Revelation 20:2 Meaning and Explanation
“And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The angel seizes the dragon -- named as the old serpent, the Devil, and Satan -- and binds him for a thousand years.
What Does Revelation 20:2 Mean?
John heaps up four names for one enemy: the dragon of his earlier visions, the old serpent of Eden, the Devil, and Satan. By gathering every title into one figure, the vision tells us this is the same adversary who has opposed God and deceived humanity from the beginning. Now he is simply laid hold of and bound.
The serpent who first whispered in the garden is here taken in hand like a captured beast. Evil is real and personal, but it is not eternal and it is not free. There is a measured limit set upon it, marked out in the thousand years. The enemy's leash is held by the hand of God, and that changes how the faithful face him.
Revelation 20:2 in the Original Language
Satanas (Σατανᾶς), 'Satan' -- from a Hebrew root meaning 'adversary' or 'accuser,' the one who opposes God and accuses His people.
Frequently Asked Questions About Revelation 20:2
What does Revelation 20:2 mean?
The angel seizes the dragon -- named as the old serpent, the Devil, and Satan -- and binds him for a thousand years.