1I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2He seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years, 3and cast him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time.
4I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.
7And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison 8and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9They went up over the width of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God and devoured them. 10The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. 12I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. 14Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
In verse one John says he received his revelation from Jesus the Messiah, and in verse 5 he elucidates the nature and works of Jesus, who faithfully gives testimony to what He presents to John. That Jesus is the firstborn from the dead assures the resurrection of all believers (1 Thess 4:14-16; 1 Cor 15:20, 23).
John continues that Jesus is the ruler over the kings of the earth. Though it is not contested that Jesus, as God, is ruler of the universe, and has authority as the glorified man (Matt 28:18), the reference in verse 5 regards His future authority that will be exercised at His second coming (Rev 19:17-21). When He exercises this authority Jesus "will give authority over the nations" to those who overcome (2:26, 27), who "will sit down with Jesus on His throne" (3:21). Believers will be "made kings and priests of God, and reign on the earth" (5:10) and will sit on thrones and reign "with Jesus for a thousand years" (20:4) and "the kings of the earth" will "bring the glory and honor of the nations" into the light of the city of God (21:24).