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Revelation

About this book
Chapter 20

1 Then I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain.⁠ 2 He seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan—and tied him up for a thousand years.⁠ 3 The angel then threw him into the abyss and locked and sealed it so that he could not deceive the nations until the one thousand years were finished. (After these things he must be released for a brief period of time.)⁠ 4 Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.⁠ 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. 7 Now when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of sand in the sea. 9 They went up on the broad plain of the earth and encircled the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and devoured them completely.⁠ 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever. 11 Then I saw a large white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.⁠ 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened,⁠ and another book was opened—the book of life.⁠ So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds.⁠ 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds.⁠ 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.⁠ 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.

Texts in conversation

Compare 1 Enoch 61:5 and Revelation 20:13

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · New Testament

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Summary

1 Enoch 61 describes people whose bodies were not found, those unburied, eaten by animals, or lost at sea, saying that even they will be resurrected. Revelation 20 echoes this, showing the sea and the realm of death releasing the dead for resurrection.

Passages

1 Enoch 61:5

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
3 The angel who accompanied me said, 'These shall bring the measures of the righteous, and the ropes of the righteous to the righteous, so that they may rely on the name of the Lord of Spirits forever and ever.' 4 The chosen will begin to dwell with the chosen, and these are the measures which shall be given to faith and which shall strengthen righteousness. 5 And these measures shall uncover all the secrets of the depths of the earth, and those who were destroyed in the wilderness, and those devoured by beasts, and those eaten by the fish of the sea, so that they may return and rely on the day of the Chosen One; for none shall be destroyed before the Lord of Spirits, nor can any be destroyed.
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

Revelation 20:13

New Testament
11 Then I saw a large white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened—the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.
92–96 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Revelation

References

"... More important than the precise literary relationships are the views of resurrection expressed in these texts. 1 Enoch 61:5 deals with a problem in the old concept of resurrection as the return of the dead from Sheol. Since Old Testament thought did not distinguish sharply between the grave and the underworld, those who are in Sheol are those who have been buried. But the question may then arise: what of those who are not buried? 1 Enoch 61:5 mentions three examples: those who die in the desert where there is noone to bury them, those who die at sea and are eaten by fish, those who are eaten by wild animals. (Sib Or 2:236-237, perhaps with Christian martyrdoms by burning in mind, adds another such category: those consumed by fire.) Can these people too 'return' and 'rely on the day of the Chosen One' (the day of resurrection)? The author states that they too are in Sheol ('the depths of the earth'). They appear to be destroyed, but in God's sight ('before the Lord of Spirits') noone can be destroyed. It is noteworthy that although the problem behind this passage is the destruction of the corpse, it deals not with bodies but with dead people. The people, not just their bodies, were destroyed and are in Sheol, waiting to return ..."
Richard Bauckham, The Fate of the Dead: Studies on the Jewish and Christian Apocalypses, NovTSup 93 (Leiden: Brill, 1998), 288.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Comments

  • Helpful. God bless you!

    Adm, July 10, 2025

  • This is very insightful. However, it bears pointing out that the commentary at the bottom is not accurate in stating there was not much distinction between the grave and the underworld in OT thought. Not only are “Sheol” and “quever” different words referring to the underworld and the grave respecti ...

    Lee, January 29, 2026

1 Enoch 61:5 and Revelation 20:13

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