Satan Bound
An angel comes down from heaven with the key to the Abyss and a great chain, seizes the dragon, and binds him for a thousand years. Satan is thrown into the Abyss, shut in, and sealed over so that he cannot deceive the nations until the thousand years are completed, after which he must be released for a brief time. The paragraph emphasizes that satanic activity is not ultimate or autonomous but subject to God's decree and restraint.
T1hen I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain. 2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time.
John sees thrones and those given authority to judge, along with the souls of those who were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and the word of God and those who refused the beast and its mark. They come to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years, while the rest of the dead do not live again until that period is complete. This first resurrection is declared blessed and holy, because the second death has no power over such people; instead they are priests of God and of Christ and reign with Him. The paragraph presents the faithful as vindicated, alive, and participating in Christ's rule.
4Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.