Revelation

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Revelation 20 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered

A response and reply to the notes on Revelation 20 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).

King James Version

SAB comment

My comment


1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

(20:1-3) "The dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan"
An angel locks up Satan in a bottomless pit for 1000 years. After that God will let him out for a little while.
BOM: Mosiah 16:3
This is the final scene: we see the judgement upon the dragon, the devil, and the new heaven and earth.
On the thousand years, see verse 4.

2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

(20:4-6) "The first resurrection"
Those who don't worship the beast will become priests and reign with Christ for 1000 years. The rest of the dead will remain dead until the 1000 years is over.
It appears that the author of the SAB interprets the thousand years as a period of time on this earth. But if we read this chapter carefully, it is clear this period of thousand years, no doubt a symbolic number, is in heaven, not on earth:

I saw thrones [in heaven], and they sat upon them, ... and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, ... and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years

The meaning is that the millennium has already begun: in heaven the deceased saints rest and reign with Christ.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.


(20:7-8) "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth."
When the thousand years are over, God will send Satan to deceive us all.
Not all will be deceived, although many will.
Like the other parts of Revelation I read this verse as a single example for the many where Satan is unbound after a time of growth and glory for the church. For example many nations that have been blessed with great outpourings of the gospel appear now to be bound by Satan, in particular England, Scotland and Holland. It appears these nations do not have a choice, but to obey Satan and work most diligently to make Christianity disappear.

9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.


(20:9-10) "Fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them ... And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
God will send fire from heaven to devour people. And the devil will be tormented "day and night for ever and ever."
Does Hell exist?
BOM: 2 Nephi 28:23
As this verse clearly teaches, yes, hell exists.

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

(20:12-13) "They were judged every man according to their works."
Is death final?
Is salvation by faith alone?
What must you do to be saved?
BOM: 2 Nephi 9:12, 29:11

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

(20:15) "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Does Hell exist?
BOM: Alma 12:16
As this verse clearly says, hell exists.