Revelation 20:1

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 20:1-10

We have here, I. A prophecy of the binding of Satan for a certain term of time, in which he should have much less power and the church much more peace than before. The power of Satan was broken in part by the setting up of the gospel kingdom in the world; it was further reduced by the empire's becoming Christian; it was yet further broken by the downfall of the mystical Babylon; but still this serpent had many heads, and, when one is wounded, another has life remaining in it. Here we have a... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 20:1-15

Since the great importance of this chapter is that it is what might be called the foundation document of Millennarianism or Chiliasm, it will be better to read it as a whole before we deal with it in detail. 20:1-15 1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key of the abyss, and with a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a 3 thousand years, and cast him into the abyss, and locked him... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 20:1

And I saw an angel come down from heaven ,.... All Christ's enemies, and Satan's instruments being removed, the devil is left alone, and only stands in the way of Christ's kingdom; and what will be done to him, and how he will be in the issue disposed of, this vision gives an account: by the "angel" John saw, is not to be understood Constantine the great; for though he is the man child that was taken up to God, and his throne, being advanced to the empire, yet he cannot, with that propriety,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 20:1

An angel came down from heaven - One of the executors of the Divine justice, who receives criminals, and keeps them in prison, and delivers them up only to be tried and executed. The key of the prison and the chain show who he is; and as the chain was great, it shows that the culprit was impeached of no ordinary crimes. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 20:1

And I saw an angel come down from heaven; coming down out of heaven. The usual mode of introducing a new vision (cf. Revelation 4:1 , etc.). On account of Revelation 1:18 , some have considered this angel to be Christ himself; but this is incorrect. As in Revelation 12:7-9 , an angel is the immediate agent in this expulsion of Satan ( vide infra ) . Having the key of the bottomless pit; the abyss; as in Revelation 9:1 , Revelation 9:2 , Revelation 9:11 ; ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 20:1-2

The first scene in the moral history of redeemed humanity: the scene of moral struggle. "And I saw an angel come down from heaven," etc. No inspired book presents a greater scope for visionary and idle speculation than this Apocalypse. Here every imagination has the widest sweep for its wildest evolutions. Hence we have almost as many interpretations of its contents as we have expositors. One can scarcely pursue a more easy or certain path to popularity than by propounding some ingenious... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 20:1-3

Satan bound for a thousand years. God sees the end from the beginning. If he pleases, he can disclose the future to others, although even then, by reason of the limitation of creature faculties, the unfolding of the future must be limited too. There is, moreover, one feature of that limit which cannot be too clearly recognized, viz. that inasmuch as man has no strictly creative power, and can only weave new patterns by putting together in different forms the materials ready to his hand, so... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 20:1-10

The restraint upon evil. Following most appropriately upon the foregoing description of a conflict, and the conquest by the truth and the power of righteousness, is a representation, in most significant imagery, of the restraint that is put upon evil by the prevalence of righteousness—the chaining back the clouds of night by the rising sun. The spirit of evil, "the dragon, the old serpent," "the devil and Satan," is "laid hold" by "an angel coming down out of heaven," and bound with "a... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 20:1

And I saw an angel come down from heaven - Compare the notes on Revelation 10:1. He does not say whether this angel had appeared to him before, but the impression is rather that it was a different one. The whole character of the composition of the book leads us to suppose that different angels were employed to make these communications to John, and that, in fact, in the progress of things disclosed in the book, he had contact with a considerable number of the heavenly inhabitants. The scene... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Revelation 20:1-3

Revelation 20:1-3. And I saw an angel An especial minister of Providence; come down from heaven With a commission from God; having the key of the bottomless pit Invested with power to open or to shut it; see on Revelation 9:1; and a great chain in his hand Emblematical of his power to perform the work here assigned him. And he laid hold on the dragon Who, after the destruction of the beast and of the false prophet, (to whom he had delegated his power,) still remained; that old... read more

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