The Thousand Year Reign

Revelation 20

I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the ethnic groups until the thousand years were completed. After this, he must be freed for a short time.

I saw thrones, and those sitting on them, and authority to judge was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, who didn’t worship the beast nor its image and who didn’t receive the mark on their forehead or on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him one thousand years.

Satan’s Final Release and Defeat

When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison and he will come out to deceive the ethnic groups in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war. Their number is like the sand of the sea. They went up over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire descended from heaven and devoured them. The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. And they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Judgment at the Throne of God

Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. The earth and the heaven fled from his face, no place was found for them. I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and the scrolls were opened. Another scroll was opened, which is the scroll of life. The dead were judged by what was written in the scrolls, according to their deeds. The sea gave up the dead who were in her, and death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. Each one was judged according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. If anyone was not found written in the book of life, they were thrown into the lake of fire.