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Revelation 19-20
New English Translation

19 After these things I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a vast throng in heaven, saying,

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 because his judgments are true and just.[a]
For he has judged[b] the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality,
and has avenged the blood of his servants[c] poured out by her own hands!”[d]

3 Then[e] a second time the crowd shouted, “Hallelujah!” The smoke rises from her forever and ever.[f] 4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures threw themselves to the ground[g] and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne, saying: “Amen! Hallelujah!”

5 Then[h] a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God
all you his servants,
and all you who fear him,
both the small and the great!”

The Wedding Celebration of the Lamb

6 Then[i] I heard what sounded like the voice of a vast throng, like the roar of many waters and like loud crashes of thunder. They were shouting:[j]

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God,[k] the All-Powerful,[l] reigns!
7 Let us rejoice[m] and exult
and give him glory,
because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 She was permitted to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen”[n] (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints).[o]

9 Then[p] the angel[q] said to me, “Write the following: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet at the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 So[r] I threw myself down[s] at his feet to worship him, but[t] he said, “Do not do this![u] I am only[v] a fellow servant[w] with you and your brothers and sisters[x] who hold to the testimony about[y] Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

The Son of God Goes to War

11 Then[z] I saw heaven opened and here came[aa] a white horse! The[ab] one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice[ac] he judges and goes to war. 12 His eyes are like a fiery[ad] flame and there are many diadem crowns[ae] on his head. He has[af] a name written[ag] that no one knows except himself. 13 He is dressed in clothing dipped[ah] in blood, and he is called[ai] the Word of God. 14 The[aj] armies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean, fine linen,[ak] were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth extends a sharp sword, so that with it he can strike the nations.[al] He[am] will rule[an] them with an iron rod,[ao] and he stomps the winepress[ap] of the furious[aq] wrath of God, the All-Powerful.[ar] 16 He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

17 Then[as] I saw one angel standing in[at] the sun, and he shouted in a loud voice to all the birds flying high in the sky:[au]

“Come, gather around for the great banquet[av] of God,
18 to eat[aw] your fill[ax] of the flesh of kings,
the flesh of generals,[ay]
the flesh of powerful people,
the flesh of horses and those who ride them,
and the flesh of all people, both free and slave,[az]
and small and great!”

19 Then[ba] I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army. 20 Now[bb] the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf[bc]—signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur.[bd] 21 The[be] others were killed by the sword that extended from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged[bf] themselves with their flesh.

The Thousand Year Reign

20 Then[bg] I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding[bh] in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain. 2 He[bi] seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan—and tied him up for a thousand years. 3 The angel[bj] then[bk] threw him into the abyss and locked[bl] and sealed it so that he could not deceive the nations until the one thousand years were finished. (After these things he must be released for a brief period of time.)

4 Then[bm] I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge.[bn] I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These[bo] had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They[bp] came to life[bq] and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.)[br] This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who takes part[bs] in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them,[bt] but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Satan’s Final Defeat

7 Now[bu] when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive[bv] the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog,[bw] to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of sand in the sea.[bx] 9 They[by] went up[bz] on the broad plain of the earth[ca] and encircled[cb] the camp[cc] of the saints and the beloved city, but[cd] fire came down from heaven and devoured them completely.[ce] 10 And the devil who deceived[cf] them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur,[cg] where the beast and the false prophet are[ch] too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever.

The Great White Throne

11 Then[ci] I saw a large[cj] white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven[ck] fled[cl] from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then[cm] books were opened, and another book was opened—the book of life.[cn] So[co] the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds.[cp] 13 The[cq] sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death[cr] and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds. 14 Then[cs] Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. 15 If[ct] anyone’s name[cu] was not found written in the book of life, that person[cv] was thrown into the lake of fire.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 19:2 tn Compare the similar phrase in Rev 16:7.
  2. Revelation 19:2 tn Or “has punished.” See BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α, describing the OT background which involves both the vindication of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty.
  3. Revelation 19:2 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
  4. Revelation 19:2 tn Grk “from her hand” (referring to her responsibility in causing the blood of God’s followers to be shed).
  5. Revelation 19:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  6. Revelation 19:3 tn Or “her smoke ascends forever and ever.”
  7. Revelation 19:4 tn Grk “creatures fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
  8. Revelation 19:5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  9. Revelation 19:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  10. Revelation 19:6 tn Grk “like the voice of a large crowd…saying.” Because of the complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were.”
  11. Revelation 19:6 tc Several mss (א2 P 1611 2053 2344 MK lat) read “the Lord our God” (κύριος ὁ θεός ἡμῶν, kurios ho theos hēmōn). Other significant mss (A 1006 1841), however, omit the “our” (ἡμῶν). Further, certain mss (051 MA) omit “Lord” (κύριος), while others (including א*) change the order of the statement to “God our Lord” (ὁ θεός ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν). The expression “the Lord God, the All-Powerful” occurs in 6 other places in Revelation (1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22) and the pronoun “our” is never used. Scribes familiar with the expression in this book, and especially with the frequent κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ (kurios ho theos ho pantokratōr; “the Lord God, the All-Powerful”) in the OT Prophets (LXX; cf. Jer 39:19; Hos 12:6; Amos 3:13; 4:13; 5:8, 14, 15, 16, 27; 9:5, 6, 15; Nah 3:5; Zech 10:3), would naturally omit the pronoun. Its presence may have arisen due to liturgical motivations or to conform to the expression “our God” in 19:1, 5, but this seems much less likely than an aversion to using the pronoun here and only here in the Greek Bible in the fuller title κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ.
  12. Revelation 19:6 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22…κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ὁ π. Rv 19:6.”
  13. Revelation 19:7 tn This verb and the next two verbs are hortatory subjunctives (giving exhortations).
  14. Revelation 19:8 tn On the term translated “fine linen,” BDAG 185 s.v. βύσσινος states, “made of fine linen, subst. τὸ β. fine linen, linen garment…Rv 18:12…16; 19:8, 14.”
  15. Revelation 19:8 sn This phrase is treated as a parenthetical explanation by the author.
  16. Revelation 19:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  17. Revelation 19:9 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  18. Revelation 19:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s announcement.
  19. Revelation 19:10 tn Grk “I fell down at his feet.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
  20. Revelation 19:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  21. Revelation 19:10 tn On the elliptical expression ὅρα μή (hora mē) BDAG 720 s.v. ὁράω B.2 states: “Elliptically…ὅρα μή (sc. ποιήσῃς) watch out! don’t do that! Rv 19:10; 22:9.”
  22. Revelation 19:10 tn The lowliness of a slave is emphasized in the Greek text with the emphatic position of σύνδουλος (sundoulos). The use of “only” helps to bring this nuance out in English.
  23. Revelation 19:10 tn Grk “fellow slave.” See the note on the word “servants” in v. 2.
  24. Revelation 19:10 tn The Greek term “brother” literally refers to family relationships, but here it is used in a broader sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a).
  25. Revelation 19:10 tn The genitive ᾿Ιησοῦ (Iēsou) has been translated as an objective genitive here. A subjective genitive, also possible, would produce the meaning “who hold to what Jesus testifies.”
  26. Revelation 19:11 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  27. Revelation 19:11 tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
  28. Revelation 19:11 tn A new sentence was started in the translation at this point and καί (kai) was not translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  29. Revelation 19:11 tn Or “in righteousness,” but since the context here involves the punishment of the wicked and the vindication of the saints, “justice” was preferred.
  30. Revelation 19:12 tn The genitive noun πυρός (puros) has been translated as an attributive genitive (see also Rev 1:14).
  31. Revelation 19:12 tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadēma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.sn Diadem crowns were a type of crown used as a symbol of the highest ruling authority in a given area, and thus often associated with kingship.
  32. Revelation 19:12 tn Grk “head, having.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  33. Revelation 19:12 tn Although many translations supply a prepositional phrase to specify what the name was written on (“upon Him,” NASB; “on him,” NIV), there is no location for the name specified in the Greek text.
  34. Revelation 19:13 tc It appears that “dipped” (βεβαμμένον, bebammenon), supported by several majuscules and other witnesses (A 051 M), is the original reading. Due to the lack of the preposition “in” (ἐν, en) after the verb (βεβαμμένον αἵματι, bebammenon haimati), and also probably because of literary allusions to Isa 63:3, several mss and versions seem to have changed the text to “sprinkled” (either ῥεραντισμένον [rherantismenon] in P 2329 al; ἐρραντισμένον [errantismenon] in 1006 1841; ἐρραμμένον [errammenon] in 2053 2062; or ῥεραμμένον [rherammenon] in 1611; or in one case περιρεραμμένον [perirerammenon] in א[2]). The reading most likely to give rise to the others is “dipped.”tn Or perhaps “soaked.”
  35. Revelation 19:13 tn Grk “the name of him is called.”
  36. Revelation 19:14 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  37. Revelation 19:14 tn On the term translated “fine linen,” BDAG 185 s.v. βύσσινος states, “made of fine linen, subst. τὸ β. fine linen, linen garment…Rv 18:12, 16; 19:8, 14.”
  38. Revelation 19:15 tn Or “the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
  39. Revelation 19:15 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  40. Revelation 19:15 tn Grk “will shepherd.”
  41. Revelation 19:15 tn Or “scepter.” The Greek term ῥάβδος (rhabdos) can mean either “rod” or “scepter.” sn A quotation from Ps 2:9 (see also Rev 2:27; 12:5).
  42. Revelation 19:15 sn He stomps the winepress. See Isa 63:3, where Messiah does this alone (usually several individuals would join in the process), and Rev 14:20.
  43. Revelation 19:15 tn The genitive θυμοῦ (thumou) has been translated as an attributed genitive. Following BDAG 461 s.v. θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (thumos) and ὀργή (orgē) in Rev 16:19 and 19:15 are taken to be a strengthening of the thought as in the OT and Qumran literature (Exod 32:12; Jer 32:37; Lam 2:3; CD 10:9).
  44. Revelation 19:15 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
  45. Revelation 19:17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  46. Revelation 19:17 tn The precise significance of ἐν (en) here is difficult to determine.
  47. Revelation 19:17 tn On μεσουρανήματι (mesouranēmati) here see L&N 1.10: “high in the sky, midpoint in the sky, directly overhead, straight above in the sky.” The birds mentioned here are carrion birds like vultures, circling high overhead, and now being summoned to feast on the corpses.
  48. Revelation 19:17 tn This is the same Greek word (δεῖπνον, deipnon) used in 19:9.
  49. Revelation 19:18 tn The ἵνα (hina) clause, insofar as it is related to the first imperative, has the force of an imperative.
  50. Revelation 19:18 tn The idea of eating “your fill” is evident in the context with the use of χορτάζω (chortazō) in v. 21.
  51. Revelation 19:18 tn Grk “chiliarchs”; normally a chiliarch was a military officer commanding a thousand soldiers, but here probably used of higher-ranking commanders like generals (see L&N 55.15; cf. Rev 6:15).
  52. Revelation 19:18 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
  53. Revelation 19:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  54. Revelation 19:20 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of an unexpected development in the account: The opposing armies do not come together in battle; rather the leader of one side is captured.
  55. Revelation 19:20 tn For this meaning see BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνώπιον 4.b, “by the authority of, on behalf of Rv 13:12, 14; 19:20.”
  56. Revelation 19:20 tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”
  57. Revelation 19:21 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  58. Revelation 19:21 tn On the translation of ἐχορτάσθησαν (echortasthēsan) BDAG 1087 s.v. χορτάζω 1.a states, “of animals, pass. in act. sense πάντα τὰ ὄρνεα ἐχορτάσθησαν ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτῶν all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh Rv 19:21 (cp. TestJud. 21:8).”
  59. Revelation 20:1 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  60. Revelation 20:1 tn The two clauses “having/holding the key of the abyss” and “a huge chain in his hand” can be construed in two ways: (1) both are controlled by the participle ἔχοντα (echonta) and both are modified by the phrase “in his hand”—“having in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain.” (2) The participle ἔχοντα refers only to the key, and the phrase “in his hand” refers only to the chain—“having the key of the abyss and holding a huge chain in his hand.” Because of the stylistic tendency in Rev to use the verb ἔχω (echō) to mean “hold (something)” and the phrase “in his hand” forming a “bracket” along with the verb ἔχω around both the phrases in question, the first option is preferred.
  61. Revelation 20:2 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  62. Revelation 20:3 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel introduced in v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  63. Revelation 20:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  64. Revelation 20:3 tn Or “and shut.” While the lexical force of the term is closer to “shut,” it is acceptable to render the verb ἔκλεισεν (ekleisen) as “locked” here in view of the mention of the key in the previous verse.
  65. Revelation 20:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  66. Revelation 20:4 tn Grk “I saw thrones, and those seated on them, and judgment was given to them.” BDAG 567 s.v. κρίμα 3 says, “judging, judgment, the κρίμα ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς authority to judge was given to them Rv 20:4.”
  67. Revelation 20:4 tn Grk “God, and who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “these” as subject.
  68. Revelation 20:4 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  69. Revelation 20:4 tn On the use of the aorist ἔζησαν (ezēsan) BDAG 425 s.v. ζάω 1.a.β says, “of dead persons who return to life become alive again: of humans in general (3 Km 17:23) Mt 9:18; Ac 9:41; 20:12; Rv 20:4, 5.”
  70. Revelation 20:5 sn This statement appears to be a parenthetical comment by the author.
  71. Revelation 20:6 tn Grk “who has a share.”
  72. Revelation 20:6 tn The shift from the singular pronoun (“the one”) to the plural (“them”) in the passage reflects the Greek text: The singular participle ὁ ἔχων (ho echōn) is followed by the plural pronoun τούτων (toutōn). In the interests of English style, this is obscured in most modern translations except the NASB.
  73. Revelation 20:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
  74. Revelation 20:8 tn Or “mislead.”
  75. Revelation 20:8 sn The battle with Gog and Magog is described in the OT in Ezek 38:1-39:20.
  76. Revelation 20:8 tn Grk “of whom the number of them [is] like the sand of the sea” (an allusion to Isa 10:22).
  77. Revelation 20:9 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  78. Revelation 20:9 tn The shift here to past tense reflects the Greek text.
  79. Revelation 20:9 tn On the phrase “broad plain of the earth” BDAG 823 s.v. πλάτος states, “τὸ πλάτος τῆς γῆς Rv 20:9 comes fr. the OT (Da 12:2 LXX. Cp. Hab 1:6; Sir 1:3), but the sense is not clear: breadth = the broad plain of the earth is perh. meant to provide room for the countless enemies of God vs. 8, but the ‘going up’ is better suited to Satan (vs. 7) who has recently been freed, and who comes up again fr. the abyss (vs. 3).” The referent here thus appears to be a plain large enough to accommodate the numberless hoards that have drawn up for battle against the Lord Christ and his saints.
  80. Revelation 20:9 tn Or “surrounded.”
  81. Revelation 20:9 tn On the term παρεμβολή (parembolē) BDAG 775 s.v. states, “Mostly used as a military t.t.…so always in our lit.…1. a (fortified) camp…ἡ παρεμβολὴ τῶν ἁγίων Rv 20:9 is also to be understood fr. the OT use of the word.”
  82. Revelation 20:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  83. Revelation 20:9 tn See L&N 20.45 for the translation of κατεσθίω (katesthiō) as “to destroy utterly, to consume completely.”
  84. Revelation 20:10 tn Or “misled.”
  85. Revelation 20:10 tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”
  86. Revelation 20:10 tn The verb in this clause is elided. In keeping with the previous past tenses some translations supply a past tense verb here (“were”), but in view of the future tense that follows (“they will be tormented”), a present tense verb was used to provide a transition from the previous past tense to the future tense that follows.
  87. Revelation 20:11 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  88. Revelation 20:11 tn Traditionally, “great,” but μέγας (megas) here refers to size rather than importance.
  89. Revelation 20:11 tn Or “and the sky.” The same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky,” and context usually determines which is meant. In this apocalyptic scene, however, it is difficult to be sure what referent to assign the term.
  90. Revelation 20:11 tn Or “vanished.”sn The phrase the earth and the heaven fled from his presence can be understood (1) as visual imagery representing the fear of corruptible matter in the presence of God, but (2) it can also be understood more literally as the dissolution of the universe as we know it in preparation for the appearance of the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21:1).
  91. Revelation 20:12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  92. Revelation 20:12 tn Grk “another book was opened, which is of life.”
  93. Revelation 20:12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the books being opened.
  94. Revelation 20:12 tn Grk “from the things written in the books according to their works.”
  95. Revelation 20:13 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  96. Revelation 20:13 sn Here Death is personified (cf. 1 Cor 15:55).
  97. Revelation 20:14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  98. Revelation 20:15 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  99. Revelation 20:15 tn The word “name” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  100. Revelation 20:15 tn Grk “he”; the pronoun has been intensified by translating as “that person.”
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