1And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit (abyss) and holding a great chain in his hand. 2And he seized the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him in chains for a thousand years, 3And threw him into the Abyss, and locked and set a seal upon it, so that he could not deceive the nations anymore, until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 4And I saw thrones, and those who sat upon them were given authority to judge; and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony for and about Jesus, and for the word of God – those who had not worshipped the beast, nor its image, nor had they received its mark on their foreheads or in their hands. They came to life again and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead did not come back to life again until those thousand years had ended. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy are those that share in this first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him for a thousand years. 7And when the thousand years are ended, Satan shall be released from his prison, 8And will go out to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth - Gog and Magog - to gather them for battle. Their number is as uncountable as the sand of the sea. 9And they marched across the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the people of God, and the city He loves. But then fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them. 10And the devil that deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (burning sulfur), where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11And I saw a great white throne, and the One Who was seated upon it. And the earth and the heavens fled from His presence; but they found no place to hide. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne of God, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to what was recorded in the books – the things that they had done. 13And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and the grave (hades) gave up its dead; and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14And then death and hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Reader-Friendly Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2024 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |