Revelation 20
Big idea: The most disputed chapter in the Bible, and the layer will not settle it. A thousand years appears six times in seven verses and nowhere else in Scripture, and the whole question is where it sits relative to Christ's return — before it, after it, or as a way of describing the present age. What the chapter does say plainly is that the dragon is dealt with last, that a release follows the binding, and that the final scene is a courtroom with books open.
Chapter 20 clears away death itself. Chapters 21-22 show what replaces it.
20:1–10 — A thousand years
The dragon is bound with a key, a chain and a seal — three securings — for one stated purpose: 'THAT HE SHOULD DECEIVE THE NATIONS NO MORE'. Deception is what is stopped, not existence. And the release afterwards is not an escape: 'HE MUST BE FREED FOR A SHORT TIME'. Meanwhile the people who were executed for refusing the mark are the ones on the thrones.
1 I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and cast him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time. 4 I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years. 7 And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up over the width of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God and devoured them. 10 The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
20:11–15 — The books were opened
A courtroom, and the first thing that happens is that the universe leaves — earth and sky flee from the face of the one on the throne and no place is found for them. Then books, plural, and one more book named separately. Works are what the first set records; the second is a register of names. The two are held together without being reconciled.
11 I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the sky fled away. There was found no place for them. 12 I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).