Study Desk

The Thousand Years

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,^(a) having the key^(b) to the Abyss^(c) and holding in his hand a great chain.

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan,^(d) and bound him for a thousand years.^(e)

He threw him into the Abyss,^(f) and locked and sealed^(g) it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations^(h) anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

I saw thrones⁽ⁱ⁾ on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.^(j) And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded^(k) because of their testimony about Jesus^(l) and because of the word of God.^(m) They^[a] had not worshiped the beast⁽ⁿ⁾ or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.^(o) They came to life and reigned^(p) with Christ a thousand years.

(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.^(q)

Blessed^(r) and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death^(s) has no power over them, but they will be priests^(t) of God and of Christ and will reign with him^(u) for a thousand years.

When the thousand years are over,^(v) Satan will be released from his prison

and will go out to deceive the nations^(w) in the four corners of the earth^(x)—Gog and Magog^(y)—and to gather them for battle.^(z) In number they are like the sand on the seashore.^(aa)

They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded^(ab) the camp of God's people, the city he loves.^(ac) But fire came down from heaven^(ad) and devoured them.

And the devil, who deceived them,^(ae) was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,^(af) where the beast^(ag) and the false prophet^(ah) had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.^(ai)

Then I saw a great white throne^(aj) and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence,^(ak) and there was no place for them.

And I saw the dead, great and small,^(al) standing before the throne, and books were opened.^(am) Another book was opened, which is the book of life.^(an) The dead were judged^(ao) according to what they had done^(ap) as recorded in the books.

The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades^(aq) gave up the dead^(ar) that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.^(as)

Then death^(at) and Hades^(au) were thrown into the lake of fire.^(av) The lake of fire is the second death.^(aw)

Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life^(ax) was thrown into the lake of fire.