christ and shall raygne with him a .M. yere.

Revelation 20:1-6 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.