The Thousand Years
1And
I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the
key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great
chain. 2He
seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the
devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
3He threw
him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over
him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore
until the thousand years were ended. After that, he
must be set free for a short time.
4I
saw thrones on which were seated those who had been
given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded because of their
testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God.
They had not worshiped the beast or his image and
had not received his mark on their foreheads or
their hands. They came to life and reigned with
Christ a thousand years.
5(The
rest of the dead did not come to life until the
thousand years were ended.) This is the first
resurrection. 6Blessed
and holy are those who have part 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.
Satan's Doom
7When
the thousand years are over, Satan will be released
from his prison
8and will go out to deceive the nations in
the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to
gather them for battle. In number they are like the
sand on the seashore.
9They
marched across the breadth of the earth and
surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he
loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured
them. 10And
the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the
lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the
false prophet had been thrown. They will be
tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The Dead Are Judged
11Then
I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on
it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there
was no place for them.
12And I
saw the dead, great and small, standing before the
throne, and books were opened. Another book was
opened, which is the book of life. The dead were
judged according to what they had done as recorded
in the books. 13The
sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and
Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each
person was judged according to what he had done.
14Then
death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.
The lake of fire is the second death.
15If
anyone's name was not found written in the book of
life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.