Revelation 20–22

20TH CHAPTER

An Angel Overpowers the Devil

¹I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key to the bottomless pit and a large chain in his hand. ²He overpowered the serpent, that ancient snake, named Devil and Satan. The angel chained up the serpent for 1,000 years. ³He threw it into the bottomless pit. The angel shut and sealed the pit over the serpent to keep it from deceiving the nations anymore until the 1,000 years were over. After that it must be set free for a little while. 

⁴I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were allowed to judge. Then I saw the souls of those whose heads had been cut off because of their testimony about Jesus and because of God’s word. They had not worshiped the beast or its statue and were not branded on their foreheads or hands. They lived and ruled with Christ for 1,000 years. ⁵The rest of the dead did not live until the 1,000 years ended. 

This is the first time that people come back to life. ⁶Blessed and holy are those who are included the first time that people come back to life. The second death has no power over them. They will continue to be priests of God and Christ. They will rule with him for 1,000 years. 

The Final Judgment

⁷When 1,000 years are over, Satan will be freed from his prison. ⁸He will go out to deceive Gog and Magog, the nations in the four corners of the earth, and gather them for war. They will be as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. ⁹⸤I saw that⸥ they spread over the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s holy people and the beloved city. Fire came from heaven and burned them up. ¹⁰The devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were also thrown. They will be tortured day and night forever and ever. 

¹¹I saw a large, white throne and the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the sky fled from his presence, but no place was found for them. ¹²I saw the dead, both important and unimportant people, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened, including the Book of Life. The dead were judged on the basis of what they had done, as recorded in the books. ¹³The sea gave up its dead. Death and hell gave up their dead. People were judged based on what they had done. ¹⁴Death and hell were thrown into the fiery lake. (The fiery lake is the second death.) ¹⁵Those whose names were not found in the Book of Life were thrown into the fiery lake. 

21ST CHAPTER

A New Heaven and a New Earth

¹I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and earth had disappeared, and the sea was gone. ²Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, dressed like a bride ready for her husband. ³I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “God lives with humans! God will make his home with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won’t be any more death. There won’t be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared.” 

⁵The one sitting on the throne said, “I am making everything new.” He said, “Write this: ‘These words are faithful and true.’ ” ⁶He said to me, “It has happened! I am the A and the Z,^athe beginning and the end. I will give a drink from the fountain filled with the water of life to anyone who is thirsty. It won’t cost anything. ⁷Everyone who wins the victory will inherit these things. I will be their God, and they will be my children. ⁸But cowardly, unfaithful, and detestable people, murderers, sexual sinners, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will find themselves in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” 

A New Jerusalem

⁹One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the last seven plagues came to me and said, “Come! I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb.” ¹⁰He carried me by his power away to a large, high mountain. He showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. ¹¹It had the glory of God. Its light was like a valuable gem, like gray quartz, as clear as crystal. ¹²It had a large, high wall with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates. The names of the 12 tribes of Israel were written on the gates. ¹³There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. ¹⁴The wall of the city had 12 foundations. The 12 names of the 12 apostles of the lamb were written on them. 

¹⁵The angel who was talking to me had a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. ¹⁶The city was square. It was as wide as it was long. He measured the city with the stick. It was 12,000 stadia^blong. Its length, width, and height were the same. ¹⁷He measured its wall. According to human measurement, which the angel was using, it was 144 cubits.^c18Its wall was made of gray quartz. The city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass. ¹⁹The foundations of the city wall were beautifully decorated with all kinds of gems: The first foundation was gray quartz, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰the fifth onyx, the sixth red quartz, the seventh yellow quartz, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth green quartz, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. ²¹The 12 gates were 12 pearls. Each gate was made of one pearl. The street of the city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass. 

²²I did not see any temple in it, because the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple. ²³The city doesn’t need any sun or moon to give it light because the glory of God gave it light. The lamb was its lamp. ²⁴The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. ²⁵Its gates will be open all day. They will never close because there won’t be any night there. ²⁶They will bring the glory and wealth of the nations into the holy city. ²⁷Nothing unclean,^dno one who does anything detestable, and no liars will ever enter it. Only those whose names are written in the lamb’s Book of Life will enter it. 

22ND CHAPTER

¹The angel showed me a river filled with the water of life, as clear as crystal. It was flowing from the throne of God and the lamb. ²Between the street of the city and the river there was a tree of life visible from both sides. It produced 12 kinds of fruit. Each month had its own fruit. The leaves of the tree will heal the nations. ³There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and the lamb will be in the city. His servants will worship him ⁴and see his face. His name will be on their foreheads. ⁵There will be no more night, and they will not need any light from lamps or the sun because the Lord God will shine on them. They will rule as kings forever and ever. 

Jesus Says: I’m Coming Soon

⁶He said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord God of the spirits of the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants the things that must happen soon. ⁷I’m coming soon! Blessed is the one who follows the words of the prophecy in this book.” 

⁸I, John, heard and saw these things. When I had heard and seen them, I bowed to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing me these things. ⁹He told me, “Don’t do that! I am your coworker. I work with other Christians, the prophets, and those who follow the words in this book. Worship God!” 

¹⁰Then the angel said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy in this book because the time is near. ¹¹Let those who don’t have God’s approval go without it, and let filthy people continue to be filthy. Let those who have God’s approval continue to have it, and let holy people continue to be holy.” 

¹²“I’m coming soon! I will bring my reward with me to pay all people based on what they have done. ¹³I am the A and the Z,^athe first and the last, the beginning and the end. 

¹⁴“Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵Outside are dogs, sorcerers, sexual sinners, murderers, idolaters, and all who lie in what they say and what they do. 

¹⁶“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give this testimony to you for the churches. I am the root and descendant of David. I am the bright morning star.” 

¹⁷The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let those who hear this say, “Come!” Let those who are thirsty come! Let those who want the water of life take it as a gift. 

¹⁸I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy in this book: If anyone adds anything to this, God will strike him with the plagues that are written in this book. ¹⁹If anyone takes away any words from this book of prophecy, God will take away his portion of the tree of life and the holy city that are described in this book. 

²⁰The one who is testifying to these things says, “Yes, I’m coming soon!” 

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 

²¹The good will^bof the Lord Jesus be with all of you. Amen!