Revelation 20:7
in Revelation 20When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
KJV
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
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This verse in Revelation 20
Commentary
15 notes on this verse[We have here a difficulty] for we must inquire how it is that when the thousand years have ended, the enemy is given his freedom and the nations [continue to] live upon the earth within that infinity [which occurs after the end]. For indeed, after …
This site's exposition
Satan will be released
on Revelation 20:7-9
Released, Satan gathers Gog and Magog, the names of Ezekiel 38-39, in a number like the sand of the seashore. They surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. The war ends at once: fire came down from heaven and consumed them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And when he says that when the thousand years are ended, that is, when the Lord, having fulfilled the economy of his flesh, has returned to the heavens, the bonds of the spiritual powers will be loosed from the Devil, and again he will deceive …
And therefore during these three years and a half the souls of those who were slain for His testimony, both those which formerly passed from the body and those which shall pass in that last persecution, shall reign with Him till the mortal world come to an end, and pass into that kingdom in which there shall be no death. And thus the reign of the saints with Christ shall last longer than the bonds and imprisonment of the devil, because they shall reign with their King the Son of God for these three years and a half during which the devil is no longer bound. It remains, therefore, that when we read that "the priests of God and of Christ shall reign with Him a thousand years; and when the thousand years are finished, the devil shall be loosed from his imprisonment," that we understand either that the thousand years of the reign of the saints does not terminate, though the imprisonment of the devil does,—so that both parties have their thousand years, that is, their complete time, yet each with a different actual duration approriate to itself, the kingdom of the saints being longer, the imprisonment of the devil shorter,—or at least that, as three years and six months is a very short time, it is not reckoned as either deducted from the whole time of Satan's imprisonment, or as added to the whole duration of the reign of the saints, as we have shown above in the sixteenth book regarding the round number of four hundred years, which were specified as four hundred, though actually somewhat more; and similar expressions are often found in the sacred writings, if one will mark them.
The Medieval Church3 voices
By Gog, which means 'roof.' Antichrist is understood, who will be the dwelling place of the Devil. By Magog, which means 'from the roof,' those who follow Antichrist are understood, as has been said more fully in Ez. 39.
the four quarters of the earth. that is, from all parts of the earth.
It must be known that Ezekiel also prophesied that thèse nations will come in the end times with great power to fall upon the land of Israël and that their weapons are to be burnt for seven years through a great fire, which on the …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church4 voices
Some interpret the period of a thousand years to be the three and a half years from the baptism of Christ to his ascension into heaven, and they believe that after this the devil is to be loosed. Others say that after the completion of …
A commentator
Thietland of EinsiedelnCommentary (church-history corpus) · Written in the 10th century.
proposed
For Gog is interpreted as 'covered', and Magog as 'uncovered'.
And when the thousand years are completed, etc. He said completed as part of a whole, for he will be released such that three years and six months of the last struggle will remain. But besides this trope, it is rightly said that the time …
sand of the sea. And this is said as a figure of speech not intended to be taken literally.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And when the former thousand years are fulfilled, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison - At the same time that the first resurrection begins. There is a great resemblance between this passage and chap. xii, 12.
And when the thousand years are expired,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Satan shall be loosed - How can this bear any kind of literal interpretation? Satan is bound a thousand years, and the earth is in peace; righteousness flourishes, and Jesus Christ alone reigns. This state of things may continue for ever if the imprisonment of Satan be continued. Satan, however, is loosed at the end of the thousand years, and goes out and deceives the nations, and peace is banished from the face of the earth, and a most dreadful war takes place, etc., etc. These can be only symbolical representations, utterly incapable of the sense generally put upon them.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And when the thousand years are expired - See Rev 20:2. Satan shall be loosed out of his prison - See Rev 20:3. That is, a state of things will then occur as if Satan should be for a time let loose again, and should be permitted to go as formerly over the world. No intimation is given “why or how” he would be thus released from his prison. We are not, however, to infer that it would be a mere arbitrary act on the part of God.
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὅταν | hotan | when | G3752 → | 123 times |
| τελεσθῇ | telesthea | may have been completed | G5055 → | 28 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χίλια | chilia | thousand | G5507 → | 11 times |
| ἔτη, | ete | years, | G2094 → | 48 times |
| λυθήσεται | luthesetai | will be released | G3089 → | 42 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σατανᾶς | satanas | Satan | G4567 → | 36 times |
| ἐκ | ek | out of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| φυλακῆς | phulakes | prison | G5438 → | 47 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὅτανwhen
hotanG3752 →123 times
τελεσθῇmay have been completed
telestheaG5055 →28 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
χίλιαthousand
chiliaG5507 →11 times
ἔτη,years,
eteG2094 →48 times
λυθήσεταιwill be released
luthesetaiG3089 →42 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
σατανᾶςSatan
satanasG4567 →36 times
ἐκout of
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
φυλακῆςprison
phulakesG5438 →47 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 20:2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
- Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
- Jude 1:6
And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.
- John 12:31
Now judgment is upon this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.
- Isaiah 27:1
In that day the LORD will take His sharp, great, and mighty sword, and bring judgment on Leviathan the fleeing serpent—Leviathan the coiling serpent—and He will slay the dragon of the sea.
- 2 Peter 2:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies18
On this chapter
About Revelation
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, Commentary (church-history corpus); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 20:7-8; Apringius of Beja, TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 20:7; Augustine of Hippo, The City of God, Book 20; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Nicholas of Lyra, Commentary (church-history corpus); Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation; Thietland of Einsiedeln, Commentary (church-history corpus) and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary (church-history corpus).