The Next Testament

Revelation 19–20: Faithful and True": The Rider, the Thousand Years, the Throne

Scripture: Berean Standard Bible

After this I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting:

“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!For his judgments are true and just.He has judged the great prostitutewho corrupted the earth with her immorality.He has avenged the blood of his servantsthat was poured out by her hand.”

And a second time they called out:

“Hallelujah!
Her smoke rises forever and ever.”

And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,all you who serve him,and those who fear him,small and great alike!”

And I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude, like the rushing of many waters, and like a mighty rumbling of thunder, crying out:

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.Let us rejoice and be gladand give him the glory.For the marriage of the Lamb has come,and his bride has made herself ready.She was given clothing of fine linen,bright and pure.”

For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints.

Then the angel told me to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

So I fell at his feet to worship him. But he told me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who rely on the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness he judges and wages war. He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on his head. He has a name written on him that only he himself knows. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is The Word of God.

The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, follow him on white horses. And from his mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.”

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against his army. But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One seated on the horse.

And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time.

Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him for a thousand years.

When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison, and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore.

And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them. And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.

And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.