The Revelation of St. John the Divine

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 20 -

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain.

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time.

Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

Satan Cast into the Lake of Fire

When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison,

and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore.

And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven

(a)

and consumed them.

And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Judgment before the Great White Throne

Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.

The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.

And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Footnotes

(a)20:9 BYZ and TR came down from God out of heaven

I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.

He seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth,(a) 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.

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.

Satan Cast into the Lake of Fire

And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison

and 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.

They 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.

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.

Judgment before the Great White Throne

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.

The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades(b) gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.

Death and Hades(c) were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.

Footnotes

(a)20:2 TR and NU omit “who deceives the whole inhabited earth”.

(b)20:13 or, Hell