The Thousand Years

20 I saw an angel coming down out of heaven. He had the key to the Abyss. In his hand he held a heavy chain.

2He grabbed the dragon, that old serpent. The serpent is also called the devil, or Satan. The angel put him in chains for 1,000 years. 3Then he threw him into the Abyss. He locked it and sealed him in. This was to keep Satan from fooling the nations anymore until the 1,000 years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

4I saw thrones. Those who had been given authority to judge were sitting on them. I also saw the souls of those whose heads had been cut off because they had given witness for Jesus and because of God’s word. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue. They had not received his mark on their foreheads or hands. They came to life and ruled with Christ for 1,000 years.

5This is the first resurrection. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were ended.

6Blessed and holy are those who take part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests of God and of Christ. They will rule with him for 1,000 years.

Satan Is Judged

7When the 1,000 years are over, Satan will be set free from his prison. 8He will go out to fool the nations. He will gather them from the four corners of the earth. He will bring Gog and Magog together for battle.

Their troops are as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. 9They marched across the whole earth. They surrounded the place where God’s people were camped. It was the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and burned them up.

10The devil, who fooled them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur. That is where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will all suffer day and night for ever and ever.

The Dead Are Judged

11I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. When the earth and sky saw his face, they ran away. There was no place for them.

12I saw the dead, great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened. Then another book was opened. It was the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what they had done. The things they had done were written in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it. And Death and Hell gave up their dead. Each of the dead was judged by what he had done.

14Then Death and Hell were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15Anyone whose name was not written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

The New Jerusalem

21 I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth were completely gone. There was no longer any sea.

2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3I heard a loud voice from the throne. It said, “Now God makes his home with people. He will live with them. They will be his people. And God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sadness. There will be no more crying or pain. Things are no longer the way they used to be.”

5He who was sitting on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down. You can trust these words. They are true.”

6He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. I am the Beginning and the End. Anyone who is thirsty may drink from the spring of the water of life. It doesn’t cost anything! 7Anyone who overcomes will receive all this from me. I will be his God, and he will be my child.

8“But others will have their place in the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. Those who are afraid and those who do not believe will be there. Murderers and those who pollute themselves will join them. Those who commit sexual sins and those who practice witchcraft will go there. Those who worship statues of gods and all who tell lies will be there too. It is the second death.”

9One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. The bowls were filled with the seven last plagues. The angel said, “Come. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

10Then he carried me away in a vision. The Spirit took me to a huge, high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City. It was coming down out of heaven from God. 11It shone with the glory of God. It gleamed like a very valuable jewel. It was like a jasper, as clear as crystal.

12The city had a huge, high wall with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates, one at each of them. On the gates were written the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. 13There were three gates on the east and three on the north. There were three gates on the south and three on the west. 14The wall of the city had 12 foundations. Written on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb.

15The angel who talked with me had a gold measuring rod. He used it to measure the city, its gates and its walls.

16The city was laid out like a square. It was as long as it was wide. The angel measured the city with the rod. It was 1,400 miles long. It was as wide and high as it was long.

17He measured the wall of the city. It was 200 feet thick. The angel did the measuring as a man would. 18The wall was made out of jasper. The city was made out of pure gold, as pure as glass.

19The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of jewel. The first foundation was made out of jasper. The second was made out of sapphire. The third was made out of chalcedony. The fourth was made out of emerald. 20The fifth was made out of sardonyx. The sixth was made out of carnelian. The seventh was made out of chrysolite. The eighth was made out of beryl. The ninth was made out of topaz. The tenth was made out of chrysoprase. The eleventh was made out of jacinth. The twelfth was made out of amethyst.

21The 12 gates were made from 12 pearls. Each gate was made out of a single pearl. The main street of the city was made out of pure gold, as clear as glass.

22I didn’t see a temple in the city. This was because the Lamb and the Lord God who rules over all are its temple. 23The city does not need the sun or moon to shine on it. God’s glory is its light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

24The nations will walk by the light of the city. The kings of the world will bring their glory into it. 25Its gates will never be shut, because there will be no night there. 26The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.

27Only what is pure will enter it. No one who fools others or does shameful things will enter it. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will enter the city.

The River of Life

22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life. It was as clear as crystal. It flowed from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2It flowed down the middle of the city’s main street.

On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing 12 crops of fruit. Its fruit was ripe every month. The leaves of the tree bring healing to the nations.

3There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city. God’s servants will serve him. 4They will see his face. His name will be on their foreheads.

5There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun. The Lord God will give them light. They will rule for ever and ever.

6The angel said to me, “You can trust these words. They are true. The Lord is the God of the spirits of the prophets. He sent his angel to show those who serve him the things that must soon take place.”

Jesus Is Coming

7“Look! I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of the prophecy in this book.”

8I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.

After I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel. He is the one who had been showing me these things.

9But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I serve God, just as you do. I am God’s servant, just like the other prophets and all who obey the words of this book. Worship God!”

10Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy in this book. These things are about to happen. 11Let those who do wrong keep on doing wrong. Let those who are evil continue to be evil. Let those who do what is right keep on doing what is right. And let those who are holy continue to be holy.”

12“Look! I am coming soon! I bring my rewards with me. I will reward each person for what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am the First and the Last. I am the Beginning and the End.

14“Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will have the right to come to the tree of life. They will be allowed to go through the gates into the city.

15“Outside the city are the dogs and those who practice witchcraft. Outside are also those who commit sexual sins and murder. Those who worship statues of gods, and everyone who loves and does what is false, are outside too.

16“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this witness for the churches. I am the Root and the Son of David. I am the bright Morning Star.”

17The Holy Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let those who hear say, “Come!” Anyone who is thirsty should come. Anyone who wants to take the free gift of the water of life should do so.

18I am warning everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If you add anything to them, God will add to you the plagues told about in this book. 19If you take any words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from you your share in the tree of life. He will also take away your place in the Holy City. This book tells about these things.

20He who gives witness to these things says, “Yes. I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

21May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.