Revelation 20-22

New Catholic Bible

Chapter 20

The Dragon.^[a] ¹Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, with the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. ²He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years. ³He threw him into the abyss and locked and sealed it over him, so that he would not again deceive the nations until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released, but only for a short time.

The Reign of the Martyrs: Return and Destruction of Satan.^[b] ⁴Next, I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given the authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for bearing witness to Jesus and the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.^[c]

⁵The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. ⁶Blessed^[d] and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

⁷When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸and will emerge to lead astray the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—in order to gather them for battle. They are as numerous as the sands of the sea.^[e]

⁹They marched across the breadth of the earth^[f] and laid siege to the camp of the saints and the beloved city. However, fire came down from heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰The devil who had led them astray was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been flung to be tormented day and night forever and ever.

¹¹Preparation for the Judgment.^[g] Then I saw a great white throne, and the one who was seated upon it. The earth and the sky fled so far from his presence that they could no longer be found.

¹²The Resurrection and Judgment.^[h] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and the scrolls were opened. Then another scroll was opened, the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their deeds, as were recorded in the scrolls.

¹³The sea gave up all the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them. The dead were judged according to their deeds. ¹⁴Then Death and Hades were hurled into the fiery lake. This fiery lake is the second death.^[i] ¹⁵Anyone who was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the fiery lake.

The New Jerusalem A New World and a New People^[j]

Chapter 21

The New Heaven and the New Earth. ¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.^[k] ²And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, like a bride adorned and ready for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice proclaim from the throne:

“Behold, God’s dwelling is with mankind;
    he will dwell with them.
They will be his people,
    and he will be their God,
    God-with-them.^[l]
⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
    and there will no longer be death.
Neither will there be any mourning or crying or pain,
    for the old order has passed away.”

⁵The one seated on the throne then said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He also said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶Then he said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.^[m] To those who are thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of life-giving water.

⁷“The one who is victorious will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son.^[n] ⁸But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the depraved, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and liars of every kind, their place is the fiery lake of burning sulfur, which is the second death.”^[o]

The New Jerusalem. ⁹One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven final plagues came forward and said to me, “Come, and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰Then he carried me away in the spirit^[p] to the top of a very high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. ¹¹It possessed the glory of God and had the radiance of some priceless jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal.

¹²Its wall was of a great height, with twelve gates,^[q] and at the gates there were twelve angels. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. ¹³There were three gates to the east, three to the north, three to the south, and three to the west. ¹⁴The city wall had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. ¹⁵The angel who was speaking to me was carrying a gold measuring rod to measure the city,^[r] its gates, and its wall. ¹⁶The city was laid out like a square, with its length and its width identical. He measured the city with his measuring rod: it was fifteen hundred miles^[s] in length and width, and equal in height.

¹⁷Then he measured its wall, and it was one hundred and forty-four cubits^[t] high by human measurements, which the angel employed. ¹⁸^[u]The wall was built of jasper, while the city itself was of pure gold, as bright as clear glass.

¹⁹The foundations of the city wall were adorned with precious stones of every kind. The first of the foundation stones was jasper, the second sapphire, the third turquoise, the fourth emerald, ²⁰the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. ²¹The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates fashioned from a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

²²I did not see any temple there, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³And the city had no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, for it was lit by the glory of God, and its lamp was the Lamb. ²⁴^[v]The nations will walk by its light, and to it the kings of the earth will bring their treasures.

²⁵The gates of the city will never be shut during the day—and there will be no night there. ²⁶The nations will come into it bringing their treasures and wealth. ²⁷However, nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does abominable or deceitful things, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.^[w]

Chapter 22

¹Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb^[x] ²down the middle of the street. On either side of the river was the tree of life^[y] with its twelve crops of fruit, yielding fruit each month. The leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations.

³Nothing accursed will be found there anymore. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. ⁴They will see his face,^[z] and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵And there will be no more night. They will have no need for light from a lamp or from the sun, for the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign^[aa] forever and ever.

Epilogue: My Return Is Near^[ab]

Worship God Alone. The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true, for the Lord God who inspires the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants what soon must take place.

⁷“ ‘Behold, I am coming soon!’^[ac] Blessed is the one who observes the words of prophecy contained in this book.”

⁸I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I knelt at the feet of the angel who had shown them to me to worship him. ⁹However, he said to me, “You must not do that. I am a fellow servant of you and of your brethren the prophets and of those who observe the words of this book. Worship God!”

¹⁰The Great Separation.^[ad] Then he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy that are in this book, for the time is near. ¹¹Let the wicked persist in acting wickedly, and let the vile continue in their vileness, but let the righteous persevere in righteousness, and let the holy continue to be holy.”

¹²“ ‘Behold, I am coming soon, and I will bring with me my reward to repay everyone as his deeds deserve. ¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.’

¹⁴“Blessed^[ae] are those who wash their robes clean so that they will be free to eat from the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. ¹⁵Others must remain outside: the dogs,^[af] the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices deceit.

¹⁶“Come, Lord Jesus!”^[ag]“ ‘I, Jesus, sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David,^[ah] the bright Morning Star.’ ”

¹⁷The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let each listener say, “Come!” Let everyone who thirsts come forward, and let the one who desires it receive the gift of life-giving water.

¹⁸I warn everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written about in this book; ¹⁹if anyone takes away from the words in this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are written about in this book.

²⁰The one who gives this testimony says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!^[ai]

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.

Footnotes

Revelation 20:1 The dragon is enchained for a thousand years in the abyss, the dwelling of the powers of evil (see Rev 9:2). This refers to Satan’s defeat when Jesus died and rose from the dead. The thousand year period means “for a long time.” Satan’s power is limited (as if he is imprisoned for a long time). Yet he still tempts the holy ones on the earth during this period.
Revelation 20:4 While waiting for the History of Salvation to be completed, the witnesses to Christ’s love already reign with Jesus when they take up their crosses and follow Jesus. However, before the final triumph arrives—the great Judgment that one imagines must complete history—evil unleashes a last terrible assault on the Church, as envisaged by Ezekiel (chs. 36–39) and Paul (2 Thes 2). Then will be fulfilled the prophecy of Genesis (3:15) that in advance sketched the profound link of the drama of history and its end: the annihilation of the serpent, the personification of evil.
A reign of a thousand years? This passage has served as the basis of all the millenniarist interpretations, which await the coming of a political kingdom of Christ on earth. Must we at least imagine a first earthly accomplishment of the Kingdom of God before the final and eternal transformation? But the author does not speak of a return of Christ in earthly conditions. He wants to affirm above all that those who have died as witnesses of Jesus are not separated from him while awaiting the full resurrection (vv. 11-13); he also wishes to suggest that from now on believers have access to the tree of life in heaven—of which the figure “one thousand” may be a symbol—hence that they partake in the communion of God. In any case, the thousand-year reign is a symbolic representation, which thus prohibits all speculation. At best it evokes a length of time and a life of the Church beyond persecutions. But we must not forget that for God a thousand years are like one day (see Ps 90:4).
Revelation 20:4 A thousand years: early tradition took this verse literally: after a first real resurrection, that of the martyrs, Christ would return to earth and reign there for a thousand years. The Church has rejected this literal millenniarism.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed: the fifth beatitude (see note on Rev 1:3). The second death: eternal death, or damnation, which cannot be followed by a resurrection.
Revelation 20:8 Ezekiel speaks of “Gog, king of Magog.” Here the two names symbolize the pagan nations gathered together against the Church at the end of the world.
Revelation 20:9 The earth is Palestine; the beloved city is Jerusalem, a symbol of the Church.
Revelation 20:11 The earth and the sky disappear; the first creation is abolished. Human beings alone remain, responsible toward God.
Revelation 20:12 This is a grandiose final sequence. As in Daniel (12:1-7) and Matthew (25:31-36), all human beings appear before the tribunal of God and are judged according to their choices and life commitments. (This principle of judgment according to one’s works is also found in Ps 62:12; Jer 17:10; Rom 2:6; 1 Pet 1:17 and elsewhere.) Everything is laid bare before the Lord—the same idea expressed in the symbol of books in Daniel (7:10). There is another book—that of Life; it contains the names of those who have resolutely chosen Christ in the face of idolatry and are now destined for glory (see Rev 13:8; 17:8). When one knows all that is represented by the concept of the netherworld, the sojourn of death and the power of death personified in the Bible, verse 14 announces the end of the anguish and fear that have weighed heavily on humankind throughout history.
Revelation 20:14 The second death, in which death itself is swallowed up, is the definitive failure, the condemnation from which no resurrection can rescue (Rev 2:11; 20:6; 21:8).
Revelation 21:1 A new city for human beings descends from heaven, as beautiful as a new bride; a new universe replaces the old; life gushes up in floods, and an endless feast begins. How can we interpret these marvelous images? We must let ourselves be captivated by the poetic evocation, by the incantation of this exciting symphony. We must project all the attention of people and the Church toward this meeting and this reconciliation, which we regard as the sole definitive condition for humankind—creating a mystical impetus toward Christ, a hope without frontiers.
Let us then strive to highlight some themes that this vision overlaps on one another. At the end of the work of salvation, it is a new creation that God accomplishes (v. 1), surpassing all the images of paradise. Gone are all things that constrained, all limits, imperfections, implacable necessities, evil: the sea, the sun and moon, and the night. Streams spring forth more attractive than those of Eden, for they are a share in the unfathomable life of God; the tree of life finds its power multiplied to infinity (Rev 22:2).
For human beings, this work of salvation is essentially the gathering of the People of God for a definitive Covenant with the Lord. It is presented as a wedding feast in which is realized—in unimaginable fullness—the love of God and human beings, of Christ and the Church, which in keeping with beautiful Biblical texts is expressed as a wedding (see Isa 54:5; 62:4; Mt 9:15; Jn 3:29; 2 Cor 11:2; Rev 19:1-10).
Dreams of the restoration of Jerusalem haunted the Jewish people, and the Prophets wrote about its spectacular resurrection like an image of the coming of God and the salvation of the people (see Ezek 40–48; Isa 65–66; Zec 14); the chant of Jerusalem is a crown-jewel in the Bible (see Pss 87; 122; 137; Isa 33:17-23). One day this movement finds its accomplishment far beyond all warrior or political images. We can think of inexpressible repatriation of human beings in the friendship of God, joy, and happiness. The future city of God’s elect is no longer built up by force of arms—it is a gift and grace coming from on high; it is nothing less than splendor (Rev 21:15-21).
There is no more need of institutions and signs for worship—the temple itself is surpassed: the risen Jesus is the sole place where may be found the joy of really and directly encountering God (see Heb 9:11; Jn 2:21). What extraordinary and joyous celebration in the eternal face-to-face vision of the Lord!
Revelation 21:1 The sea, the usual dwelling of the dragon and a symbol of evil, will disappear before the victorious march of the new Israel, as it did in the days of the Exodus, but this time for good.
Revelation 21:3 This verse contains a combination of the classic formula of the Covenant (“You will be my people, and I will be your God”) and the name Immanuel (“God-with-us”), which was regarded as a name of the Messiah (Mt 1:23)—a fine assertion of the divinity of Christ, who is God and man. The complete and definitive Covenant between God and humankind will be accomplished at the end of time (see Isa 12:6; Joel 4:17, 21; Zep 3:15-17; Zec 2:14).
Revelation 21:6 Alpha, Omega, Beginning, End: on these divine titles see note on Rev 1:4-8. Spring of life-giving water: see note on Rev 7:17.
Revelation 21:7 He will be my son: this expression is reserved in the Old Testament for the King Messiah (2 Sam 7:14). Jesus reveals its full meaning by proclaiming his own divine sonship. Believers now share in this state of Christ.
Revelation 21:8 Second death: see note on Rev 20:6.
Revelation 21:10 In the spirit: see note on Rev 1:10.
Revelation 21:12 Twelve gates: see Ezek 48:30-35. The number twelve here most likely stresses that the Church of the New Testament is a continuation of the People of God of the Old Testament. See v. 14, in which the twelve foundation stones bear the names of the twelve apostles.
Revelation 21:15 Measure the city: see Ezek 40–41. The measuring in Rev 11 was to ensure protection; here it is done to indicate the size and symmetry of the eternal dwelling place of God’s people.
Revelation 21:16 Fifteen hundred miles: literally, “twelve hundred stadia,” about twelve thousand furlongs. In the mind of the ancients the square was the perfect form. When the number twelve, which symbolizes the new Israel, is multiplied by 1000, it signifies supreme perfection. The city possesses the symmetrical dimensions of a perfect cube, which is akin to its earthly counterpart, the inner sanctuary in the tabernacle and temple (see 1 Ki 6:20).
Revelation 21:17 One hundred and forty-four cubits: a cubit measured about eighteen inches in length.
Revelation 21:18 The materials used show that this is not an earthly city. The twelve foundation stones of the wall are decorated with twelve precious stones, which correspond to the twelve stones on the high priest’s breastplate (see Ex 28:39). The gems form a magnificent kaleidoscope of colors symbolizing the ineffable glory of God.
Revelation 21:24 The author is alluding to Isa 60:1-20, which foretells the entrance of the nations into the People of God. The open gates are a sign of an everlasting feast.
Revelation 21:27 Book of life: see notes on Rev 3:5 and 20:12-15.
Revelation 22:1 An allusion to the Trinity, since “the river of the water of life” symbolizes the Spirit (see Jn 7:37-39). See also note on Rev 7:17.
Revelation 22:2 Tree of life: see Gen 2:9; 3:22; Ezek 47:12.
Revelation 22:4 See his face: no human could see God’s face and live (Ex 33:20-23). This was in keeping with the custom in ancient times whereby criminals were banished from the king’s presence (see Est 7:8; see also 2 Sam 14:24). However, the residents of heaven will look on God without harm because they are now holy (see Mt 5:8; Jn 1:18; 1 Cor 13:12; 1 Tim 6:16; 1 Jn 3:2).
Revelation 22:5 They will reign: see Rev 5:10; 20:6; Dan 7:18, 27.
Revelation 22:6 The Epilogue is a series of disparate propositions in which we find: statements of Christ and John that authenticate the Book (vv. 6-9, 16); a notification from Christ about the coming fulfillment of the prophecy (vv. 10-15); a warning from Christ to falsifiers of the Scripture (vv. 18-19); the word of Christ’s promise and the word of the Christians’ faith (v. 20); and the epistolary greeting (v. 21).
⁶
These serve to exhort the readers to take this whole revelation seriously. They should realize that they are living at the decisive moment and so fix their attention on the Lord who is coming!
Revelation 22:7 I am coming soon: the speaker is Christ. Blessed: the sixth beatitude (see note on Rev 1:3).
Revelation 22:10 The history of humankind continues up to the return of Christ. We must take his part and be polarized by the idea of a definitive lot, by the expectation of Life and Light, by the joyous certitude of the Elect. The author draws here on Ps 62:13 and Isa 40:10; 41:4; 44:6.
Revelation 22:14 Blessed: the seventh beatitude (see note on Rev 1:3).
Revelation 22:15 Dogs: they were regarded as despicable creatures; when the term was applied to people it referred to all types of ceremonially unclean persons and also to people of low moral character: e.g., male prostitutes (Deut 23:18) and unfaithful leaders (Isa 56:10).
Revelation 22:16 At its beginning, the Book of Revelation took the form of a letter (Rev 1:4). Now it ends with the classic salutation of a letter—but a salutation preceded by a threat to forgers, who would otherwise be at ease in the exploitation of apocalyptic writings.
Revelation 22:16 The Root and the Offspring of David: see note on Rev 1:5; see also Isa 11:1, 10; Rom 1:3. The bright Morning Star: a beautiful title for Christ, already used in Rev 2:28 to signify his power.
Revelation 22:20 Come, Lord Jesus!: this is the ardent plea of those who, in the midst of persecutions and trials, await the return of Christ (see note on 1 Cor 16:22). The Church should ceaselessly strive to recover this fervent expectation for the one in whom she has placed her faith, her hope, and her love, the one from whom she awaits all things.
The New Testament is not a book that one can close upon itself. It is the charter of the Covenant, the Good News from which one must live. It remains open toward its fulfillment: on the last page we have the beautiful and ancient liturgical prayer of Christians: “Come, Lord Jesus!”

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

Revelation 20-22 New Catholic Bible