Rev 20 | HCSB | STEP | Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand .

Revelation of John 20

Satan Bound

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the ^{▼▼abyss: The bottomless pit or the depths (of the sea); the prison for Satan and the demons}abyss ^b and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the Devil and Satan, ^{▼▼Other mss add who deceives the whole world
,} ^d and bound ^e him for 1,000 years. 3 He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it ^f so that he would no longer deceive the nations ^g until the 1,000 years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.

The Saints Reign with the Messiah

4 Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. ^h I also saw the people ^{▼▼Lit souls
,} ^j who had been beheaded ^{▼▼All who had given their lives for their faith in Christ} because of their testimony about Jesus ^l and because of God’s word, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. ^m They came to life ⁿ and reigned with the ^{▼▼Messiah: Or the Christ; the Greek word Christos means "the anointed one".}Messiah for 1,000 years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed ^p and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death ^q has no power ^{▼▼Or authority} over them, but they will be priests of God and of the Messiah, and they will reign with Him for 1,000 years. ^s

Satanic Rebellion Crushed

7 When the 1,000 years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, ^t Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. ^u Their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 They came up over the surface of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the ^{▼▼saint(s)/sanctification/sanctify/sanctified: The work of the Holy Spirit that separates believers in Jesus from the world; at the time of saving faith in Jesus, the believer is made a saint; therefore, all believers are saints. The believer participates with the Spirit in a process of transformation that continues until glorification. The goal of sanctification is progressive conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.}saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven ^{▼▼Other mss add from God} and consumed them. ^x 10 The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, ^y and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. ^z

The Great White Throne Judgment

11 Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. ^aa 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. ^ab Another book was opened, which is the book of life, ^ac and the dead were judged according to their works ^ad by what was written in the books.

13 Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and ^{▼▼Hades: The Greek word for the place of the dead; it corresponds to the Hebrew word Sheol.}Hades ^af gave up their dead; all ^{▼▼Lit each} were judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. ^ah This is the second death, the lake of fire. ^{▼▼Other mss omit the lake of fire} 15 And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.