And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,
Parallel translations
- WEB He seized the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years,
- KJV And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
- BSB He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
- NKJV He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
- NASB And he took hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
- NLT He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The angel seizes the dragon, the devil and Satan, and binds him for a thousand years. The great deceiver is restrained.
Overview
Satan is named with his full identity, the ancient serpent of Eden, and bound for the symbolic 'thousand years.' Faithful Christians differ on the timing of this millennium, whether it follows or precedes Christ's return, but all agree it depicts a real curbing of Satan's power. The binding shows that the deceiver operates only within bounds God allows.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 23
- 2 Pet 2:4For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
- Rev 12:9The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
- John 12:31Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out.
- Jude 1:6Angels who didn’t keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.
- Isa 27:1In that day, Yahweh with his hard and great and strong sword will punish leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and leviathan the twisted serpent; and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea.
- Gen 3:15I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”
- Job 2:1–2Again, on the day when the God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, Satan came also among them to present himself before Yahweh.
- 1 Pet 5:8Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
- Rom 16:20And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
- Heb 2:14Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
- John 16:11about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.
- Rev 12:15The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
- Matt 8:29Behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
- Mark 5:7and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, don’t torment me.”
- Rev 12:13When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.
- Rev 12:17The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.
- Job 1:7Yahweh said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
- Rev 13:2The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.
- Luke 11:20–22But if I by God’s finger cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come to you.
- Rev 13:4They worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
- Rev 9:11They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is “Abaddon”, but in Greek, he has the name “Apollyon”.
- Isa 49:24–25Shall the plunder be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered?
- Matt 19:29Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive one hundred times, and will inherit eternal life.
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Christ at the center
Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.
How Revelation 20:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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