Revelation 20:3
What does Revelation 20:3 mean?
A plain-English look at Revelation 20:3 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Revelation 20:3 means
Satan is cast into the abyss, securely shut and sealed so he cannot deceive the nations during the thousand years. The purpose is explicit: to halt his global misdirection. The seal means the prison is under heaven’s authority; no escape is possible apart from God’s will. Yet there is a sober note: after the thousand years he must be released for a little while. Even here, God remains sovereign, setting both the duration of restraint and the interval of testing to follow. Evil is limited and scheduled. The verse assures that deception will cease for a time, but it also cautions that a final exposure of rebellion will occur before the consummation.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000and cast him into the abyss, and shutit, and sealeditover him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And 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.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901and cast him into the abyss, and shutit, and sealeditover him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And put him into the great deep, and it was shut and locked over him, so that he might put the nations in error no longer, till the thousand years were ended: after this he will be let loose for a little time.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and he cast him to the abyss, and did shut him up, and put a seal upon him, that he may not lead astray the nations any more, till the thousand years may be finished; and after these it behoveth him to be loosed a little time.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And he cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him, that he should no more seduce the nations till the thousand years be finished. And after that, he must be loosed a little time.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890and cast him into the abyss, and shut [it] and sealed [it] over him, that he should not any more deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be loosed for a little time.
Context
Having identified the captor and the captive, the narrative explains the reason for the binding—ending deception of the nations. This clears the stage for verse 4’s vision of thrones and the reign of faithful witnesses with Christ. The promise of a brief future release anticipates the conflict of verses 7–10, so readers understand the millennium is followed by a short-lived outbreak that God already controls. The flow moves from secure restraint to the blessings granted to those loyal to Jesus.
v.2And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,
v.3This passage
v.4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Revelation 17:2
with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9
even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
- Revelation 16:14
for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.
- Matthew 27:66
So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, the guard being with them.
- Matthew 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
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