Revelation · 15 verses
Revelation 20
Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.
The chapter
What happens here
Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.
After a thousand-year prison sentence, Satan is let out precisely long enough to deceive the nations again—and then the devil is thrown into the lake of fire. The timetable is astonishingly exact, if not especially favourable to Satan.
The thousand yearsvv. 1–6
An angel comes down from heaven with the key to the Abyss and a great chain, seizes the dragon, and shuts him away so that he cannot deceive the nations. The souls of those beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, along with those who refused the beast and its image, come to life and reign with Christ. The rest of the dead wait; this is called the first resurrection, and those who share in it are priests of God and of Christ.
A very short rebellionvv. 7–10
When the thousand years are complete, Satan is released from his prison and goes out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog. Their number is like the sand of the seashore, and they march across the earth to surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city. The battle, having assembled on an impressive scale, ends with fire from heaven. The devil is then thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet already are.
The books are openedvv. 11–15
A great white throne appears, and earth and heaven flee from the presence of the One seated on it. The dead, great and small, stand before the throne while the books are opened, including the Book of Life, and each is judged according to the deeds recorded there. The sea, Death, and Hades all surrender their dead; then Death and Hades themselves are thrown into the lake of fire, which is called the second death. Anyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life follows them.
The text
Read it
Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.
Rev 20:1Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain.
Rev 20:2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
Rev 20:3And 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.
Rev 20:4Then 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.
Rev 20:5The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6Blessed 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.
Rev 20:7When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison,
Rev 20:8and 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.
Rev 20:9And 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 and consumed them.
Rev 20:10And 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.
Rev 20:11Then 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.
Rev 20:12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And books were opened, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.
Rev 20:13The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.
Rev 20:14Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.
Rev 20:15And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
02 — Read alongside
Where this is echoed
Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 240 passages were voted onto 15 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.
- 122 Corinthians 5:10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
- 12Matthew 16:27For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
- 12Daniel 7:10A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
- 12Ecclesiastes 12:14For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
- 4Daniel 7:27Then the sovereignty, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him.’
- 4Daniel 7:18But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever—yes, forever and ever.’
- 41 Corinthians 6:2–3Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
- 4Matthew 19:28Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
- 15John 3:36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
- 6Revelation 2:11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death.
- 12Revelation 22:12“Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.
- 12Jeremiah 17:10I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
- 42 Timothy 2:12if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us;
- 6Revelation 1:6who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
- 11Revelation 21:1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
- 61 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Onward