1. And I [the John Class] saw
an angel [messenger, our Lord] come down from heaven [proceeding
from the divine government], having the key [authority] of the
bottomless pit [the dormant condition to confine or release] and a great
chain [many particles or links of truth in a great combination] in his
hand [power].
2. And he laid hold on [apprehended] the dragon, that old
serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years ["a
thousand years" is not in the Sinaitic, and it is unlikely he would be bound for
a thousand years and then cast into the "pit"].
3. And cast him into the bottomless pit [dormant condition],
and shut him up [confined him therein], and set a seal upon him
[security against his escape], that he should deceive the nations no more, till
the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed for a little
season [chronos, possibly a literal year].
4. And I [the John Class] saw thrones [envisioned
positions of authority], and they [the rulers of the old order] sat
upon them [occupied them], and judgment [judicial sentence]
was given unto them [rendered against them]: and I [the John
Class] saw the souls [beings] of them that were beheaded
[had given up their own wills] for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and
which had not worshipped the beast [venerated the papacy], neither his
image [World Council of Churches], neither had received his mark
[likeness of the World Council of Churches] upon their foreheads
[received its spirit in their minds], or in their hands [lending power or
support]; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years [no
member of this company of saints ever worshipped the "beast" or its
"image"].
5. This is the first [primary] resurrection. [The
rest of this verse is spurious.]
6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first [primary] resurrection:
on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests both of God and of
Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years ["the thousand years,"
Westcott & Hort Interlinear Translation].
7. And when ["whenever," Westcott & Hort] the
thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison
[confinement].
8. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of
the earth [every place in society], Gog [enemies of God’s
people, being mentioned first may indicate they are the leaders] and Magog
[enemies of God’s people, probably followers], to gather them together to
battle [to oppose God’s people]: the number of whom is as the sand
of the sea [even a small percentage of those who rebel would still make a large
number].
9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth [from every place in
society] and compassed the camp of the saints [encircled the fortified
temporary camp of the ancient worthies] and the beloved city [New
Jerusalem]: and fire [final judgments] came down from God out of
heaven, and devoured [consumed] them.
10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone [delivered into second death with deadly sulfur to emphasize complete
destruction], where the beast [papacy] and the false prophet
[The Church of England and possibly with what is left of the declawed and defanged World
Council of Churches] are, and shall be tormented [examined constantly] day
and night for ever and ever [for the ages of the ages].
11. And I [the John Class] saw a great white throne [pure
ruling authority], and him [Christ] that sat on it, from whose
face [presence] the earth [old order of society] and the
heaven [the religious ruling authority] fled away; and there was found no
place for them.
12. And I [the John Class] saw the dead [humanity
sentenced to death in Adam], small and great, stand [for judgment] before
God ["the throne" in the Sinaitic, the ruling authority]; and
the books [Scriptures] were opened [made plain]: and
another book [for recording] was opened, which is the book of life
[everlasting]: and the dead [humanity] were judged out of those
things which were written in the books [the Scriptures], according to
their works [works done while under the Mediator.
13. And the sea [restless masses] gave up the dead [relinquished
those condemned in sin] which were in it; and death [this would take in
those condemned but literally alive] and hell [the condition of literal
death] delivered up the dead [all condemned in sin] which were in
them: and they were judged every man according to their works
[works done while under the Mediator]
14. And death [the condition of condemnation of those literally alive]
and hell [the condition of literal death] were cast into the lake
of fire. This is the second death.
15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of [everlasting] life
was cast into the lake of fire [the second death—oblivion].
