20 Then I saw a messenger coming down from heaven holding the key to the pit as well as a heavy chain 2 and he seized the dinosaur, that ancient snake, who is the devil and Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years.[ref] 3 The messenger threw him into the pit and shut it and sealed it over him so that he wouldn’t deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, it will be necessary for him to be released for a short time.

4 I saw thrones with people sitting on them and they were given the responsibility of judging both the souls of the ones who’d been beheaded for believing Yeshua’s and God’s message, and those who didn’t worship the animal or his image and didn’t receive the mark on their hand or forehead. And they lived and reigned with the messiah for a thousand years.[ref] 5 The rest of the dead didn’t come back to life until the thousand years were up. That’s the first resurrection. 6 Those who have a part in that first resurrection will be blessed and (considered?) holy. The second death has no power over them—they’ll be priests of God and of the messiah and they’ll reign with him for a thousand years.