Revelation 20 \u2013 the millennium prophecy \u2013 is divided into four sections with the repeated phrase \u201cand I saw\u201d (vv. 1, 4, 11, 12). The first section, verses 1-3, forms a neat chiasm of its own:<\/p>\n
A. Angel from heaven with key and chain, v. 1<\/p>\n
B. Satan bound for 1000 years, v. 2<\/p>\n
C. Thrown into abyss, shut and sealed, v. 3a.<\/p>\n
C\u2019. So that he will not deceive the nations, v. 3b.<\/p>\n
B\u2019. Until the thousand years are completed, v. 3c.<\/p>\n
A\u2019. Afterward, he is released for a short time, v. 3d.<\/p>\n
Verses 7-10 also form a neat chiasm:<\/p>\n
A. Satan released from prison, v. 7.<\/p>\n
B. Deceives the nations, v. 8a.<\/p>\n
C. Gathers them for war like sand on seashore, v. 8b.<\/p>\n
D. Surround camp and city, v. 9a.<\/p>\n
C\u2019. Fire comes from heaven to devour them, v. 9b.<\/p>\n
B\u2019. The devil who deceived them, v. 10a.<\/p>\n
A.\u2019 Thrown into the lake of fire, v. 10b.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the first 10 verses has a fundamentally chiastic shape, with a modification or two:<\/p>\n
A. Angel descends from heaven(katabainonta ek tou ouranou<\/em>) with key and chain, v. 1.<\/p>\n B. Seizes, binds, throws (ebalen<\/em>), shuts, and seals dragon, v. 2-3a.<\/p>\n C. So that he does not deceive the nations (hina me planese et ta ethne),\u00a0<\/em>v. 3b.<\/p>\n D. Until the thousand years are completed (achri telesthe ta chilia ete),<\/em>\u00a0v. 3c.<\/p>\n E. Afterward, Satan loosed (luthenai<\/em>) for a short time, v. 3d.<\/p>\n F. Thrones set up, martyrs reign with Christ (ebasileusan meta tou Christou<\/em>) for 1000 years, v. 4.<\/p>\n G. Rest of dead (nekros<\/em>) did not come to life until 1000 years completed, v. 5a.<\/p>\n H. This is the first resurrection, v. 5b.<\/p>\n H\u2019. Blessed is the one who has share in first resurrection, v. 6a.<\/p>\n G\u2019. Second death (thanatos<\/em>) has no power, v. 6b.<\/p>\n F\u2019. Priests and kings reign with him (basileusousin meta autou) for 1000 years, v. 6c.<\/p>\n D\u2019. After thousand years completed (hotan telesthe ta chilia ete<\/em>), v. 7a.<\/p>\n E\u2019. Satan will be loosed (luthesetai<\/em>) from prison, v. 7b.<\/p>\n C\u2019. He will deceive the nations (planesai ta ethne<\/em>) and gather them, v. 8.<\/p>\n A\u2019. Fire descends\u00a0from heaven\u00a0(katebe pur ek tou ouranou<\/em>), v. 9.<\/p>\n B. The devil is thrown (eblethe<\/em>) into the lake of fire, v. 10.<\/p>\n To get the structure of the final section that begins at verse 11, we have to stretch into chapter 21. This section is framed by an inlcusio <\/em>on the phrase earth and heaven (20:11), which is reversed in 21:1 \u2013 \u201cnew heaven and new earth.\u201d Within this frame, the passage has a modified parallel structure:<\/p>\n A. And I saw: Earth and heaven flee from the throne, 20:11.<\/p>\n B. And I saw: Dead stand before throne, 20:12a.<\/p>\n C. Books opened, 20:12b.<\/p>\n D. Dead judged according to things written, their deeds, 20:12c.<\/p>\n B\u2019. Sea, death, Hades give up dead, 20:13a.<\/p>\n D\u2019. Dead judged according to their deeds, 20:13b-14.<\/p>\n C\u2019. Names not in book, thrown into the lake of fire, 20:15.<\/p>\n A\u2019. And I saw: New heaven and new earth, 21:1.<\/p>\n Verses 13-15 form a mini-structure of their own:<\/p>\n A. Sea gave up dead, 20:13a.<\/p>\n B. Death and Hades gave up dead, 20:13b.<\/p>\n C. Judges according to deeds, 20:13c.<\/p>\n B\u2019. Death and Hades thrown into the lake of fire, 20:14a.<\/p>\n A\u2019. The lake of fire is the second death, 20:14b-15.<\/p>\n The structural association of the sea-graveyard and the lake (or pool) of fire may shed some light on the claim in 21:1 that \u201cthere is no longer sea.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Revelation 20 \u2013 the millennium prophecy \u2013 is divided into four sections with the repeated phrase \u201cand I saw\u201d (vv. 1, 4, 11, 12). The first section, verses 1-3, forms a neat chiasm of its own: A. Angel from heaven with key and chain, v. 1 B. Satan bound for 1000 years, v. 2 C. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3021,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-nt-revelation"],"yoast_head":"\n