Bible Commentaries
Revelation 20

Verse 1

Revelation 20:1

Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

John had seen

the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan,

and his angels, cast out of the Roman papal kingdom and dominion. Revelation 12:7-10 And here John had revealed unto him how the dragon (as a conquered enemy, and wretched captive) is bound, and made a close prisoner for a thousand years, after the destruction of the Roman papal kingdom and dominion. This angel is Christ, as appears, first, by the place whence he came;

And I saw an angel come down from Heaven

1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7. Secondly, by the emblem of his power and great authority

Having the key of the bottomless pit,

Revelation 1:18; Revelation 3:7. Thirdly, by the means of executing his great power.

And a great chain in his hand.

Verse 2

Revelation 20:2

Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years;

that is, a certain definite time, Revelation 20:4 these thousand years. {so Revelation 20:3-7} They are not any mystical or prophetical number, but literal, and so Pareus, and other expositors number them literally. Revelation 20:3

Verse 3

Revelation 20:3

Revelation 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

And cast him unto the bottomless pit

that he might go into perdition with the beast, and the false prophet. Revelation 20:10

And shut him up, and set a seal upon him;

that is, secured him in his prison, from tempting and deceiving the nations by himself, or by his instruments; pagan, papal, or Mahometan false teachers, {as 2 Peter 2:1-3}

Till the thousand years shall be fulfilled, (and ended or finished) and after that he must be loosed a little season

{as Revelation 20:7-8}

Verse 4

Revelation 20:4

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

By

thrones

here we are to understand the kingdom and dominion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of his suffering, conquering and overcoming saints. Revelation 11:15; Daniel 7:27; Matthew 19:28; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 12:11

And judgement was given unto them.

That is, to the righteous, {Ezekiel 23:45} to the saints, {1 Corinthians 6:2-3}

And I saw the souls (animas, not the bodies) of them that were beheaded,

that is, suffered death

for the witness of Jesus,

Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 11:7 and for the Word of God, the holy scripture;

And which had not worshipped the beast:

that is, had not taken the oath of supremacy to the beast;

neither to his image:

popish kings, as head of the church, are refused to swear away the headship of our Lord Jesus Christ, {Colossians 1:18}

Neither had received his mark in their foreheads or in their hands.

See Revelation 13:16-17

And they lived and reigned with Christ these thousand years.

Romans 8:17-18; 2 Timothy 2:11-12

Verse 5

Revelation 20:5

Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

By

the rest of the dead,

here we may understand (per antithesin, and in contradistinction to them that had been killed, martyred, and slain; into whom the spirit of life from God had again entered) all those dead souls, who had worshipped the beast and his image, and had received his mark, whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life,

until these thousand years were finished, (or ended.) This is the first resurrection.

That is, the raising of the slain witnesses. {Revelation 11:7-11} See KNOLLYS: Revelation 11:7 See KNOLLYS: Revelation 11:8 See KNOLLYS: Revelation 11:9 See KNOLLYS: Revelation 11:11 {Revelation 20:6} Five things are here said of this first resurrection, viz. first, they are holy, that is, sanctified persons, who lived godly in Christ Jesus, in times of persecution. {2 Timothy 3:12} Secondly, they are blessed, {Matthew 5:8} with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things, in Christ Jesus. {Ephesians 1:3} Thirdly,

Verse 6

Revelation 20:6

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The second death hath no power over them.

They have all escaped the damnation of Hell, Romans 8:1-2; Revelation 20:14-15.

Verse 7

Revelation 20:7

Revelation 20:7-10 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

These thousand years being expired, Satan shall be loosed

and his instruments permitted, by his deceiving the nations, Revelation 20:8 (called Gog and Magog) to gather together, from east, west, north and south,

And to compass the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:

i.e., the new Jerusalem, and the general assembly and church of God, Hebrews 12:22-23; Revelation 21:2-3

And fire came down from God, out of Heaven, and devoured them

2 Thessalonians 1:5-6 as it did. {Ezekiel 39:6} Revelation 20:10 declares the final doom of the devil.

And the devil that deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the false beast and the prophets are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Verse 11

Revelation 20:11

Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Here John had a vision and revelation, of the Day of Judgement, {Judges 1:5-6; Hebrews 6:2}

I saw a great white throne;

which signifies the glory and majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ at his second coming, {Hebrews 9:28} which will be with power and great glory, {Matthew 24:30} then we shall all stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ, {Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10} whom John saw sit upon the white Throne;

From whose face the earth and the heavens fled away.

That is, they were dissolved, {2 Peter 3:4-13}

And there was found no place for them:

for they must give place unto the new heaven, and the new earth. {Revelation 21:1}

Verse 12

Revelation 20:12

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

The throne being placed, and the judge being set on the throne, John

saw the dead, small and great stand before God

That is, Jesus Christ, God-Man, {Acts 17:31}

And the books were opened

by these books we are to understand the bible, the holy scripture of truth, God’s statute book; that is, the books of the Old and New Testament, {Romans 2:12-16}

And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.

that is, of election unto salvation, {Philippians 4:3}

And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

{2 Corinthians 5:10} whereby is revealed the just and righteous proceedings of Jesus Christ in judgement; for the wicked shall receive their reward, according to their evil deeds; and the righteous shall receive their reward of grace, as God hath promised them, according to their good deeds, {Matthew 25:34-40} but not for them.

Verse 13

Revelation 20:13

Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

By sea, death, and hell, here we are to understand the places where the bodies and souls of the dead were held and kept until this day of judgement:

And they were judged every man according to their works.

that is, according to their sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. {Judges 1:6-15}

Verse 14

Revelation 20:14

Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire: this is the second death.

this lake of fire is that Gehenna, into which the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, were cast. See Revelation 20:10; Matthew 25:31-46.

Verse 15

Revelation 20:15

Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

By

the Book of Life,

we are to understand God’s election unto everlasting salvation, or eternal life and glory; there is a remnant according to the election of grace, Romans 11:5; Romans 8:30; Ephesians 1:3-6. Those that were

not found written in the Book of Life,

are all the non-elect, viz. wicked and ungodly persons; the workers of iniquity, who have lived in the world without God and Christ, and died in their sins; viz. all impenitent unbelievers, that obey not the gospel. {2 Thessalonians 1:6-10}