Revelation 20
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Revelation 20 is the twentieth chapter of the
Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation, also known as the Book of the Apocalypse or the Apocalypse of John, is the final book of the New Testament, and therefore the final book of the Bible#Christian Bible, Christian Bible. Written in Greek language, Greek, ...
or the Apocalypse of John in the
New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...
of the
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
. The book is traditionally attributed to
John the Apostle John the Apostle (; ; ), also known as Saint John the Beloved and, in Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Saint John the Theologian, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he ...
, but the precise identity of the author remains a point of academic debate. This chapter contains the notable account of the "Millennium" and the judgment of the dead.


Text

The original text was written in
Koine Greek Koine Greek (, ), also variously known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek, Septuagint Greek or New Testament Greek, was the koiné language, common supra-regional form of Greek language, Greek spoken and ...
. This chapter is divided into 15 verses.


Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are among others: *
Codex Sinaiticus The Codex Sinaiticus (; Shelfmark: London, British Library, Add MS 43725), also called the Sinai Bible, is a fourth-century Christian manuscript of a Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Greek Old Testament, including the deuterocanonica ...
(AD 330-360) *
Codex Alexandrinus The Codex Alexandrinus (London, British Library, Royal MS 1. D. V-VIII) is a manuscript of the Greek Bible,The Greek Bible in this context refers to the Bible used by Greek-speaking Christians who lived in Egypt and elsewhere during the early ...
(400-440)


Old Testament references

* : ;


New Testament references

* :


The Millennium (20:1–10)

This passage is the basis for various tradition of Christian '
millenarianism Millenarianism or millenarism () is the belief by a religious, social, or political group or movement in a coming fundamental transformation of society, after which "all things will be changed". Millenarianism exists in various cultures and re ...
'.


Verse 1

:''I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.''
Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
says in the writer's vision at Revelation 1:18, "I hold the keys of
Hades Hades (; , , later ), in the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, is the god of the dead and the king of the Greek underworld, underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea ...
and of Death", leading some interpreters to suggest that the angel observed here is actually Christ. The 17th-century theologian John Gill refers to a suggestion that the prophesied angel was fulfilled in
Constantine the Great Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...
(272–337 AD).Gill, J.
Gill's Exposition of the NT
on Revelation 20, accessed 13 December 2018
The Ethiopic version reads "the key of the sun".


Verse 2

:''He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;'' NKJV *"The dragon" is the 'ultimate principle of evil', which appeared before the narrative of the two beasts (
chapter 12 Chapter 12 of Title 11 of the United States Code, or simply chapter 12, is a chapter of the Bankruptcy Code. It is similar to Chapter 13 in structure, but it offers additional benefits to farmers and fishermen in certain circumstances, beyond th ...
13), and continues after both of them have perished.


Verse 3

:''and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.'' *"Cast him into the bottomless pit": In
chapter 12 Chapter 12 of Title 11 of the United States Code, or simply chapter 12, is a chapter of the Bankruptcy Code. It is similar to Chapter 13 in structure, but it offers additional benefits to farmers and fishermen in certain circumstances, beyond th ...
the dragon was 'thrown from heaven to earth, where he deceived the nations' and now is thrown into the imprisonment in the abyss (cf. ), prevented to deceive the nations for a long time (cf. for the significance of 'a thousand year').


Verse 4

:''And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.'' It is not explicit or clear who was seated on the thrones. "The natural construction is that 'judges' sat on them. The
New International Version The New International Version (NIV) is a translation of the Bible into contemporary English. Published by Biblica, the complete NIV was released on October 27, 1978, with a minor revision in 1984 and a major revision in 2011. The NIV relies ...
presents the text as: :''I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge ...'' American theologian Albert Barnes notes the "considerable resemblance, in many respects, between this ordingand the statement in ": :''As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat''. Daniel's vision continues: :''The Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom'' and so the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges argues that those seated on the thrones are these saints of the Most High.Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
on Revelation 20, accessed 14 December 2018


Verse 5

:''But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.'' *"Lived … again": from Greek: , ' ( TR) or , ' (Greek Orthodox Church NT), in the sense of "not only when restored to life, but when in the act of reviving" (cf. Revelation 2:8).Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, Andrew Robert; Brown, David. '' Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary On the Whole Bible''
"Revelation 20"
1871.


Verse 6

:''Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.'' *"Of God and of Christ": This provides a strong proof for "the doctrine of Christ's coequal Deity" with God (= "The Father").


Verse 10

:''Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.''


The Judgement of the Dead (20:11-15)


Verse 12

:''And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.'' The reference to "
judgment Judgement (or judgment) is the evaluation of given circumstances to make a decision. Judgement is also the ability to make considered decisions. In an informal context, a judgement is opinion expressed as fact. In the context of a legal trial ...
based on works" () is repeated in verse 13. The phrase is ("according to his work") in Tischendorf's critical edition. Biblical commentator Andrew Robert Fausset stresses that "we are justified by faith, judged according to (not by) our works".


Verse 14

:''And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.''


Verse 15

:''And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.'' NKJV The "
lake of fire The lake of fire is a concept that appears in both the ancient Egyptian religion, ancient Egyptian and Christianity, Christian religions. In ancient Egypt, it appears as an obstacle on the journey through the underworld which can destroy or refres ...
" is referred to in , in verses 10 and 14-15 in this chapter and in .


See also

* Book of Life * Dudael *
Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
* John's vision of the Son of Man *
Lake of Fire The lake of fire is a concept that appears in both the ancient Egyptian religion, ancient Egyptian and Christianity, Christian religions. In ancient Egypt, it appears as an obstacle on the journey through the underworld which can destroy or refres ...
*
Millennialism Millennialism () or chiliasm (from the Greek equivalent) is a belief which is held by some religious denominations. According to this belief, a Messianic Age will be established on Earth prior to the Last Judgment and the future permanent s ...
* Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament * That Evening Sun * Related
Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
parts: Revelation 4, Revelation 7, Revelation 13, Revelation 18, Revelation 19, Revelation 21


Notes


References


Sources

*


External links

* King James Bible - Wikisource
English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate

''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org
(ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
Multiple bible versions at ''Bible Gateway''
(NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.) {{Book of Revelation 20