Satan's Defeat, Judgment-Day
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(This chapter suggests that after the Rider on the White Horse has won his fight, a long time of peace will follow. There are similar predictions in the Koran and other prophetic literature.)
And I saw an angel coming down from heaven. He had the key to the Abyss and was holding a great chain in his hand.
(2) The angel seized the Dragon, that ancient serpent, the Devil or Satan,(all the destructive forces: evil, hostility, greed etc.)
and put him in chains for a thousand years. (Thousand symbolizes a large number, thousand years a long time.)
(3) He threw him into the Abyss, locked and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations any more (A new world free of destructive forces was created, see 12:12.)
until the thousand years had ended. (This new world order will last for a long time but not for ever.)
After that he must be set free for a short while. (4) Then I saw thrones on which were sitting those who had been given the power to judge (judges and other powerful people)
And I saw the souls of those (martyrs, victims of evil judges)
who had been executed because they had proclaimed the truth taught by Jesus and the word of God. They had not worshipped the Beast ("Queen" as the symbol for the worship of famous or powerful people all over the world and throughout the ages, see 14:9.)
or her picture
(God Money, possessions in general)
and had not received the mark of the Beast on their foreheads (subjected their purpose in life to the orders and interests of the State, see 13:16.)
or their hands. (subjected their actions to the general greedy absurdity)
They came to life and ruled with Christ for a thousand years. (5) The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over. This is the first resurrection. (6) Happy and blessed are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be ministers of God and of Christ and will rule with him for a thousand years. (see 14:13)
Satan's Defeat
(7) After the thousand years Satan will be released from his prison (8) and he will go out to deceive the nations all over the earth - Gog and Magog(According to Ezekiel, chapter 38, ff Gog and Magog are 2 powerful empires in the end-times. The LORD destroys them after they have carried out his plan.)
Satan will gather them for battle, as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. (9) They marched across the whole earth and surrounded the camp of God's people and the city he loves. But fire came down from the sky and destroyed them. (10)And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the Beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. They will be tortured there day and night for ever.Judgment-Day
(11) Then I saw a great white throne and the one who was sitting on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place left for them. (12) And I saw the dead, great as well as small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as registered in the books. (13) The sea gave up its dead, and death and Hades gave up their dead, and each person was judged according to what he had done. (14) Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. (15) If anyone's name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.