And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison,
Parallel translations
- KJV And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
- BSB When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison,
- NKJV Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison
- NASB When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,
- NLT When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison.
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
When the thousand years end, Satan is released from his prison. A final outbreak of rebellion is permitted.
Overview
After his long restraint, Satan is loosed for the brief season foretold. His release shows that even the final rebellion unfolds under God's sovereign timing. This sets the stage for the last assault of evil before its ultimate and permanent defeat.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Rev 20:2He 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,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 20:7 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.