King James Version

Revelation 20

Revelation 20 describes an angel binding Satan in the bottomless pit for a thousand years, the saints living and reigning with Christ a thousand years, Satan loosed and finally cast into the lake of fire, and the dead judged before a great white throne. Christians read the thousand years, often called the millennium, in several different ways.

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Revelation 20 (KJV)

Satan bound a thousand years v. 1-3

¹And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

²And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

³And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

The first resurrection v. 4-6

⁴And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

⁵But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

⁶Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Satan loosed, Gog and Magog, and the lake of fire v. 7-10

⁷And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

⁸And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

⁹And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

¹⁰And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The great white throne v. 11-15

¹¹And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

¹²And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

¹³And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

¹⁴And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

¹⁵And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

What Revelation 20 means

John sees an angel come down from heaven with the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. The angel binds the dragon, whom the text names as the Devil and Satan, and seals him in the pit so that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years are fulfilled.

Next John sees thrones and the souls of those beheaded for the witness of Jesus, who had not worshipped the beast or received his mark. They live and reign with Christ a thousand years. The text calls this the first resurrection and says the second death has no power over those who have part in it. The phrase thousand years appears six times in verses 2 to 7.

When the thousand years end, Satan is loosed and goes out to deceive the nations, Gog and Magog, gathering them to battle around the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them, and the devil is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are.

Finally John sees a great white throne. The dead, small and great, stand before God, the books are opened along with the book of life, and every man is judged according to their works. Death and hell are cast into the lake of fire, which the text calls the second death.

Christians have long disagreed about how to read the thousand years. Premillennial readers expect Christ to return before a future reign on earth. Amillennial readers take the thousand years as a picture of the present age between Christ's first and second comings. Postmillennial readers expect a long era of gospel growth before Christ returns. This page describes the text and leaves that question to your own study and church.

Background and context

The writer names himself John and says he received the vision on the isle called Patmos (Revelation 1:9). He is traditionally identified as the apostle John.

Chapter 19 ends with the beast and the false prophet cast into the lake of fire. Chapter 20 then deals with Satan himself and the final judgment, and chapter 21 opens on a new heaven and a new earth.

Key verses

And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Revelation 20:2 · KJV

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:6 · KJV

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:12 · KJV

Cross references

Revelation 12:9 Names the great dragon as that old serpent, called the Devil, and SatanAnd the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
2 Peter 3:8 With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, often raised in discussions of the millenniumBut, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Daniel 7:9-10 Daniel also sees thrones, the Ancient of days, and the books opened in judgmentI beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
Ezekiel 38:2 Gog, of the land of Magog, in Ezekiel's prophecySon of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
Revelation 13:16-17 The mark of the beast that the faithful in verse 4 refusedAnd he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
John 5:28-29 Jesus speaks of all in the graves hearing his voice and coming forthMarvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, as in verse 14The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Revelation 21:8 The lake which burneth with fire and brimstone is again called the second deathBut the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

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Common questions

What is the millennium in Revelation 20?

Millennium means a thousand years. Revelation 20 says Satan is bound a thousand years and the saints reign with Christ a thousand years. Christians read this as a future reign, as a picture of the present age, or as a coming golden age, and sincere believers hold each view.

What is the second death?

Verse 14 names it directly: death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, and "This is the second death." Verse 6 says it has no power over those in the first resurrection.

What is the great white throne judgment?

In verses 11-15 the dead, small and great, stand before God, the books are opened, and each is judged according to their works. Anyone not found written in the book of life is cast into the lake of fire.

Who are Gog and Magog in Revelation 20?

Verse 8 uses the names for the nations in the four quarters of the earth that Satan gathers to battle. The names come from Ezekiel 38-39, where Gog is of the land of Magog.

What is the first resurrection?

Verse 5 calls the living and reigning of the faithful with Christ "the first resurrection." How it relates to a bodily resurrection is one of the points where the millennial views differ.